Visitors to Moose Jaw are greeted by "Mac the Moose," a giant moose statue that stands beside the visitors center. The source of the town's name is uncertain but likely derives from the Cree word
moosegaw, meaning "warm breezes." Today, Moose Jaw is an industrial town of brick warehouses and wide avenues.
There's some colorful history to the city. During the 1920s, bootleggers who smuggled booze to the U.S. operated out of Moose Jaw (underworld figures such as Al Capone are said to have visited). A network of tunnels beneath the city made a good place to store the illicit hooch—you can visit some of the passageways on the Tunnels of Moose Jaw "Chicago Connection" tour. The passageways predate the prohibition era, however: They were actually built in the late 1800s by Chinese railroad workers who hid there to avoid paying the head tax of the time.
Moose Jaw is home to one of Canada's most luxurious mineral spas. The Temple Gardens Mineral Spa is a luxury resort with a unique indoor-outdoor pool on the roof, relying on warm waters from an ancient seabed far below the earth's surface.
At the Moose Jaw Art Museum and National Exhibition Centre, you'll find a large collection of Native American artifacts (including beadwork and costumes) as well as an exhibition of Canadian art. Before you leave the museum, pick up a map of the downtown historic district for a walking tour of the city's more interesting architectural sights. While you're walking, look for the murals painted on buildings downtown. They depict the history of the city.
Don't miss the local branch of the Western Development Museum, which focuses on the history of transportation in the region. It has vintage planes, boats and cars. Then see the Sukanen Ship Pioneer Village and Museum, which is 8 mi/13 km south of town. It has one artifact you probably weren't expecting in this prairie province—an oceangoing ship built by a Saskatchewan pioneer who mistakenly thought he could sail back to Finland.
For a little exercise, head to Wakamow Valley, a complex of park and recreation areas that includes Plaxton's Lake. Or you can drive northeast of town to Buffalo Pound Provincial Park for hiking, swimming, horseback riding, tennis and excellent bird watching. If you're in Moose Jaw in July, don't miss the Saskatchewan Air Show: Moose Jaw is home to Canada's famous aerobatics team, the Snowbirds, who always put on a special show for the hometown crowd. 125 mi/200 km southeast of Saskatoon.
