Distant Views from the Calgary Tower

• Author: ClaireB
• Accommodation: Calgary Accommodations

Calgary Tower is by no means the tallest building in Canada; in fact, it’s not even the tallest building in Calgary! So you may be wandering what’s the point, if nearby buildings tower over the one specifically designed as an observation tower! But despite this, the Calgary Tower is one of the city’s top attractions, and as someone who has visited, I personally recommend it!

When the Calgary Tower was built, it was the tallest building in Calgary and the tallest in the country outside of Toronto. That was back in 1967, and when it was opened to the public in February 1968 it was named the Husky Tower after the oil company who helped finance the project.

It’s difficult to imagine it now, but back in 1968 the Husky Tower, which was renamed the Calgary Tower in 1971, was actually twice the height of anything else in the city; you had a full 360 degree view over the city itself, out to the west and the Rockies, and to the east and the prairies. You can still see the majority of those views today actually, and on a clear day, looking to the west, those views of the majestic Rockies are really spectacular.

So how high is the Calgary Tower? It stands 191 m (626 ft.) high and like many other towers it has a revolving restaurant where you can enjoy a meal while slowing revolving, giving you a constantly changing view of the city. Another highlight of the tower is the glass floor which gives you an unobstructed view all the way down to the street! It takes a little bit of courage to first step onto this glass, but once you do it’s a lot of fun and makes for some very interesting photos!

To get to the top by the way, there are two high speed elevators that travel to the top in 63 seconds, and once you’re there you can look around on your own, or make use of the free guided tours that are available during busier periods. At the base of the tower is the Tourism Information Centre and there are also several stores where you can buy souvenirs of our visit.

Photo and article copyright Claire Bolgil. Claire is a freelance travel writer based in Beautiful BC. Find out more about her at www.clairebolgil.com.