Aurora Emporium Art Gallery: Yellowknife Travel Guide

A shop on Franklin Avenue

Franklin Avenue is Yellowknife’s spine. It runs downhill from the downtown office blocks toward Old Town and Great Slave Lake, and Aurora Emporium Art Gallery sits at number 4701, in the downtown stretch.

This is a small, low-key stop. Google lists it as a gift shop, and the name tells you art is the point. It has a modest number of reviews, but they rate it consistently well. That puts it a little under the radar: a place you drop into between bigger sights rather than a destination with queues.

What’s actually on the walls and shelves changes. Go in expecting to browse, not to tick off a fixed collection.

Timing your visit

Check the day before you set out, because the hours vary across the week. The current schedule is:

• Tuesday to Friday: 11am–6pm
• Monday and Saturday: 12pm–5pm
• Sunday: 1pm–5pm

Small shops sometimes adjust their hours, so confirm before making a special trip. The schedule works well for aurora travellers. Most viewing tours leave late at night, so the afternoon is free for an unhurried look around downtown.

Season matters for the walk more than for the shop. In winter, Franklin Avenue can sit far below freezing. Plan short hops between heated buildings. In June, near-midnight sun means it’s still bright long after the doors shut.

Getting there and what’s nearby

From most downtown hotels you can walk. Yellowknife Airport is a short taxi ride to the west, so the shop also fits into an arrival or departure day.

Pair it with these:

• Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre: the territory’s main museum, on the shore of Frame Lake, a walk west of downtown.
• Northwest Territories Legislative Assembly: the domed building beside the same lake, with public tours.
• Old Town: follow Franklin Avenue downhill to the houseboats, float planes and the Bush Pilots Monument lookout.
• Downtown cafés and galleries: a few other shops along Franklin and 50th Street, all close enough to string together on foot.

Buying art the Yellowknife way

Browsing is expected, and nobody will hurry you in a shop this size. If a piece catches your eye, ask about the artist and where it was made. In the North, knowing who made a piece is part of what you’re buying, and staff can usually tell you.

Practical points:

• Paying: cards and tap payments are standard in Canada. Carry a card that works abroad.
• Tax: the Northwest Territories adds only the 5% federal GST, with no territorial sales tax on top. The price on the tag is close to what you pay.
• Tipping: you don’t tip in retail shops.
• Prices: check the tag or ask at the counter. Don’t assume small items are cheap or large ones are out of reach.
• Getting it home: for larger or fragile pieces, ask about packing or shipping before you pay rather than discovering airline limits at the check-in desk.
• Photos: ask before photographing artwork. Images of an artist’s work are part of their living.

Winter visitors should also budget time for layers. Peeling off a parka in a small room takes a minute, and you’ll want your hands free to look properly.