A native Calgarian writer, documentary producer, and historian whose work has taken him from London and Paris to monasteries in Germany and political circles in the Middle East. He has spent much of his career uncovering the hidden human stories behind politics, landscapes, and historical events. Today, he brings that same eye for detail and narrative to personal historical tours of Calgary and Southern Alberta.
He has developed dramatic projects rooted in early Southern Alberta history, including extensive work on the first cattle drives into the province and the ranching culture that followed. His historical interests lean toward social history and the original voices that shaped the West...
Highlights
2 hours and 30 minutes
Offered in English
Non-refundable
Mobile Ticket
2 hours and 30 minutes
Offered in English
Non-refundable
Mobile Ticket
What's Included
Personal guided tour by myself
Calgary Tower admission is not included (approximately CAD $25.20 plus any applicable booking fees).
Studio Bell admission is not included (current admission fees vary by visitor type).
The Confluence admission is not included (current admission fees vary by visitor type).
Gratuities
Personal Expenses
Meeting Points
Departure
I'll meet you in Wonderland. Or at least in front of Wonderland, the remarkable public art that sits in front of the Bow Building.
Return
The tour ends at the C train station back to downtown Calgary
Calgary Landmarks and History Private Walking Tour
About
A native Calgarian writer, documentary producer, and historian whose work has taken him from London and Paris to monasteries in Germany and political circles in the Middle East. He has spent much of his career uncovering the hidden human stories behind politics, landscapes, and historical events. Today, he brings that same eye for detail and narrative to personal historical tours of Calgary and Southern Alberta.
He has developed dramatic projects rooted in early Southern Alberta history, including extensive work on the first cattle drives into the province and the ranching culture that followed. His historical interests lean toward social history and the original voices that shaped the West...
Highlights
2 hours and 30 minutes
Offered in English
Non-refundable
Mobile Ticket
2 hours and 30 minutes
Offered in English
Non-refundable
Mobile Ticket
What's Included
Personal guided tour by myself
Calgary Tower admission is not included (approximately CAD $25.20 plus any applicable booking fees).
Studio Bell admission is not included (current admission fees vary by visitor type).
The Confluence admission is not included (current admission fees vary by visitor type).
Gratuities
Personal Expenses
Meeting Points
Departure
I'll meet you in Wonderland. Or at least in front of Wonderland, the remarkable public art that sits in front of the Bow Building.
Return
The tour ends at the C train station back to downtown Calgary
Itinerary
1
Calgary Tower
Built in 1968 to prove Calgary was thinking bigger than oil rigs and cattle. At 191 metres, it was once the tallest structure in Canada and gave the city an instant landmark. This is an exterior stop. I'll explain the quirky history. The tour does not enter the building. If you do want to visit the tower later Adult admission is currently about $24 plus GST. With tax, that is $25.20.
Prices vary by date, and online orders have a $1.50 booking fee per order. The Calgary Tower recommends booking ahead for its best rate.
2
City Hall
We pass Calgary City Hall, take a moment to look at one of the city's oldest public buildings. Completed in 1911 from locally quarried sandstone, it has served as the Centre of civic government for more than a century. A few steps later we'll walk through the Municipal Building, its much younger neighbour. Opened in the early 1980s, it reflects a very different era of architecture, but together the two buildings show how Calgary has expanded without completely leaving its history behind.
3
Studio Bell, home of the National Music Centre
Studio Bell is the home of the National Music Centre that contains the history of Canadian music under one roof.
The building is hard to miss. Its unusual shape was inspired by the curves of musical instruments, although most Calgarians have their own theories about what it looks like. We will also have a look at the legendary radio station and the King Eddy the home of the blues. This is an exterior stop. IF you do want to visit exhibitions the current admission cost is: Studio Bell admission:
Adults: $24.50
Students and seniors aged 65+: $19.50
Youth aged 4–12: $16.50
Children 3 and under: free
Seniors on Wednesdays: free
4
The Confluence Historic Site & Parkland
The Confluence marks the meeting of the Bow and Elbow Rivers, the place where Calgary began. Long before the city existed, Indigenous peoples gathered here to trade, hunt and travel, making it one of the oldest continuously used sites in the region. Later it became the location of Fort Calgary, established by the North-West Mounted Police in 1875. Today it is less about old buildings than the stories attached to the ground beneath your feet, a reminder that Calgary's history started here long before there was a skyline. This is an exterior stop. The tour does not enter the building. IF you do want to tour the Confluence admission at this time is General: $15
Senior: $10
Student: $10
Youth aged 10–17: $10
Child aged 4–9: $5
5
Calgary Stampede
Following the Elbow River, we arrive at Stampede Park, home of the Calgary Stampede. What began in 1912 as a celebration of the ranching culture that built southern Alberta has grown into the Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth. We will delve into the world's biggest rodeos colorful and eccentric past.
The Stampede Park is far more than the home of the rodeo. It has become one of Canada's premier venues for concerts, festivals, conventions, exhibitions and major sporting events, drawing millions of visitors each year. As we explore the area, we'll see how this historic site has continually reinvented itself and how the surrounding Rivers District is transforming into one of Calgary's most ambitious cultural, entertainment and business developments, ensuring that this part of the city remains at the heart of Calgary's story for generations to come.
