Do not let Prince Edward Island’s small size and rural charm fool you. While the Island is relatively quiet, and enjoys a somewhat slower pace of life, it also harbours an array of attractions and activities both exciting and educational.
A number of fun parks offer a full
day of family fun on vast acreages. The Kensington Towers
and
Water Gardens features the Illuminations, Camelot for
children, Rambles, and the Tipsy-Turvey Gallery as well
as an acre of waterfalls, fountains, streams, and pools,
an aerial tree walk, and a replica of the Eiffel Tower. A
few kilometres outside Kensington, Woodleigh Replicas and
Gardens has been a popular attraction since the 1950s.
Thirty scale replicas of beautiful British castles and
buildings are spread over 45 acres, interspersed with
extensive English gardens and beautiful landscaping.
Along the Island’s north
shore, ten minutes from Kensington, Cavendish offers the
highest concentration of tourist attractions on the
Island. Rainbow Valley Family Fun Park is Atlantic 
Canada’s
largest privately owned amusement park and proclaims the
region’s only Dark Ride and Mono Rail. The
park’s 40 acres incorporate boats, rides, water
slides, live animals, and games. Sandspit offers a roller
coaster, Can-Am racers, a Ferris wheel, carousel,
bumper-boats and cars, miniature golf, children’s
rides, and much more. On the Island’s south shore,
New Haven’s Encounter Creek boasts Prince Edward
Island’s only wave pool, as well as walking trails
through the woods, virtual reality facilities and eastern
Canada’s only National Hockey League simulator. In
western Prince Edward Island, the Mill River Fun Park
offers up the Sea of Balls, bumper boats, a pirate ship,
giant kiddies’ pool with water slides, a giant
Twister slide, and the Aqua Rage, for instance.
Being the birthplace of author Lucy Maud Montgomery and the setting for most of her books, the most famous of which is Anne of Green Gables, Prince Edward Island has a number of museums devoted to the province’s most famous Islander. The L. M. Montgomery Birthplace is located in New London and, in nearby Park Corner, the Anne of Green Gables Museum was the home of John and Annie Campbell, Montgomery’s aunt and uncle. The Lucy Maud Montgomery Heritage Museum, also in Park Corner, is believed to be Ingleside, the home of Maud’s grandfather, Senator Donald Montgomery. The site of Lucy Maud Montgomery’s Cavendish Home features the Montgomery homestead fields, gardens, lands and old trees where the writer was raised by her grandparents.
First-time visitors to the Island might be overwhelmed with the wide selection of activities and attractions vying for their attention. And, for those who wish to experience a lot of the Island in a small amount of time, pre-planned tours might be the answer. Pre-planned or custom tours are offered by private companies that provide guided bus tours or step-on service for motor coaches. Popular day-long or half-day trips incorporate L. M. Montgomery sites, beaches, and every other portion of the Island. Others specialize in craft boutiques, golf packages, outdoor excursions, or natural history. Visitors interested in educational visits can enrol in programs teaching English as a second language, many of which also provide “homestay” opportunities.
