Amazing 15 Tourist Attractions to Visit and Things to Do in Summerside, PEI

November 13, 2022 Mustafa Natalwala 2092 Views 0 Comments

Summerside is a city on Prince Edwards Island (PEI) in Canada. The city is situated on the western coast of the island. Some of the best things to do in Summerside, PEI include exploring beaches, quirky museums, harness racing, adventure sports, and markets.

This beautiful coastal city was first incorporated in 1877. Like many towns on Prince Edwards Island, it too is steeped in confederate history. You will come across several places to visit in Summerside that hail from the early days of the confederation. Although the majority of the historical sites and museums speak about regional history.

Summerside tourist attractions include museums dedicated to Acadian culture, regional history, fox ranching, harness racing, and regional art. The most popular museum in the city is the Anne of Green Gables Museum. It is based on a popular work of literature and is more of an amusement park than a museum. It has several interesting things to see in Summerside that seem almost magical in nature as it re-creates the world from the book.

Alongside history, exploring the Acadian and Celtic cultural roots is a major aspect of Summerside sightseeing. While you will learn about these cultures in museums, you can truly experience them through food, music, dance, festivals, and performances. Theatre and cultural centers are as enticing Summerside attractions as museums.

Another popular aspect of Summerside travel is its coast. The city has wonderful beaches with facilities for walking trails, cycling, picnics, beach leisure, and more. Many of these beaches also connect with untouched natural landscapes. So you can enjoy hiking, camping, and wildlife spotting at these places when you visit Summerside. The coastal area is popular for a variety of outdoor activities such as kayaking, swimming, snorkeling, boat tours, and so on.

Finally, once you are done and dusted from adventure and museums, you should head for the quaint markets of the city. Alongside shopping, these markets are the best tourist attractions in Summerside, PEI for dining, street food, fresh produce, local cuisine, craft beers, and meeting the fun folks of the city.

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Table of Contents

Top 15 Tourist Places to Visit in Summerside

1. Anne of Green Gables Museum

This museum is based on the world of the novel “Anne of Green Gables” by Lucy M. Montgomery. This museum recreates the magical world of the novel. It is one of the best things to do in Summerside, PEI. Aside from the museum, you can enjoy various attractions and activities in this place. You can enjoy horse carriage rides, explore the gardens, watch a musical performance, and more. You will need about 2 hours to explore this place.

2. International Fox Museum

This museum talks about the fox ranching industry that had developed in the region during the 19th & 20th centuries. Owing to the rare Silver Black Fox that is native in the region, this industry prospered here. It is one of the most well-known Summerside tourist attractions. You will need 30 to 45 minutes to tour this museum. Trigger Warning! You might see some gruesome exhibits concerning fox hunting in this museum.

3. Wyatt Historic House Museum

This house was built in 1867 by Wanda Wyatt. This house looks into the history of the Wyatt family. But more importantly, it recreates the life during 19th and 20th centuries. It is also one of the best places to visit in Summerside, PEI to learn about the history of the Confederation of Canada. You will need half an hour or so to tour this museum.

4. Acadian Museum of Prince Edward Island

This museum gives you a peek into the Acadian culture in the region and the history of the people. You will see cultural artifacts, artworks, lifestyle objects, agricultural equipment, and so on. The museum has some of the most fascinating things to see in Summerside. You will also learn about prominent Acadian historical figures. It takes about an hour to tour this museum.

5. College of Piping and Celtic Performing Arts of Canada

This college teaches a variety of musical and performing arts. It has courses for learning bagpipes, drums, fiddles, ballet, highland dance, and so on. It is a fascinating experience to have during Summerside sightseeing. You can attend some of the workshops at the college or enjoy a performance by the students of the institution. You will need 30 to 45 minutes to explore this college.

6. Baywalk Trail (Baywalk Boardwalk)

This trail runs alongside the city’s coast. You will come across beaches, picnic spots, outdoor gyms, and so on. The trail passes through Acadian Forest and Duck Pond Conservation Area. You will see several Summerside attractions while exploring this trail. It takes about an hour or so for this trail.

7. Harbourfront Theatre

This 520-seater performance theatre hosts some wonderful shows and performances. Many people visit Summerside to enjoy the performances and this theatre is renowned for it. The theatre hosts drama, musicals, concerts, magic shows, comedy shows, and so on. You will need at least an hour to enjoy a performance here.

8. Air Force Heritage Park

This public park is themed after the Canadian air force. The biggest attraction of this park is the real aircraft exhibited here. It has large bomber planes and fighter planes. The park also has green spaces, picnic spots, art installations, and more. You will need an hour from Summerside travel to tour this park.

9. Murals Tour

The 10 murals created between 1906 and 1999 are spread around the city. These murals honor major historical events, people, nature, and institutions. These have become quite popular tourist attractions in Summerside, PEI. You need an hour or so to tour the city hunting these murals.

10. Eptek Art and Culture Center

The exhibits of this center keep changing. Regardless of the exhibition, you will see some amazing paintings, sculptures, photographs, and art exhibits. The center also has a variety of historical artifacts and classical fine art pieces. It is one of the best Summerside tourist attractions for art admirers. You will need 30 to 45 minutes to explore this place.

11. Adventure Activities in Summerside

Owing to the coastal location, there are a variety of fun things to do in Summerside, PEI. You can enjoy hiking, nature trails, kayaking, paddleboarding, swimming, surfing, and so on. You can also go explore nature reserves to spot elusive animals and birds. You will need at least an hour for any of these experiences.

12. Summerside Farmers’ Market

The market is set only on Saturday between 9 in the morning to 1 in the afternoon. You will fresh produce, local cuisine, meat, seafood, baked goods, food products, and more. It is one of the best places to visit in Summerside to interact with the locals. You will need about an hour to explore this market.

13. Spinnaker’s Landing

This waterfront marketplace is designed like a fishing village. It is one of the best Summerside attractions for shopping, dining, and street food. You will find jewelry, souvenirs, clothes, artwork, giftwares, and more. The place also has breweries, pubs, and seafood restaurants. You will need about an hour to explore this place.

14. Summerside Raceway

This is the oldest continuously operated raceway in all of Canada. It was established in 1886 and still hosts horse-cart races regularly. You can enjoy a race at the track. It is one of the most intriguing things to see in Summerside. The racetrack also has a museum attached to it where you can learn about the history of the sport and the racetrack. There is also a casino and fine dining restaurant within the complex. You will have two hours for this place.

15. Beaches in Summerside

Being a coastal city, there are several beaches near Summerside. You will see golden sand beaches, red sand beaches, coastal cliffs, surf beaches, and so on. Some of the most popular Summerside beaches are The Knot, Green’s Shore, Argyle Shore, Belmont, and Bonshaw Hills. You can easily spend a couple of hours enjoying the seashore.

If you are looking for more tourist attractions in Summerside, check out the sections below. We have compiled a long list of places and activities that you can enjoy in and around the city.

Things to do in Summerside

Monuments, Museums & Historical Places to Visit in Summerside

Eptek Art & Culture Centre
International Fox Museum
The College of Piping and Celtic Performing Arts
MacNaught History and Archives
The Lefurgey Cultural Center
Bishop’s Machine Shop
Wyatt House Museum
Indian Head Lighthouse
PEI Sports Hall of Fame & Museum
Acadian Museum
Summerside Outer Range Lighthouse
Anne of Green Gables Museum

Nature & Wildlife Tourist Spots in Summerside

Sunbury Cove

Entertainment & Leisure Tourist Places in Summerside

Spinnaker’s Landing
Off the Wallz Summerside
Redshores Racecourse
Baywalk Boardwalk
Air Force Heritage Park
Rotary Friendship Park
Heather Moyse Heritage Park
Harbourfront Theatre
Brundenell River Provencial Park
Kool Breeze Corn Maze

Shopping in Summerside

Summerside Farmer’s Market
Spinnaker’s Landing
Water Street

Beaches & Islands in Summerside

Argyle Shore
Basin Head
Belmont Beach
Bloomfield Beach
Bonshaw Hill
Cabot Beach
Cedar Dunes

Offbeat Places, Tours, & Adventure Activities in Summerside

Hiking
Swimming
Surfing
Kayaking
Paddleboarding
Boat Tours

Sightseeing in Summerside

Summerside Murals
Silver Fox Curling Yacht Harbour

Food, Dining, Restaurants, & Street Food in Summerside

The Knot Beach Bar
Little Monk Pretzels
Starlite Diner
The Sunset Room
Gentlemen Jim’s
Jolly Roger’s Seafood
Five Eleven West
Holman’s Ice Cream Parlour
Evermoore Brewing Co.
Deckhouse Pub & Eatery
Anson’s Restaurant
Breakwater Bar & Grill
Samuel’s Coffee House
Iron & Salt
Kool Breeze Ice Cream Barn

Where to Stay in Summerside?

Here we have listed Top Rated Hotels in Summerside. You can check the below-listed hotels for your perfect stay in Summerside.

How to Reach Summerside?

By Air

The closest airport to visit Summerside is Charlottetown Airport, which is about 50 km away. This airport gets direct flights from Montreal, Toronto, Ottawa, Hamilton, Calgary, Edmonton, and Kitchener.

You can get buses and rental cars to get to reach Summerside from Charlottetown.

By Road

There are no trains on Prince Edwards Island that connect to Summerside. But, you can get buses that connect several cities and cities on the island. You can also get buses from several places in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia.

If you are planning to reach Summerside by road, you head for Trans Canada Highway route 16. Once you cross the confederation bridge, you should turn left to highway route 10. You should then continue towards PEI route 1A. This road will take you all the way to Summerside. Other roads connecting to the city include PEI routes 2 and 107.

By Water

There are no direct water routes for Summerside travel.

Image Reference

Anne of Green Gables Museum – Smudge 9000 / Flickr
International Fox Museum – Eddie / Flickr
Wyatt Historic House Museum –
Acadian Museum of Prince Edward Island –
College of Piping and Celtic Performing Arts of Canada –
Baywalk Trail (Baywalk Boardwalk) – Robert Ciavarro / Flickr
Harbourfront Theatre –
Air Force Heritage Park –
Murals Tour – Stephen Downes / Flickr
Eptek Art and Culture Center – Government of Prince Edward Island / Flickr
Adventure Activities in Summerside – Stephen Downes / Flickr
Summerside Farmers’ Market – Luke Walker / Flickr
Spinnaker’s Landing – Stephen Downes / Flickr
Summerside Raceway – Citobun / Wikimedia Commons
Beaches in Summerside – geoff dude / Flickr