If you're looking for ammolite (which is moving to become recognized as the official gemstone of…read moreAlberta), Rock Paper Silver has the best selection in terms of small "stone" samples, jewelry, and "rock" pieces. In general, they have nearly everything relating to stones, crystals, and fossils in a variety that stretches from the regular souvenir stuff (wire-wrapped crystal necklaces and bead bracelets) to jewelry-grade stones and actually jewelry to decorative house pieces, statues, and wall pieces. The storefront is smaller than the actual store, which stretches REALLY far back. Very well organized with clearly marked sections for the different kinds of stones. Employees are extremely helpful and knowledgeable and were pretty open about admitting to their stuff being a bit upmarked. They even recommended other locations for some possibly cheaper, specific types of fossils. Not only were they very informative when we asked about specific crystals and rocks, and this included where they'd gotten everything. Canada is famous for being a rockhound's dream, with its amazing and numerous mineral and precious metal deposits. However, Rock Paper Silver also provides specific other kinds of crystals from other parts of the world. There are a number of souvenir and rock/crystal/fossils places along Banff Avenue. However, Rock Paper silver is right at the center of the main cluster of restaurants and gift shops. The closest parking (besides the minimal street parking when the road isn't blocked off) is the Bear Street Parking Lot, an open parking lot that (like the street parking) has an hourly rate of $3 per hour from 8 AM to 8 PM. If you manage to park there, you can cut through Park Avenue Mall's backdoor (southeast corner of the lot) straight to Banff Avenue. The other main parking area is the Bear Street Parkade. First floor has the same hourly rate as mentioned before with the second floor up completely free. We mostly used the parkade and the only drawback is that so do most people. Be sure to check the counter they have at the entrance for if there are still spaces available on the upper floors. Would absolutely recommend dropping by here to browse. Especially if you're interested in rocks, crystals, and fossils. While there are a lot of pricier items, there are a variety of other more affordable products that make for a great unique souvenir!

I always spend way too much in here. They have such a…read morehuge, beautiful inventory. Almost too much for one person to take in. I always have something in mind before I arrive. The polite staff are quick to serve. I am a gemologist, so I know a thing or two about rocks, gems and jewelry. I am very impressed with their abundance of product knowledge. Really amazing. It's pretty expensive, but the quality is fabulous. Call me a sucker.

Amazing service! It's my first time visiting Banff and I forgot my fishing gear. I went here to get…read moresome things and they went above and beyond to help me with licensing, getting the right gear, and letting me know the best places to catch fish. I went from having no idea where to go, to having confidence I was in the right spot with the right gear. I ended up catching a nice brown trout because of them. Highly recommend this shop!

Canmore is pretty much the only city you can get gear for fishing near Banff as the outdoor stores…read moretypically cater to hikers/climbers/bikers/runners. The crew at Wapiti were generous in recommendations for our light spinning set up and were able to help me get my permits for fishing for Banff and a day license although my son and I were only catch and release fishing. They sell lead free lures suitable for Banff and gave recommendations for locations along the Bow River in both Banff and Canmore although they have a variety of fly fishing and outdoor paraphernalia. Our first day we got skunked at Banff on the Bow River and snagged but we eventually were able to hook up to trout in Banff in Lake Moraine and along the Bow with new gear on a separate day and different spots along the other pedestrian bridge. Make sure to buy multiple lures if you're spinning cause there are a lot of trees and rocks to get snagged which are the structures that the trout tend to congregate. One thing they might not be able to help you with is FINDING PARKING near certain spots.

This store had a lot of great items to browse. I was really impressed with the selection. We found…read moresome souvenirs for our group here and browsed a lot of other items thinking of use case scenarios and more. It was a really fun place to shop in and I'd definitely return again if I were in Canmore browsing the shops.

This is my favourite store to peruse whilst in Canmore…read more Where else could you find stunning unique handcrafted modern jewelry or cute dishes or mugs to enjoy food and drink in or perhaps kitschy kitchen decor like the Voodoo knife holder or Asian-inspired wares or rustic Canmore mountainy inspired things or....well, I could go on or maybe you can just make sure you pop in there. Shopping Canmore's main street is always an afternoon delight and I'm sure The Tin Box even has skyrockets to help that out. :)

Pretty good, prices are a bit high if you really don't love what you're getting but if you like…read morewhat you're getting it's definitely worth it with a ton of small and big gems and also decorations. Overall a great place to go and they even wrap your purchase to stay safe.

This place ROCKS! They've got a plethora of gems and stones. You can get them plain or find them…read morewired into jewelry or key chains. If you're looking for souvenirs - this is your place. I had a friend who made a request to get her some rocks from the trails, but I couldn't find anything too nice. This is where Rocks and Gems comes in. They've got a wide and beautiful selection. Their sales associates are super helpful with their price checking and responding to questions. What I absolutely love about this place is that most of the purchases come with a descriptor of the type of rock or gem- making it both a perfect, but thoughtful gift. The majority of their stones are made up into jewelry - I'd say about half the store. You can also find a few things that are just really neat such as souvenir mugs, candles, greeting cards and etc.

Such a beautiful store. This store is 1000% my taste and I understand why it's priced the way it…read moreis: quality, family owned, and locally made. I can't wait to come back here again when I'm ready to decorate my future home.

Creative and unique decor and cool vibe with cool mugs candles books drinks maps stuffies and moreread more

This is one of the souvenir shops in the area. From T - shirts to gemstones they have it. They have…read moresome products that are on sale too. Store is big enough for people to move around when it is crowded. Employees are welcoming and give you time to decide what to purchase. They don't follow you like other shops that I have been to. I purchased some lovely keychain and ref magnet for my friend back in the states. She collects keychains. So every time I travel, she asks for them. Souvenir items are affordable. (I forgot the exchange rate though). They accept all method of payments except a check.

This is a fantastic little shop to stop by and enjoy some local talent! It's an eclectic mix of…read moresouvenirs (from key chains to cards), wall art, clothing, glassworks, mugs, candles and jewelry!!! Well worth a visit! All artwork are vibrant original pieces by LL Harrison of Canmore Alberta!

Exciting to be in the shop once again. I really took the time to walk around & enjoy all it has to…read moreoffer. Lots of neat gift & art ideas. Items range from ideas for baby gifts to adult gifts. I also love that they feature so many Alberta products & artists. Found a few items this trip - part of a wedding gift, something for a birthday present & some beautiful local images on postcards (those are for me to enjoy some new wall art). Honestly, if you're looking for a gift, AB souvenir or just a lovely or special gift for yourself, this is the store to pop in. Extra bonus the staff & owner are well versed in the information of the products, sizing (I learned a lot about the blankets!) &/or background of the art. The owner especially knows where the artists are from and neat background stories. Personally, I encourage that kind of chatting energy, as I love to know the stories of how things have come to this point. Accessibility for in the store is easy for the first part of the store. The second part has 4 steps down. Staff are really great & super friendly. So just ask if you need something (or another colour options) in case you want something but physically can't make it that far. Also, no fault to any of the 8 st stores & restaurants, but the town decided that street is a safe walking/biking area (apparently some spring to fall). At first I thought maybe there was a festival they were setting up for. Nope. Just every day in Canmore. I can understand for many of the shop owners how that has impacted the flow of foot traffic. Especially as the accessible parking isn't plentiful or nearby. Not even several avenues/streets over. Sadly parking lots closer by didn't provide much more for handicap, I wouldn't have an issue on manning streets safer for enjoyment & shopping, but if I'm paying for parking as a handicap user & have to still walk a fair distance, you can bet my time is more limited in being in Canmore. For my situation, I strategized how far to walk, how much energy & time I have (including to return to vehicle as I move slower) & I still felt like I really limited myself for any extra shopping & skipped the lines for eating focusing on the few must stop places I had in mind. You would think the town would add extra benches & picnic tables that aren't restaurant run plus ramps (besides the natural sidewalk corner locations) to the street if this was truly to be an accessible & friendly walking area. This sadly was not is the case. So long story short, if you're struggling with energy, start at the top of the street by Alberta's Own & maybe if you've got someone that can park further down the opposite side streets/avenues, you can walk one direction to your vehicle without worrying too much about your energy. Lastly, a cuteness heads up... there are two wonderful little dogs as store mascots that will seek all attention & love! They're not fully out all the time but will make their presence known once they are.

This is by far the best gift shop we've stopped by in Canmore / Banff. From the moment we walked in…read morethe service was over the top, kind, and not pushy. This is not a place for your regular run of the mill t-shirts or trinkets. This is a place with truly creative pieces, art, and unique ways to remember a trip to this area if you're visiting. It's super well kept, nothing was cheap but also not overpriced and the owner Laura was someone who is just so in tune with people. My wife and I are so glad we stopped and left with a bunch of things. Added bonus- her two tiny Australian Shepherds that follow her around