Calgary Parks and Gardens

(Calgary, Alberta - AB, Canada)

If you were to fly over Calgary, you may think that the city has been overrun by parks and gardens. Calgary contains literally dozens of lush parks, including the largest urban park in Canada, the huge Fish Creek Provincial Park, located to the south of the city.

However, Prince's Island Park is Calgary's best loved and it is only a short walk from downtown Calgary, while the Botanical Gardens boast a zoo and the indoor Devonian Gardens are situated within a shopping center. Here are Calgary's main parks and gardens.

Calgary Zoo, Botanical Gardens and Prehistoric Park

Address: 1300 Zoo Road Northeast, Calgary, Alberta (AB), Canada
Tel: +1 403 232 9300
Located on George's Island, to the east of downtown, Calgary Zoo, Botanical Gardens and Prehistoric Park are a chief attraction in Calgary, with many exotic animals and a collection of dinosaur statues. The zoo is one of the best in Canada and features the Destination Africa Pavilion, which has an underwater hippo viewing area, and the Prehistoric Park, with life-size dinosaurs.
Open hours: daily - 09:00 to 17:00
Admission: call for details

Prince's Island Park

Address: North Downtown, Calgary, Alberta (AB), Canada
Tel: +1 403 268 3888, or +1 800 661 1678
Lying on a bend in the River Bow, to the north of downtown Calgary, Prince's Island Park is a vast island, crisscrossed by walking and biking trails and linked to the city by a number of bridges. There is a children's water park here and many festivals are hosted on the island throughout the summer, including the Calgary Folk Music Festival, Heritage Day celebrations and CaribFest.
Open hours: daily
Admission: free

Devonian Gardens

Address: 317 Seventh Avenue Southwest, Calgary, Alberta (AB), Canada
Tel: +1 403 221 3782
The Devonian Gardens is an indoor garden located on the fourth level of Toronto Dominion Square, which is situated just above Calgary's Toronto Dominion Center shopping complex. The gardens feature 20,000 plants, miles of walkways and a sculpture court, all contained within a vast roof garden. There are also many ponds that are stocked with rainbow trout, koi carp, goldfish and turtles, and art exhibitions and performances are held here regularly.
Open hours: daily - 09:00 to 21:00
Admission: free

Fish Creek Provincial Park

Address: Highway 66, West of Bragg Creek, Calgary, Alberta (AB), Canada
Tel: +1 403 297 5293
Located to the south of downtown Calgary, Fish Creek Provincial Park is Canada's largest urban park, complete with a Visitor Center and an Archeological Interpretive Center. The park harbors lots of wildlife and numerous creekside pathways, which are popular with cyclists and walkers.
Open hours: daily - 08:00 to 18:00; visitor centers: weekdays - 08:00 to 12:00, Saturday - 13:00 to 16:30
Admission: free