Calgary Tower

One of Calgary’s top attractions rises high above the city, giving a 360-degree view of Calgary and it’s surroundings; it’s the Calgary Tower. In 2018 the Tower marked its 50th anniversary, but construction on the Tower began back in 1967. It was completed in 1968 with a price tag of 3.5 million dollars, as a joint venture between Husky Oil and Marathon Realty. Both companies had built new head offices in Calgary, and it was part of their plan for urban renewal and growth for downtown Calgary and to celebrate Canada’s Centennial. The Husky Tower was its original name, but in 1971 it was renamed The Calgary Tower as a tribute to Calgary and its citizens.

The Tower is constructed of poured concrete and steel reinforcements weighing in at approximately 10,884 tonnes. Sixty percent of the Tower sits underground. Opening day was on June 30, 1968, and was the tallest structure in Calgary, standing at the height of 190.8 meters or 626 feet. Two elevators are used to take visitors up and down, with a trip lasting 61 seconds. If you’re not a fan of elevators, you can make your way up the 802 steps to reach the observation deck. The World Federation of Great Towers included The Calgary Tower as one of its founding members, and it still does today. When it’s a windy day, the Tower will sway as much as 16.5cm or 7.5 inches. Even though Calgary is not an earthquake zone, it was the first structure built in Western Canada designed to withstand an earthquake, claiming to be able to handle winds up to 161 kilometers per hour.

In 1987 preparing for the Calgary 1988 Winter Olympics, a natural gas fire cauldron was installed on top of the Tower to serve as the official Olympic Flame. In 1988 a handheld replica with an Olympic flame was made and crossed Canada for the torch relay. The cauldron remains on the Tower for visitors to see.

After you have made your way to the observation deck, the spectacular view is enhanced further by a glass floor added to a section of the deck. The glass floor was a gift given to Alberta in 2005 for its Centennial and makes the 360-degree view even more astounding.

Another distinct feature of the Tower is The Sky 360 Restaraunt and Lounge, high above Calgary at 155 meters. The restaurant revolves for a unique and unusual dining experience, rotating once every 45 minutes at lunch and once every hour at dinner.

No attraction would be complete without a gift shop, and the Tower features Calgary Tower memorabilia and original Canadian apparel and keepsakes.

The Tower also offers a multimedia tour on mobile devices. It takes visitors on a journey through Canada’s past and present. A panoramic view of the city that matches the views from the windows is seen, with specific landmarks, and details of them are highlighted. Imagine a theater with over 20 screens; that would be The Tower Theater! There are 21 55-inch screens hung together over a curved wall, which feature short films: Calgary Tower Building and ICON, and Travel Alberta’s recent video that takes you on a flight of breathtaking Alberta footage.

All of the Tower’s features are great, but the best thing about the Calgary Tower is the absolutely spectacular 360 view. Many famous Calgary buildings and attractions can be seen from the Tower, such as; The Saddledome, The Fairmount Palliser Hotel, Bankers Hall, Hudsons Bay, The Core Shopping Centre, Brookfield Place (now Canada’s tallest Tower), The Bow, Olympic Plaza, City Hall, YYC Airport, the Glenbow Museum and so many more. Visitors get farther-reaching views of the majestic Rocky Mountains and foothills to the West and the prairies to the East.

For even more to see, over 130 lights were added to the exterior of the Tower, with daily light shows every morning before sunrise and nightly from dusk until midnight. The lights are also highlighted for holidays, festivals, and local sports events and can produce over a million different colours and effects.

The Calgary Tower ranks as one of the favorite, must-see Calgary attractions.

Check out the Glenbow Museum which is in Calgary AB too. 

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