Holiday Destination: Calgary

Calgary is a city in the province of Alberta, Canada. It is located in the south of the province, in an area of foothills and prairie, approximately 80 km east of the front ranges of the Canadian Rockies. The city is located in the grassland and parkland natural regions of Alberta. Located 294 km south of Edmonton, Statistics Canada defines area between these cities as the Calgary Edmonton Corridor. Economic activity in Calgary is mostly centred on the petroleum industry and agriculture. In 1988, Calgary became the first Canadian city to host the Olympic Winter Games. It was renamed Fort Calgary in 1876 by Colonel James Macleod. It was named after Calgary on the Isle of Mull, Scotland. While there is some disagreement on the naming of the town, the museum on the Isle of Mull explains that kald and gart are similar Old Norse words, meaning cold and garden, that were likely used when named by the Vikings who inhabited the Inner Hebrides.

Climate

Summer 22.5 °C (72.5 °F), Winter (−15.1) °C (4.8 °F)

Tourist Season

July and August is the best for visiting Calgary.

Accommodation

Hotels.

General Information Of Calgary

• Land Area: 318.65 sq mi (825.29 km2)
• Population: 10 Lakh.
• Capital City: Alberta.
• Language: English, Barely and French.

Tourist Attraction in or Near by Calgary

Calaway Park

Calaway Park is Western Canada's largest outdoor family amusement park. The park is located in Springbank, Rocky View County, Alberta, 10 km west of the city of Calgary on the Trans Canada Highway. The park features a variety of rides including a large log flume, the rides 'Chaos' and 'Storm', and the park's two biggest attractions The Vortex, its corkscrew roller coaster, and the Dream Machine, a 56 passenger swing ride. There are many other rides that are unique to the park. Calaway Park currently has 33 rides, 22 food stalls, 27 games, and covers 90 acres. The park has been in continuous operation since 1982. It also has an RV park and campground for travelers.

Calgary Zoo

The Calgary Zoo is located in Bridgeland, Calgary, Alberta, Canada, just east of the city's downtown and adjacent to the Inglewood and East Village neighbourhoods. It is accessible via Calgary's C-Train light rail system, by car via Memorial Drive and by bicycle and footpath via the Bow River pathway. A large portion of the zoo is located on St. George's Island in the Bow River. The AZA, WAZA, and CAZA accredited zoo was among the first in Canada. As of 2006, it is home to over 1,000 animals, excluding individual fish and insects, and 290 different species. The Calgary Zoo is the second largest zoo in Canada. The animal exhibits are organized by geographic region. The current exhibits include, Destination Africa, Canadian Wilds, Australia, Botanical gardens, Eurasia, Prehistoric Park and South America. The zoo opens every day except for Christmas Day.

Calgary Stampede

Calgary Stampede has brought people from all over the world together to experience our unique western heritage and values. As we launch our Centennial we’re inviting you to join in our greatest celebration yet. There are 10 days in July that show the world what makes Calgary so special. Ten incredible days that help define us as a city and allow us to showcase our western hospitality, demonstrate and western fun loving spirit. Each year, visitors come from across North America and around the world to experience the heart stopping action of one of the world's roughest and richest Rodeos, the world’s top Chuckwagon Races, the Grandstand Show, world class agricultural activities and adrenalin pumping rides at North America’s largest mobile midway and one of Western Canada's largest music festivals. In the Indian Village, visitors step back in time to share in authentic Plains Indians' cultural practices. And, that's just the big stuff. You can't see everything, but each year, a million people try.

Calgary Tower

The Calgary Tower is a 191 metre free standing observation tower in Downtown Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Originally called the Husky Tower, it was conceived as a joint venture between Marathon Realty Company Limited and Husky Oil as part of an urban renewal plan and to celebrate Canada's centennial of 1967. The tower was built at a cost of $3,500,000 and weighs approximately 10,900 tonnes, of which 60% is below ground. It opened to the public on June 30, 1968 as the tallest structure in Calgary, and the tallest in Canada outside of Toronto. It was renamed the Calgary Tower in 1971. The building was a founding member of the World Federation of Great Towers.

Canada Olympic Park

Canada Olympic Park is located in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The park is operated by WinSport Canada formerly the Calgary Olympic Development Association. It is currently used both for high performance athletic training and for recreational purposes by the general public. During the 1988 Winter Olympics, Canada Olympic Park was the primary venue for ski jumping, bobsleigh, and luge. WinSport Canada still maintains these facilities for training and competitive purposes. In the winter, the park is also used for downhill skiing, snowboarding, and cross country skiing. In the summer, Canada Olympic Park is used for warm weather sports such as mountain biking and is also the site of a number of summer festivals. The park is home to a summer challenge course and zip line. Many summer camps are available. Major expansions and additions are under way to maintain the park's status as a training facility to gain back business and stature from the Vancouver 2010 venues.

Calgary Chinese Cultural Centre

The Chinese Cultural Centre is a building in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. It is located on the north-eastern side of downtown and was completed in September 1992. The centre piece of the complex is the Dr. Henry Fok Cultural Hall, a building modeled after the Hall of Prayers of the Temple of Heaven in Beijing. The 70 foot high ceiling is decorated with 561 dragons and 40 phoenixes. It is supported by 4 columns with gold ornamentation representing each season. The outer surface of the dome is covered in blue tiles imported from China and crafted by the same company that endowed the Temple of Heaven during the Ming Dynasty 600 years ago. They were installed in traditional Chinese layered fashion and consolidated with mortar. The second level of the building contains classrooms and a library with books in Chinese and English. The main level hosts a restaurant, a Chinese arts and crafts store and a traditional Chinese medicine facility.

The New Science Centre

The The New Science Centre Calgary is a science museum with interactive exhibits, multimedia presentations and educational demonstrations in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. There are three traveling exhibits every year and more permanent exhibits that are designed on site. The Discovery Dome Theatre features films from across North America. There are more than 304,000 visitors annually, including over 54,000 students. In 2006 the Creative Kids Museum opened at the The New Science Centre, offering art based learning. The original site, located on 11 Street SW in Calgary's Downtown West End, closed on June 27, 2011, and was replaced by a new science centre called Telus Spark. The new science centre is located on a 15 acre site at 220 St. Georges Drive NE in Nose Creek Valley, north of the Calgary Zoo. Telus Spark opened on October 29, 2011.

Fort Calgary

Fort Calgary is where the settlement of Calgary began. Displays in the interpretive centre cover the life of Natives, early pioneers, and the North West Mounted Police, Canada's world renowned Mounties, who arrived in 1875 to establish law and order. To do so, they built a fort at the crossing of two rivers. Across the Elbow River is the Deane House Historic site & Restaurant. During the summer, tour the re constructed Fort.

Glenbow Museum

The Glenbow Museum in Calgary is one of Western Canada's largest museums, with over 93,000 square feet of exhibition space in more than 20 galleries, showcasing a selection of the Glenbow's collection of over a million objects. The Glenbow Alberta Institute was formed in 1966, when Eric Harvie donated his vast historical collection to the people of Alberta. Located in downtown Calgary across from the Calgary Tower, the Institute maintains the Glenbow Museum, open to the public, which houses not only its museum collections, but also a very extensive art collection, library, and archives. In 2007, a new permanent exhibit entitled 'Mavericks' opened on the third floor this exhibit traces the history of Alberta through a series of 48 influential and colourful personalities. Its current President and CEO is Kirstin Evenden. Former presidents and CEOs include Mike Robinson and Jeff Spalding.

Heritage Park Historical Village

Heritage Park Historical Village is a historical park located in Calgary, Alberta. The park is located on 127 acres of parkland on the banks of the Glenmore Reservoir, along the city's southwestern edge. As Canada's largest living history museum by number of exhibits, it is one of the city's most visited tourist attractions. The park is branded as a living history museum since it features a village that was recreated to appear as it might have in late 19th and early 20th century Alberta. Many of the buildings are historical and were transported to the park to be placed on display. Others are re creations of actual buildings. Most of the structures are furnished and decorated with genuine artifacts. Staff dress in historic costume, and antique automobiles and horse drawn vehicles service the site. Calgary Transit provides regular shuttle service from Heritage C Train station.

Accessibility

Bus Terminal in or Near by

Calgary Transit

928 32 Avenue Northeast
Calgary, AB, Canada

Red Arrow Motorcoach

205 9 Avenue Southeast
Calgary, AB, Canada

Airport Shuttle Express

2536 7 Avenue Northeast
Calgary, AB, Canada

Airport

Calgary International Airport: For International flights.

Railway Stations

Sunalta Station

10 Avenue Southwest
Calgary, AB, Canada