Wascana Centre & Legislative Assembly
Wascana Centre is the largest urban park managed by a park authority in Canada — 930 hectares of park, lake, and conservation area in the heart of the city. The Saskatchewan Legislative Building (free tours) at the north end of Wascana Lake is the finest Prairie government building. The Royal Saskatchewan Museum ($8) adjacent to the legislative grounds has one of the most complete T-Rex fossil displays in the world — 'Scotty,' the largest T-Rex ever found, is housed here.
RCMP Heritage Centre & Training Academy
Regina is the home of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police — the national police force trained here since 1885. The RCMP Heritage Centre ($14) traces the history of the Mounties from the 1873 March West through contemporary operations. The Depot Division (the training academy) is the only place where RCMP officers have been trained and is a National Historic Site — free tours of the grounds include the chapel, parade square, and officers' mess.
MacKenzie Art Gallery & Cathedral Village
The MacKenzie Art Gallery ($5 suggested, free on Sundays) holds the province's finest art collection — the Group of Seven Saskatchewan connection is strong, and the Indigenous gallery is excellent. The Cathedral Village neighbourhood north of downtown is Regina's most liveable: 13th Avenue has the independent restaurants, coffee shops, and boutiques that define the city's cultural life. The Cathedral Village Arts Festival each May transforms 13th Avenue into one of the Prairie's finest outdoor arts markets.
Qu'Appelle Valley Day Trip
The Qu'Appelle Valley — a glacially carved river valley 75 km northeast of Regina — is a dramatic counterpoint to the flatness of the surrounding prairie. Echo Valley Provincial Park on Last Mountain Lake has excellent hiking and the lake itself (the longest freshwater lake entirely within Saskatchewan) has good swimming beaches. Last Mountain Lake National Wildlife Area hosts the fall migration of sandhill cranes and snow geese — hundreds of thousands of birds stopping in September and October.
Farmers' Market, Local Craft & Departure
The Regina Farmers' Market (College Avenue and Broad Street, Saturdays 9am-1pm) is an excellent Prairie market with local honey, saskatoon berries, canola oils, and extraordinary grain-fed beef from local farms. Pile of Bones Brewing on 11th Avenue is named for Wascana's original Cree name and pours excellent Prairie lager — a fine way to spend a final morning. Regina International Airport is 7 km southeast of downtown — taxis take 15 minutes.