Spring Break is on its way and your kids will be out of school before you know it. If your palms are clammy at the thought of an entire week filled with empty days and you dread the choruses of “I’m bored” that will start approximately five minutes after the bell has rung, the Calgary Downtown Association has compiled a list of great thing to do rain or shine.
1. Looking for a bite to eat?
There are more than 200 dining spots located Downtown. Check out restaurants in these Downtown Hot Spots:
Stephen Avenue Walk (8th Avenue SW)
Eau Claire Market
Penny Lane Entertainment District
Chinatown
Olympic Plaza Cultural District
2. Looking for a movie?
Check out the following downtown cinemas:
Globe Cinema and The Uptown are across the street from each other on 8th Avenue at 5th Street SW (4 screens)
Cineplex at Eau Claire Market (5 screens)
3. Looking for live theatre? Maybe a concert?
Arts Commons is home to Theatre Calgary, Alberta Theatre Projects, One Yellow Rabbit and The Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra...
Vertigo Mystery Theatre is located at the base of the Calgary Tower
Ticket Master has a box office in the lobby of the Epcor Centre (mid block at Olympic Plaza)
4. Looking for something sweet? Try our Chocolate Trail:
Olivier's in the Alberta Block (Stephen Avenue at 1st Street SW)
Roger's (in the basement of the Bay)
Lewis and Les Truffes in Bankers Hall
Purdy's in Calgary Eaton Centre
Belgium Chocolate House (8th Ave just past 5th Street SW).
5. Looking for a nice walk along the river?
Check out the Bow River Pathway at Eau Claire, you can go east or west and circle back over the various bridges at 10th and 14th Streets SW, Centre St or Prince's Island bridge .
6. Looking for something to do with the kids?
Feed the fish at Devonian gardens
Discovery Room at the Glenbow Museum has great hands on activities
Calgary Tower will provide a unique perspective
Take a free train ride on the LRT downtown to the Calgary Science Centre and Shaw Millennium skate park
Central Library has a great children's section
Visit the Police Interpretive Centre next to the Library
Riverfront Aquariums has over 350 aquariums with tropical fish and reptiles!
7. Looking for something to keep the teens entertained?
A&B Sound's flagship store (Stephen Avenue at 1st street) has a great selection of CDs
Eau Claire has shopping, a video arcade and movie theatres
Shaw Millennium Park is a great hangout...
Try shopping from The Bay to Sears, over 300 stores connected by the +15 system
Souvenir shoppers should check out McNally Robinson Booksellers, the Glenbow Museum Gift Shop or A&B Sound. Of course you'll want something for yourself too!
Bet you didn't know that Downtown Calgary has more shopping than the West Edmonton Mall? Serious shoppers will need more time to check out the +15 shopping corridor from The Bay to SEARS. Head up Stephen Avenue, and check out The Bay (Alberta's largest department store), then head out on the 2nd floor +15 walk way system to discover more than 300 shops.
How about a +15 adventure? Did you know Calgary's indoor +15 system is the longest in the world; almost 60 bridges connect more than 100 buildings. It's amazing!
Looking for some tranquility? Check out Devonian Gardens - a 2.5 acre indoor garden located on the fourth floor of the TD Square complex (the twin black towers on Stephen Avenue, between 2nd and 3rd Avenue). Or take a short hike to the Bow River and walk around Prince's Island.
A visit to the Glenbow Museum is always a treat. It is both an art gallery and a museum. It is home to the permanent Blackfoot exhibition as well as numerous temporary exhibitions. It is the largest museum in Western Canada.
Looking for someplace to eat? We've got more than 200 restaurants downtown.
The Calgary Tower is certainly worth a visit. From there you can see the City, the mountains and the Downtown from an entirely different perspective.
Looking for a cafe close by? You might want to check out Baraka's in the EPCOR CENTRE for the Performing Arts, Lazy Loaf at the entrance to the Glenbow, Good Earth Cafe on Stephen Avenue across from Winners, or the Second Cup on Stephen Ave at 2nd Street is usually bustling with wheelers and dealers from the oil patch.
What about a public art walk? Downtown has more than 100 public artworks located on the streets and avenues, as well as in plazas, parks and lobbies. How many can you find in an hour?
1. Play on Prince's Island Park*
2. Spot your house from the top of the Calgary Tower
3. Watch history come to life at Fort Calgary Historic Park
4. Feed the fish in Devonian Gardens*
5. Discover how a snake smells at the Calgary Science Centre
6. Explore your creative side at the Glenbow Museum's Discovery Room
7. Pretend you're a police officer at the Calgary Police Interpretive Centre
8. Enjoy water fun at Olympic Plaza and Eau Claire*
9. Board or blade at the new Shaw Millennium Park*
10. Stroll the Udderly Art Legacy Pasture and moooo at your favourite cow*
* Indicates FREE activities
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