Moncton - Tourism, Entertainment and Shopping

Tourism, Entertainment and Shopping

See also: List of Tourist Attractions in Moncton

Magnetic Hill is on the northwestern outskirts of Moncton and is now the city's most famous attraction. It is a gravity hill optical illusion, where the local topography gives the impression that you are going uphill when in fact you are going downhill.

The "Magnetic Hill Illusion" is a popular tourism draw and both the city and province have built major tourism developments on the surrounding properties to capitalize on this. The complex includes The Magnetic Hill Zoo, a nationally accredited and award winning zoo with over 400 animals displayed in themed exhibit areas. It is the largest zoo in Atlantic Canada, has well-developed and popular educational program and has recently been ranked as the 4th best zoo in Canada. Also on site is Magic Mountain Water Park, the largest water park in Atlantic Canada, with a half dozen large water slides, a lazy river, wave pool, children's splash pool and a 36-hole mini-golf course. The Magnetic Hill Concert Site, a large outdoor concert facility which holds one or two large concerts every year is located nearby. The Rolling Stones performed there in 2005 in front of 85,000 fans. More recently, The Eagles played there in the summer of 2008 in front of 55,000 fans. Both AC/DC and Bon Jovi played at the hill in 2009, with the crowd for the AC/DC concert exceeding 70,000. The Magnetic Hill Concert Site has developed a reputation for holding the largest concert productions in the entire country. U2 played the final concert of their worldwide U2 360° Tour at Magnetic Hill on July 30, 2011. The Casino New Brunswick, which also encompasses a hotel and 2,000 seat entertainment venue also opened at Magnetic Hill in 2010. The performance space at the Casino New Brunswick has already hosted many top acts on the casino circuit.

At present, the major destinations for shopping enthusiasts are the Wheeler Park Power Centre and Champlain Place, which, at 816,000 square feet (75,800 m2), is the largest shopping mall in Atlantic Canada and has over 160 stores and services. Crystal Palace, an indoor amusement park with a dozen rides including a roller coaster and a wave swinger was built adjacent to Champlain Place in 1990 to take advantage of the tourist traffic generated by the mall. It is a popular family destination and has Top Attraction status with tourism New Brunswick. This complex also includes a hotel, restaurant, Chapters bookstore and a multiplex cinema complex.

The Pump House Brewery is a brewpub opened in 1999 by a local fire department chief and his wife. It was given 6 gold and 3 bronze medals in the 2005 Canadian Brewing Awards, achieving the title of Canada's Brewery of the Year and has since become a popular destination for visitors to the city's downtown.