The Banff Winter Carnival is one of the best ways in the province to immerse yourself in the beauty and magic of winter. This season, the festival will be running all the way until March 29th on Wednesdays through Sundays from 11 am to 5 pm. It takes place at the Cave and Basin National Historic Site, which is situated on the northeast side of Sulphur Mountain just a drive up from the Banff townsite.

Come and take part in a wide variety of fun, all-ages activities, and maybe even sign up for a tour of this fascinating historical site. Activities at the Banff Winter Carnival include ice sculpting, curling, and other outdoor games like box hockey and curl plunk. Kids can even play in a snow fort! Inside, visitors are treated to vintage films chronicling the early days of the carnival, particularly during the Roaring Twenties.

The very first Banff Winter Carnival was held over a century ago in 1917. It was a big hit right from the very first year, opening to great enthusiasm and fanfare from both locals and visitors. Sporting competitions were held in hockey, curling, and ski jumping, and there were also snow-shoe races and diving at the hot Cave and Basin sulphurous pool. The carnival helped put Banff on the map as a premier winter sports destination.

Though it is a smaller festival today, the Banff Winter Carnival at the Cave and Basin continues the spirit of winter fun that the original carnival helped establish. Cave and Basin National Historic Site lies at the bottom of nine hot springs that originate from Sulphur Mountain. The area’s indigenous people visited the site for thousands of years. When three railway workers also stumbled upon the springs in 1883, it eventually led to the creation of Canada’s first National Park.

You can learn more about the history of this site by taking one of two tours while you are here. The Cave and Basics Tour is a 30-minute indoor tour that runs daily during the carnival at 1:30 pm and takes visitors through the 1914 Bathing Pavilion. The Group Discovery Tour is a more immersive, hour-long tour that is offered all year round.

Entry to Cave and Basin National Historic Site costs just $7.90 for adults and $6.60 for seniors, while youth under 17 years of age get in free. A Cave and Basics Tour is included with the site entry fee, but a Group Discovery Tour requires an additional fee and must be booked in advance.

For a unique way to celebrate winter in the Alberta Rockies, head to Cave and Basin National Historic Site before the season is up. The Banff Winter Carnival offers a little something for everyone, and you can easily hop over to town afterwards to enjoy a warm meal. It’s also an easy stop on your way to Lake Louise or elsewhere in the park.