The glass deck
A view all round the city.
Daniel from Glasgow, United Kingdom — CC BY 2.0 · Milan Suvajac — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Benefactor123 — CC BY 3.0 · Ethan Sahagun — CC BY 4.0 · Daniel from Glasgow, United Kingdom — CC BY 2.0
The Calgary Tower is a free-standing observation tower 190.8 m tall in downtown Calgary, Alberta. It is one of the city's main symbols, with its round red top, and a founding member of the World Federation of Great Towers, and visitors come to see the city, the prairies and the distant Rockies. It began as the Husky Tower, part of an urban renewal plan and a celebration of Canada's 1967 centennial, a joint venture of Marathon Realty and Husky Oil, costing C$3.5 million. It weighs about 10,884 tonnes, 60 percent of it below ground. It opened on 30 June 1968 as the tallest structure in Calgary and the tallest in Canada outside Toronto, and was renamed in 1971. The lift rises to a glassed-in deck that runs all the way round, with downtown Calgary and its towers around you. Rail lines and the city spread towards the horizon, and on clear days you can see the mountains to the west. From below it now looks small among modern towers, a settled part of the skyline. It stands downtown, 600 m in a straight line from the heart of the city, an easy walk or light rail ride. Pick a clear day, and the hour before sunset is a fine time to watch the lights come on. The Royal Tyrrell Museum is 101 km away in a straight line if you want a trip out of the city.
A view all round the city.
A symbol of Calgary's skyline.
To the west on clear days.
Downtown Calgary, Alberta
They show to the west on clear days, so choose your day.
An hour is usually enough, a little longer at sunset.