The West Edmonton Mall, located in Edmonton, Alberta was once the world’s largest mall and used that notoriety to attract audiences from across the city and the entire nation of Canada. However, the numerous and notable attractions of the mall are what proved to make it a true landmark for the region to consistently attract millions of visitors. That interest has generated a great deal of direct revenue for the venue and economic activity for the whole region.
Shop, Play, and Stay
The story of West Edmonton Mall is the story of how a handful of people took an ordinary idea like a shopping center and turned it into a world-class destination. The Mall’s stores, attractions, and services have been designed to form the most comprehensive retail, hospitality and entertainment complex on the planet. As the prototype for mixed-use entertainment facilities, West Edmonton Mall is a place where people come to shop, play, and stay.
West Edmonton Mall’s concept is inspired by the traditional urban bazaars of Persia, where shopping and entertainment were plentiful and operated in tandem, fulfilling a variety of consumer needs all in one place. At 5.3 million square feet, the Mall is the size of a small city and is accredited as a zoo.
That status is part of what attracts more than 30 million visitors a year to over 800 stores and services, employing almost 24,000 people. Those visitors can engage in a variety of experiences that certainly include the shopping and dining contained in any mall, but are ultimately about so much more.
Experiencing the Attractions at West Edmonton Mall
The numerous activities throughout the West Edmonton Mall have seen it become an attraction in and of itself that draws in residents and visitors. From mini-golf to an underground aquarium to an amusement park, there are many attractions throughout the malls span of the equivalent of 48 city blocks.
Galaxyland is the world’s largest indoor amusement park and features more than 27 rides, attractions and play areas for all ages. The Mindbender is the world’s largest indoor triple loop roller coaster. Tickets can be purchased for the rises, but the entire space can also be booked for private parties.
The World Waterpark is the world’s second-largest indoor waterpark, built in 1985, with a size of 20,903 square meters (5.165 acres). The park has the world’s largest indoor wave pool. Numerous set events like a New Years’ Eve gathering take place throughout the year that allow visitors to celebrate special occasions with family and friends.
Elsewhere in the mall, visitors can find a large-scale replica of one of the ships sailed by Christopher Columbus in 1492. The deck can be booked for private functions. In that same body of water is an underground aquarium that is home to more than 100 species of fish, sharks, sea turtles, penguins, reptiles, amphibians and invertebrates. Marine Life is home to four California sea lions that perform daily. Dragon’s Tale Mini Golf, the Mayfield Toyota Ice Palace and the Petting Zoo are just a few of the other attractions compel engagement from audiences of all ages throughout the year.
All of these events and activities are what drive the millions of dollars that the West Edmonton Mall earns per year. In an era when malls are closing faster than ever, the attractions in the West Edmonton Mall have allowed it to not only avoid these challenges but to also create a model for doing so that others can utilize.
A Sense of Activity and Discovery
With over 800 stores, the West Edmonton Mall provides visitors with shopping options and choices that they can get at a variety of other malls and even at other stores in Edmonton. However, the attractions throughout the space have given audiences additional reasons to visit the space. Once there, they can uncover even more reasons to make their visit worthwhile and also explore other attractions in Edmonton.
That sense of activity and discovery continue to pull in 30 million visitors over the course of a year to West Edmonton Mall. Doing so has made it Alberta’s number-one tourist attraction and also driven a notable impact on the economy of the entire region.
