The Calgary Tower is one of the most iconic buildings, and one of the most popular tourist attractions, in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. This spectacular tower draws visitors from around the world to its 360° views of the city and its surroundings, including views on clear days all the way to the Rocky Mountains.
I’ve been to the Calgary Tower quite a few times, and my most recent visit was in Summer 2024. I wanted to share some information about the Calgary Tower, including an overview of the tower’s history and importance to Calgarians, what to expect when you visit the Calgary Tower, and tips for making the most of your visit. This guide isn’t too long, but I’m confident it will convince you to add the Calgary Tower to your Alberta travel itinerary!
What is the Calgary Tower?
The Calgary Tower is probably the most famous landmark in the city of Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Here are a few important facts about the Calgary Tower:
- The Calgary Tower is located in the city center, where Centre Street meets 9th Avenue SW.
- Construction on the tower began in 1967, to celebrate Canada’s 100th birthday.
- The Calgary Tower opened on July 28, 1968 (just in time for Canada Day on July 1st!)
- It was originally called the Husky Tower, after a local oil and gas company, but the name was soon changed to recognize its citywide significance
- The Calgary Tower is 191 meters tall (that’s equivalent to 626 feet)
- The Calgary Tower was the tallest building in the city until 1983. Today, several buildings are taller.
- The tower was a symbol of the 1988 Winter Olympics (the ones from the movie Cool Runnings!) and an Olympic Torch was constructed atop the tower.
- Colorful exterior lights change colors to align with special events and important dates in the city, the country and around the world.
- The Calgary Tower is one of 10+ stops on my new self-guided walking tour of Calgary!
Is the Calgary Tower worth visiting?
Yes, the Calgary Tower is worth visiting! I wouldn’t be writing this guide if I thought it was a tourist trap, and as someone who is often in Alberta I have visited the Calgary Tower numerous times. Even if you’ve been before, it’s always nice to come up the tower to see how the city’s skyline has changed (and to see how the menu at the revolving restaurant has changed too! 😉)
The Calgary Tower Experience
Overall, you should plan to spend about one hour at the Calgary Tower. Here’s what you can expect from the experience, from start to finish.
The Elevator
Once you’ve got your ticket in hand (more on tickets at the end of this guide), you’ll walk across the lobby to wait for one of the Calgary Tower’s two elevators. Each elevator has capacity for 12 passengers, so depending on the crowds you might have to wait a bit. On my recent visit in June 2024 we waited about five minutes for an elevator that had room for our group.
The elevator isn’t made of glass and doesn’t have windows, so there’s no view on your way up or down. Instead, there is a screen showing a movie of what you would see if the elevator had a view: starting at street level you rise up, beside the neighboring buildings and then eventually above them. As the elevators open their doors, you’ll find yourself immediately in front of the glass floor lookout spot.
You cannot go up or down the Calgary Tower by stairs, except during special events like fundraising stair climbs for charity. Sometimes, the staircase is opened once a week in March, just for a few hours, for fitness enthusiasts who want to test their stamina on all 802 stairs.
Glass Floor Lookout
Yes, those are my shoes on the glass floor at the Calgary Tower! Even standing on the carpet beside the glass floor makes my knees a little weak, but every time I visit the Calgary Tower I have to spend at least a few seconds nervously tiptoeing on the see-through floor.
The glass floor was added to the Calgary Tower in 2005. The ten layers of glass can hold up to 6,000 pounds, and they have even brought horses up the elevator to stand on the glass just to prove how strong it is!
From the glass floor you get a view of Calgary’s city center, including several new skyscrapers that have recently been added to the city’s landscape. You also get a view straight down the tower itself, to the base where you’d been standing just a few minutes earlier.
Calgary Tower Views (360°)
The viewing deck on the Calgary Tower doesn’t rotate (though the restaurant directly below it does). Instead, the glass windows span all 360° so that you can see the entire city as you walk around (and around, and around…).
In the first picture above you can see the windows that look east of the city center, over the striking City Hall building and then along the Bow River in the direction of the Calgary Zoo.
The second picture shows the view to the north, where new skyscrapers like Telus Sky and The Bow frame the prairie parks on the north side of the city center.
Of course, there are also views to the west (towards the Rocky Mountains, which should be visible on a clear day) and the south (towards Calgary’s hockey arena). I didn’t want to show you all of the views, as I think the surprises are half the fun!
Information & Exhibits
For the curious, there is lots of information on display at the Calgary Tower.
The informative displays start on the ground floor, on the wall near the ticket windows. Here, there are plaques from the World Federation of Great Towers, highlighting the Calgary Tower’s partnerships and similarities with other sky-scraping towers around the world. Take a look to see how many of the Calgary Tower’s counterparts you’ve visited!
On the top level, there are displays on the central walls and at the windows that look out over Calgary’s most important sights. For example, you’ll spot signs comparing the Calgary Tower to other skyscrapers in the city, including the new bulidings that stole the title of “Tallest Building in Calgary” from the Calgary Tower.
There is also a theater room on the top floor that (at publication time) was showing two short documentaries: one about the construction of the tower, and the other about the varied tourist attractions across Alberta, Canada.
The Calgary Tower Restaurant
There is a revolving restaurant at the top of the Calgary Tower. Sky 360 is open for lunch, dinner and weekend brunch (reservations are always recommended). The restaurant does a complete rotation every 45 minutes (at lunch) and 60 minutes (at dinner) so you’ll have a chance to see the entire panorama over the course of your meal.
It’s been a few years since I last ate at Sky 360, but as I was writing this article I checked out their latest menu online and thought it looked good. There are crowd-pleasing dishes featuring local and seasonal ingredients, and there’s at least one vegetarian option on each menu. Prices are slightly higher than at similar restaurants on street level, but the views are surely worth it.
The revolving restaurant is located at the top of the Calgary Tower, one floor below the viewing deck. From the viewing deck you can go down one flight of stairs to be there in 10 seconds, or you can wait for an elevator to take you down. Your meal doesn’t include access to the upper viewing deck, but you can get 55% off a ticket to the upper level by inquiring with your server during your meal.
Calgary Tower Gift Shop
There aren’t many souvenir shops in downtown Calgary (although there are one or two on nearby 8th Avenue SW, also called Stephen’s Ave). That makes the gift shop at the base of the Calgary a good option for souvenir shopping. You can expect to find Calgary- and Canada-themed stuffed animals and clothing, typical Canadian products like maple syrup, and less pricey souvenirs like magnets and postcards.
You can enter the gift shop without going up the tower, so pop by if you need to bring home a gift for the person who has been watering your plants while you’ve been away!
Calgary Tower Tickets
On my most recent trip to the Calgary Tower I was there right when it opened, but there was already a small queue waiting to buy their tickets at the ticket booth (shown above).
To avoid the queue, and ensure you are able to go up (especially during busy times like the Calgary Stampede) I recommend buying a ticket online from the official website. At present, you can also save up to $3 per ticket by buying online instead of at the ticket counter.
At press time (Summer 2024) adult admission to the Calgary Tower is $19 (online) or $22 (at the ticket booth). There are discounts for seniors and children ages 4+, while infants aged three and under are free.
Getting to the Calgary Tower
The Calgary Tower is located in downtown Calgary. It is easily accessible by car, by public transit, or on foot:
- By Car – The nearest parkade is The Palliser Parkade, which is connected via indoor walkway to the Calgary Tower. It is managed by Impark.
- By Public Transit – It’s an easy walk from the 1st Street SW or Centre Street C-Train stations, both of which are about three blocks from the tower. The C-Train is Calgary’s citywide light rail system.
- On Foot – Calgary’s city center is connected via a series of indoor walkways called Plus 15 (+15). If it’s snowy outside you can reach the Calgary Tower from most of the city center without having to walk outside – just follow the posted maps or plan your using the map linked at the bottom of this page.
If you’re thinking of visiting the Calgary Tower, I also have guides to nearby tourist attractions and the best hotels in Calgary.
If you’re arriving at the Calgary International Airport, check out my guide to getting to the city center.
Planning a trip to Calgary, Alberta? Pin this post for later!
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