Banff Attractions

Banff National Park is the most visited Alberta tourist destination and one of the most visited national parks in all of North America with more than 3 million visitors per year experiencing this wonder of nature. The Canadian government created Banff National Park as the first National Park in 1885 which forms part of the Rocky Mountains. Banff National Park hosts 6641 sq kilometres (2564 sq miles) of mountains, forests, rivers/lakes, glaciers and hot springs. The wildlife within the National Park consists of eagles, mountain goats, wolves, elk and grizzly bears amongst other smaller animals. The most famous man-made addition to the park is the Banff Springs Hotel which was built to resemble a baronial Scottish castle and accommodates more than 800 guests. Lake Louise, named in honour of Queen Victoria’s daughter, Princess Louise Caroline Alberta, is one of the most popula...

The Cave and Basin National Historic Site of Canada is located in the town of Banff, Alberta within the Canadian Rocky Mountains, at the site of natural thermal mineral springs around which Canada's first national park, Banff National Park, was established. The Cave and Basin is the lowest component of nine sulphurous hot springs clustered in three groups on the northeast flank of Sulphur Mountain. All are located along the Sulphur Mountain Thrust Fault below Devonian limestones. The water is heated geothermally from an estimated depth of three kilometres. The Cave and Basin is the only underground cavern large enough to comfortably accommodate groups of people.

The Banff Park Museum National Historic Site, located in downtown Banff, Alberta, is an exhibition space associated with Banff National Park. The museum was established in 1895 to house an exhibit of mounted specimens of animals, plants and minerals associated with the park. The museum building, constructed in 1903 to the design of territorial government engineer John Stocks, is an early example of the rustic style of architecture that was becoming popular in the parks of North America. In 1896 Norman Bethune Sanson was hired as the museum curator. Serving until 1932, Sanson was responsible for expanding the collection from eight mammals, 259 birds, a turtle and a variety of mineral and botanical specimens to the present collection of 5000 specimens. The building, described as a "railway pagoda", uses exposed log framing and rustic detailing. It is the oldest bu...

Upper Hot Springs are commercially-developed hot springs located in Banff National Park in Canada, near the Banff townsite. The hot pool is outdoors and while in the pool, visitors can look across the valley to Mount Rundle. The Upper Hot Springs are one of nine different naturally occurring hot springs in the Banff area. The hot spring water flows naturally through the Sulphur Mountain Thrust Fault, with the source area located at higher elevations on either Sulphur Mountain or Mount Rundle. The flow rates fluctuate seasonally with snow melt, with highest flows in the spring and lowest during winter. Since the early 2000s, flow to the Upper Hot Springs has stopped for several months of the winter. During these times, municipal water is substituted for the recreational pools. Water temperature is kept at approximately 38°C (100°F).

The Banff Centre, formerly known as The Banff Centre for Continuing Education, is an arts, cultural, and educational institution and conference complex located in Banff, Alberta. The Banff Centre is part of Alberta's post-secondary educational system, and offers programs in the performing and fine arts, and leadership training. The Banff Centre was founded in 1933 by the University of Alberta as an experimental theatre school and became known as the Banff School of Fine Arts in 1935. By 1936, music became an important part of the program and remains so today. The Banff International String Quartet Competition was established in 1983 and the Banff Festival of the Arts, established in 1971, has seen several Canadian premieres including Michael Daugherty's opera Jackie O, John Metcalf's Kafka's Chimp and Jonathan Dove's Siren Song. In 1947 the centre moved from the town of Banff ...

The Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies is located in Banff, Alberta, Canada. The museum collects, preserves, exhibits, and makes available for research and education materials related to the cultural heritage of the Rocky Mountains of Canada and other mountains around the world. The museum, which contains an archive and library, was the inspiration of Banff artists Peter and Catharine Whyte. The Alpine Club of Canada has dedicated the Peter and Catharine Whyte Hut on the Peyto Glacier after the duo.

The Banff Sightseeing Gondola provides visitors with the most spectacular views of the Canadian Rockies and the town of Banff. The views become more and more grand in the gondola ride as you climb 698m (2,292 ft) to an elevation of 2,281m (7,486 ft). Alternatively, you can take the 2 hour trail up Sulphur Mountain and catch the gondola down (highly recommended). The trail is steep but manage-able for those with a reasonable level of fitness. Guests will find a restaurant, gift shop, boardwalk, observation deck and unsurpassed photo opportunities at the summit of Sulphur Mountain.