Destination Attractions Things to do in Calgary

Posted: 02/09/2007--25/11/2008 || Rate this Article: 3 || Views|| Sign In || Register ||Hello Guest

Calgary, the largest city in Alberta, Canada is a prime destination spot for North American travelers. Called the gateway to the Canadian Rockies, Calgary is a modern, cosmopolitan city that offers the traditional as well as the new and exciting tourist attractions. Whether you like sports, shopping, world-class dining, the arts, water adventures or seeing the sites, there are plenty of things to do in Calgary.

Canada Olympic Park is usually on the top of any Calgary tourists list. Home to the Winter Olympics in 1988, it is a prime skiing destination with an average of 114 centimeters of annual snowfall. If you dont know how to ski, thats okay. COP is a great place for learning with 25% of their terrain created for beginners. Whether its day or night, you can snowboard, luge, skeleton, cross country ski or pay a visit to the Canadian Olympic Museum Hall of Fame. You can get a look at the Olympic Saddledome, the worlds largest cable-suspended concrete roof in the shape of a saddle of course) as well as the Olympic Oval and the Olympic Plaza.

If shopping is your thing, there are several Calgary malls you can spend the entire day at. Market Mall is the one of the largest shopping attractions in the entire city. The recently renovated mall has more than 200 shops and services to choose from. Theres also a 1600-square foot play area called Kids At Play where parents can sit comfortably while kids climb, jump and play. Southcenter is an enormous mall with 70,000 square feet recently added. You can also combine shopping with movies, interactive entertainment centers, restaurants and fashion at the Eau Claire Festival Market.

Calgary has several museums of every type to fit your interests. Home to 43 First Nations and 114 Reserves, Albertas Aboriginal culture is very diverse and interesting. You can learn more about it by visiting the Calgary Aboriginal Arts Awareness Society, the Calgary Native Friendship Center or the Ghost River Rediscovery. Glenbow is the largest museum in all of West Canada with over 93,000 square feet and more than 20 galleries filled with over a million historical, contemporary, modern works of art; all a reflection of the region.

Calgary Tower is an incredible experience and probably the most identifiable symbol of the city. It reaches a height of 190 meters and weighs almost 11,000 tons. Once inside, youre taken in a high-speed elevator to the top where you can take in breathtaking views of the city on your own or through state-of-the-art media consoles and binoculars.

Fort Calgary is an interpretive center where you can see life as it was in Calgary from 1875 to 1940. You can play with vintage toys, record your own radio play, take a virtual street tour of an old town or live a day in the life of the mounted police. The Calgary Zoo is the second largest in Canada with over 1,400 residents in addition to a six-acre botanical garden and a prehistoric park with life-sized replicas of ancient dinosaurs. You can see animals from all over the world, including red pandas and snow leopards. You can also trek through a rainforest to visit gorillas of spend time in the Savannah watching hippos.

If youre looking to time your vacation to Calgary around events, there are plenty. Stampede fever hits the city every July as the world-famous Calgary Stampede attracts thousands of visitors from around the world. The Greatest Outdoor Show On Earth, launched in 1912, is recognized as a leading North American Rodeo and has grown to be a unique city-wide event. If you visit in May you can take part in the Calgary International Childrens Festival at the Olympic Plaza and participate in family activities or see international performances. In June, The Jazz Festival is a critically acclaimed event that combines performances on main stage concerts with club events and outdoor performances.

Calaway Park is the largest outdoor family amusement park with over 28 rides, including the new family thrill rides where everyone can ride together. In addition to great food, there are new interactive games, skill games and daily shows. If you would rather be outdoors, Devonia Gardens is one of the worlds largest outdoor parks and features 20,000 plants from 135 varieties. The secluded woodland setting also has tree-decked plazas, waterfalls, fountains and a Sun Garden. You can feed fish and turtles, enjoy artwork and sculpture displays while your children play in the playground at no charge.

If youre interested in the history of ranching, the Western Heritage Centre and the Bar U Ranch National Historic Site are both close by. Heritage Park Historical Village is a complete pre-1914 village recreation with more than 150 buildings and 45,000 exhibits. If you love high tech, theres something you can do before you even get your first breath of fresh Calgary air. At the Calgary International Airport, you can experience space, flight and high-tech communications with motion/flight simulators, interactive displays and more at the Space Port.

Sightseeing is a big deal in Calgary because there is so much to see. If youre into heights, you can take a tour from a hot air balloon or helicopter. If you like walking, you can follow wolf pack tracks in nature or learn to build an igloo. Camping is also a big attraction for visitors to Calgary. You can rent motor homes and go out on your own or take tours through the Rockies and set up camp with a group.

Playing golf with a mountain backdrop is a unique adventure and Calgary has over 40 private and public golf courses for beginners to advanced. Some courses can be found at premier resorts and spas where you can relax and indulge. There are also casinos, such as Elbow Inn River Casino, where you can have a fun night gambling. You can dine at one of the cities famous restaurants no matter what you have a taste for. Calgary has anything from Cajun to Dutch, Ethopian to Persian and regional cuisine.

Whenever people think of Canada, they think of water sports. Rough and tumble whitewater rafting is very popular, but if youd like to take it easy, you can take a voyageur canoe ride and follow the early fur trade routes. Calgary is a world-famous destination for fly fishing and Bow River is where most people go to do it. There is no end to the trails in the citys pathway system for hiking and biking. If youd rather see somebody else sweat it out, Calgary is home to the Calgary Flames hockey team, the Calgary Stampeders of the Canadian Football Team and other professional teams you can watch do their thing.

This is only a small part of what Calgary has to offer. A city proud of its culture and history and eager to provide a whole lot of fun is a great vacation destination.