Calgary Attractions You Must See!List of Calgary AttractionsWhile you are in Calgary, you can take advantage of the great attractions that the city offers. The following attractions are sure hit to see and lots of fun and excitement. You can enjoy them by yourself or with your family, friends or with a special someone. Make sure you carry plenty of films or have a lot of memory space in your digital camera because you're going to need all them. Canada Olympic ParkCanada Olympic Park also known as C.O.P. was one of the venues for the 1988 Winter Olympics. It is located along 16 Ave West (Trans Canada Highway). The place is very visible because of the 90-metre ski jump tower. Today, C.O.P is still being used by many Canadian athletes for training and competing locally and internationally. Soon it will be home of the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame. Snowboarding and skiing is the main draw during the winter. Depending on your level of confidence and composure in using the ski lift, you can choose among several ski lessons for more excitement. I tried snowboarding for the first in this place - it was a good, aching, slippery and exciting experience. The staffs were very helpful and the instructor was very supportive with me. Try bob-sleighing and the luge track inside the C.O.P for extreme pleasure.
Calaway Park
Calaway Park is an amusement park located 10 minutes west of
Calgary (via Trans Canada Highway (Hwy 1)). This is one Calgary attractions you don't want to miss especially if you have kids. Calaway Park highlights a roller coaster, train ride, log ride, Ferris wheel, and classic amusement rides. My favorite rides are the log ride, the roller coaster and the Ferris wheel. All the rides are accessible with one ticket purchase and suitable for all ages. Aside from rides check the indoor and outdoor live shows, ask their friendly staff for schedule of events. If you’re hungry, there are many concessions available all over the park. You can get hot dogs, cotton candy, snow cones, burgers and fries to satisfy your craving!
Like Camping? Calaway Park offers a camping site for both RV and tents. The camping site offers great view of the wide open skies and scenic mountain backgrounds. Make sure to book a spot really quick especially during the Stampede week (this is a busy time). Calaway Park is not open the whole year. During spring, starting from May 17, the park is open only on weekends. Summer is when the park opens daily from 10:00 am to 7:00 pm. Then park goes back to weekends from Sept. 6 until Oct. 13.
Calgary Zoo Minutes away from Calgary downtown core is one of North America’s largest Zoos. The Calgary Zoo is home for many animals from Alberta, North America, Australia, Africa, the Galapagos, Asia and more. The animals are neatly grouped together for your viewing pleasure. There are in total of seven themed locations you can go: Creatures of the Night/Australia, African Savannah, Canadian Wilds, Trans Alta Rainforest, Eurasia, Elephant Crossing and South America. You can see a wide variety of animals starting from bears, lions, elephants, koala, different kinds of monkeys, poisonous snakes, exotic birds, camels, crocks, hippos, pythons, white bison, tiger, and much more!. The zoo boast life-sized sculptures of dinosaurs located at the Prehistoric Park. There is a large conservatory where visitors can see plants from around the world. Animal and nature themes playgrounds are available for kids and kids at heart! My favorite animals are the lions, tigers and the Bactrian camels. I was able to stroke and feed a Bactrian Camel on my hands. It was really tickling and very nice. I have the image in this page!  (Having fun with a Bactrian Camel!) The Zoolights – this annual event that is very popular amongst Calgarians. It is an excellent way to head outside and explore the zoo at night. The entire zoo is covered by millions of twinkling lights shape of animals, humans, candy cane, birds, enchanted trees, Christmas figures and many more. The event starts from November 30 and runs through the first week of January. Aside from stunning lights, there are also fire pits, choirs and children activities available. A cup of hot cocoa is the ideal drink while exploring the grounds. You can get them at various concessions located inside the zoo. Tips: Make sure that you bundle up. Bring extra batteries and blankets! The Zoo lights opens from 6:00 pm until 9:00 pm and last admission is at 8:30 pm. The zoo is close during Christmas Day. Admission is $8.00 for Adults/Seniors and $4.00 for Children/Youth. The Calgary Tower The Calgary Tower is a signature landmark located in the heart of downtown Calgary. Inside the observation deck, you can have an excellent 360 degree view of Calgary downtown and area. Plus the glass-floored area offers a fantastic view of straight down Centre St. and 9 Ave. SW. There are state-of-the-art binoculars available to get a better view. The revolving Sky 360 Restaurant is also another means of capturing Calgary from different directions. Don’t worry about getting dizzy! The restaurant revolves slowly. But if you prefer stationary while dining, the Tops Grill on the upper level is another alternative. It’s recommended to book prior to dine to these restaurants. The Calgary Tower is connected to the +15 Skywalk Systems, which links most major office complexes, hotels, attractions and public buildings with climate controlled bridges. After visiting the tower, continue your downtown adventure using the +15 Skywalk Systems. The observation deck is open from 9:00 am until 9:30 pm. The admission for adult is$12.95. Seniors is $10.95. Youth is $9.95 and Child (5 under) is $5.00 The Devonian Gardens
Calgary’s famous Devonian Garden is one of the world’s largest indoor gardens. The garden is one of the most popular Calgary attractions to go. The Devonian Garden has several ponds namely, Quite Garden, Sun Garden, Creek Bed and Reflecting Pond. Each pond is inhabited by numerous Trout, Koi and Red Ear Turtles. I love watching colorful kinds of fish in every pond, some of them are really big in sizes! Sculptures made by many local and national artists are located in some areas of the garden. For the kids, there is a playground to play.
Hours of Operations: from Monday to Wednesday open from 9:30 am to 6:00 pm. On Thursday & Friday from 9:30 am to 8:00 pm and close at 6:00 pm on Saturday & Sunday.
Heritage Park Wondering how it feels like in Calgary during the early twentieth century without building a time machine? Then Heritage Park is the perfect place to go! The place captures every detail of Calgary’s humble beginning from steam engines, antique cars, shops, agriculture, clothing and life styles. The park depicts everything live! (right before your very eyes). Yes you can actually interact with men and women of old west. It’s like walking into a western village all over again! There are tons to see and to do inside the park. There are live demonstrations of their industry and different rides for all ages to enjoy. Make sure you ride the sternwheeler to see surrounding areas of the Glenmore Reservoir. The place is easy to find. It is along Heritage and 14th Street SW next to Rockyview General Hospital. The park is at full operation during summer and closes during winter except for the Twelve Days of Christmas celebrations. The Red Mile
The Red Mile is located on 17 Ave. Southwest Calgary. The name Red Mile originates from the historic Cinderella play-off run of
the Calgary Flame during 2004 Stanley Cup Finals. Thousands of screaming die hard Flames fans crowded the street of 17 Ave SW celebrating every Flames victory. These displays of passion and support from Calgarians garnered wide media attentions making the place very popular and captured the imagination of many people throughout Canada.
There are a lot of shops, boutiques, bars, clubs, grills and restaurant to go shop, dine and have fun with. If you want to witness Calgary’s love to the game of hockey, then you should walk along the streets of the Red Mile and feel the vibe!
Bowness ParkThis is my favorite park in Calgary. The Bowness Park is ideal for picnics or any gatherings you want to celebrate outdoors. Tall trees surrounding the entire park makes the air refreshing and truly enjoyable. There are plenty of picnic tables, barbecue pits and wide open spaces best for volleyball, crochet and freeze-bee throw. Enjoy playing a round of mini-golf for $5.00 per person which includes golf clubs.
Patrol cops on boats survey the river for security and enforce city bylaws. Make sure to always wear your life jacket for safety and avoid getting a ticket. Walking along the banks of the Bow River is another alternative to enjoy your time at the park. Bowness Park 8900 48 Ave NW Glenbow MuseumThe Glenbow Museum is another attraction you don't want to miss while you are here in Calgary. There are numerous exhibitions you can find inside. You are bound to see exhibits and collections of arts, Aboriginal artifacts (Blackfoot People)and items from Calgary's humble beginnings. There are also traveling exhibitions you can take advantage of. Check out the Glenbow shop for souvenirs and interesting items that might interest you. Glenbow Museum is not difficult to locate, it just along Stephen Ave downtown and few walks away from the Calgary Tower.
Library and Archives Glenbow Museum Shop
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During the summer time, you can go for mountain biking at the C.O.P. There is also a place where you can play a game of mini golf. Finally, visit many exhibitions at the Olympic Hall of Fame.
Want to scare your self? C.O.P is the setting for the annual Scream Fest. Every year, the Canada Olympic Park transforms into a frightening place to enjoy the Halloween. Loads of creepy creature, haunted houses and state-of-the-art effects are featured at this event. You’ll be screaming from beginning to end!
Adjacent to the park is the Bow River, you can enjoy boating, kayaking and canoeing on summer time. I’ve gone boating for a couple of times already and I had a blast! You can rent paddle boats and canoes inside the park. An hour of renting a canoe is $15.00. Two person pedal boat is $15.00/half hour and $20.00 for an hour. The four person pedal boat is for $20.00/half hour and $30.00 for an hour.
Exhibition Galleries
