Banff Banff National Park is the top tourist attraction in Alberta, contributing an estimated $6 billion annually to the economy.Attractions include mineral hot springs, mountain scenery, camping, climbing, hiking, golfing, horse-back riding, alpine and nordic skiing, and Lake Louise. Several ski resorts are located within the park: Sunshine Village, Lake Louise Mountain Resort, and Mount Norquay ski resort. A park pass is required for stopping in the park and permit checks are common during the summer months, especially at Lake Louise and the start of the Icefields Parkway. A permit is not required if travelling straight through the park without stopping. The Trans-Canada Highway goes through the park. The death of wildlife on the highway from vehicles is a problem, which has resulted in the highway being fenced off and the construction of wildlife under- and over-passes.

Calgary The Calgary Stampede, which bills itself as The Greatest Outdoor show on Earth, is a large festival, exhibition, and rodeo held in Calgary, Alberta for ten days every July. In 2006, the Stampede will take place from July 7-16. It is Canada's largest annual event and it features an internationally recognized rodeo competition, a midway, stage shows, concerts, agricultural competitions, chuckwagon races, First Nations exhibitions, and pancake breakfasts around the city, among other attractions. In 2005, record-breaking attendance at the 10-day rodeo and exhibition totalled 1,242,928. The Stampede Parade which occurs on opening day, is one of the festival's oldest and largest traditions. It follows a 4.5 km route in downtown Calgary. Attendance at the parade is usually about 350,000. The parade is also televised and has a viewing audience of over 2 million. During Stampede Week, the city's residents dress in western attire, and nearly all businesses decorate their stores and offices western style.

Edmonton There are also over 70 museums in Edmonton of ranging sizes. The largest is the Royal Alberta Museum (formerly the Provincial Museum of Alberta, it was renamed by Queen Elizabeth II during her 2005 visit) which houses over 10 million objects in its collection. The main galleries are the Syncrude Gallery of Aboriginal Culture, Wild Alberta, and the Natural History Gallery. The main building, located on the river valley west of downtown in Glenora, was opened in 1967 and is now in the early stages of large-scale redevelopment [29]. Located on the grounds is Government House, the former residence of the province's Lieutenant-Governor. The RAM is in the early stages of a large 180 million dollar expansion, dubbed "Project Renewal".