The official name is The Calgary Zoo, Botanical Garden & Prehistoric Park, which gives you an idea of the scope.

Ranks high on the international 'zoo-o-meter' for it's quality and size. Loads of things to see and the kids will love the prehistoric park with dinos and what have you.

The LRT (train) stops at Zoo Station.
1300 Zoo Road (off Memorial Drive)
Open 9-17.
16 dollars (adults), 8 bucks (kids)
www.calgaryzoo.org/

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Calgary has developed a unique habit when creating new neighbourhoods as the city expands. In the south of the city they dug a huge hole, made a hill with the dirt, made a lake in the hole and then built a neighbourhood around the lake.

The result? Fascinating lessons in modern urban planning. Check out Lake Bonavista, Lake Bonaventure, Lake Midnapore and many others if urban planning is your kinky thang.

The above mentioned neighbourhoods are south of the city centre.

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It all started in 1912 when rodeo competition was arranged to celebrate the old west and the cowboy culture. For ten days every July this busy oil town dons denim and stetsons and has a party. There is rodeo and chuckwagon racing galore, as well as Native American culture and a fun fair.

You can eat free for the duration as many shopping centres put on pancake breakfasts. Yeehaw. Yahoo. And all that.

It's good, clean fun (unless animal cruelty is an issue for you) and at the very least it's fascinating to see such a large city get so into an event that they change their wardrobe en masse.

At Stampede Park on McLeod Trail. Easily reached from downtown by train. Starts on the first Friday in July every year.
calgarystampede.com/

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This museum offers some excellent material on the early history of the area, particularly on the First Nations. It has also a small, though interestingly stocked, bookshop.

We missed it the first time we were in Calgary and the second time only found it on the last morning we were there. Don't make our mistake!

Glenbow Museum
130 - 9 Avenue S.E.
Calgary, Alberta
Canada
T2G 0P3

Email: glenbow@glenbow.org
Phone: (403) 268-4100
Fax: (403) 265-9769

www.glenbow.org/

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In line with the city's affection for the old west, Heritage Park is a historical village that gives you a taste of life a century ago on the great plains. Quaint rides, fun events, great for the family.

www.heritagepark.ca

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Fancy a walk or a bike ride? The pathway around Glenmore Reservoir is 14 km long and leads you through gorgeous forests as you skirt around the reservoir. You actually leave the city limits. If you ride a bike, wear a helmet or risk a fine or, even worse, dirty looks from everyman and his dog.

Start at Heritage Park.

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The eerie formations known as Hoo Doos (or Hoodoos) are found in North American badlands, formed by wind and water erosion of sedimentary rocks. Looking like petrified mushrooms, they have a protective rock cap which shelters their shaft, detering them from disintergrating at the same speed as the surrounding sandstone.

In the Drumheller area you can follow a special 25 km (15 mile) Hoodoo Drive Trail to where you can visit them along highway 10, 18 km southeast of town.

The hoodoos look like they are from a Star Wars setting. Best of all it's free!!! to visit

You can get information at the tourist office under the 90-foot Tyrannosaurus rex (world's largest dinosaur statue) in the centre of town.

Drumheller is 1.5 hours north east of Calgary.
www.drumheller.worldweb.com/
www.virtuallydrumheller.com/tour/hoodoos.htm

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The most fantastic dinosaur museum since T-Rex reigned supreme. The 'badlands' east of Calgary are some of the richest dinosaur graveyards in the world and the Royal Tyrell Museum has the most impressive collection of fossils and bones you could imagine. Great for the family.

Just outside the town of Drumheller, which in turn is and hour and a half east of Calgary.
www.tyrrellmuseum.com/

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If you're in town during the ice hockey season, try and get a ticket to an NHL game at the local team's home rink The Saddledome. (Shaped like a saddle, wild west... geddit?) The Calgary Flames are the team and attending a game is a cultural crash course.

The Calgary Flames website:
www.calgaryflames.com
The Saddledome:
www.pengrowthsaddledome.com

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Try the bobsled track at Canada Olympic Park if you fancy an adrenalin rush at over 90 kph. Pricey at 45 dollars but worth every hair-raising, pants-wetting second.

Most accessible by car as it is located on the outskirts, along the highway to the Rockies.

88 Canada Olympic Park Road
Calgary, AB

Tel 247 5452
Web: www.canadaolympicpark.ca

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Nothing like a tower with a view. The Calgary Tower opened in 1968 and despite being since relegated to the "third tallest structure in Calgary" the view is terrific. The city stretching away beneath you. The Rockies in the distance. In town? Do the tower. During the 1988 Winter Olympics the flame was atop the tower and is still lit for special occasions.

All you need to know: www.calgarytower.com.

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