Calgary Attractions
A city of contrasts and cosmopolitan flair, Calgary, the largest city in Alberta, offers world-class experiences at a wide range of distinctive sights and attractions year round. Spread over a vast geographical area, the city offers the best of all worlds: a bustling inner-city area, sprawling urban parks, vibrant cultural venues and ample opportunities for recreation and family fun. A combination of old and new creates a well-rounded and unique travel experience; the city nurtures a deep connection to its Western heritage, fused with a dynamic and burgeoning metropolitan landscape.
PLACES OF INTEREST
Split into four quadrants with a grid-style street pattern in its inner core, the city makes for relatively easy navigation of its unique districts and neighbourhoods. Calgary's first community, Inglewood, located just east of downtown, was established at the end of the 19th century and is now home to numerous shops and restaurants housed in turn-of-the-century edifices. On the north side of the Bow River and within walking distance to downtown, Kensington is another trendy district offering shopping, dining, cosy cafes and entertaining summer street festivals.
An epicentre of events, entertainment and unique market-style shopping in the core is Eau Claire Market, located next to Prince's Island, one of the city's top natural destinations. Stretching along Eighth Avenue from Macleod Trail Southeast to Third Street Southwest, the Stephen Avenue Walk pedestrian corridor is lined with shops, restaurants, impressive public art, unique sandstone architecture and, in summer, street entertainers and vendors.
CULTURAL ATTRACTIONS
Visitors need not look far for cultural attractions in Calgary; a full spectrum of intriguing locales call the city home, including family-friendly historic sites and interpretive centres, premiere art galleries, performing arts centres and museums.
While a large concentration of cultural attractions is in and around the city's core, each quadrant offers its own unique venues and sights, such as Heritage Park located in the southwest. This interpretive centre recreates Western life as it was in the early 1900s, complete with restored buildings, an antique midway and costumed performers.
Other notable cultural destinations include the Glenbow Museum in downtown Calgary, the restored sandstone mansion, Lougheed House, located just south of the core, the Military Museums in the southwest and the northwest's Southern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium, host to numerous performing arts events and cultural celebrations.
NATURAL ATTRACTIONS
Geographically, Calgary is situated at the foothills of the Rocky Mountains and is divided laterally by the majestic Bow River, making for striking backdrops, tree-lined river paths and ample natural attractions.
Many urban parks and gardens make up the city's natural landscapes, each offering unique amenities, recreational opportunities and, for many urbanites, solitude and escape from city life. Summer and winter fun waits at Bowness Park in the northwest, and at Olympic Plaza, in the city's centre, where winter skating, summer picnics and lounging under the shade of a tree are the activities of choice. Located in the deep south of the city, Calgary's largest natural oasis, Fish Creek Provincial Park, offers an array of hiking trails, day-use picnic areas, a man-made lake for summer swimming and numerous year-round interpretive programs.
SPORTS, RECREATION & ENTERTAINMENT
An extremely active city in every sense of the word, Calgary offers everything imaginable as far as recreation and entertainment are concerned. Casinos, amusement parks, fitness and recreation centres, movie theatres, motor-sport racing and world-class equestrian facilities is just a sample of what's available.
Noteworthy attractions include the impressive Shaw Millennium Skate Park, seasonal horseracing at Stampede Park, football games at McMahon Stadium and the saddle-shaped Pengrowth Saddledome, home to the city's National Hockey League (NHL) team the Calgary Flames and a premiere spot for major concerts, exhibitions and Stampede events. Located in the west, Canada Olympic Park, a primary venue for the 1988 Winter Olympics, features world-class training facilities and public-use amenities for year-round fun. In winter skiers and snowboarders appreciate the downhill facilities while thrill-seekers can participate in a 60-second, adrenaline-filled bobsled ride from December to mid-February.
EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES
Considered a top-notch family-friendly destination, Calgary offers a wide selection of activities geared toward children (and children at heart). Families will be grateful for the abundance of learning opportunities offered at area attractions, including scientific exploration at the Telus World of Science, literary pursuits at one of many city libraries, artistic discovery at the Creative Kids Museum, venturing into the world of animals at the popular Calgary Zoo and hands-on farm fun at Butterfield Acres. Any extended stopover with kids at the Calgary International Airport is made more bearable with a visit to SpacePort, an interactive attraction showcasing aeronautics, complete with simulators, hands-on exhibits and a museum of space and flight artifacts.
SPECIALTY ATTRACTIONS
One cannot discuss Calgary attractions without mention of its famed Calgary Stampede, which occurs at the beginning of July and showcases classic cowboy culture at its best, all in the heart of the city. Rodeos, an expansive and fun-filled midway, agricultural exhibits, cultural performances, headliner concerts and Western-style events are offered, all paying homage to the city's genuine local hospitality.
Calgary's downtown area, which features a unique blend of traditional sandstone architecture and modern skyscrapers, is also home to the Calgary Tower, standing at 190 m (626 ft). Once the tallest structure in the city, the tower offers a unique bird's-eye view of Calgary's urban sprawl, as well as the distant Rockies. For the courageous, the observation tower features a section of glass floor for viewing the streets below. Those wishing to take in views while firmly rooted to the ground can venture to Scotsman Hill in Ramsay, a popular spot for photographing the city vista and admiring the fireworks displays during Stampede. Another notable mention is the city's Bow River Pathway, an interconnecting paved pathway system that boasts over 700 km (435 mi) of maintained trails for walking, running, biking and rollerblading.
PLACES OF INTEREST
Split into four quadrants with a grid-style street pattern in its inner core, the city makes for relatively easy navigation of its unique districts and neighbourhoods. Calgary's first community, Inglewood, located just east of downtown, was established at the end of the 19th century and is now home to numerous shops and restaurants housed in turn-of-the-century edifices. On the north side of the Bow River and within walking distance to downtown, Kensington is another trendy district offering shopping, dining, cosy cafes and entertaining summer street festivals.
An epicentre of events, entertainment and unique market-style shopping in the core is Eau Claire Market, located next to Prince's Island, one of the city's top natural destinations. Stretching along Eighth Avenue from Macleod Trail Southeast to Third Street Southwest, the Stephen Avenue Walk pedestrian corridor is lined with shops, restaurants, impressive public art, unique sandstone architecture and, in summer, street entertainers and vendors.
CULTURAL ATTRACTIONS
Visitors need not look far for cultural attractions in Calgary; a full spectrum of intriguing locales call the city home, including family-friendly historic sites and interpretive centres, premiere art galleries, performing arts centres and museums.
While a large concentration of cultural attractions is in and around the city's core, each quadrant offers its own unique venues and sights, such as Heritage Park located in the southwest. This interpretive centre recreates Western life as it was in the early 1900s, complete with restored buildings, an antique midway and costumed performers.
Other notable cultural destinations include the Glenbow Museum in downtown Calgary, the restored sandstone mansion, Lougheed House, located just south of the core, the Military Museums in the southwest and the northwest's Southern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium, host to numerous performing arts events and cultural celebrations.
NATURAL ATTRACTIONS
Geographically, Calgary is situated at the foothills of the Rocky Mountains and is divided laterally by the majestic Bow River, making for striking backdrops, tree-lined river paths and ample natural attractions.
Many urban parks and gardens make up the city's natural landscapes, each offering unique amenities, recreational opportunities and, for many urbanites, solitude and escape from city life. Summer and winter fun waits at Bowness Park in the northwest, and at Olympic Plaza, in the city's centre, where winter skating, summer picnics and lounging under the shade of a tree are the activities of choice. Located in the deep south of the city, Calgary's largest natural oasis, Fish Creek Provincial Park, offers an array of hiking trails, day-use picnic areas, a man-made lake for summer swimming and numerous year-round interpretive programs.
SPORTS, RECREATION & ENTERTAINMENT
An extremely active city in every sense of the word, Calgary offers everything imaginable as far as recreation and entertainment are concerned. Casinos, amusement parks, fitness and recreation centres, movie theatres, motor-sport racing and world-class equestrian facilities is just a sample of what's available.
Noteworthy attractions include the impressive Shaw Millennium Skate Park, seasonal horseracing at Stampede Park, football games at McMahon Stadium and the saddle-shaped Pengrowth Saddledome, home to the city's National Hockey League (NHL) team the Calgary Flames and a premiere spot for major concerts, exhibitions and Stampede events. Located in the west, Canada Olympic Park, a primary venue for the 1988 Winter Olympics, features world-class training facilities and public-use amenities for year-round fun. In winter skiers and snowboarders appreciate the downhill facilities while thrill-seekers can participate in a 60-second, adrenaline-filled bobsled ride from December to mid-February.
EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES
Considered a top-notch family-friendly destination, Calgary offers a wide selection of activities geared toward children (and children at heart). Families will be grateful for the abundance of learning opportunities offered at area attractions, including scientific exploration at the Telus World of Science, literary pursuits at one of many city libraries, artistic discovery at the Creative Kids Museum, venturing into the world of animals at the popular Calgary Zoo and hands-on farm fun at Butterfield Acres. Any extended stopover with kids at the Calgary International Airport is made more bearable with a visit to SpacePort, an interactive attraction showcasing aeronautics, complete with simulators, hands-on exhibits and a museum of space and flight artifacts.
SPECIALTY ATTRACTIONS
One cannot discuss Calgary attractions without mention of its famed Calgary Stampede, which occurs at the beginning of July and showcases classic cowboy culture at its best, all in the heart of the city. Rodeos, an expansive and fun-filled midway, agricultural exhibits, cultural performances, headliner concerts and Western-style events are offered, all paying homage to the city's genuine local hospitality.
Calgary's downtown area, which features a unique blend of traditional sandstone architecture and modern skyscrapers, is also home to the Calgary Tower, standing at 190 m (626 ft). Once the tallest structure in the city, the tower offers a unique bird's-eye view of Calgary's urban sprawl, as well as the distant Rockies. For the courageous, the observation tower features a section of glass floor for viewing the streets below. Those wishing to take in views while firmly rooted to the ground can venture to Scotsman Hill in Ramsay, a popular spot for photographing the city vista and admiring the fireworks displays during Stampede. Another notable mention is the city's Bow River Pathway, an interconnecting paved pathway system that boasts over 700 km (435 mi) of maintained trails for walking, running, biking and rollerblading.
Attractions Guide
South Calgary Hotel
Amusement Park
City's Biggest Event
Step Back in Time
Heritage Park Historical Village, Calgary
A historically accurate village with costumed interpreters.
