Calgary
© Travel Alberta
Our favourite things to see and do
A perfect day in Calgary
Glenbow Museum – An art and history museum where you’ll learn loads about the area including about the local Blackfoot First Nation people.
Calgary, where the Canadian prairies collide with the Rocky Mountains,
is Canada’s oil town. With its fortunes tied to energy prices it’s either boom or bust here; a whiff of the Wild West still wafts around its glitzy shopping malls and skyscrapers. Calgary was established in the 19th century as a headquarters for the Mounted Police, but it was also a railway town and fur trading post. Enjoy breakfast at one of the many restaurants and cafés on Stephen Avenue Walk before checking out one of the art galleries or boutiques along this daytime pedestrian mall. A popular gathering place for the locals is nearby Olympic Plaza where in warmer weather you’ll find a wading pool and in the cooler months, ice skating.
It’s easy to lose track of time at Heritage Park Historical Village, Canada’s largest living history museum, just a short drive from Calgary downtown. You can wander through the village and see how people lived in the mid 1800s to the mid 1900s, ride the steam train, climb aboard the S.S. Moyie paddle wheeler, savour baked treats from the Alberta Bakery or enjoy a horse-drawn wagon ride. Head up the Calgary Tower to rest your feet and feast your eyes with views over the city and Rocky Mountains. If you’re feeling brave, you can step out into space, on the glass floor of the observation deck. Stay for dinner at the revolving restaurant and dine on the local Alberta beef.
Calgary Downtown Walking Tour – Explore downtown Calgary by foot, seeing where the locals go to shop and eat, and learn about the history of the city along the way. Lougheed House – This historic sandstone mansion was once the home of one of Calgary’s most distinguished families. Now a National Historic Site, the house and gardens have been carefully restored. Reader Rock Garden – A haven for nature lovers, this garden, named for William Reader, has been restored to the original plans. Reader designed and built the garden himself, proving that plants (over 4000 varieties) from all over the world could grow in Calgary’s climate. Fort Calgary – The exhibits at Fort Calgary tell the story of the arrival of the Northwest Mounted Police, the building of Fort Calgary and the development of Calgary as a community. Travel through time and see Calgary grow as you walk down Main Street. The Badlands – About an hour out of Calgary you’ll find weird striped hills and otherworldly rock formations otherwise known as The Badlands. View the impressive Horseshoe Canyon and learn about the geology, history and native plants and animals at the Interpretive Centre. Drumheller – An hour and a half from Calgary is ‘The Dinosaur Capital of the World’ where you can visit the Royal Tyrrell Museum of Paleontology. It is home to 130,000 fossils and is one of the best dinosaur museums in the world. You can also take the optional Dinosite Tour, a three kilometre guided walk to search for fossils, see dinosaur bones in the ground and learn about ancient Alberta. Public Art – Calgary is home to some great public art, some great ones to check out are; the ‘Famous five Ladies’, the horses in front of city hall, the 6.5 metre tall ‘Family of Man’ sculptures and the ‘Wonderland’ face sculpture.
Our favourite places to stay: • • •
17th Ave South West – This cool dining strip just out of the central city, is a hotspot for the locals. There’s lots of restaurants and bars and you can easily catch the bus or grab a taxi there.
Sandman Hotel Calgary International Hotel Fairmont Palliser
© Travel Alberta
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© Travel Alberta