Whether it’s on the sports field, or our epic scenery, Albertans don’t believe in “good enough.”
That’s why our province is home to some of the largest roadside attractions in the world.
If you are hitting the road this summer and need some pit stops to fill your itinerary, and some weird and wonderful things to fill your photo albums, then here are ten giant landmarks scattered across Alberta that are worth visiting.
World’s Largest Perogy (Glendon)
Celebrate Alberta’s Ukrainian heritage with a visit to the world’s largest perogy in Glendon, unveiled in 1993.
This giant perogy, complete with a fork, stands 27 feet tall and weighs a whopping 6,000 pounds.
That’s how much weight you’ll gain after eating at the nearby Perogy On A Fork, the only restaurant in town.
The restaurant serves Ukrainian and Chinese perogies, making it the perfect pit stop for a quick bite of mega calories.
World’s Largest Dinosaur (Drumheller)
Towering at an impressive 86 feet, the world’s largest dinosaur in Drumheller puts Jurassic Park to shame.
And did you know, you can climb up the insides of the dinosaur and emerge in between its teeth for canine view over Drumheller?
Drumheller, known as the Dinosaur Capital of the World, has a rich paleontological history.
Some of the world’s most significant dinosaur fossils discovered in the region are on display at the Royal Tyrrell Museum.
The T-Rex symbolizes the town’s deep connection to its prehistoric past and snuggling up to a row of T-Rex teeth makes for a memorable selfie.
World’s Largest Ukrainian Sausage (Mundare)
There’s nothing mundane about Mundare’s giant Ukrainian sausage, or kovbasa, which stands at 42 feet and is a homage to the town’s sausage-making tradition, which began with the Ukrainian settlers who arrived in the early 1900s.
The Stawniczy family was among these settlers.
In 1959, Woytko Stawniczy expanded his grocery and confectionary store to start making sausages using just one small smoker.
The store is now called Stawnichy’s and is loved for its authentic Ukrainian sausages.
World’s (Second) Largest Pysanka (Vegreville)
Vegreville is home to the world’s second largest pysanka, or Ukrainian Easter egg.
Brazil is now home to the World’s largest colourful egg at 49 feet tall and 28 feet in diameter.
The Vegreville egg is still big at 31 feet and was created in 1975 to commemorate the centennial of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and is also a nod to the strong Ukrainian culture in Canada, specifically the early Ukrainian settlements east of Edmonton.
The sculpture was designed by Paul Maxum Sembaliuk, a Canadian artist of Ukrainian descent.
The Pysanka is a complicated jigsaw puzzle containing 524-star patterns, 2,208 equilateral triangles, 3,512 visible facets, 6,978 nuts and bolts, and 177 internal struts.
The Pysanka is so cool that Queen Elizbeth, Prince Edward, and Prince Andrew came to Vegreville in 1978 to see it for themselves.
World’s Largest Mallard Duck (Andrew)
In the small town of Andrew, you’ll find the world’s largest mallard duck with a wingspan of 23 feet.
The majestic mallard is a symbol of the region’s abundant birdlife and wetlands.
These wetlands play an important role as duck breeding grounds.
If you’re an avid bird watcher, nearby Whitford Lake offers a great opportunity to soak in some of the area’s many bird species.
Giant Sundial (Lloydminster)
Need to tell the time? Lloydminster has you covered.
Straddling the Alberta-Saskatchewan border, Lloydminster boasts one of the largest sundials in North America, measuring 60 feet across.
The timber posts and steel pipes that can be seen around the dial indicate true north and the four compass points of north, south, east and west.
World’s Largest Mushrooms (Vilna)
Vilna is home to a cluster of giant mushrooms, standing at 20 feet tall.
These oversized Vilna fungi are a playful tribute to the Tricholoma ustale mushroom, a mushroom that grows wild in the area and is often used dried or cooked as a traditional ingredient in ethnic dishes.
The mushrooms also represent the village’s connection to mushroom hunting, which has been a tradition since the early Ukrainian settlers arrived in the early 1900s.
World’s Largest Fishing Lure (Lacombe)
While it won’t do you much good unless you’re trying to catch Moby Dick, Lacombe’s giant lure is a feast for the eyes.
This 40-foot-long lure celebrates the town’s close ties to Thompson Lures, a pillar of Lacombe’s community.
The giant lure, called a Five of Diamonds is located at the Len Thompson Pond, which is stocked annually with rainbow trout to provide fishing opportunities for locals and visitors.
So, bring your biggest fishing rod and a huge appetite!
Giant Mosquito(?) (Galahad)
Galahad’s giant mosquito would drink more than just a few drops of blood…if it were alive.
Or if it was actually a mosquito!
If we remember our high school biology correctly, the metal statue looks more like a dragonfly than a bug we want to swat!
We’ll leave it to you to decide once you see it for yourself.
This oversized insect stands proudly about 5 kilometres south of Galahad.
We vote dragonfly because one that big would take care of most of the mosquitos in the county!
World’s Largest Oil Lamp (Donalda)
Illuminating the small town of Donalda, the world’s largest oil lamp stands at 42 feet and is a beacon of the community’s history.
The lamp was built in 2000 and took four years to complete.
Inside its base, you can explore and admire historical murals before heading across Main Street to the Donalda & District Museum, home to one of the world’s largest collections of kerosene oil lamps, with over 900 on display.
Whether you’re a local or just passing through, Alberta’s giant roadside attractions are sure to leave a big impression.
These giant landmarks not only offer fun stops on your journey but also support the local businesses, museums, and traditions that keep Alberta’s small towns and villages alive.
