Top Rated Attractions in Calgary

Heritage Park Historical Village, one of Canada's largest historical villages, is divided into a pioneer Northwest Mounted Police outpost and a Main Street from 1910. The latter has a working antique amusement park, with rides that are safe even for small children. Other attractions include a working full-scale locomotive thundering through the park, and on the nearby Glenmore Reservoir, a vintage double-decker sternwheeler ship that takes visitors on lake cruises. Shops and restaurants are plentiful in the park, including a turn-of-the-century bakery. All park staff work in costume and character. Entertaining events for the whole family are scheduled year-round, including September's Fall Fair. The opening timing may vary for different experiences at the park.

Hosting myriad performances yearly, Arts Commons is Canada's premier cultural space. The center is a six-level facility occupying a full city block in Downtown Calgary, and comprises many distinct event spaces like the Jack Singer Concert Hall and the Max Bell Theatre.

Stampede Park is a sprawling outdoor event venue that is reputed for hosting the major events and happenings in the city. Although it hosts a plethora of formal as well as informal events throughout the year, it is mostly remembered for hosting The Calgary Stampede Festival, a ten-day event dubbed “The Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth,” that draws about a million visitors to Calgary every year.

Canada Olympic Park was the venue for the 1998 Winter Olympics and offers a variety of adventure sports facilities. These facilities are used both by high-performance winter athletes and by ordinary, adventurous, Calgarians. The bobsled track immortalized by four Jamaican sledders continues to be used for World Cup events. The downhill ski slope is a popular entry-level spot for skiers, while the half-pipe area crawls with local snowboarders. The park also gets steady summer use by cross-country and downhill mountain bike racers. Inside the main COP building there is a restaurant/bar and the Olympic Hall of Fame and Museum. Prices vary according to activity.

One of the world's great equestrian facilities is located in the rolling ranch lands just south of Calgary's city limits. Built and maintained by the Southern family, this sprawling site is now home to some of the world's top show-jumping events. The facilities are also a year-round attraction for horse-lovers and aspiring competitive riders. Competitions occur on six different grass rings, including the main venue that can seat 30,000 spectators for events. Four major competitions take place during the season, the biggest of which occurs in mid-September.

One of the largest venues in Alberta, the Jack Singer Concert Hall attracts big-name artists with its classical beauty and easy-on-the-ear acoustics. The hall boasts of the Carthy Organ, hand-carved from solid oak and containing more than 1600 polished alloy and wood pipes. This concert hall is part of Arts Commons, a performing arts complex occupying 10 acres (4.5 hectares) in Downtown Calgary. As one of the major art centers in Canada, Arts Commons hosts world-class performances on Singer Hall's state of the art stage. The Box Office opens one hour prior to performance and closes one hour after the show starts. This venue can also be rented for private events.