Stand on the Broadway Bridge at dusk and you can see the reason Saskatoon is called the City of Bridges: the South Saskatchewan River bending through the middle of town, the castle-like Delta Bessborough anchoring the west bank, and the Meewasin Trail running green along both shores. It is a river city on the prairies, and most of what a visitor wants sits within walking distance of that water.
Saskatoon suits travellers who like compact, walkable cities with a strong cultural and Indigenous story, and who are happy to spend a day outdoors on trails and riverbanks between museum stops. Summer is the season for festivals, river cruises and the amusement rides at Kinsmen Park; winter shifts the emphasis indoors and to the arenas.
This guide covers the sights and experiences worth your time, ordered roughly from the river core outward, followed by a one-day plan and answers to the questions visitors ask most.
Top things to do in Saskatoon
1. Meewasin Trail
The Meewasin Trail runs the full length of both banks of the South Saskatchewan River, creating two well-maintained linear parks through the centre of the city. It passes through or alongside the University of Saskatchewan, the downtown area and many residential neighbourhoods, and is dotted with attractions, interpretive sites and full-sized static parks. "Meewasin" is the Cree word for beautiful.
The trail is free and open daily, around the clock. A good way to use it is to walk up and down the trail and cross the river at the University Bridge, the Broadway Bridge and the Idylwyld Bridge; on a fine day this gives you the best views and connects you to the districts of most interest to a visitor.
2. Remai Modern Arts Gallery
In a riverside building that opened in 2017, the Remai Modern took over the collections of the Mendel Art Gallery. It sits at River Landing, between the Idylwyld Bridge and 2nd Avenue South, with the Remai Performing Arts Centre next door.
It is free to enter, which makes it an easy stop to fold into a walk along the river. Note the opening pattern: Tuesday and Friday 10AM–10PM; Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday, Sunday and holidays 10AM–5PM.
3. Delta Bessborough
The castle-like grand old railway hotel is an anchor to many vistas along the river and to the downtown streetscape. Even if you are not staying there, it is worth ducking inside to the ground, mezzanine and convention floors to see the grand old detailing.
Pair it with the riverfront: the hotel sits close to the trail and to the River Landing area, so it works well as a mid-walk pause.
4. Ukrainian Museum of Canada
This museum preserves and recreates Ukrainian culture in Canada, including schoolbooks and textiles. The Canadian Prairies in general, and the Saskatoon area in particular, welcomed many Ukrainian immigrants in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and this museum tells their story.
It is at 910 Spadina Crescent East, on the same riverside stretch as several other stops. Opening hours are Tuesday to Saturday 10AM–5PM and Sunday 1PM–5PM, closed Monday; adult admission is $6 plus tax, seniors $5 plus tax, students $4 plus tax.
5. Wanuskewin Heritage Park
Wanuskewin is an international visitor site for learning about 6,000 years of First Nations culture, and a National Historic Site of Canada. It includes a daily tour of the bison herd within the park, plus a gift shop and restaurant.
It sits outside the core districts, north of the city on Louis Riel Trail/Highway 11, so plan it as a half-day trip rather than a walk-in stop. It is open daily 9:30AM–5PM and holidays 10AM–5PM; adults $14, seniors and students $10, children $8.
6. Western Development Museum, Saskatoon
The museum features 1910 Boomtown, the longest indoor museum street in Canada, presenting the time of pioneer settlement and farm expansion in the Canadian West through interpretive displays and extensive artifact displays. It also holds a large collection of vintage farm machinery, worth a look if you are interested in mechanical things.
It is at 2610 Lorne Avenue, outside the core districts. Hours are Friday to Wednesday 9AM–5PM and Thursday 9AM–8PM, closed on some holidays; Thursday evening admission from 5–8PM is by donation.
7. University of Saskatchewan
The university's academic buildings are clustered around an open area called "the bowl", with the Royal University Hospital and medical school to the west. Many academic buildings have permanent, free exhibits set up. Most notable is the Museum of Natural Sciences in the Biology Building, which has three full-size models of dinosaur bones as well as some animals to look at; there is also the Museum of Antiquities, with a collection of Greek, Roman, Egyptian and Near Eastern sculpture, Roman coins, ancient glass and pottery, and the Canada Light Source.
It sits on the east side of the river, north of College Drive, and the Meewasin Trail runs through and alongside the campus, so you can combine the two on foot.
8. Diefenbaker Canada Centre
This is the only combined Prime Ministerial archives, museum and research centre in Canada, with 1950s period replicas of the Prime Minister's office and cabinet rooms, plus temporary and permanent exhibits on Diefenbaker. Admission is by donation.
It is at 101 Diefenbaker Place on the university campus, which makes it a natural pairing with a campus walk. Hours are Monday to Wednesday 9:30AM–4:30PM, Thursday 9:30AM–8PM, Friday 9:30AM–4:30PM, and Saturday, Sunday and holidays noon–4:30PM.
9. Community Campus Tours
These are historical walking tours of the University of Saskatchewan campus, departing from the lobby of the Diefenbaker Canada Centre. They are free.
They run only in June through August, on Wednesday and Saturday at 1PM, so check the day before you build your afternoon around one.
10. Prairie Wind
This public artwork in the roundabout invokes the feeling of prairie grass blowing in the wind. It is a convenient anchor point for a visit to the River Landing area, and it is free and accessible daily, around the clock.
Use it as a meeting point or a marker while you explore the River Landing stretch of the riverfront.
11. Civic Conservatory
At 950 Spadina Crescent East, this is a small conservatory thickly planted with flowers, lush plants and small trees. The Mendel Art Gallery was here but closed in 2016, and its contemporary and historical art was to reappear at the Remai Modern Art Gallery; the building was to become a Children's Discovery Museum in 2018.
It is open every day except Christmas, and its Spadina Crescent address puts it on the same riverside run as the Ukrainian Museum of Canada.
12. Prairie Lily River Cruise
An hour-long cruise up and down the river on the modern riverboat Prairie Lily, with drinks served. In addition to regular sightseeing cruises there are special dinner cruises, brunch cruises, and combined offers with nearby Shakespeare on the Saskatchewan.
The dock is on the river behind the former Mendel Art Gallery at 950 Spadina Crescent East, and you can park near there. Summer sailings are Saturday and Sunday at 2PM, Tuesday to Sunday at 4PM and 6PM, and Friday at 9PM; fares are $24 plus tax, $22 for seniors and youth, and $15 for children aged 2–11.
13. Shakespeare on the Saskatchewan
The company performs Shakespearean plays in a pair of large tents beside the former home of the Mendel Art Gallery, in July and August. It is a summer-only fixture, and the river cruise operator offers combined tickets with it.
Because it shares the Spadina Crescent riverfront with the conservatory and the cruise dock, you can build an evening around the riverbank.
14. Playland at Kinsmen Park
Rides for children at Kinsmen Park: a miniature train, a Ferris wheel and a merry-go-round. There are also free sand play, water play and climbing play areas, and an adult goes free with a paid child's ticket.
It is at 945 Spadina Crescent East, opposite the former Mendel Art Gallery, and operates May to September, Monday to Saturday 10AM–8PM and Sunday noon–8PM. Tickets are $2 each or $20 for 12.
15. Eco Glide Adventures
Explore the pedestrian trails of Meewasin Park on Segway and Ninebot personal transporters, led by a guide. Helmets and well-maintained transporters are supplied, and the tours run rain or shine.
It operates in the afternoons, roughly 3–10PM depending on sunlight, at $49.95. The base is in Kiwanis Park beside the bathrooms, just north of the Delta Bessborough Hotel and across the street from the Sheraton Cavalier.
16. Saskatoon Forestry Farm Park & Zoo
The Saskatoon Forestry Farm Park & Zoo, also known as the Saskatoon Zoo, is at 1903 Forestry Farm Park Drive, off Attridge Drive. It is one of the city's outlying attractions, so treat it as a separate outing rather than part of a downtown walk.
Contact the zoo at +1 306-975-3382 or zoo@saskatoon.ca for current details before you go.
17. Lucky Bastard Distillers
Take a tour of the distillery and taste the products: whisky, gin and vodka. You can also try the Saskatoon Liqueur made from saskatoon berries, the fruit the city is named after.
It is at 814 47th Street East and open Monday to Saturday 11AM–6PM, which suits an afternoon stop on the way to or from the outlying sights.
18. SaskTel Centre
At the far north end of the city, SaskTel Centre is Saskatoon's arena and largest events centre. It is the home arena for the Saskatoon Blades hockey team and the Saskatchewan Rush lacrosse team, and the usual landing spot for major concerts and shows in the city.
Concerts happen all year round, while the Blades and Rush play during the winter; tickets for both teams are very affordable. A statue of hockey legend Gordie Howe stands near the main entrance, and the cremated remains of both Howe and his wife are interred at its base. Locals often still call the building Saskatchewan Place.
19. Marquis Downs
Marquis Downs at 503 Ruth Street is the only licensed horseracing track in Saskatchewan, featuring thoroughbred and standardbred races in the summer months. If you are in the city in summer and want an afternoon out, this is a seasonal option.
If you only have one day
Morning: Start on the Meewasin Trail, walking a stretch of the riverbank and crossing at the University Bridge, the Broadway Bridge and the Idylwyld Bridge for the views. Continue to the University of Saskatchewan on the east side of the river and look through the free exhibits in the academic buildings, then join a Community Campus Tours walk if it is a Wednesday or Saturday in June through August and you are there for the 1PM departure from the Diefenbaker Canada Centre lobby.
Afternoon: Head to the Spadina Crescent riverfront. Take in the Ukrainian Museum of Canada and the Civic Conservatory, pause at the Prairie Wind artwork in the roundabout as your anchor for the River Landing area, and visit the Remai Modern Arts Gallery. If you are travelling with children, Playland at Kinsmen Park is opposite the former Mendel Art Gallery.
Evening: Duck inside the Delta Bessborough to see the grand old detailing on the ground, mezzanine and convention floors. Then take a Prairie Lily River Cruise from the dock behind the former Mendel Art Gallery, or see Shakespeare on the Saskatchewan in its tents beside the same spot in July and August.
Frequently asked questions
When is the best time of year to visit Saskatoon?
Saskatoon has four distinct seasons, with typically warm summers and long, cold winters. Summer is the wettest season and also the busiest for festivals and events, and it is when the river cruises, Playland at Kinsmen Park and Shakespeare on the Saskatchewan operate. Average daytime highs peak at 25.8 °C from July 31 to August 8. Thunderstorms are common in summer and can be severe, with torrential rain, hail, high winds and intense lightning.
Do I need a car to see the main sights?
Not for the river core. The Meewasin Trail links the University of Saskatchewan, the downtown area and many residential neighbourhoods, and you can cross the river at the University Bridge, the Broadway Bridge and the Idylwyld Bridge. Several attractions sit on or near Spadina Crescent East. Some places, including Wanuskewin Heritage Park, the Western Development Museum, Saskatoon and the Saskatoon Forestry Farm Park & Zoo, are outside the core districts and are easier to reach by vehicle.
Which attractions charge admission?
The Meewasin Trail, Prairie Wind and the Remai Modern Arts Gallery are free. The Diefenbaker Canada Centre is by donation, and Thursday evening admission at the Western Development Museum, Saskatoon is by donation. Paid admission applies at the Ukrainian Museum of Canada, Wanuskewin Heritage Park, the Prairie Lily River Cruise, Playland at Kinsmen Park and Eco Glide Adventures.
What can I do in Saskatoon in winter?
Winter is long and cold, so plan around indoor stops. SaskTel Centre hosts concerts all year round, and its Blades hockey and Rush lacrosse teams play during the winter, with affordable tickets for both. The museums, including the Ukrainian Museum of Canada, the Western Development Museum, Saskatoon and the Remai Modern Arts Gallery, are the reliable cold-weather options.
Pick your season, book the river cruise or a campus tour around the days they run, and start laying out your days along the South Saskatchewan River.