World City Guide

Sightseeing

Sightseeing Overview
No matter how tall Calgary’s mirrored-glass skyscrapers are built or how dense the modern city centre becomes, the snow-capped, jagged Rocky Mountains in the distance always seem to steal Calgary’s thunder. Situated at the confluence of the Bow and Elbow rivers, Calgary strikes the visitor as a place of natural beauty with the mountains to the west and rolling fields of wheat to the east.

Calgary’s most identifiable man-made attraction is the Calgary Tower, a space-age sightseeing structure built in 1968 and located at the heart of the city centre. Across the street is the Glenbow Museum, three floors of galleries celebrating the Canadian West, including an excellent exhibition on Native Canadians. A short distance northwest, Eau Claire Market is a refreshing mall with cafés, bars, an IMAX theatre and craft market. Connecting these attractions, as well as shops, offices and entertainment venues, is a series of enclosed elevated walkways (known as plus-15s, for their height of 4.5m (15ft) above street level) which shelter Calgarians from the worst of the winter chill and provide one of the city’s most unique features. Also linked to the system are the Devonian Gardens, where 20,000 plants grace indoor garden that is one hectare (2.5 acres) on the fourth floor of the TD Square complex.

To the east of Downtown, St George’s Island stands in the Bow River and is home to Calgary’s most popular tourist attraction, the Calgary Zoo, Botanical Garden and Prehistoric Park. Northwest of Calgary’s Downtown, the city’s conservative façade is broken by the more alternative Kensington neighbourhood – a place where interest shifts to trendy bars and restaurants, health-food stores, cafés and bookshops. The stretch of 17th Avenue SW to the west of Fourth Street is also a popular destination for shopping and dining.

Tourist Information
Tourism Calgary – Main Visitor Centre
Stephen Avenue Walk, 220 Eighth Avenue SW (inside the Riley & McCormick Western Store)
Tel: (403) 263 8510 or (800) 661 1678. Fax: (403) 262 3809.
E-mail: destination@visitor.calgary.ab.ca
Website: www.tourismcalgary.com
Opening hours: Daily 0900-1700.

Other visitor centres are located at the Eau Claire Market (1000-1700) and Calgary International Airport’s departures level (0600-2400 summer; 0600-2300 winter) and arrivals level (1000-2200).

Passes
Discount coupons are available in the VIV (Very Important Visitor) Pass, which is distributed free of charge at tourist information centres and at the Calgary Tower all year round.