Things to Do in Medicine Hat

Medicine Hat, Alberta, is the sixth largest city in Alberta. Located in the southeastern part of the province, the South Saskatchewan River flows through this naturally beautiful city. What started out as a railroad town has now become a thriving city full of life and energy. For those who are either visiting or living in Medicine Hat, there are tons of local attractions to keep you busy all year long. If you are looking for a low key day,  you may choose to wander around a museum or check out artwork at The Hive’s Artist Hub or Medalta Museum. If you are looking to enjoy nature at its finest check out Echo Dale Regional Park or Strathcona Island Park. Or perhaps action is what you are looking for. In that case, Fun N Gamez Central might be more up your alley. Whatever you choose, you’re sure to be entertained in Medicine Hat, Alberta.

 

I. Nature and Outdoors/Farms

Echo Dale Regional Park

Located between Redcliff and Medicine Hat, Echo Dale Regional Park is an oasis for wildlife and people alike. There are trails, a historic farm site–complete with trails, barnyard, farmhouse, blacksmith shop, and Ajax Mine– a swim lake with great picnicing spots and beach volleyball courts nearby, a boat lake with fantastic fishing available, as well as new, pirate themed playground equipment.

Website

1601 Echodale Rd, Bow Island

Year Round

Free

Saamis Tepee

The Saamis Tepee is the largest tepee in the world. It is 215 feet tall and 160 feet wide. There are 960 bolts holding the tepee together! Located below the Saamis Tepee is Seven Persons coulee, which is the location of the Saamis Archaeological Site. Take a self-guided tour through the site to view one of the most important archaeological sites of the Northern Plains. It is believed that there are over 83 million artifacts buried at this site.

Details

32 Eagle Birth Rd SW, Medicine Hat

Year Round

Free

Riverside Veterans’ Memorial Park

Riverside Veterans’ Memorial Park is a beautiful formal park. Right along the South Saskatchewan River, this park is a fantastic place to come and relax. There a lucious flower beds, and a band shell with a mural provides cover for entertainers. This is also the location of the Cenotaph, two CPR locomotives, a WWII tank, and trails that connect to Strathcona Island and Lions Park.

Website

1 street and 6th Avenue, Medicine Hat

Year Round

Free

Strathcona Island Park

Strathcona Island Park is a great location to spend the day. There is something for everyone, from 5 km of walking trails that follow the South Saskatchewan River, to bbq pits and picnic areas, to the Lions Playground, to a fun water playground, to baseball diamonds, and even a boat launch. No matter what you feel like doing, if you want to spend the day outside this is the place to do it.

Website

210 5 St SE, Medicine Hat

Year Round

Free

Cottonwood Coulee Golf Course

Cottonwood Coulee Golf Course is a picturesque golf course located right in Medicine Hat. This executive style golf course features panoramic views and a natural park-like setting. This golf course has a fun, friendly atmosphere, a relaxed dress code, is suitable for all levels of golfers, includes a fully stocked pro-shop, and has a dining room for patrons to enjoy as well.

Website

3245 10 Ave SW, Medicine Hat

Seasonal: May through October, weather permitting

$48.00/18-holes and less

Connaught Golf Club

Connaught Golf Club is a beautifully tree lined golf course with immaculate greens. Known as Alberta’s friendliest golf course, the welcoming atmosphere at Connaught Golf Course will have you coming back again and again. This full service golf course offers a championship course, a licensed pub, a fantastic restaurant, great outdoor patio, a full practice facility, a public driving range, and a fully stocked pro shop.

Website

1194 27 St SE, Medicine Hat

Seasonal: April through October, weather permitting

$57.00/18 holes and less

Paradise Valley Golf Course

Voted Medicine Hat’s Favourite Golf Course for three years in a row, Paradise Valley Golf Course will not disappoint.  This is a great golf course for all levels, making it a family friendly course as well. This is a compact golf course, 18 holes without a ton of walking! Each hole at Paradise Valley is a Par-3. There is a pro shop, practice facilities, night golf events, a restaurant/patio area, and scenic views at every hole making this an unforgettable golf course for all.

Website

90 Gehring Rd SW, Medicine Hat

Seasonal: May through October, weather permitting

$15.00/9 holes and less

Kin Coulee Park

Kin Coulee Park is over 100 acres of open space. With the Seven Persons Creek winding through it, this park is a great location for all to enjoy. During the winter people enjoy the awesome toboggan hill complete with a heated shelter, snowshoeing and cross country skiing. In the summer, there is even more to enjoy from playgrounds, to picnic areas, to beach volleyball courts, paved trails and more. There is even an area for weddings!

Website

104 South Kin Coulee Rd SE, Medicine Hat

Year Round

Free

Police Point Park

With over 240 acres of wildlife, and grassland vegetation, Police Point Park is a beautiful natural reserve. The Police Point Nature Centre offers various displays and interpretive programs throughout the year. Patrons of this park will love observing the abundant wildlife that calls this park home.

Website

1001 Police Point Dr NE, Medicine Hat

Year Round

Free

Windmill Garden Centre

Not only is Windmill Garden Centre a fantastic location to stroll through, relax, enjoy the sounds and smells of nature, and maybe even make your next plant or garden purchase,  but it is also home to John’s Butterfly House, a beautiful butterfly enclosure with many huge moths and butterflies to check out and admire. Patrons can sit and allow the butterflies to land on them, or they can walk through and enjoy the butterflies fluttering all around them.

Website

920 1 St. SW, Medicine Hat

John’s Butterfly House : Seasonal: March through September

John’s Butterfly House: $8.50/person and lower

II. Museums

Medalta Museum

Medalta is not your typical museum. It is an innovative industrial museum, a contemporary ceramic arts facility, an art gallery, and a community hub in Medicine Hat, Alberta. The artwork displayed is from both the past and present and much of it was even made right there at the museum.

Website

713 Medalta Ave SE, Medicine Hat

Open Year Round

$12.00 and under

The Hive Artists’ Hub

The Hive Artists’ Hub is more than just a gallery for local artists to display their latests works of art. It is also a place where artists can rent studio space, share equipment, and grow as artists. The Hive also hosts community events, and four times a year they participate in the Medicine Hat Art Walk’s Roving Art Receptions.

Website

569 2 St SE, Medicine Hat, AB

Varies

Varies

III. Amusement Parks/Indoor Playgrounds

Fun N Gamez Central

Fun N Gamez Central is fun for all ages. Whether you come as a family, with a group of friends, or even on a date, you are sure to leave with lasting memories of a fun time out! There are all sorts of arcade and fair type games, prizes, and even ice cream, slush puppies, coffee, pop, and more. With options to have pizza from Panago or wings from Rossco’s Pub, patron’s can eat and play to their heart’s content.

Website

3215 Dunmore Rd SE, Medicine Hat

Year Round

Varies

Mr E’s Solve-it-torium

Mr. E’s Solve-it-torium is a great place to bring a group. Whether it is a family, a group of friends, or even colleagues for work, you will bond together to try and escape the room you are in before your 45 minute time limit is up. Find clues, complete puzzles, solve riddles, and hopefully, escape the room! There are multiple rooms to choose from, making it a great place to come back time and time again.

Website

953 S Railway St, Medicine Hat

Year Round

$25.00/person

Countdown Adventures

Participants have one hour to escape from one of the themed rooms by solving ultimate puzzles at Countdown Adventures. With multiple rooms to choose from and changes taking place on a regular basis, participants can come back as often as they want without ever getting bored!

Website

106-401 3rd St SE, Medicine Hat

Year Round

  $25.00/person

Hostage Escape Room

Imagine being taken hostage because you and your friends are suspected of knowing too much about an imminent terrorist attack. Now imagine that the room you are taken to is filled with clues and items needed for you to plan your escape. Your kidnappers will be back in exactly one hour. Do you have what it takes to escape in time? Hostage Escape Room is a terrific escape room where you can test your problem solving skills in a fun and safe way.

Website

14 Cunliffe Crescent SE, Medicine Hat

Year Round

$25.00/person and less

VR Junkies

VR Junkies is Medicine Hat’s premier virtual reality arcade.  Come solo or with a group of friends for a fantastic time. With cutting edge VR technologies this is the arcade of the future. Leave your reality and compete in a virtual one for a great way to escape the stresses of everyday life for as long as you would like.

Website

516 3rd St SE, Medicine Hat

Year Round

$15.00/15 minutes, $60.00/90 minutes, Varies

Hooplas Family Entertainment Centre

Hooplas Family Entertainment Centre revolves around their extraordinary 18 hole mini golf course. This course is challenging, but not overly so, making it perfect for all ages and levels of mini golfers. There is also a clubhouse with yummy snacks and treats, and a meeting room for people who would like to hold birthday parties or corporate events at the centre.

Website

1072 7th St SW, Medicine Hat

Seasonal: April through September, weather permitting

$10.50/person and lower, under 3-Free

Panorama Lanes

With sixteen 5-pin bowling lanes and twelve 10-pin bowling lanes, Panorama Lanes offers loads of fun for the entire group. Whether it is date night, a team building exercise, or fun with family and/or friends, this bowling alley is where it’s at. WIth so much more than just bowling, patrons can spend hours at Panorama without getting bored. From glow bowling on Friday and Saturday nights,  to multiple flat screen tvs, pool tables, a Kidsworld play park and nightly food and drink specials, all who come once will be back for more.

Website

820 6A Ave SW, Medicine Hat

Year Round

$42.00/lane and under

IV. EVENTS & FESTIVALS

Canalta Centre

The Canalta Centre is Medicine Hat’s premiere entertainment venue. This state of the art facility has seating for up to 7,000 people. Concerts, hockey games, sporting events, comedy acts, and more are held at the Canalta Centre.

Website

2802 Box Springs Way NW, Medicine Hat

Year Round

Varies

Esplanade Arts & Heritage Centre

Part Museum, part theatre, the Esplanade Arts & Heritage Centre is home of many performances in Medicine Hat. It is also home of many wonderful exhibits throughout the year. Exhibits include things such as artwork from international artists, photography displays, craft exhibits, and more. There are also plenty of events and programs run through the centre, so be sure to check out their website as they have something for everyone!

Website

401 1 St SE, Medicine Hat

Open Year Round

Varies

Medicine Hat Exhibition & Stampede

The annual Medicine Hat Exhibition & Stampede is the event many people wait for all year round. WIth night shows, a parade, a rodeo, visual arts, a midway, live music, and more, if you are in the Medicine Hat area during the last week of July, you best make time to attend this event.

Website

Medicine Hat

2018 – Dates: July 25-28

Varies

Tongue on the Post Folk Festival

During the Tongue on the Post Folk Music Festival different musical performers will be entertaining for free throughout different cafes in the city. Then, on Saturday, it is a full day of different performances and events. This festival is a really fun event for anyone who appreciates music.

Website

Held in January

Varies, lots of free things to do

Medicine Hat JazzFest

The Medicine Hat JazzFest is 8 days of jazz music taking over the city of Medicine Hat. Beyond the music, JazzFest includes workshops, concerts for kids, and a free rooftop parkade party.

Website

In June; 2018 – June 17-24

Spectrum Festival

Live music, fun entertainment, and great food are just a few of the things waiting for you at Medicine Hat’s Spectrum Festival. During this festival you will also get to watch or participate in the “Walk A Mile In Her Shoes” march with all proceeds going to a good cause. You will also be able to peruse the Sunshine Market, with over 25 vendors. There is also an action-packed Kids Zone for the kids to enjoy.

Website

2018 Dates: June 1-2

Broncs and Honky Tonks Indoor Pro Rodeo

Rodeo lovers rejoice! Broncs and Honky Tonks Indoor Pro Rodeo is the place to be this spring. There is a tradeshow, a princess for a day competition, mutton busting, a dance on both Friday and Saturday evenings, team roping, slack, barrel racing, and more.

Website

Cypress Centre, Medicine Hat

April 6-8. 2018

$45.00 and less