Stony Plain: Between Murals and Pioneer History

Downtown murals, a museum with historic buildings and an extensive trail network shape Stony Plain. The town offers a range of ways to plan your trip: you can explore local history, discover public art or make time for the outdoors. For families looking to accommodate different interests, there is a varied choice of experiences.

Discover Murals and Local History

More than 40 murals can be found downtown and in the surrounding areas. To learn more about the subjects depicted, you can join the Horse and Wagon Mural Tours: the tours travel through downtown while a local guide explains the people, events and traditions shown in 40 murals. This offers a way to get to know the murals not only as images, but also through the stories behind them.

Another place to see art is Red Brick Common. It includes the Old Brick School, built in 1925, and Oppertshauser House, built in 1910. The Multicultural Heritage Centre Public Art Gallery is also located there. Its regularly changing exhibitions promote local artists and artists from Alberta. A cultural stay can therefore include both historic buildings and changing art exhibitions.

Explore Rural Heritage

The Stony Plain and Parkland Pioneer Museum brings history to life. Spanning 14 acres, the museum includes 25 buildings and more than 10,000 artifacts. Demonstrations, outdoor exhibits, presentations and hands-on activities help preserve rural heritage. The different formats give families a variety of ways to engage with history—from viewing the exhibits to taking part in hands-on activities.

The Glenn Hall Centennial Arena also makes local history visible outdoors: an 80-foot mural celebrates Glenn Hall’s career and his life in Stony Plain. Those interested in sports history and public art will find a different subject here than in the downtown murals.

Trails, Parks and Outdoor Activities

Stony Plain’s interconnected pedestrian trail network is 43 kilometres long and links neighbourhood parks, municipal facilities and open-space corridors. The trails are suitable for walking, cycling, rollerblading and jogging; some sections are wheelchair-accessible. Since this accessibility is specified only for certain sections, check the individual section when choosing a route.

Willow Park Natural Area is an option for spending time in a natural setting. It was designated a natural urban reserve in 2009 and has more than 150 metres of trails. Rotary Park offers a different kind of park experience, with a pond, a short paved loop and park benches. If you would like to plan a short loop rather than a longer period of activity, you can take this difference into account when planning your day.

Seasonal Recreation and Events

Stony Plain Outdoor Pool is an outdoor swimming pool with six lanes. It is jointly operated by the Town of Stony Plain and the TransAlta Tri Leisure Centre. At the Glenn Hall Centennial Arena, free sponsored public skating is offered seasonally from September to March. These two activities offer different kinds of active recreation; skating is specifically limited to the stated season.

Music fans can check out Summer Sessions, a live music concert series held every Wednesday at the Blueberry Stage in Heritage Park. The Stony Plain Farmers’ Market is held at Stony Plain Community Hall, 5008-51 Avenue. Together with the museums and art venues, these offerings add to the options for a stay that combines culture and recreation.

If you are looking for a holiday rental in Stony Plain, the mix of activities you want for your trip can help you choose a location: murals and museum history offer a different focus from trails and parks or seasonal skating. This lets you shape your stay around the experiences that are most interesting to your travel group.

Discover more destination pages here: Fort Saskatchewan, St. Albert, Redwater, Wetaskiwin, Devon, Westerose, Thorsby and Beaumont.

Shikaoi Park adds an international connection to local history: the Japanese garden honours the sister-city relationship between Stony Plain and Shikaoi, Japan, which has been in place since August 1985.

For the broader travel overview: Division No. 11.