How a UFO joke became a tourism stop

Introduction

The St. Paul UFO Landing Pad survived long after the excitement of its 1967 opening because the town gradually turned the monument into a functioning tourism hub rather than leaving it as a roadside curiosity. The key step was the creation of a visitor centre beside the pad during the 1990s. Instead of asking travellers merely to photograph an unusual landmark and drive on, St. Paul gave them reasons to stop, browse, learn about the community and spend time locally. Today the centre combines tourism information, UFO-themed displays and a showcase for local artisans, helping transform a playful centennial monument into one of Alberta’s most recognisable small-town attractions. [St. Paul]stpaul.caufo landing padSt. PaulThe Landing PadIn the 1990's Mayor Paul Langevin officially opened an adjacent UFO tourist information centre to welcome visitors…

Within Alberta’s broader UFO culture, this is significant because the site’s continuing relevance comes less from reports of unexplained objects and more from a successful tourism strategy. The visitor centre helped convert an imaginative civic symbol into an enduring part of the local economy and identity. [St. Paul]stpaul.caufo landing padSt. PaulThe Landing PadIn the 1990's Mayor Paul Langevin officially opened an adjacent UFO tourist information centre to welcome visitors…

The 1990s visitor centre addition

For more than two decades after the landing pad was built, the attraction’s main draw was the unusual concrete structure itself. The major change came in the 1990s when St. Paul added a dedicated UFO tourist information centre next to the pad. The Town of St. Paul credits then-mayor Paul Langevin with officially opening the adjacent facility as a way to welcome visitors. [St. Paul]stpaul.caufo landing padSt. PaulThe Landing PadIn the 1990's Mayor Paul Langevin officially opened an adjacent UFO tourist information centre to welcome visitors…

This addition altered how the attraction functioned. A roadside monument can attract attention, but a staffed visitor centre encourages longer visits and creates a gateway to the wider community. The town now presents the centre as both a tourism office and a public welcome space, reinforcing the inclusive message associated with the landing pad since its centennial origins. [St. Paul]stpaul.caufo landing padSt. PaulThe Landing PadIn the 1990's Mayor Paul Langevin officially opened an adjacent UFO tourist information centre to welcome visitors…

The shift also reflected a practical reality of rural tourism. Small Alberta communities often compete for attention through distinctive attractions. By pairing the UFO pad with visitor services, St. Paul increased the likelihood that travellers would explore local businesses, museums and events rather than simply stopping for a photograph before continuing down Highway 29. [St. Paul]stpaul.caSt. PaulVisitorsSt. Paul located 200 km northeast of Edmonton on Highway 29 boasts the World's First UFO Landing Pad. A UFO Tourist Infor…

UFO exhibits, selfies and roadside appeal

The visitor centre gave the landing pad a second layer of attraction beyond the monument itself. Tourism materials describe UFO-themed exhibits inside the centre, including displays connected with flying saucer lore, unusual aircraft reports and crop-circle imagery. These exhibits are not presented as scientific proof of extraterrestrial visitation; rather, they extend the playful theme that has defined the site since 1967. [Travel Alberta]travelalberta.comTravel AlbertaUFO Landing Pad | Alberta CanadaThe UFO Landing Pad has never welcomed alien visitors, it has served a vital purpose for th…

That approach matters because the landing pad’s appeal has always been broader than belief in UFOs. Visitors can enjoy the attraction whether they are UFO enthusiasts, families on a road trip, fans of unusual roadside architecture or travellers collecting photographs of Alberta’s famous oversized landmarks. The centre helps sustain that appeal by giving people something additional to experience after viewing the concrete structure outside. [Travel Alberta+2To Do Canada]travelalberta.comTravel AlbertaUFO Landing Pad | Alberta CanadaThe UFO Landing Pad has never welcomed alien visitors, it has served a vital purpose for th…

The result is a tourism model built around participation. Travellers arrive for the novelty of the world’s first official UFO landing pad, take photographs at the site, browse exhibits, collect information about the region and often leave with souvenirs connected to the community. In tourism terms, the visitor centre converts a brief stop into a more memorable destination experience. [Travel Alberta]travelalberta.comTravel AlbertaUFO Landing Pad | Alberta CanadaThe UFO Landing Pad has never welcomed alien visitors, it has served a vital purpose for th…

Local artisans and the town welcome message

Perhaps the most important development was linking the UFO theme to local economic activity. The visitor centre operates as a boutique featuring work from more than 50 local artisans, including items such as pottery, jewellery, paintings and sculpture. Rather than importing generic alien-themed merchandise, the centre uses the attraction to showcase regional creativity and encourage spending within the community. [St. Paul+2Tourisme Alberta]stpaul.caufo landing padSt. PaulThe Landing PadIn the 1990's Mayor Paul Langevin officially opened an adjacent UFO tourist information centre to welcome visitors…

The town explicitly connects this commercial role with the landing pad’s original message of welcome and inclusion. Official tourism material describes the site as standing for unity and presents the centre as a place where both travellers and residents can find information, gifts and local artwork. The emphasis is less on extraterrestrials than on hospitality. [St. Paul]stpaul.caufo landing padSt. PaulThe Landing PadIn the 1990's Mayor Paul Langevin officially opened an adjacent UFO tourist information centre to welcome visitors…

Local reporting has highlighted the same theme. Organisers associated with the tourism centre have described art and artisan displays as a way of bringing people together, linking community participation with the welcoming spirit expressed on the landing pad’s famous plaque. [Lakeland Today]lakelandtoday.caLakeland Today Tourist centre hoping to attract visitors and locals alikeLakeland TodayTourist centre hoping to attract visitors and locals alikeJune 9, 2019 — 9 Jun 2019 — The plaque located in front of the la…Published: June 9, 2019

Why the visitor centre matters in Alberta UFO culture

The visitor centre demonstrates how St. Paul turned a symbolic UFO project into a durable tourism asset. Unlike Alberta UFO incidents that are discussed because witnesses reported unexplained aerial phenomena, the landing pad remains notable because a community deliberately built a cultural identity around the idea of UFOs. The centre made that identity practical by providing exhibits, visitor services and a marketplace for local artisans. [St. Paul]stpaul.caufo landing padSt. PaulThe Landing PadIn the 1990's Mayor Paul Langevin officially opened an adjacent UFO tourist information centre to welcome visitors…

As a result, the landing pad continues to function as one of Alberta’s best-known roadside attractions. Its longevity owes less to any claim of alien visitation than to the decision to create a visitor experience around the monument. The 1990s tourism centre transformed a clever centennial project into a destination that still draws travellers and promotes St. Paul decades later. [St. Paul+2Travel Alberta]stpaul.caufo landing padSt. PaulThe Landing PadIn the 1990's Mayor Paul Langevin officially opened an adjacent UFO tourist information centre to welcome visitors…

Amazon book picks

Further Reading

Books and field guides related to How a UFO joke became a tourism stop. Use these as the next step if you want deeper reading beyond the article.

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The UFO Experience

By Joseph Allen Hynek

Provides broad UFO culture context that helps explain why attractions built around UFO themes continue to draw visitors.

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Passport to Magonia: from Folklore to Flying Saucers

By Jacques Vallee

Explores how stories and beliefs evolve into enduring cultural phenomena, much like a UFO landmark becoming a tourism attraction.

See on Amazon

Book

UFOs

By Leslie Kean

Connects public fascination with UFOs to the wider cultural interest that supports destinations such as UFO-themed visitor centres.

See on Amazon

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American Cosmic

By Diana Walsh Pasulka

Examines how UFO narratives shape communities, identities, and cultural institutions, paralleling the evolution of a UFO tourism site.

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Browse more on Amazon: The UFO Experience Passport to Magonia: from Folklore to Flying Saucers UFOs

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Endnotes

1. Source: stpaul.ca
   Title: ufo landing pad
   Link: https://www.stpaul.ca/visitors/ufo-landing-pad
   Source snippet

   St. PaulThe Landing PadIn the 1990's Mayor Paul Langevin officially opened an adjacent UFO tourist information centre to welcome visitors...

2. Source: travelalberta.com
   Link: https://www.travelalberta.com/listings/ufo-landing-pad-20618
   Source snippet

   Travel AlbertaUFO Landing Pad | Alberta CanadaThe UFO Landing Pad has never welcomed alien visitors, it has served a vital purpose for th...

3. Source: stpaul.ca
   Link: https://www.stpaul.ca/visitors
   Source snippet

   St. PaulVisitorsSt. Paul located 200 km northeast of Edmonton on Highway 29 boasts the World's First UFO Landing Pad. A UFO Tourist Infor...

4. Source: todocanada.ca
   Title: To Do Canada10 Things to Do on Your Trip to St
   Link: https://www.todocanada.ca/10-things-to-do-on-your-trip-to-st-paul-alberta/
   Source snippet

   Paul, AlbertaFeb 28, 2026 — UFO Landing Pad. You'll find the large concrete UFO Landing Pad on Main Street in the centre of town. The Vis...

5. Source: tourismealberta.ca
   Link: https://tourismealberta.ca/en/attrait/ufo-landing-pad/
   Source snippet

   UFO Landing PadThe Landing Pad is a wonderful place to get tourist information as well as a special memento or unique gift. Local pottery...

6. Source: lakelandtoday.ca
   Title: Lakeland Today Tourist centre hoping to attract visitors and locals alike
   Link: https://www.lakelandtoday.ca/st-paul-news/tourist-centre-hoping-to-attract-visitors-and-locals-alike-1911198
   Source snippet

   Lakeland TodayTourist centre hoping to attract visitors and locals alikeJune 9, 2019 — 9 Jun 2019 — The plaque located in front of the la...

   Published: June 9, 2019

7. Source: lakelandtoday.ca
   Title: ufo landing pad the best landmark in the lakeland 11106881
   Link: https://www.lakelandtoday.ca/st-paul-news/ufo-landing-pad-the-best-landmark-in-the-lakeland-11106881
   Source snippet

   UFO landing pad the best landmark in the Lakeland26 Aug 2025 — In a region known for quirky roadside attractions, one landmark has proven...

8. Source: facebook.com
   Title: UF O Landing Pad St
   Link: https://www.facebook.com/100057209000379/?locale=ca_ES
   Source snippet

   Paul | Saint Paul ABCalling All Artisans! 🛍️ The Tourism Centre will be open May 12, 13 & 14 from 12:00 PM to 6:00 PM to accept artisan i...

9. Source: county.stpaul.ab.ca
   Title: stpaul.ab.ca UF O Landing Pad
   Link: https://www.county.stpaul.ab.ca/venue/ufo-landing-pad/
   Source snippet

   Landing Pad - County of St. PaulUFO Landing Pad. « All Events. Address. 4844-5012 53 Street St. Paul, Alberta Canada Get Directions. Even...

Additional References

1. Source: expedia.ca
   Link: https://www.expedia.ca/Worlds-First-UFO-Landing-Pad-St-Paul.d6190457.Vacation-Attraction

2. Source: discoverapega.ca
   Title: discover APEGACalling All Flying Saucers: Free Parking in St
   Link: https://discoverapega.ca/stories/calling-all-flying-saucers-free-parking-in-st-paul/
   Source snippet

   PaulToday, the landing pad includes a UFO tourist information centre to welcome visitors – from this world, or any other. Photo courtesy...

3. Source: atlasobscura.com
   Title: World’s First UFO Landing Pad in Saint Paul St
   Link: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/world-s-first-ufo-landing-pad
   Source snippet

   Paul, Alberta has an official UFO landing welcome site. Weighing just over 130 tons, the large flat concrete structure contains a time ca...

4. Source: instagram.com
   Link: https://www.instagram.com/p/DRtSulnkdMy/
   Source snippet

   mall town with big aspirations for intergalactic visitors!Read more...

5. Source: behindthehedge.wordpress.com
   Title: thoughts on a ufo landing pad
   Link: https://behindthehedge.wordpress.com/2023/08/15/thoughts-on-a-ufo-landing-pad/
   Source snippet

   Paul UFO Landing Pad is open and welcomes visitors throughout the summer months. The Town of St. Paul, Alberta, is open and welcoming to...

6. Source: amainsider.com
   Title: Where in the world: UFO Landing Pad
   Link: https://amainsider.com/where-in-the-world-ufo-landing-pad/
   Source snippet

   Paul, Alberta. In 1967, a proposal was made to build the world's first UFO landing pad...Read more...

7. Source: iflscience.com
   Title: canada is home to the worlds first official ufo landing pad 80526
   Link: https://www.iflscience.com/canada-is-home-to-the-worlds-first-official-ufo-landing-pad-80526
   Source snippet

   Paul, Alberta. A photograph from the official opening of the landing pad in 1967...Read more...

8. Source: youtube.com
   Title: Yannick Bisson Explains Why St. Paul, Alberta Has A UFO Landing Pad
   Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7e5r1tzB7EM
   Source snippet

   Travelling With Dan - July 15 - UFO Landing Pad in St. Paul, AB...

9. Source: facebook.com
   Link: https://www.facebook.com/p/UFO-Landing-Pad-St-Paul-100057209000379/
   Source snippet

   Learn about our town history.Read more...

10. Source: youtube.com
    Title: Exploring Saint Paul, Alberta and the World Famous UFO Landing Pad
    Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NF2J9f9SpVw
    Source snippet

    This small town built a UFO landing pad... BUT WHY?...