12 Quirkiest Towns In The Prairies You Didn't Know Existed
If you are all about finding towns with their own brand of quirky personality, a road trip across the Prairies of Canada will not disappoint. Located in the central-western part of the country, the Prairies include the provinces of Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba, known for their expansive grasslands and rich agriculture. However, the area also includes towns in the Rocky Mountains as well as Canada’s Badlands. From gopher museums to UFOs and giant perogies to the Star Trek Capital of Canada, The Prairies offer an eclectic mix of whimsy and intrigue in the 12 quirkiest towns you didn’t know existed.
Torrington
Located about 160 kilometres northeast of Calgary, Torrington owes its position at the top of the quirky list to the humble gopher. There is no other town in the Prairies so enthusiastically supporting what many would consider a local nuisance. As home to the Gopher Hole Museum, Torrington takes the prize for the quirkiest roadside attraction. Some argue the museum name is misleading, as the “taxidermized” stars of the show are technically Richardson’s ground squirrels. However, locals call them gophers, so don't worry about false advertising here! Believe it or not, this world-famous attraction features stuffed gophers dressed in various outfits depicting over 40 scenes of everyday human life. From a bank robbery to a rodent wedding, a robed preacher watched over by an angel to a rodent jamboree, the collection is what some would consider heartwarmingly adorable, and others might find mildly disturbing.
Carrying on with the warm and fuzzy theme, Torrington’s less well-known destination, Kirk’s Alpaca Farm, offers a chance to learn more about these sweet-faced woolly guys. Tons of quirky alpaca-themed items are available in their gift shop, from alpaca-adorned mittens to adorable alpaca stuffed animals. Afterward, grab a bite at Pizza ‘N’ More Eh! for a delicious pizza to recharge your batteries.
Vulcan
Located between Calgary and Lethbridge in Southern Alberta’s Badlands, Vulcan is the self-proclaimed Star Trek Capital of Canada. With a name like Vulcan, who could blame them? Vulcan cleverly carved out a niche for itself as a space tourism destination with a “Star Trek” twist. By capitalizing on the name shared with the fictional home planet of the 1960s sci-fi series’ character Mr. Spock, Vulcan earned its rightful place as a Trekkie destination. The town began building ties with Star Trek by first building a replica of the famous USS Enterprise. They took things one step further, building a space station-shaped tourism center, now a famous landmark visited by thousands of visitors from around the world.
The visitor information centre is also home to the town’s collection of Star Trek Memorabilia. Visitors are transported to the last frontier, with floor-to-ceiling space murals and theatrical lighting. Friendly crew members man the Trek Station, offering directions to the top attractions in this part of the galaxy. Trekkies also visit the town’s Bell Park to snap selfies with the bronze bust of Spock and reverently touch Leonard Nimoy’s handprint commemorating the actor’s visit to the town in 2010. Live long and prosper! Those looking for a more normal experience can go for a swim in the Vulcan Lions Community Pool.
Flin Flon
As an old mining town, Flin Flon is dubbed the “city built on rock.” Located in Manitoba, it straddles the Saskatchewan border. Flin Flon’s quirky vibe started with its namesake; a fictional character named Josiah Flintabbatey Flonatin featured in a dime store novel, The Sunless City. When prospector Tom Creighton found a copy of the book, he was struck by the parallels between himself and the book’s protagonist, both seeking riches in the wilderness. His team decided to name their newly discovered orebody after the determined explorer.
“Flinty” is now a prominent figure in Flin Flon, including his iconic seven-metre-tall statue designed by American cartoonist Al Capp. Made of fibreglass, the statue greets guests at the Flin Flon Tourist Park and was voted Manitoba's favourite roadside attraction in Travel Manitoba's Roadside Madness contest. Flinty's Submarine is another landmark celebrating his relentless search for gold. The Big Island Drive-In Movie Theater adds to Flin Flon’s campy appeal, where the retro theatre’s silver screen flickers to life as the sun dips behind the horizon.
Watrous
Located an hour southeast of Saskatchewan’s largest city, Saskatoon, Watrous tops the list for quirky natural wonders. This tiny resort town is home to the “Dead Sea of Canada,” Little Manitou Lake. The springs share the same unique characteristics as the world-famous Dead Sea in Israel, including extreme buoyancy that makes it impossible to sink. The lake’s mineral-rich attributes and high salt content not only enhance buoyancy but are also reputed to have healing properties. According to local legend, Indigenous people suffering from smallpox were restored to health after stopping at the lake.
The town is also known for its 1928 dance hall, Danceland, where “hoofers” stomp and glide across one of the few remaining dance floors built on a cushion of horsehair. This unusual feature offers plenty of give while creating superior acoustics. The dancehall is a popular attraction known for its offbeat events and performances celebrating bygone eras, including polka, big band, and Latin-influenced music guaranteed to get your body moving. As the day comes to an end, visitors can book a room at the Manitou Springs Resort and Mineral Spa to ease off and take in the landscape.
Pincher Creek
The Town of Pincher Creek is located in the southwest corner of Alberta, east of the Rockies. Named after a rusty pair of pincers found in the creek by the North-West Mounted Police, the town is now known as the “Wind Capital of Canada” thanks to the many emerging wind energy projects underway.
With strong ties to the Prairies’ cowboy culture, the town has often hosted the annual Cowboy Poetry Festival as an ode to the cowboy lifestyle. Kootenai Brown Pioneer Village also celebrates Alberta's cowboy and pioneering spirit with 31 restored buildings dating back to the late 19th century. This quirky little tourist attraction hosts a themed Southern Nights Entertainment Series, with diverse characters performing and interacting with guests, including eccentric historians, diverse entertainers, local poets, and insightful lecturers.
The Lebel is a restored mansion cum community and cultural centre with a gallery featuring bi-monthly exhibitions of local and Canadian artists, space for art classes, and a balcony stage for live music performances. In the summer, guests sample food truck fare and sip beverages on the mansion’s well-manicured grounds, enjoying the music.
The Pas
The Pas, Manitoba, sits where the Pasquia and Saskatchewan River meet. Home to the clearest lake in Canada and one of the clearest in the world, Atikameg Lake, aka Clearwater Lake, is one of the world’s few rare true blue lakes. But that is not what makes The Pas quirky.
The Sam Waller Museum features a carefully curated collection of truly eclectic items, in what the museum’s namesake referred to as a “cluttertorium.” With over 70,000 curiosities and oddities, the museum is a magnet for those who seek all things weird and wonderful. From a two-headed calf to fleas dressed in tiny outfits, the Sam Waller Museum is definitely for the curious at heart. The Pas is also rumoured to sport a collection of randomly placed funky signs, but it takes some driving to find them. The best-known and easiest to spot is the iconic Trapper sign welcoming visitors to the town.
Fort Macleod
Often referred to as the Hollywood of the Prairies, Fort Macleod has provided locations for a wide range of movies and series, including Passchendaele, Interstellar, Ghostbusters: Afterlife, Brokeback Mountain, and HBO’s popular blockbuster, The Last of Us.
The town’s well-preserved historic buildings make it a favourite location for filmmakers. However, locals return their love for films tenfold at The Empress Theatre. Dating back to 1912, the vintage theatre is the cornerstone of ongoing cinematic experiences and live performances. The town also offers exhibitions and guided tours celebrating its cinematic heritage.
Going further back into the town’s past, the World Heritage Site Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump stands out because of its unusual name. It is considered the best-preserved example of pre-European life, including the communal hunting techniques of the Plains people, who killed herds of bison by chasing them over a precipice and smashing their heads on the rocky grounds below. Hence the name.
Jasper
Although Jasper, Alberta, is not what one might initially consider quirky, there are quirky ways to explore the area that appeal to the eclectic traveller. Jasper Motorcycle Tours offers an up-close and personal experience of the stunning Jasper National Park from the sidecar of a Harley-Davidson. What could be quirkier? This one-of-a-kind adventure takes in the sights and smells of the park from brilliant blue-green lakes to white capped mountains and glaciers to local mountain goats, elk, and caribou. An experienced rider acts as your tour guide, taking you along deserted stretches of highway and isolated back roads where the most spectacular and intimate Jasper experiences await.
If you are not afraid of heights, the Columbia Icefield Skywalk in the park offers a different way to experience the area's natural beauty, walking 918 feet above the Sunwapta Valley. This top-down view from a sheer cliff face is seen through a suspended glass platform offering unmatched views of the valley, mountains, waterfalls, glacier, and the odd mountain goat. Since the walk is more awe-inspiring than quirky, you might prefer the charming Sky Tram with its cheerful little red gondola-like compartments to view the breathtaking terrain.
Glendon
Known as the perogy capital of the world, Glendon, Alberta, is not surprisingly home to the world’s largest perogy. Standing over seven metres tall and weighing almost 3,000 kilograms, the Glendon perogy comes complete with a giant fork. Building on the perogy theme, the site is reached by following Perogy Drive to Perogy Park. Glendon clearly takes their perogies very seriously.
Glendon also holds an annual Perogy Festival in September, where visitors indulge in all things perogy-related. Perogy on a Fork is rumored to be the best local joint for perogies if you visit pre- or post-festival. But there’s more to Glendon’s quirky charm than perogies. They also hold Demolition Derbies and Mud Bogs every second Saturday in August, and there are tons of wreckage for fans to enjoy. The town’s love of cars does not end there. It also holds an annual cruise night down Main Street with an ongoing parade of classic cars.
Drumheller
Located in Alberta, northeast of Calgary, Drumheller is a big draw for dinosaur nerds. It boasts the world’s largest dinosaur, a brag that, to be clear, refers to man-made dinosaurs. Known as Tyra, the statue is four times larger than a real T-rex, standing 26 metres tall and measuring 46 metres long, with enough space in the dinosaur’s mouth to fit 12 adults. Visitors can climb 106 stairs inside the dinosaur to take in the spellbinding view of the Badlands.
Dinosaur enthusiasts also flock to The Royal Tyrrell Museum to take a walk through Alberta’s prehistoric past, encountering fossils, life-sized dinosaurs, and a Cretaceous Garden along the way. Be sure to snap some pics of the quirky "Welcome to Drumheller" dinosaur signs on your travels and the life-sized brachiosaurus at Dinosaur Trail Playground. Visitors also challenge themselves to see how many dinosaurs they can spot throughout the town. Continuing on with the whimsical, quirky feel of the area, a short ride on the Bleriot Ferry gets you across the Red Deer River on a 1913-era cable ferry that is almost as long as the river is wide.
St. Paul
A town obsessed with UFOs, St. Paul, Alberta, is home to a giant UFO Landing Pad. Its neighbor, a UFO-shaped Tourist Visitor Information Centre, hosts a UFO exhibit featuring images of crop circles and strange aircraft. Built in 1967 to celebrate Canada’s centennial, its launch was followed by Canada declaring St. Paul the Centennial Capital of Canada.
The UFO visitor center was built years later in the 1990s, featuring the work of over 50 local artisans along with 360-degree views of St. Paul. A group of otherworldly tourists displayed on the visitor center’s lawn adds to the offbeat attraction, offering an alien selfie-op as proof that little green men exist. Lunch at UFO Pizza completes the galaxy-themed experience.
Swan Hills
Swan Hills in northern Alberta is considered the nearest settlement to the “geographical centre” of the province 54°30′N 115°0′W. While this is a bit of a weird thing to tout, locals decided it was noteworthy, marking the Center of Alberta with a cairn located about 30 odd miles from the town. The somewhat peculiar rock monument is literally off the beaten path, with dilapidated markers helping you find your way. Eventually, you will stumble across a statue of a grizzly bear with a plaque noting the center’s exact location, which was pinpointed by local resident Roy Chimiuk.
However, this is not Swan Hills' main attraction. Its dramatic steel sculpture depicting a mother swan protecting her nest against a grizzly bear is considered one of Canada's top 50 roadside attractions. The display is a little off balance, considering the swan matches the grizzly bear in stature. Located next to the Tourist Information Center, the two sculptures constructed by Kevin Oracheski weigh about 900 kilograms and took 503 hours to carefully assemble close to 20,000 pieces of steel to create this imposing installation.
Final Thoughts
These Canadian Prairies towns top the list for the offbeat and quirky. Whether you want to explore Jasper National Park from the sidecar of a Harley, get a kick out of mind-boggling curiosities in The Pas, are a devout dinosaur nerd attracted to Drumheller, or want to try to sink yourself in the healing waters at Little Manitou Lake, this neck of the woods is a sure-fire way to enjoy some of Canada’s best kept off-the-wall secrets.
