Explore These Alberta Locations Featured in HBO’s The Last of Us

Calgary’s 17 Avenue, locally known as the Red Mile ever since the Calgary Flames’ 2004 Stanley Cup Playoffs run, is one of the city’s most vibrant streets, filled with shops, restaurants, events and more. Find out how you can spend a day exploring the area. 

Inglewood is located just east of downtown Calgary and is bursting with charming shops, trendy restaurants and classic meeting spots. Fall in love with Calgary’s original main street with a visit to this historical neighbourhood.  

Fort Macleod, located less than two hours south of Calgary, has a variety of experiences for visitors to enjoy. Main Street, which was heavily featured in this episode, is a designated Provincial Historic Area, and well-known as a filming location. Other recognizable productions shot in the area include Brokeback Mountain, Interstellar, and Ghostbusters: Afterlife.  

Head about 20 minutes west and you can explore Alberta’s Indigenous history at Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump, one of Alberta’s six UNESCO World Heritage Sites.   

Calgary’s 4th Avenue Flyover, a major overpass leading into the city’s downtown core, was shut down for filming in October 2021, and we can see why. The bridge was transformed into a decrepit scene as Joel, Tess and Ellie attempted to make their way to the Massachusetts State House. 

Nearby the overpass is trendy Bridgeland, a walkable and bikeable community filled with popular shops and restaurants. Take a stroll over to Tom Campbell’s Hill Natural Park for incredible views overlooking the Bow River and the city skyline – which we promise is not actually in ruins. 

Speaking of the State House, it was portrayed this week by the Alberta Legislature Building, known locally as “The Ledge,” which overlooks the scenic North Saskatchewan River Valley in Alberta’s capital city, Edmonton. Built in 1907, the building’s stunning Beaux-Arts architecture features marble pillars and carved oak. Don’t worry, it doesn’t usually look so battered.  

You can explore the Alberta Legislature by wandering the grounds or take a guided tour.  

Downtown Edmonton also played a starring role in The Last of Us’ post-apocalyptic world this week, including 100A Street, 104 Street and 108 Street.  

On the 4th Street Promenade in the heart of downtown – the area on 104 Street between Jasper Avenue and the ICE District – you’ll find a mix of upscale and small shops, iconic restaurants and historic buildings. Many shops are found within the historical buildings from the old warehouse district. 

What started off as a trap-laden compound turned into the setting of a heartbreaking love story. Bill’s doorstep was set in the former Beachwood Estates area of High River, a neighbourhood that was evacuated after a devastating 2013 flood that forced as many as 120,000 Albertans out of their homes. While the area has since been repurposed to its natural state as a floodway, with homes, roads, utilities and sidewalks removed, there is still plenty to see in the charming town of High River, about 30 minutes south of Calgary.  

With nearly 30 km (18.6 mi) of walking and biking trails as part of its Happy Trails system, incredible birdwatching at the Frank Lake Conservation Area, and a variety of unique camping experiences, High River is the place to go for outdoor adventures. Plus, you can check out the set for Maggie’s Diner, featured in the hit CBC show Heartland.  

This episode featured a great shot of the Shannon Terrace pedestrian bridge in Calgary’s Fish Creek Provincial Park, as Joel and Ellie continue their hike towards Bill’s property. Fish Creek Park is the second-largest urban park in Canada and one of the largest urban parks in North America, stretching 19 km (12 mi) from east to west. Fish Creek flows along the length of the park and joins the Bow River on the east side of the park. It’s home to the Fish Creek Environmental Learning Centre, Sikome Aquatic Facility, Bow Valley Ranche Restaurant and Bow Valley Ranch Visitor Centre. 

With more than 80 km (50 mi) of pathways, the park is popular for walking, hiking and biking. Bird watching is also a favourite activity with more than 200 bird species observed here.  

After crossing the bridge in Fish Creek Park, Joel and Ellie arrive at a convenience store where Joel has stashed a few things over the years that will help them along in their journey. You can find this location in Priddis, about 15 minutes west of Calgary. You’ll pass by the Ann & Sandy Cross Conservation Area on the way, another location featured during Joel and Ellie’s hike.   

There is plenty to see out in Alberta’s rolling foothills, including the Rothney Astrophysical Observatory, Granary Road Farmer’s Market, Priddis Greens Golf & Country Club, and the luxurious Azuridge Hotel, formerly a private residence now transformed into a stylish retreat that attracts guests drawn to its seclusion and spirit.   

Calgarians were excited to see their city heavily featured this week, including various locations in downtown serving as Kansas City. While the laundromat Joel and Ellie crashed into was a built set, the area surrounding it is very real. You can find this spot as you head north on Macleod Trail – peek down the alley to your right between 11 Avenue and 10 Avenue SE. And don’t forget to stop by The Bell Block building nearby, featured in the season premiere.   

 A few blocks west in Calgary, you might also want to check out Globe Cinema on 8 Avenue SW. The independent theatre’s sign was even kept in the show as Joel and Ellie drove through the dilapidated streets, featuring movies like 2003’s Underworld and Matchstick Men.  

Joel and Ellie’s journey couldn’t be entirely smooth sailing this week, right? They had to find another way around after running into a roadblock at a tunnel. Calgarians (and those who have flown into the city) likely recognized it as the Airport Trail tunnel just east of Barlow Trail NE. The tunnel began construction more than a decade ago as part of plans to expand YYC Calgary International Airport, which served more than 14 million passengers in 2022.  

The Lethbridge Viaduct, also known as High Level Bridge, was spotted this week as Joel and Ellie drove along the highway. This historical bridge, designed by Canadian Pacific Railway, opened in 1909 and to this day is the longest and highest of its kind in the world, stretching 1.6 km (1 mi) long and 96 m (314 ft) high. Trains continue to cross the Oldman River using this bridge today.   

The battle in this week’s episode culminated just outside the Calgary Film Centre in the city’s southeast, but the spectacular set was built from scratch just for the show. The 50,000 sq ft studio nearby has been a big draw for major film and television productions and is fully equipped to service the city’s growing production capacity.  

The Calgary Courts Centre is the largest court facility in Canada, but it was the scene of the resistance group’s violent uprising against FEDRA in episode five, doubling as a U.S. Post Office building. In real life, the centre is located in the heart of downtown Calgary, with incredible restaurants and shopping in close walking distance. Just a few blocks away is Devonian Gardens, an indoor botanical garden that provides a reprieve from the bustling city life that surrounds it.

Nanton, located about 66 km (41 mi) south of Calgary, was also featured in this week’s episode, with the Ranchland Inn setting the scene for one of the series’ most heartbreaking moments yet. Known for its historic main street and museums, this small but vibrant community in southern Alberta is a picture-perfect spot for visitors looking to experience all that Alberta has to offer – stunning mountain scenery to the west, rolling prairies to the east, and easy access to major cities nearby.  

This week, the picturesque Alberta town of Canmore was transformed into Jackson, Wyoming, a functioning post-apocalyptic society with electricity, running water, a medical clinic, a movie theatre, children playing outside, and more signs of the life Joel hasn’t known for 20 years, and that Ellie has never experienced.  

Located in Kananaskis, a stunningly beautiful valley of the Canadian Rockies, Canmore is a charming mountain town and an ideal respite for those craving nature, thinner crowds and mountain adventure. Main Street is just as magnificent in real life as it was in the show – albeit, with a bit more of a modern vibe. And the historic Canmore Engine Bridge – which Joel and Ellie crossed before coming to Jackson – is a must-visit while in the area, with gorgeous views of the Rocky Mountains surrounding it.  

Joel and Ellie’s first proper meal in months – or ever, according to Ellie – takes place at Willow Lane Barn, a charmingly rustic property in Olds, about an hour north of Calgary in the heart of the Alberta prairies. Nestled between wheat fields and adjacent to a quaint working farm, the barn hosts a variety of special events from weddings to fundraisers, farm to table dinners and more. 

This week, Joel and Tommy separate from the group for a drink in the saloon at the Wainwright Hotel. In real life, the hotel replica, located within Calgary’s Heritage Park Historical Village, features a beautiful entrance, authentic saloon and elegant dining room.  

Heritage Park, Canada’s largest living history museum, includes over 200 exhibits on 127 acres of land. Visitors can tour the park on an antique steam train, learn about Blackfoot culture in the First Nations area, explore a bustling young prairie town and discover one of the world’s largest public collections of antique vehicles at Gasoline Alley Museum.  

Calgary post-secondary students were excited to see their campuses featured in this week’s episode as Joel and Ellie made their way to the Firefly compound at the University of Eastern Colorado. Mount Royal University and the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT) doubled as the fictional university. During filming, snow was removed from the set and leaves were added in, along with sandbags and various foliage around the campuses.  

While we saw glimpses of present-day locations in this week’s episode, including an abandoned suburban town set in the Suntree neighbourhood of Okotoks and a northwest Calgary fitness centre, the main location featured in this week’s episode was Calgary’s Northland Village Mall. 

The mall closed in December 2021 and is being redeveloped into an open-air shopping centre, which made for a clean slate for film crews to transform the space the following month into a post-apocalyptic shopping centre filled with early 2000s nostalgia. The mall’s makeover was a good reminder about how the things we sometimes take for granted, like arcades and merry-go-rounds, can be a wonderland for a 14-year-old who’s never experienced such joy and lightheartedness in her life. 

While you can’t currently visit Northland mall, nearby you’ll find the spacious Nose Hill Park, spanning 11 km2 (4.2 mi2) of hiking trails, dedicated off-leash areas for dogs, and abundant wildlife. Or, head southwest to check out CF Market Mall, a modern-day shopping centre where you’ll find hundreds of stores, restaurants, a kids’ playground and food court. 

Visiting Calgary soon? Find out how you can make the most of your trip with A Local’s Guide to Calgary. 

We stayed in suburbia (aka the Suntree neighbourhood of Okotoks) this week as Joel continued his recovery, but also caught a glimpse of one of Alberta’s most underrated destinations – Waterton Lakes National Park.  

This gorgeous region of the province was heavily featured in the penultimate episode, in which Ellie transitions from prey to predator.  

Small but mighty, Waterton Lakes is the only spot in Alberta where you’ll find a UNESCO World Heritage Site, an international peace park, a dark sky preserve and a biosphere reserve. It’s a tranquil piece of the province in the wintertime, making it perfect for unplugging at a lodge after a day of snowshoeing. 

Blanketed in snow, with the Rocky Mountains glittering in the background, and yet with mild temperatures (thanks to the chinook winds that blow through the area), Waterton Lakes National Park in wintertime is a true hidden gem. 

Much of the action in this week’s episode took place in a hospital – Grande Prairie’s Queen Elizabeth II Ambulatory Care Centre. While you might not want to visit the hospital itself, this northwest Alberta city is ripe for adventure.  

Located in an area known as Peace River Country, Grande Prairie is filled with history. Experience a 360-million-year journey at the Philip J. Currie Dinosaur Museum, or explore one of the many paved trails spanning over a dozen kilometres (7.5 mi) in Muskoseepi Park. 

Find out how to make the most of a trip to this northern city with A Local’s Guide to Grande Prairie.  

Giraffes appear as a recurring motif in The Last of Us, culminating in Joel and Ellie’s encounter with a herd of them in this week’s episode. The game’s director, Bruce Straley, explained in 2013 what this means in the series’ desolate world: “That’s the idea… nature is reclaiming the earth and it’s got its own ecosystem that doesn’t need humans to maintain it.” Seeing this, Ellie is reminded of life’s beauty and why she wants to survive – it’s the light she’s found in all the darkness. 

Production crews shut down part of the Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo in spring 2022 to film this iconic scene, featuring one of the zoo’s own giraffes. Home to nearly 1,000 animals across 119 species, the Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo is the most visited zoo in Canada and the third top destination for visitors to Alberta. 

Ending the season in a beautiful location while tragedy surrounds its main characters is par for the course on this show. Alberta’s beautiful Barrier Lake, located in Bow Valley Provincial Park, served as Joel and Ellie’s final hiking location and the Jackson overlook. This man-made lake in Kananaskis features parks, day-use areas, hiking trails and a boat launch. In the summer months, the lake is a destination for canoeing, kayaking and stand-up paddleboarding. 

Find out where you can canoe, kayak and float in Alberta this summer.