Explore Edmonton Public Libraries’ Kids Areas

I love library day.

Since my kids were little, the library has been an easy way to occupy a few hours every week or two. The drive there (often listening to an audiobook), time to pick out books and play, the drive home, and the blissful period after getting home where they are silently occupied reading are happy moments of calm for me.

Not wanting the library to get “old,” we’ve started to explore different locations. Each child has their own preferences in books and amenities (though they both love the iPads), and will request we visit specific locations. I also have my preferences.

Trying to figure out where you want to go next? I’ve collected photos and some info on each branch below. Be sure to check the map, too, and find a new library by your favourite spots to visit.

We keep track of which libraries we’ve visited on a bingo card. Grab your own copy at the end of the post!

Land Acknowledgement

This land has welcomed First Nations from across Turtle Island, and settlers and visitors from around the world. Alberta lands are part of Treaties 4, 6, 7, 8 and 10, and the homeland of the Métis.

Alberta Mamas respects and celebrates the sovereignty, lands, histories, languages, knowledge systems and cultures of all Indigenous, Métis, and Inuit nations. We are striving to better listen, understand, and learn from the Indigenous ways of knowing, being and doing.

We are all Treaty people.

Map of Edmonton Public Libraries

Have an extra half hour? Why not pop into a new library?! It’s one of my favourite ways to stay warm while my kids are at their activities, especially when I have siblings with me. (Coffee is great, but I love the smell of books.)

Find the closest library to you or your destination on this map – or plan a trip across the city just to check out a new one!

Need ideas? Clareview and The Meadows are both in rec centres, and Lois Hole is next to the YMCA if you want to tire the kids out in the pool first.

Be sure to grab your bingo card at the end of the post to keep track of all the libraries you’ve visited!

What to do at the Library?

Before we dig into individual branches, here are some ideas on how to use Edmonton Public Libraries (besides the obvious – BOOKS!).

In addition to taking out books on your free library card, EPL runs a bunch of programs at the various branches. Check the specific branch to see what’s happening near you! Popular programs include:

• Sing, Sign, Laugh & Learn
• Baby Laptime
• LEGO at the Library
• Family Storytime

Many branches have maker spaces, computers, tablets, play areas, fish tanks, and more for everyone in the family to enjoy.

Summer Starts at EPL

Do you remember summer reading programs from when you were a kid? EPL has them for all ages! Keep an eye on EPL’s Summer Starts page for details on:

• Summer Reading Challenge
• Special Events
• Find the Mascot challenge
• and more!

The library runs draws all summer long, so the more you visit and participate, the more entries you get. We’ve won a book in the past, and there are often free passes to things like Fort Edmonton Park or the Zoo available, too!

Our Favourite Book Sections

Every kid has their own special interests, and library books can let them really dive into it without costing you money. Here are a few of our favourite areas to check out:

• J 560 to 567 Dinosaurs
• J 741.5 How to Draw books
• J 790 Outdoor Activities
• J 793.73 Look & Find books
• J 794.85 Minecraft
• Children’s Graphic Novels

We also spend a lot of time in Children’s Fiction. The Young Readers Choice Award winners and nominees and books with the purple Fantasy labels are our favourites, but there is always plenty of new titles to discover!

Edmonton Public Library Branches

In alphabetical order, here are all the branches that Edmonton Public Library runs. Be sure to grab your bingo card at the end to keep track of which libraries you’ve visited!

Abbottsfield – Penny McKee

Address: 160-3210 118 Avenue

This is still a blank square on our bingo card. I’ll update the post once we visit!

Link: Library Details

Calder

Address: 12710 131 Avenue NW

I LOVE the vibe at Calder library. There is a circle enclosing the children’s area which makes keeping an eye on your toddler easy while looking for books and letting them play in a contained space.

The teen area is separate from the kids area, so no worries about the big kids being a bad influence on your littles.

There is plenty of parking available.

Link: Library Website

Capilano

Address: 9915 67 Street NW

Capilano Public Library feels like a treehouse to me. If it wasn’t so far from home I’d probably work from here at least once a week!

The children’s area has a solid selection of books, and there is a room dedicated to play beside it with a few spots for parents to sit and supervise.

There is plenty of parking in the private parking lot, and the library has a Makerspace for older, crafty teens and adults.

Link: Library Website

Castle Downs

Address: 106 Lakeside Landing, 15379 Castle Downs Rd

There is a MASSIVE children’s area at Castle Downs Public Library. It takes up almost half the library! It’s also a very popular spot – so popular that I wasn’t able to grab a photo without other people filling the shot!

The library is located in a strip mall, which usually makes parking challenging, but with the neighbours being a vet, dentist, and optometrist, the competition for spaces isn’t as heavy as other strip mall libraries. It was a busy afternoon when I stopped in and had no problem finding a spot.

Link: Library Website

Clareview

Address: 3808 139 Avenue

Attached to the Clareview Rec Centre, the Clareview Public Library has a large children’s area that overlooks the pool (cue instant begging to go swimming!). We visited on a PD Day and the library wasn’t too crowded.

The kids really enjoyed the submarine themed play structure and large foam building blocks.

The large parking lot is dedicated to the library and rec centre, so there’s no issue finding parking – you may have to walk a bit, though.

Link: Library Website

Heritage Valley

Address: 2755 119A Street SW

An incredibly popular but super tiny library, the Heritage Valley branch was approved for expansion in 2025 from 3000 to 10,000 square feet.

Despite its size, this tiny library has great books within the stacks – probably because so many are brought in on holds (the hold shelf is huge for the size of the library!).

Heritage Valley consistently has one of the better selections of children’s graphic novels I’ve come across (Whitemud is the only better spot!).

There isn’t a lot for kids to do in the library currently due to the limited size. Hopefully that will improve with the expansion!

Parking in front of the library is sometimes tight, and with construction across the drive it has become even more congested.

Link: Library Website

Highlands

Address: 6710 118 Avenue

This quiet library is so peaceful you almost feel bad bringing the rowdy kids. There is so much light in the Children’s area that overlooks the parking lot on the north side of the building – it’s a very pleasant spot to spend an afternoon.

The teen zone is at the front of library, so teen conversations aren’t likely to raise little kid questions (I’ve overheard some interesting ones!), and there’s plenty of seating upstairs if you’re looking for a quiet space to work.

Link: Library Website

Idylwylde (Bonnie Doon)

Address: 8310 88 Avenue

With a great, central location (next to the mall where the kids are signed up for free summer bowling) it’s surprising that we don’t visit here more often. Tucked at the back of the library the children’s area felt pretty standard to me. The french book selection was one of the best, likely due to the library’s relative proximity to Edmonton’s french community.

The library is attached to the Bonnie Doon AHS clinic, so it would be easy to stop here before or after vaccinations!

Link: Library Website

Jasper Place

Address: 9010 156 Street

I love a contained Children’s Area, and the one at Jasper Place is amazing!

Teens are upstairs, and there is an incredible stepped presentation/theatre space that my kids just wanted to climb up and down (it also makes a great spot to sit and read with a unique view).

My kids were in a mood when we visited and claimed they “couldn’t find anything they liked” for books, but Hubs and I were able to pick out a bunch of things for them, and we still achieved the coveted “post-library hour of silence” when we got home. Because of this impression I haven’t been able to convince them to go back, but I hope to manage it this summer!

Link: Library Website

Lois Hole (Callingwood)

Address: 17650 69 Avenue

There’s a great play area inside the Lois Hole Library surrounded by picture book bins!

Located right by the Jamie Platz YMCA and Callingwood Arena the parking lot in front of the library is small, but there’s plenty available if you’re willing to walk a bit further from the arena lot.

We visit here periodically and have found the computers are always in high demand. My son is often disappointed in the children’s graphic novel selection, but the non-fiction and older children’s fiction areas are amazing. There’s also a big selection of children’s DVDs here.

The shelves are high, which makes sightlines a bit more challenging in the “big” kids area, but for small kids everything is wide open.

Link: Library Website

Londonderry

Address: Suite 166 Londonderry Mall, 137 Ave 66 St NW

One of two “in the mall” libraries, we haven’t gone into the Londonderry location yet. Another blank spot on my bingo card!

Link: Library Website

McConachie

Address: 16607 50 Street NW

Similar in size to Heritage Valley and West Henday Promenade, McConachie library is a small branch in a strip mall. Having visited the other two, we haven’t made it to this one yet.

Link: Library Website

Meadows

Address: 2702 17 St NW

Located across from the ice rinks at The Meadows Rec Centre, the Meadows EPL branch has super high ceilings, moody paint, and what feels like a mediocre book selection.

The only way I’m able to convince the kids to visit here now is the promise of going swimming, but they enjoyed it when they were younger.

Parking at the library entrance is always packed, but you can park at another entrance and walk through the building (assuming you aren’t carrying 40 pounds of books like I always seem to be).

Link: Library Website

Mill Woods

Address: 2610 Hewes Way

I adore the light, seating, and quiet rooms in the Mill Woods library. The kids enjoy the books and the play areas.

Mill Woods Library often has one of the best scavenger hunt activities going, too.

The parking lot can be busy, but there is usually a spot available. You can also park “in” the mall parking lot. Mill Woods Library is between the old and new Mill Woods transit centres, making it extremely easy to access by public transit.

Link: Library Website

Riverbend

Address: 460 Riverbend Square, Rabbit Hill Road and Terwillegar Drive

Riverbend Library is all about the books!

The children’s area is small but mighty (and expands past the bank of computers for non-fiction and second language). Then entire bank of windows is lined with picture books, and the middle area and edging bookcases are stuffed with fiction.

We always fill our book bags quickly here!

Link: Library Website

Sprucewood

Address: 11555 95 Street

There are lots of great toys here, but the focus really feels like it’s placed on the books. And I’m all here for it!

I love how they make use of the small amount of space. There was amazing effort made to highlight diverse books on the racks.

Note that there is very limited parking at the library, but they have an amazing bike rack out front.

Link: Library Website

Stanley A. Milner (Downtown)

Address: 7 Sir Winston Churchill Square Centennial Plaza

The majority of the main floor of EPL’s main branch Stanley Milner Library is devoted to kids. From the two storey, double sided interactive screen at the front entrance to the multiple rooms of books, play equipment, craft supplies, and other things there is a lot going on!

Located in the heart of downtown across from Sir Winston Churchill Square, the library is a popular spot for everyone to drop in.

I find this library to be a bit challenging to navigate when I don’t have at least a one-to-one ratio of adults and kids. There is so much to catch kids attention and draw them in different directions it can be challenging to keep an eye on everyone.

There’s also a lot of awesome things for adults (like the seed library!), but kids don’t want to explore with Mom.

There is plenty of paid parking available within the Library Parkade. Check on the City of Edmonton’s website for rates.

Link: Library Website

Strathcona

Address: 8331 104 Street

This is my daughter’s favourite library and she always asks to go back. It’s one of my least favourite.

The cons:

• The bathroom facilities are tucked away on the bottom floor behind a locked door that you need to ask the librarians for access.
• Paid parking or a longer walk from the residential area across the street.
• Kid and teen area are on different floors (though also a pro).
• High traffic from university students. Which is great for the library, but some of the conversations your tween can overhear are topics I don’t want to explain!

But my daughter loves this library. The architecture is so unique. It’s close to Whyte Ave and she’s just hitting the age where that’s so cool. She has had amazing luck picking out books here.

And there’s a fireplace to read in front of, so I guess we’ll keep going back.

Link: Library Website

West Henday Promenade (Lewis Estates)

Address: 818 Webber Greens Drive, West Henday Promenade

A tiny library similar in size to Heritage Valley, but not as busy. It’s a nice spot to pop into if you’re driving along Anthony Henday or live in the area.

The kids area is very open, so if you want to let your toddler blow off some steam while you pick out reading material this would be a nice spot to visit.

There wasn’t a huge selection of books, so you’ll want to take advantage of EPL’s holds for specific books.

There’s a reasonable amount of parking, but I could see it becoming tight when programs are running.

Link: Library Website

Whitemud Crossing

Address: 145 Whitemud Crossing Shopping Centre, 4211 – 106 Street

The children’s area at Whitemud Crossing is HUGE. There are two large open areas intended for kids to play, plus a third space that isn’t as play-friendly, but always seems to have kids in it anyway.

By far, this library has the largest selection of children’s graphic novels we’ve found. The picture book stacks are packed with diverse books to discover, and there is a massive selection of books for older kids, non-fiction, CDs, DVDs, and video games.

I also love the cookbook selection at Whitemud Crossing – it fills both sides of the aisle!

*Note: They rearranged the library since this photo was taken and I LOVE it. All the play stuff is at the far end of the library and the wall that previously blocked the cookbook stacks from view has been removed.

Link: Library Website

Woodcroft (Westmount)

Address: 13420 114 Avenue

Woodcroft’s children’s area is super sweet, but a bit disjointed. The picture books, play area and tablets are tucked into the circular atrium, while books for older kids and non-fiction are across the library.

Parking is also a bit limited within the library’s lot. To make things easiest on yourself, park across the street at Westmount Mall.

I visited this library without the kids while I was in the area, so I haven’t had a chance to get their opinion of it. I loved all the sunshine in the children’s space!

Link: Library Website

EPL Branch Bingo

Want to gamify going to the library even more? Print off this bingo card and stick it to your fridge to keep track of what libraries you’ve visited!