5 Alberta Ghost Towns you Can Explore with Kids this Fall

Alberta Ghost Towns are one of our kids favourite roadside stops when we're out, finding adventure and exploring Alberta. If your kids are obsessed with all things abandoned, you're going to want to add these Alberta ghost towns to your list of spooky places to visit this year.

Rowley, Alberta

Rally is the popular girls town just outside of Drumheller that features a pizza night and camping through the summer. There is a rickety old playground, buildings that are filled with façades, and creepy things to see throughout the tiny tow, including an old train. The cool part about this ghost town is the fact that the handful of local residents stay and upkeep the buildings!

Orion, Alberta

Did you know that there are only a handful of residents left in this town? That makes the abandoned buildings feel even more eerie when you pass through. Originally, there were three general stores, a bank, a blacksmith, hotel and even a cafe.  The grain elevator was torn down in the 90s, but you'll still find the remains of plenty of buildings in Orion. The kids are going to love exploring the storefronts.

Bulwark, Alberta 

Just outside of Red Deer, this town abandoned the shops, cemeteries, schools and homes. It's a small ghost town, but since it's so near Edmonton, it's worth a quick stop on your adventures with the kids this fall. Bulwark is one of the older towns, established in 1922. There isn't much of this town left standing, but it's worth a stop if you're driving through.

Bankhead, Alberta

Bankhead is a must-stop on a trip to Banff. The leftover structures are pretty cool, with the crumbling buildings and cool exteriors that you can lay inside. Today, you can take the interpretive hike though the town near Banff and it's an easy, family-friendly walk popular with kids (not stroller friendly, the walk begins with 60+ stairs - but the rest of the hike is relatively flat).

Nemiskam

Finding Nemiskam today is tricky. It's located a few kilometers east of town, the Red Coat Trail, or Highway 61 as it’s more known on road maps, dips south for two kilometers, and then bypasses Nemiskam as the highway goes west. The pioneer school in this ghost town is one of the most photographed ghost town 'spots' in Alberta. Here, you'll find lots of crumbled foundations, and the cement garage - another popular spot.Alberta Ghost towns are a fun add-on to your adventures. Prevalent in Southern Alberta, some are a trek from Edmonton. For that reason, we try to cross the ghost town exploring off of our list with another destination.