S Glenbow Museum: Part history museum, part art gallery, and part cultural curator, this excellent museum tells Calgary’s stories from its earliest days to the present (click here).
S National Music Centre: With plenty of hands-on activities, this modern multimedia museum showcases Canadian music, performers, and composers past and present, and also presents concerts (click here).
S Heritage Park Historical Village: From rum running to fur trading to a “Little Synagogue on the Prairie,” you can explore western Canada from the 1860s to 1950s at the country’s largest living history village (click here).
S Canada Olympic Park: Whiz down the bobsled track, try out the luge, or go zip-lining, mountain biking, and more at Calgary’s 1988 Winter Olympics venue, which also houses Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame (click here).
S Calgary Stampede: One of western Canada’s biggest festivals, this rodeo, county fair, and crazy party rolled into one takes over Calgary for 10 days every July (click here).
Shop for a Stetson, graze on bison carpaccio, or head off to explore the mountains from this gateway to the Canadian Rockies.
With its trademark cowboy swagger, Calgary hosts one of Canada’s biggest parties. The annual Calgary Stampede takes over the city every July, proclaiming itself “The Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth.”
The rest of the year, this region of nearly 1.5 million wears its western heritage a little more quietly. Canada’s fourth-largest metropolis is often compared to U.S. cities like Houston, as a headquarters for the energy business, or Denver, a gateway to the Rocky Mountains. And there’s truth to these comparisons. Oil, gas, and related energy industries are major drivers of Calgary’s economy, and with its location just 90 minutes from Banff, Calgary is the closest major city to Canada’s Rocky Mountain national parks.
Yet beyond its cowboy roots, its company-town ethos, and its proximity to western Canada’s best outdoor experiences, there’s a lot more to Alberta’s most populous city.
Calgary has an excellent museum of western Canadian history, art, and culture, as well as the country’s largest living history village, where you can wander back to the 19th and early 20th centuries. The multimedia National Music Centre is the focus of a redeveloping downtown district that also includes a landmark New Central Library, along with urban condos, restaurants, and cafés. The city’s food scene has taken off, with Calgary’s restaurants regularly ranked among the country’s top dining destinations.
Before you head for the mountains, you can get outdoors within the city limits. Cycle the scenic pathways along Calgary’s riverfront, take a Segway tour, or follow in the footsteps (and bobsled tracks) of the Olympians at Canada Olympic Park, where the city hosted the 1988 Winter Olympic Games.
Then, when you’re ready to road-trip, set off from Calgary to Banff, Lake Louise, and Jasper, or travel across British Columbia to the Pacific coast. Just take time to shop for your Stetson and cowboy boots before you hit the road.
The most direct route from Vancouver to Calgary is via the Trans-Canada Highway (Hwy. 1).
From Vancouver, take Highway 1 east to Hope. Continue east at Hope onto Highway 3, then exit onto Highway 5 (Coquihalla Hwy.) north. Follow the Coquihalla over the mountains to Kamloops, where you rejoin Highway 1. Stay on Highway 1 east into Alberta, where you’ll reach Lake Louise, Banff, and then Calgary. This route from Vancouver to Calgary is 605 miles (975 km) and takes 11 hours.
You can also travel between Vancouver and Calgary via scenic Highway 3.
Take the Trans-Canada Highway (Hwy. 1) from Vancouver east to Hope, where you pick up Highway 3. Highway 3 winds its way across southern British Columbia through the Okanagan and Kootenays regions. From here, the shortest route is to stay on Highway 3 into Alberta, then turn north on Highway 22 and east on Highway 533. At Nanton, pick up Highway 2 north, which will take you into Calgary. This Vancouver-Calgary trip is 745 miles (1,200 km) and takes 14.5 hours.
Another alternative is to follow Highway 3 east to Cranbrook, where you turn north on Highway 95 through Invermere and Radium Hot Springs. From there, continue north on Highway 93 through Kootenay National Park. North of the park, Highway 93 meets Highway 1, which will take you east through Banff and into Calgary. This scenic route from Vancouver to Calgary is 775 miles (1,250 km) and takes 15 hours.
Yet another option is to go northeast from Vancouver to Jasper, then turn south along the scenic Icefields Parkway to Lake Louise, before continuing south through Banff and on to Calgary.
To follow this route, leave Vancouver on the Trans-Canada Highway (Hwy. 1) east to Hope. Continue east at Hope onto Highway 3, then exit onto Highway 5 north toward Kamloops. At Kamloops, continue north on Highway 5 until it intersects with Highway 16 north of Valemount. Follow Highway 16 east to Jasper.
From Jasper, follow the spectacular Icefields Parkway (Hwy. 93) south to Lake Louise, where you rejoin Highway 1 and continue east to Calgary. Vancouver to Calgary via this Jasper route is 750 miles (1,200 km) and takes 13.5-14.5 hours.
The Trans-Canada Highway (Hwy. 1) runs east from Banff to Calgary, an 80-mile (130-km) drive that normally takes about 90 minutes.
To travel from Kelowna in the Okanagan Valley to Calgary, take Highway 97 north, then continue north on Highway 97A. At Sicamous, turn east onto the Trans-Canada Highway (Hwy. 1), which will take you into Alberta and on to Calgary. It’s 375 miles (605 km) from Kelowna to Calgary; the drive takes seven hours.
From Osoyoos or other points in the South Okanagan, one option is to take Highway 97 north to Kelowna and follow the directions from Kelowna. This route is 455 miles (730 km) from Osoyoos to Calgary; the drive takes 8.5-9 hours.
Alternatively, follow Highway 3 east from Osoyoos. Continue on Highway 3 east past Cranbrook and Fernie and into Alberta, where you turn north on Highway 22. Stay on Highway 22 until you reach Highway 533 east. Follow Highway 533 toward Nanton, where you’ll pick up Highway 2 north, which will take you into Calgary. This latter route is 515 miles (830 km) from Osoyoos to Calgary; the drive takes 10 hours.
You can fly to Calgary International Airport (YYC, 2000 Airport Rd. NE, 403/735-1200, www.yyc.com) from across Canada and the United States and from Amsterdam, Frankfurt, London, Beijing, and Tokyo, among other cities. The airport is located on the city’s northeast side, about 20 minutes’ drive from downtown.
Calgary Transit’s bus 300 (403/262-1000, www.calgarytransit.com, 5am-midnight daily, one-way $10.50) runs between the airport and downtown Calgary every 20-30 minutes. The trip takes 40-50 minutes. Purchase a Calgary Transit pass from an automated machine at the airport bus stop or pay cash (exact change) on the bus.
Allied Airport Shuttle (403/299-9555 or 877/299-9555, www.airportshuttlecalgary.ca, 8am-midnight daily, one-way adults $15, ages 4-12 $10) is a scheduled van service that can take you between the airport and downtown Calgary hotels. Vans leave every 30 minutes. From the airport, reservations are not required; buy your ticket at the Allied desk on the arrivals level or on the shuttle. When you’re going to the airport, however, you must make a reservation to be picked up at your hotel downtown. Depending on your downtown destination, the trip takes between 30 and 60 minutes.
Taxis wait for passengers on the airport’s arrivals level around the clock. Cabs are metered, and average fares between the airport and downtown are $40-45.
Uber (www.uber.com) operates in Calgary and can pick up passengers at the Calgary airport.
To go directly to Banff or Lake Louise from the Calgary airport without a car, you can take one of several shuttle services. Brewster Banff Airport Express (403/762-6700 or 866/606-6700, www.banffjaspercollection.com) provides bus service between the Calgary airport and both Banff (1.75 hours, one-way adults $71, ages 6-15 $36) and Lake Louise (3-3.25 hours, one-way adults $98, ages 6-15 $49). The Banff Airporter (403/762-3330 or 888/449-2901, www.banffairporter.com, one-way adults $67, seniors $61, ages 3-12 $33.50) can take you between Banff and the Calgary airport as well.
Numerous companies rent cars from the Calgary airport, including Alamo (403/543-3985 or 888/826-6893, www.alamo.ca), Avis (403/221-1700 or 800/230-4898, www.avis.ca), Budget (403/226-1550 or 800/268-8900, www.budget.ca), Discount (403/299-1203 or 800/263-2355, www.discountcar.com), Dollar (403/221-1806 or 800/800-6000, www.dollar.com), Enterprise (403/233-8021 or 800/261-7331, www.enterprise.com), Hertz (403/221-1676 or 800/654-3001, www.hertz.ca), National (403/221-1690 or 888/826-6890, www.nationalcar.ca), Routes (403/398-3930, www.routes.ca), and Thrifty (403/221-1961 or 800/847-4389, www.thrifty.com).
The Rocky Mountaineer (604/606-7245 or 877/460-3200, www.rockymountaineer.com, late Apr.-mid-Oct.), a privately operated luxury train, travels between Vancouver, Banff, Lake Louise, and Jasper, with connections to Calgary. Another Rocky Mountaineer route starts in Seattle, stops in Vancouver, and continues to the Rockies. You can travel either route from west to east or east to west.
Neither VIA Rail nor Amtrak provide passenger service to Calgary.
Brewster Banff Airport Express (403/762-6700 or 866/606-6700, www.banffjaspercollection.com) operates buses between Banff and downtown Calgary hotels (2.5 hours, one-way adults $71, ages 6-15 $36) or the Calgary International Airport (1.75 hours, one-way adults $71, ages 6-15 $36).
Red Arrow (403/531-0350 or 800/232-1958, www.redarrow.ca) runs buses to Calgary from Edmonton (3.5-4 hours, one-way adults $76) and other cities in Alberta.
Downtown Calgary has several sights to explore, including a first-rate museum of history and culture and the landmark Calgary Tower. In Calgary’s rapidly developing East Village district just east of downtown, check out a cool multimedia museum dedicated to Canadian music. Other attractions, notably Canada’s largest living history village and Canada Olympic Park, are outside the city center.
Part history museum, part art gallery, and part cultural curator, the well-designed Glenbow Museum (130 9th Ave. SE, 403/268-4100, www.glenbow.org, 9am-5pm Mon.-Sat., noon-5pm Sun. July-Aug., 9am-5pm Tues.-Sat., noon-5pm Sun. Sept.-June, adults $16, seniors and students $11, ages 7-17 $10, families $40) tells Calgary’s stories. The museum is downtown, one block from the Calgary Tower. In the permanent exhibits, you can explore the early days in Calgary, southern Alberta, and western Canada, from the indigenous communities to the entrepreneurs, adventurers, and even scoundrels who helped shape the region. Changing exhibitions have focused on everything from Canadian art to aboriginal residential schools to gun sculpture.
Standing 4,023 feet (1,228 m) above sea level, and 627 feet (191 m) above the downtown streets, the Calgary Tower (101 9th Ave. SW, 403/266-7171, www.calgarytower.com, 9am-10pm daily June-Aug., 9am-9pm daily Sept.-May, adults $18, seniors $16, ages 4-12 $9) has the highest 360-degree observation deck in the world. When it opened in 1968, it was originally called the Husky Tower, not because it was portly, but because Husky Oil and Marathon Realty constructed this downtown landmark as a joint venture. It was renamed in 1971.
As you walk around the observation deck, listen to the free audio tour, which gives you historical background about the city and points out highlights of what you’re seeing, from City Hall to the Saddledome (where the Calgary Flames ice hockey team plays) to Stampede Park, which hosts the annual Calgary Stampede. On a clear day, you can see the Rocky Mountains.
A section of the observation area has a glass floor, so you can look down—way down—on the streets below.
Listen to recordings by k. d. lang, Leonard Cohen, Joni Mitchell, Drake, Céline Dion, the Barenaked Ladies, and many more at the National Music Centre (850 4th St. SE, 403/543-5115 or 800/213-9750, www.nmc.ca, 10am-5pm daily mid-May-early Sept., 10am-5pm Wed.-Sun. early Sept.-mid-May, adults $18, seniors and students $14, ages 3-12 $11), a multimedia museum of music at Studio Bell in Calgary’s East Village that showcases Canadian music, performers, and composers past and present. You can test your vocal skills in a recording booth or explore historic instruments including a 1679 harpsichord, a theremin, and Elton John’s piano. Take the 45-minute guided tour, included with your admission, for an overview of the extensive collections.
National Music Centre
the landmark Calgary Tower
the snooker parlor at Heritage Park Historical Village
The center also houses the Canadian Music Hall of Fame and the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame, along with performance spaces and recording studios; check the website for schedules of concerts and other special events.
The National Music Centre is about 0.5 mile (0.8 km) due east of the Calgary Tower and a 10- to 15-minute walk from the C-Train’s City Hall station.
Where the Bow and Elbow Rivers meet, the Northwest Mounted Police built an outpost in 1875 that eventually grew to become the city of Calgary.
At Fort Calgary (750 9th Ave. SE, 403/290-1875, www.fortcalgary.com, 9am-5pm daily, adults $12, seniors and students $11, ages 7-17 $7, ages 3-6 $5, parking $6), start by watching a short film about life in the late 19th century when the fort was first established. Then explore the exhibits that illustrate life at the fort, and in the fledgling city, in the late 1800s and early 1900s. The fort operated until 1914, when it was sold to the Grand Trunk Railroad.
Fort Calgary is 0.9 mile (1.5 km) directly east of the Calgary Tower, and a short walk from the East Village neighborhood. The C-Train’s City Hall station is a 10- to 15-minute walk from the fort. Several buses that run along 9th Avenue from downtown, including buses 1, 302, and 411, stop near the fort.
Go back in time at the Heritage Park Historical Village (1900 Heritage Dr. SW, at 14th St. SW, 403/268-8500, www.heritagepark.ca, 10am-5pm daily mid-May-early Sept., 10am-5pm Sat.-Sun. early Sept.-mid-Oct., adults $26.50, seniors $20.70, ages 7-15 $18.95, ages 3-6 $13.65, parking $6), Canada’s largest living history experience.
As you walk through the history of western Canada from the 1860s to 1950s, you can explore a 19th-century fur-trading fort and First Nations camp; wander the streets of a 1910 prairie railroad town, checking out the mounted police barracks, the snooker parlor, and the old-time bakery (which sells gooey butter tarts); and talk with the costumed interpreters who reenact life in these past eras. There’s even a “Little Synagogue on the Prairie,” an original 1916 house of worship from a Jewish farming community in eastern Alberta.
You can ride a passenger train, pulled by an antique steam locomotive, through the 127-acre (51-ha) park, and take part in activities throughout the day, including butter-making, wagon rides, First Nations games, and street theater.
Near the park entrance is the Gasoline Alley Museum (10am-5pm daily mid-May-early Sept., 10am-5pm Sat.-Sun. early Sept.-mid-Oct., 9:30am-4pm daily mid-Oct.-mid-May, winter adults $10.95, seniors $8.75, ages 7-15 $6.95, ages 3-6 $5.65), a car buff’s fantasy of antique cars and trucks, along with North America’s largest collection of restored gas pumps. The museum is open year-round, even when the rest of the park is closed. There’s a separate museum-only admission fee in winter, while in summer, you can visit the museum as part of the standard park admission.
Heritage Park is 6 miles (10 km) south of downtown Calgary, a 20-minute drive.
By public transit from downtown, take the C-Train Red Line 201 (Somerset-Bridlewood) to Heritage Station. From there, catch bus 502 (Heritage Park Shuttle) to the park. The shuttle runs only when the park is open, daily mid-May-early September and on weekends early September-mid-October, and for special events at other times of year.
At the Telus Spark Science Centre (220 St. George’s Dr. NE, 403/817-6800, www.sparkscience.ca, 10am-5pm daily June-Aug., 10am-4pm Sun.-Fri., 10am-5pm Sat. Sept.-May, last entry 90 minutes before closing, adults $26, seniors $24, ages 13-17 $22, ages 3-12 $19, parking $10), Calgary’s modern science museum, you and the kids can explore the earth and the human body, build things in the open studio workshop, watch live science demonstrations, and generally immerse yourself in the world of science.
Take in the planetarium show or a movie at the HD Digital Dome Theatre (entrance included with admission), or let the youngsters explore the Brainasium, an outdoor playground.
The museum isn’t just for children. The second Thursday of every month is Adults Only Night (6pm-10pm), where people over age 18 can explore the exhibits and check out the demonstrations and other programs.
Telus Spark Science Centre is east of downtown, off Memorial Drive NE. By public transit, take the C-Train Blue Line 202 (Saddletowne) to Zoo Station. From the station, it’s a 0.6-mile (1-km) walk north to the science center.
From bears to penguins to tigers, from the Canadian wilds to Africa, the Calgary Zoo (1300 Zoo Rd. NE, 403/232-9300 or 800/588-9993, www.calgaryzoo.com, 9am-5pm daily, adults $35, seniors $33, ages 3-15 $25 mid-Mar.-mid-Oct., adults $30, seniors $28, ages 3-15 $20 mid.-Oct.-mid-Mar., parking $10) shows off animals and their habitats. A current highlight is the “Panda Passage,” where in 2018, four giant pandas settled in for a multiyear stay.
The zoo is east of downtown, off Memorial Drive NE, near the Telus Spark Science Centre. By public transit, take the C-Train Blue Line 202 (Saddletowne) to Zoo Station.
Get behind the scenes at this Calgary ice cream maker, with an insider’s tour of the Fiasco Gelato Factory and Coffee Bar (221 19 St. SE, 403/452-3150, www.fiascogelato.ca, 11am-7pm Tues.-Thurs., 11am-9pm Fri.-Sun., tours $15). The 45-minute tours (call for schedules) take you through the production facility, where you learn how the products are made. Of course, there are tastings; you can sample a flight of four varieties, choosing from flavors like salted caramel gelato or dairy-free dark chocolate sorbetto, along with unique-to-the-factory seasonal creations.
an ice cream tasting flight at Fiasco Gelato Factory and Coffee Bar
True gelato aficionados might consider the Gelato Academy ($126 pp), a 2.5-hour experience where you tour the factory and then create your own gelato flavor, while enjoying drinks and snacking on charcuterie. You’ll leave with four custom-made pints to savor at your leisure. The academy is typically offered Thursday evenings and Saturday afternoons; phone for details and reservations.
To reach the Fiasco Gelato Factory by public transit, take the C-Train Blue Line 202 (Saddletowne) east to Barlow/Max Bell Station, then change to bus 27 (Willowglen), which stops opposite the building.
Calgary hosted the Winter Olympics in 1988, the year that an unlikely team from Jamaica captured the world’s attention when they competed in the bobsled event. Immortalized, at least in movie fiction, in the 1993 film Cool Runnings, the Jamaican team sledded on the track at what is now WinSport’s Canada Olympic Park (88 Canada Olympic Rd. SW, 403/247-5452, www.winsport.ca), where many events were held during the XV Olympic Winter Games, and where activities now draw both sports fans and the athletically inclined in winter and summer.
Year-round, you can visit Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame (169 Canada Olympic Rd. SW, 403/776-1040, www.sportshall.ca, 10am-5pm daily July-Aug., 10am-5pm Wed.-Sun. Sept.-June, adults $12, seniors $10, ages 4-18 $8, families $35), with a dozen galleries featuring more than 60 sports, from swimming and wheelchair racing to curling, snowboarding, and, of course, ice hockey, with plenty of hands-on things to do and exhibits about Canada’s athletic legends.
For other activities, hours vary throughout the year, so call or check the park website to see what’s open when. In general, summer activities are open May-early October.
Have Olympic dreams? In a wheeled sled driven by a professional pilot, you can reach speeds up to 50 mph (80 km/h) on the summer bobsled (over age 13, $75).
Whiz down the world’s longest luge track at the park’s Skyline Luge Calgary (403/776-0617, www.skylineluge.com, single ride $16). If one ride on the wheeled sled isn’t enough, you can buy packages of tickets for multiple rides, as well as family tickets.
Another way down the mountain is on the park’s zip-line course ($80), which comprises three lines: the Trainer; the Plaza Zip Line, where you might reach speeds of 50 mph (80 km/h); and the Monster Zip Line, where you start at the sky jump tower and zip 1,640 feet (500 m), with a vertical drop of more than 325 feet (100 m) and speeds up to 75 mph (120 km/h).
The park has a network of lift-accessed trails for mountain biking (full-day adults $28, seniors and ages 3-17 $23, families $75), as well as a skills park with dirt jumps and other obstacles. For something tamer, play the family-friendly 18-hole mini golf course (adults $12, seniors and ages 5-12 $10, preschoolers $7, families $25).
In winter, whip down the Olympic bobsled track (over age 15, $170) at speeds up to 60 mph (100 km/h) in a four-person sled with a professional driver, or slide feet-first down the luge run (over age 7, $30). The park also has an ice-skating rink (adults $6, ages 13-17 $5, seniors and under age 13 $3, families $15).
You can ski or snowboard (full day adults $46, seniors $25, ages 6-18 $29, ages 3-5 $19, families $99) on the small ski hill, although serious powder hounds will want to go to Banff or Lake Louise. In addition to full-day passes, you can buy lift tickets for three hours (adults $36, seniors $17, ages 6-18 $23, ages 3-5 $15, families $79).
Canada Olympic Park is on Calgary’s west side, off Highway 1 (16th Ave. SW), 9 miles (15 km) from downtown, about a 25-minute drive. It’s an easy stop on the way to or from Banff.
It’s possible to reach Canada Olympic Park by public transit from downtown, but the trip will take about an hour. The most direct route is to take the C-Train Red Line 201 (Tuscany) to Brentwood Station. Change to bus 408 (Valleyridge), and get off at Canada Olympic Road.
Calgary has 525 miles (850 km) of pedestrian and cycling paths that you can follow throughout the region, one of the longest urban pathway networks in North America. A good introduction to cycling in the city is to ride along the Bow River Pathway that follows the river through downtown Calgary.
Rent bikes from Eau Claire Rapid Rent (200 Barclay Parade SW, 403/444-5845, 10am-6pm daily May-Sept., 1 hour $10-15, full-day $40-60) at the Eau Claire Market, near the Bow River Pathway, or from Rath Bicycle (439 8th Ave. SE, 403/617-5627, www.rathbicycle.com, noon-8pm Fri., 10am-6pm Sat.-Sun., by appointment Mon.-Thurs., 1 hour $15, full-day $50) in the East Village.
Skate where the Olympians skated at the Olympic Oval (2500 University Dr. NW, 403/220-7954, http://oval.ucalgary.ca, adults $7, seniors and ages 6-17 $4.75, families $18.50), which was one of the venues for the 1988 Winter Olympic Games. It’s on the University of Calgary campus northwest of downtown; you can take the C-Train Red Line 201 (Tuscany) to University station.
At WinSport’s Canada Olympic Park (88 Canada Olympic Rd. SW, 403/247-5452, www.winsport.ca), you can try out an Olympic bobsled, slide down the luge track, or go downhill skiing or ice-skating.
An entertaining way to speed along Calgary’s riverside pathway is on a Segway tour with River Valley Adventure Company (Riverfront Ave. at 1st St. SW, 403/970-7347, www.rivervalleyadventure.com, May-Oct.). If you’ve never ridden one of these self-balancing stand-up electric scooters, sign up for the one-hour Beginner Segway Adventure ($60 pp), with 30 minutes of instruction followed by a 30-minute guided ride; you can add on an extra half hour of cruising for $25. Check the website for tour times and availability; riders must be at least 14 years old. Experienced Segway riders should ask about the 60- or 90-minute Advanced Segway Adventures, which you must book in person or by phone. River Valley Adventure’s “office,” where tours start and end, is located in a shipping container in Sien Lok Park downtown.
Calgary’s National Hockey League team is the Calgary Flames (403/777-4646 or 888/535-2637, www.nhl.com/flames), who play October-April at the Scotiabank Saddledome (555 Saddledome Rise SE). When they score a goal, watch for actual flames to shoot up toward the ceiling.
If you’d like to see what the professional Canadian Football League is about, go see the city’s CFL team, the Calgary Stampeders (403/289-0258, www.stampeders.com) at McMahon Stadium (1817 Crowchild Trail NW), near the University of Calgary campus.
As in many Canadian cities, the microbrewery industry is booming in Calgary. Fans of craft beer should head for Last Best Brewing and Distilling (607 11th Ave. SW, 587/353-7387, www.lastbestbrewing.com, 11:30am-midnight Mon.-Thurs., 11:30am-2am Fri.-Sat., 10am-midnight Sun.), which brews its own, as does Wild Rose Brewing (2-4580 Quesnay Wood Dr. SW, 403/727-5451, www.wildrosebrewery.com, 11am-11pm Sun.-Thurs., 11am-midnight Fri.-Sat.), which got its start in a former Air Force barracks.
Other Calgary craft breweries include Cold Garden Beverage Company (1100 11th St. SE, 403/764-2653, www.coldgarden.ca, noon-10pm Tues.-Thurs., noon-midnight Fri.-Sat., noon-8pm Sun.) in Inglewood, Trolley 5 Brewpub (728 17th Ave. SW, 403/454-3731, www.trolley5.com, 11am-1am Mon.-Wed., 11am-2am Thurs.-Fri., 10am-2am Sat., 10am-1am Sun.), and Tool Shed Brewing Company (801 30th St. NE, 403/775-1749, www.toolshedbrewing.com, 1pm-9pm Mon.-Wed., noon-10pm Thurs.-Sat., noon-6pm Sun.). Long-standing Bottlescrew Bill’s (140 10th Ave. SW, 403/263-7900, www.bottlescrewbill.com, 11am-2am Mon.-Sat., 11am-1am Sun.) serves 300-plus beers, from local to international brewers.
To watch soccer or listen to local bands, join the diverse crowd at The Ship & Anchor (534 17th Ave. SW, 403/245-3333, www.shipandanchor.com, 11am-2am Mon.-Fri., 10am-2am Sat.-Sun.), a Calgary dive-bar landmark.
Launched in the 1960s, the professional Theatre Calgary (Arts Commons, 220 9th Ave. SE, 403/294-7447, www.theatrecalgary.com) produces an annual season of contemporary and classical drama. It also presents the summertime Shakespeare by the Bow, a pay-what-you-can production performed outdoors at Prince’s Island Park.
Focusing on contemporary Canadian and international works, the Alberta Theatre Projects (403/294-7402, www.atplive.com), a professional nonprofit company, presents several plays a year, performing in the Martha Cohen Theatre (215 8th Ave. SE) in the Arts Commons complex.
Canada’s only professional mystery theater, Vertigo Theatre (115 9th Ave. SE, 403/221-3708, www.vertigotheatre.com) produces a season of thrillers and who-done-its. Its performance space is located at the base of the Calgary Tower.
Have an hour for lunch? Then you can see a play at the Lunchbox Theatre (115 9th Ave. SE, 403/265-4292, www.lunchboxtheatre.com), which presents a season of one-act noon-hour productions in the Calgary Tower complex. Bring your lunch or purchase food at the theater to eat during the show.
The city’s symphony orchestra, the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra (403/571-0849, www.calgaryphil.com), performs at the Arts Commons downtown in the 1,700-seat Jack Singer Concert Hall (205 8th St. SE). It also plays at various venues around town, so check the details of any performance you plan to see.
The Calgary Opera (403/262-7286, www.calgaryopera.com) produces its mainstage season at the Southern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium (1415 14th Ave. NW); take the C-Train northwest to Jubilee Auditorium station. In August, the Opera in the Village festival features performances in ENMAX Park, across the Elbow River from downtown.
With both classical and contemporary productions in its repertory, the Alberta Ballet (403/245-4549, www.albertaballet.com), Canada’s second-largest professional ballet company, splits its time between Edmonton and Calgary, where dancers take the stage at the Southern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium (1415 14th Ave. NW).
Alberta’s biggest festival is the annual Calgary Stampede (www.calgarystampede.com, July), which has its roots in the region’s cowboy culture. Taking over the city for 10 days every summer, the Stampede is a rodeo, county fair, and crazy party rolled into one.
The Stampede opens with a huge parade through downtown. Other attractions include chuck wagon races, calf roping, bull riding, horse shows, a carnival midway, concerts by big-name entertainers, and plenty of partying by cowboy hat-sporting locals and visitors. The Stampede draws more than a million people every year, so pull on your boots and come on down.
Performers from more than a dozen countries take to the eight stages in Prince’s Island Park for the annual Calgary Folk Music Fest (www.calgaryfolkfest.com, July).
Pride Calgary (www.pridecalgary.ca, Aug.-Sept.) hosts a week of events, including a big parade, celebrating the city’s LGBTQ community.
What do you get when you mix art, science, and engineering into a weirdly fun five-day festival? That’s quirky Beakerhead (www.beakerhead.com, Sept.), where the technical meets the creative in street performances, competitions, food labs, and other unexpected events.
The main downtown shopping district, known as the Stephen Avenue Walk, is along Stephen Avenue, which is 8th Avenue SW, between 1st Street SE and 4th Street SW. It’s a pedestrian-only street 6am-6pm daily.
Stephen Avenue Walk
At The Core (8th Ave. SW, between 2nd St. and 4th St., 403/441-4940, www.coreshopping.ca, 10am-6pm Mon.-Wed. and Sat., 10am-8pm Thurs.-Fri., noon-5pm Sun.), a shopping mall on Stephen Avenue, Holt Renfrew and Brooks Brothers share space with other Canadian and international chains. Make your way to the top floor for the secret-feeling Devonian Gardens (free), a skylit indoor park with benches, café tables, and lots of greenery, including more than 500 trees and a living wall.
Wander the 17th Avenue District (www.17thave.ca), along 17th Avenue SW between 1st and 14th Streets, for funky independent clothing and specialty shops, but even more for its cool cafés and hip restaurants.
Across the Louise Bridge from downtown, the brick storefronts in Kensington Village (www.visitkensington.com) house an eclectic mix of bookstores, food businesses, and independent boutiques. The neighborhood’s hub is near the intersection of Kensington Road and 10th Street NW. Another up-and-coming shopping district is Inglewood (www.inglewoodyyc.ca), along 9th Avenue SE, across the Elbow River east of the city center.
If you’re in town for the Stampede, of course you need cowboy boots. Calgary’s longstanding supplier of proper Western footwear is the Alberta Boot Co. (50 50th Ave. SE, 403/263-4623, www.albertaboot.com, 9am-6pm Mon.-Sat.). It stocks thousands of pairs, and also makes custom boots to order. Prices start at around $375 a pair.
Another essential Stampede accessory is a cowboy hat. Known for creating the white hat that’s become a symbol of the Calgary Stampede, Smithbilt Hats (1015 11th St. SE, 403/244-9131 or 800/661-1354, www.smithbilthats.com, 9am-5pm Mon.-Wed. and Fri., 9am-7pm Thurs., 10am-4pm Sat.) is a long-established vendor that can outfit your head in proper Calgary style.
For more contemporary Western styles for both men and women, check out Cody and Sioux (1226B 9th Ave. SE, 403/264-2489, www.codyandsioux.com, 11am-6pm Mon.-Wed. and Fri., 11am-7pm Thurs., 10am-6pm Sat., noon-5pm Sun.).
In a building that once housed a branch of Calgary’s library, Pages on Kensington (1135 Kensington Rd. NW, 403/283-6655, www.pageskensington.com, 11am-6pm Mon.-Wed. and Sat., 11am-7pm Thurs.-Fri., noon-5pm Sun.), a classic independent bookstore, sells thousands of titles and hosts readings and other literary events.
Another independent bookseller, Shelf Life Books (1302 4th St. SW, 403/265-1033, www.shelflifebooks.ca, 10am-6pm Mon., 10am-8pm Tues.-Fri., 11am-6pm Sat., noon-5pm Sun.) is in the Beltline neighborhood just south of downtown.
For food-related titles, visit The Cookbook Co. Cooks (722 11th Ave. SW, 403/265-6066, www.cookbookcooks.com, 10am-6pm Mon.-Fri., 10am-5:30pm Sat., noon-5pm Sun.), a bookstore that also offers cooking classes.
Besides selling wine, beer, and spirits from near and far, Kensington Wine Market (1257 Kensington Rd. NW, 403/283-8000 or 888/283-9004, www.kensingtonwinemarket.com, 10am-8pm Mon.-Wed. and Sat., 10am-9pm Thurs.-Fri., 11am-6pm Sun.) holds regular evening tasting events. Check the website or call for schedules and prices.
Calgary’s branch of MEC (Mountain Equipment Co-op, 830 10th Ave. SW, 403/269-2420, www.mec.ca, 9am-9pm Mon.-Fri., 9am-7pm Sat., 10am-6pm Sun.), the nationwide outdoor gear chain, can supply clothing and equipment for hiking, cycling, camping, and other active pursuits.
Named for a 10-foot-tall replica of a 1930s cartoon character, S Ten Foot Henry (1209 1st St. SW, 403/475-5537, www.tenfoothenry.com, 11am-11pm daily, $9-25), a short walk south of the Calgary Tower, serves inventive vegetable-friendly dishes in family-style portions for sharing. Take a seat in the plant-filled dining room or at the chef’s counter opposite the open kitchen and choose from dishes like spaghetti with pistachio pesto, jerk-spiced cauliflower, or adobo chicken with aji verde. Next door, Little Henry (8am-4pm daily, $3-12) does breakfast, light bites, and sweets to go, from interesting toasts (gravlax with pickles, fresh tomato with whipped feta and herbs), salads, and scones, to house-made granola bars.
colorful beet salad at Ten Foot Henry
a bureka plate at Sidewalk Citizen Bakery
a rice bowl at Foreign Concept
Model Milk (308 17th Ave. SW, 403/265-7343, www.modelmilk.ca, 5pm-11pm daily, $26-43) occupies a former dairy, providing the exposed brick walls and heritage pedigree to back up the imaginative modern fare. The old dairymen would never have supped on wagyu beef tartare with beer cheese, roasted cauliflower with white miso and black truffle, local rainbow trout with tomatoes and kaffir lime, or any of the other imaginative dishes, though they might have appreciated the multicourse Sunday supper served family-style ($40).
Under the same ownership as Model Milk, S Pigeonhole (306 17th Ave. SW, 403/452-4694, www.pigeonholeyyc.ca, 5pm-midnight Mon.-Sat., $14-25), its newer sibling next door, is rather hard to pigeonhole, but the ever-inventive small plates, served on green marble tables in this buzzing room, are among Calgary’s most exciting tastes. Prime your palate for summer peas with local greens and whipped feta, poached cod with smoked egg yolk, charred cabbage mounded with shredded mimolette cheese, or hand-rolled cavatelli with garlic scapes and burrata. Creative cocktails and wines from around the world keep things even livelier.
Long considered one of Calgary’s best restaurants, S River Café (25 Prince’s Island Park, 403/261-7670, www.river-cafe.com, 11am-10pm Mon.-Fri., 10am-10pm Sat.-Sun., brunch/lunch $14-27, dinner $34-52), overlooking the river on a downtown island, is still at the top of its game. The room is warm, almost rustic, and the gracious staff make you feel at home. The kitchen lives and breathes seasonal Canadian cuisine, so if you haven’t sampled Alberta beef, try it here, where it might come with cheddar cauliflower, black lentils, and Okanagan grapes, or with caramelized parsley root and wild ramps. The trout with house-cured bacon and rhubarb, or eggplant with candied oyster mushrooms, might also tempt. To finish? Wild rice pudding with peaches, a maple-chocolate dome with tangerine-marigold shortbread, or a house-made popsicle. The wine list is strong on Canadian labels, along with selections from across the globe.
Take an alley, add a shipping container and a few picnic tables, then serve indulgent bar snacks like salted chicken skin and duck fat potato chips paired with fun cocktails and unusual beers, and you have the recipe for the hip Container Bar (1131 Kensington Rd. NW, 403/457-4148, www.containerbaryyc.com, 4pm-11pm Mon., 11:30am-11pm Tues.-Wed., 11:30am-midnight Thurs., 11:30am-1am Fri., 10am-1am Sat., 10am-11pm Sun., $12-20), in a lane next to Brasserie Kensington (a French bistro, which has the same owners). It’s not just a crazy-munchies idea, though; excellent sandwiches like a chicken club, updated with juicy thigh meat, bacon, and gruyère, creative salads, and several variations on the poutine theme give it serious dining credentials, too. Outside of summer or in uncertain weather, call or check the Twitter feed @ContainerBarYYC to confirm that it’s open.
For a hotel brunch that goes beyond the same-old thing, go behind the yellow door. The Yellow Door Bistro (119 12th Ave. SW, 403/206-9585, www.yellowdoorbistro.ca, 6:30am-10pm daily, breakfast $9-18, lunch $16-28, dinner $16-39), the comfortably trendy restaurant at the Hotel Arts, serves a weekend brunch that will kick-start your day with an omelet with house-smoked ham, a changing choice of pancakes, and salads like hibiscus-cured steelhead layered with butter lettuce, endive, and charred grapefruit. The rest of the day, the bistro fare is interesting enough for foodies but versatile enough for a business meal. The restaurant’s enomatic wine system (that preserves open bottles) lets you sample wines in one-, three-, and five-ounce pours.
While a restaurant that butchers its own meats, cures charcuterie, and makes pickles and preserves could remind you of Grandmother’s kitchen, CHARCUT Roast House (101-899 Centre St. SW, 403/984-2180, www.charcut.com, 11am-11pm Mon.-Tues., 11am-1am Wed.-Fri., 5pm-1am Sat., 5pm-10pm Sun., lunch $16-36, dinner $19-50) is anything but old-fashioned. Located at the Hotel Le Germain Calgary, this chic downtown dining spot handles its local ingredients with care and shakes off the apron strings with steak served with salsa verde, bison brisket with beech mushrooms and bacon, or the lunchtime rotisserie chicken sandwich with piri piri aioli. Homey desserts like preserved fruit in a jar with whipped cheesecake or salted caramel and milk chocolate pudding crunch would make Grandma proud.
A spin-off of CHARCUT Roast House, Charbar (Simmons Bldg., 618 Confluence Way SE, 403/452-3115, www.charbar.ca, 11:30am-10pm Mon.-Wed., 11:30am-midnight Thurs.-Fri., 10am-midnight Sat., 10am-10pm Sun., lunch $15-22, dinner $19-49, brunch $10-27), in the East Village, is built around an Argentine wood-fired grill that turns out deep-dish pizza and grilled meats to pair with ceviches, salads, and small plates to share. In mild weather, have your cocktails up on the rooftop bar.
Crispy tofu with pork belly and maple-sesame kimchi, gochujang-glazed chicken wings, and Brussels sprouts with bacon and rice sticks are just a few of the imaginative Korean tapas you can sample at hip Anju (344 17th Ave. SW, 403/460-3341, www.anju.ca, 11am-1am Mon.-Fri., 11am-3pm and 5pm-1am Sat.-Sun., $14-26), which serves what it describes as “Korean drinking food.” Speaking of drinking, at this spirited spot for sipping and grazing, there’s soju, beers from near and far, and unusual cocktails, like the Anju Flip, made with soju, green chartreuse, simple syrup, egg, and shiso powder.
In a chic window-lined space, with wall-sized photos and red banquettes, Foreign Concept (1011 1st St. SW, 403/719-7288, www.foreignconcept.ca, 11:30am-2pm and 5pm-10pm Mon.-Fri., 5pm-10pm Sat., lunch $16-25, dinner $25-35) creates modern riffs on Asian classics. At lunch, try a rice bowl with char siu pork and Korean chili sauce or ginger-scallion noodles with mushroom confit and roasted cauliflower. In the evenings, snack on soy-caramel Brussels sprouts or crispy preserved lemon chicken while you sip sake or a green tea martini, or share plates like Alberta trout done Vietnamese-style with turmeric and shrimp paste or beef tenderloin paired with fried forbidden rice, white kimchi, and an onsen egg.
Half gourmet market and half bustling Italian dining room, Mercato (2224 4th Ave. SW, 403/263-5535, www.mercatogourmet.com, market 9:30am-7pm Mon.-Sat., 10am-6pm Sun., restaurant 11:30am-2pm and 5:30pm-10pm daily, $15-57), in the Mission district south of downtown, sells deli sandwiches, cheeses, and salads to go and serves updated Italian classics at long bars lining the upscale dining space. Specialties consist of traditional pastas, like bucatini all’amatriciana or handmade gnocchi with ricotta salata and pesto, and grilled dishes, including sea bream with a caperberry-herb salsa verde or balsamic-glazed lamb. Dishes are sized and served family-style, designed to share.
Alberta beef is ubiquitous on local menus, which may be why Calgary vegetarians considered it a coup when The Coup (924 17th Ave. SW, 403/541-1041, www.thecoup.ca, 11am-3pm and 5pm-10pm Mon.-Thurs., 11am-3pm and 5pm-11pm Fri., 10am-3pm and 5pm-11pm Sat., 10am-3pm and 5pm-9pm Sun., lunch/brunch $14-21, dinner $17-24) opened in the 17th Avenue district. Fresh juices, kombucha, and cocktails pair well with the world-roaming vegetarian menu of small plates, salads, and heartier dishes, including Vietnamese-style subs piled with cheese, eggplant, carrots, and kimchi, or falafel quesadillas, with falafel, hummus, tahini, feta cheese, pickles, and veggies grilled into a tortilla.
Calgary’s most delectable breads, pastries, and other baked goods come out of the ovens at S Sidewalk Citizen Bakery (Simmons Bldg., 618 Confluence Way SE, 403/457-2245, www.sidewalkcitizenbakery.com, 8am-3pm Mon.-Thurs., 8am-4pm Fri.-Sun., $9-16) in the East Village. Try a bureka, an Israeli puff pastry baked with cheese, served with an egg, salad, and harissa. They make sandwiches on house-made sourdough, including roast chicken with pickled peppers and melted cheddar, and a daily stew and hummus combo. Naturally, there are sweets, too, including croissants, brownies, and single-serving cakes. They have another location in the Kensington neighborhood inside Sunnyside Natural Food market.
If you’re serious about your coffee, head to Phil & Sebastian Coffee Roasters (Simmons Bldg., 618 Confluence Way SE, 587/353-2268, www.philsebastian.com, 6:30am-9pm Mon.-Fri., 7:30am-9pm Sat.-Sun.). The East Village location roasts its own beans and offers coffee tasting workshops (book online). Some additional branches are downtown and in the Mission neighborhood.
Since 1982, laid-back Higher Ground Café (1126 Kensington Rd., 403/270-3780, 7am-11pm Mon.-Thurs., 7am-midnight Fri., 8am-midnight Sat., 8am-11pm Sun.) has been giving the Kensington neighborhood its fair trade, organic caffeine fix from early morning to late at night.
With more than 80 vendors, the year-round Calgary Farmers Market (510 77th Ave. SE, 403/240-9113, www.calgaryfarmersmarket.ca, 9am-5pm Thurs.-Sun.) sells Alberta products like bison jerky, gouda cheese, and locally grown produce, alongside prepared food and crafts.
Many Calgary accommodations cater to business travelers during the week, so except during holidays or the annual Calgary Stampede, lodging rates often drop on weekends when road warriors go home. Shop for deals on the hotels’ websites directly, particularly if you can be flexible with your dates.
Calling itself a “boutique motel,” the Centro Motel (4540 16th Ave. NW, 403/288-6658, www.centromotel.com, $159-169 d) was built in the 1960s, but its 30 renovated rooms are much cooler than its roadside surroundings on the city’s northwest side suggest. They all have white bedding, dark wood furnishings, and updated baths, along with flat-screen TVs, mini fridges, and Keurig coffeemakers. Rooms aren’t large, so they’re better suited to couples than families. Rates include Wi-Fi, North American phone calls, parking, and a light continental breakfast. The motel is about 20 minutes’ drive from downtown.
On the University of Calgary campus northwest of downtown, S Hotel Alma (169 University Gate NW, 403/220-3203 or 877/498-3203, www.hotelalma.ca, $180-215, parking $10) is a modern seven-story hotel. The best rooms are the one-bedroom suites on the top floor, with king beds and separate living rooms with a pullout sofa. Most of the guest rooms are more compact, with one queen bed, a lounge chair, and a work desk. All units have mini fridges, microwaves, and coffeemakers. There’s no air-conditioning, but the windows open. Wi-Fi and North American phone calls are included, as is a continental breakfast. Guests can use the nearby university fitness facility, with an Olympic-size pool; the Olympic Oval, also a short walk away, has public ice-skating. The hotel is a 10- to 15-minute walk from the C-Train’s University station that can take you downtown in 15 minutes.
Much nicer than most of the chain motels that cluster in the Motel Village near the University of Calgary, Aloft Calgary University (2359 Banff Trail NW, 403/289-1973, www.aloftcalgaryuniversity.com, $159-223) is a sociable spot, with a pool table in the lobby and weekly live music in the WXYZ Bar. Lounge chairs and private cabanas surround the pool in an indoor courtyard. Other facilities include a 24-hour fitness room, spa, and guest laundry. Colorful Calgary-themed artwork and white linens accented with multicolored pillows decorate the air-conditioned guest rooms, across three floors, which feature work desks, flat-screen TVs, coffeemakers, safes, and fridges. Rates include a hot buffet breakfast. The hotel is one block from the Banff Trail C-Train station. Parking in the hotel’s outdoor lot is free; the indoor lot costs $10 per day.
Aloft Calgary University
Calgary Farmers Market
Hotel Arts
A good-value downtown lodging, the 35-story all-suite International Hotel (220 4th Ave. SW, 403/265-9600 or 800/661-8627, www.internationalhotel.ca, $223-499, parking $31) opened in 1970, though it’s since been updated with cherry-hued furnishings, white bedding, an indoor pool, and free Wi-Fi. The studio suites are comfortable, with separate sitting and sleeping areas, plus a wet bar with a fridge; the spacious two-bedroom units could easily accommodate a family or group of friends. Rates include a hot breakfast buffet. Popular with tour groups, the International can feel chaotic at times, but the central location makes up for it.
Three blocks south of the Calgary Tower, in the Beltline neighborhood, S Hotel Arts (119 12th Ave. SW, 403/266-4611, www.hotelarts.ca, $229-450, parking weekday $21-30, weekend $7.50-20) lives up to its name. The 12-story property features works by Canadian artists throughout and is a popular place for musicians and other performers to stay. You can lounge around the courtyard pool, where a DJ spins tunes on summer weekends, or drop in for a poolside yoga class ($20). The 185 contemporary guest rooms have all the expected amenities, including triple-sheeted duvets and work desks with ergonomic chairs, included Wi-Fi, Keurig coffeemakers, and safes. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are served in the Yellow Door Bistro, which also offers an excellent weekend brunch; the Raw Bar lounge whips up handcrafted cocktails and Vietnamese-influenced sharing plates.
The Hotel Arts team runs the intimate 19-room boutique lodging now known as Hotel Arts Kensington (1126 Memorial Dr. NW, 403/228-4442 or 877/313-3733, www.hotelartskensington.com, $229-450, parking $20), where you might feel like a guest at a stately manor house. The modern rooms (some with fireplaces) feel understated, with dark-gray upholstery and rich woods; the granite baths are luxurious, with robes and slippers waiting when you come out of the soaker tub or rain shower. Rates include Wi-Fi and a $20 per person food and beverage credit that you can use toward a meal or drinks at Oxbow, the petite contemporary dining room. You can stroll across the bridge to downtown or cruise off on one of the complimentary bikes.
From the illuminated marble check-in desk to the purple lounge chairs in the 143 modern guest rooms, S Hotel Le Germain Calgary (899 Centre St. SW, 403/264-8990 or 877/362-8990, www.legermainhotels.com, $210-519, parking weekday $42, weekend $20) is one stylish lodging. In a centrally located downtown tower, even the standard rooms are spacious, measuring 450 square feet (42 sq m), with honey-hued furniture, down comforters, rain showers, and Nespresso machines. Work out in the huge top-floor fitness center with windows overlooking downtown or relax in the RnR Wellness Spa. Rates include a generous breakfast buffet and Wi-Fi. The on-site restaurant is the well-regarded CHARCUT Roast House, which also manages the sleek lobby lounge.
In a former 1980s apartment building that was completely gutted, soundproofed, and updated, the Hotel Elan (1122 16th Ave. SW, 403/229-2040 or 855/666-6612, www.hotelelan.ca, $214-327 d, $325-499 suites, parking $20) is one block from the 17th Avenue shopping and dining district. The standard rooms, at 250 square feet (23 sq m), are small but smart, with fun features like heated toilet seats and bath floors, as well as pillowtop mattresses, mini fridges, and Keurig coffeemakers. Larger one-bedroom units add a living room with a sleep sofa; the two-bedroom units are nearly 1,000 square feet (93 sq meters), and some have their own workout space with a recumbent bike and yoga mat. Rates include a deluxe continental breakfast, Wi-Fi, and international phone calls.
A traditional downtown luxury hotel, the Fairmont Hotel Palliser (133 9th Ave. SW, 403/262-1234 or 866/540-4477, www.fairmont.com, $299-549, parking weekday $45, weekend $35) opened in 1914, and in the lobby, the sparkling chandeliers and stone archways recall that bygone era. The indoor pool still has its traditional black-and-white tiles, though the health club is modern and there’s an on-site spa. The 407 guest rooms on 12 stories feel classic; the baths are generally small, although most have natural light. Wi-Fi is included for members of Accor Hotels frequent-stay program, which is free to join, so there’s no reason to pay the $14.95 per day connection charge.
Tourism Calgary (800/661-1678, www.visitcalgary.com) provides visitor information on its website and answers questions through its Twitter and Facebook pages.
The provincial tourism agency, Travel Alberta (800/252-3782, www.travelalberta.com) has detailed information on its website about planning a trip to Calgary, the Canadian Rockies, and elsewhere in the region. They also publish provincial visitor guides, available online or at visitors centers throughout the area.
Calgary’s local daily newspapers include the Calgary Sun (www.calgarysun.com) and Calgary Herald (www.calgaryherald.com). The daily Toronto-based Globe and Mail (www.theglobeandmail.com) covers news across Canada, including Calgary, as does the CBC (www.cbc.ca), Canada’s public television and radio outlet.
Avenue Calgary (www.avenuecalgary.com) is a monthly lifestyle magazine with extensive restaurant coverage and features about city neighborhoods, people, and activities.
The Calgary area has several hospitals (www.albertahealthservices.ca) that can provide emergency medical care to visitors, including Peter Lougheed General Centre (3500 26th Ave. NE, 403/943-4555, 24-hour emergency 403/943-4999), Foothills Medical Centre (1403 29th St. NW, 403/944-1110, 24-hour emergency 403/944-1315) on the University of Calgary campus, and Rockyview General Hospital (7007 14th St. SW, 403/943-3000, 24-hour emergency 403/943-7000).
For emergency services or other medical issues for children ages 18 and younger, contact the Alberta Children’s Hospital (2888 Shaganappi Trail NW, 403/955-7211, 24-hour emergency 403/955-7070, www.albertahealthservices.ca), near the University of Calgary.
Several of Calgary’s Shoppers Drug Mart (www.shoppersdrugmart.ca) locations have 24-hour pharmacies, including the North Hill Shopping Centre (1632 14th Ave. NW, 403/289-6761), the Chinook Centre (6455 Macleod Trail S., 403/253-2424), and McKnight Village (5500 Falsbridge Dr. NE, 403/293-2560).
Calgary is divided into four quadrants: northwest, northeast, southwest, and southeast. Numbered avenues run east-west, while numbered streets go north-south. Both begin downtown.
Two rivers also define Calgary’s geography. The Bow River runs through the center of the city; downtown is on the Bow’s south bank. The Elbow River meanders into the city center from the southwest and joins the Bow east of downtown.
In the downtown area, you can get around easily on foot or using the city’s light rail system. Thanks in part to its extremely changeable weather, Calgary has built the world’s largest indoor pedestrian pathway network. Calgary’s +15 Skywalk (www.calgary.ca) runs 11 miles (18 km) through the downtown area, with weather-proof walkways between buildings 15 feet (5 m) above the street (hence, the +15 name). Signs on the sidewalk can direct you to a +15 entrance. The City of Calgary publishes a +15 map that’s available on its website; you can also download it as a mobile app (www.calgaryplus15.com).
Calgary Transit (403/262-1000, www.calgarytransit.com) runs the city’s public transportation network, with two light rail transit lines, known as the C-Train, and more than 160 bus routes. Use the trip planner function on the Calgary Transit website to plot your transit trip.
Side Trip: A Day with the Dinosaurs
Drive east from Calgary and you’re in the prairies, with farmland undulating along the gentle hills. Then as you turn slightly north and approach the small town of Drumheller, the terrain changes again. Suddenly, you’re in the Canadian Badlands.
Known for its unusual hoodoo rock formations and rocky canyons, Canada’s Badlands region also has some of the world’s most extensive deposits of dinosaur fossils.
Survey the Badlands landscapes and discover their dinosaur legacy on a day trip from Calgary. Take Highway 2 north to Highway 567 east to Highway 9 east to Drumheller, which is 87 miles (140 km) northeast of Calgary. It’s less than two hours’ drive from the city to the dinosaurs.
In 1884, Canadian geologist Joseph Burr Tyrrell put Alberta on the dinosaur map when he unearthed the 70-million-year-old skull of a carnivorous dinosaur near Drumheller. Tyrrell’s discovery was christened Albertosaurus sarcophagus, the “flesh-eating lizard from Alberta.”
Named for this geologist, the Royal Tyrrell Museum (Midland Provincial Park, Hwy. 838, Drumheller, 403/823-7707 or 888/440-4240, www.tyrrellmuseum.com, 9am-9pm daily mid-May-Aug., 10am-5pm daily Sept., 10am-5pm Tues.-Sun. Oct.-mid-May, adults $19, seniors $14, ages 7-17 $10, families $48) is Canada’s only museum devoted to paleontology. Highlights include a gigantic Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton and the partial skull of an Atrociraptor, discovered nearby.
Outside the museum, follow the trails through the hoodoo-filled landscape in Midland Provincial Park (www.albertaparks.ca), or take a guided 1-mile (1.6-km) Seven Wonders of the Badlands walk (11:30am and 1:30pm Sat.-Sun. mid-May-late June, 11:30am, 1:30pm, and 3:30pm daily late June-Aug., 1:30pm daily Sept., $5) that museum staff lead through the desert-like terrain. The museum also offers fossil-collecting workshops and other kid-friendly programs.
The museum is 4 miles (6 km) northwest of Drumheller on Highway 838. As you come into town, follow the museum signs and turn left (west) onto Highway 838 (N. Dinosaur Trail).
It’s hard to pass through Drumheller without stopping for a photo with this kitschy attraction: the World’s Largest Dinosaur (60 1st Ave. W., Drumheller, 403/823-8100 or 866/823-8100, www.worldslargestdinosaur.com, 9am-9pm daily, over age 5 $4, families $10.50).
This steel and fiberglass Tyrannosaurus rex stands 86 feet (26 m) high, more than four times bigger than an actual T. Rex would have been. You can climb up inside the dinosaur to its mouth; there are 106 stairs to the top.
The dino is located off Highway 56, next to the Drumheller Visitor Information Centre (60 1st Ave. W., Drumheller, 403/823-1331 or 866/823-8100, www.traveldrumheller.com).
Continue along Highway 838 past the Royal Tyrrell Museum to Horsethief Canyon, with its multihued rock layers. On Highway 9, about 10 minutes’ drive west of Drumheller, receding glaciers carved rock formations into a “U” shape, or horseshoe, in striking Horseshoe Canyon.
You can hike into both of these dramatic canyons or simply enjoy the views from above. Hikers should wear sturdy shoes, bring sunscreen, and carry water. Summer temperatures in the canyons can approach 104°F (40°C).
C-Train and bus schedules vary by route, but regular service on major routes begins between 5am and 5:30am and runs until 12:30am or 1am daily.
Fares (adults $3.30, ages 6-17 $2.30) for the C-Train and buses are valid for 90 minutes.
Buy your C-Train ticket from the vending machines in the station before you board the train; machines accept coins, credit cards, and debit cards. If you’re transferring from the C-Train to the bus, show the driver your validated ticket from the light rail. You don’t have to purchase an additional bus ticket.
When you board a bus, you can pay cash for your ticket, but you need to have exact change.
You can buy transit tickets in advance at the Calgary Transit Customer Service Centres (Centre Street Platform, 125 7th Ave. SE, and Bow Parkade, 234 7th Ave. SW, 10am-5:30pm Mon.-Fri.), and at many convenience stores and other shops around the city. Tickets are sold individually or in books of 10. Insert your ticket into the fare box when you board the bus, or validate it using the machines in the C-Train station before boarding the light rail.
If you’re going to use transit extensively during a single day, purchase a day pass (adults $10.50, ages 6-17 $7.50).
Calgary’s C-Train Light Rail System (www.calgarytransit.com) has two lines: the Red Line/Route 201 (Tuscany/Somerset-Bridlewood), which goes to the city’s northwest and southeast neighborhoods, and the Blue Line/Route 202 (69th Street/Saddletowne), which crosses the city between west and northeast.
Both C-Train lines run through the city center along 7th Avenue, where you can ride free downtown. The free zone is between the Downtown West/Kerby (10th St. SW) and City Hall (Macleod Trail SE) stations.
Calgary Transit’s bus 300 (403/262-1000, www.calgarytransit.com, 5am-midnight daily, one-way $10.50) can take you between the airport and downtown Calgary. These express buses, which have a different fare structure than the standard buses, run every 20-30 minutes; the trip takes 40-50 minutes.
For other routes, the trip planner on the Calgary Transit website (www.calgarytransit.com) can help you figure out how to get to your destination.
At any bus stop, text the posted stop number to 74000, and you’ll receive a reply listing the next buses scheduled to arrive at that stop.
Highway 1, the Trans-Canada Highway, runs east-west across Calgary’s north side, where it becomes 16th Avenue. Highway 2, also known as the Queen Elizabeth II Highway, is the main north-south route to the city, extending north to Edmonton and beyond, and south to the Montana border.
Other major roadways include the Crowchild Trail (Hwy. 1A), which crosses northwest Calgary and then turns south; Macleod Trail, which runs south from downtown; and Glenmore Trail (Hwy. 8), which can take you east-west through Calgary’s southern suburbs.
Downtown Calgary is south of the Bow River, between 1st and 9th Avenues SW. A rail line crosses the city south of 9th Avenue SW, so some downtown streets stop at 9th Avenue, rather than continuing southbound.
Calgary’s on-street parking meters ($1-5 per hour) generally operate 9am-6pm Monday-Saturday, with some downtown meters taking effect at 7am weekdays. Parking is free after 6pm and all day Sunday. Rates vary by location. You can park at most metered spaces for up to two hours.
You can look up meter rates and typical parking availability in different areas using the Calgary Parking website (www.calgaryparking.com). This site also shows the location and prices for parking garages and lots around the city.
Calgary taxis are metered, with a $3.80 base fare and 20 cents for each additional 120 meters. Most trips within the downtown area will cost less than $10. A cab between Calgary International Airport and downtown averages $40-45.
Local taxi companies include Associated Cab (403/299-1111, www.associatedcab.ca) and Checker Yellow Cabs (403/299-9999, www.thecheckergroup.com).
Uber (www.uber.com) also operates in Calgary.