North America

7 Things You Might Not Know About Calgary

February 2, 2024

Here are a few things you might not know about Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

We spoke with the pros at Tourism Calgary and found a few surprises for incentive groups, from creating custom leather boots at Alberta Boot Company to a tour of the Rolling Stones’ Mobile Recording Studio, where many hit albums were recorded including Led Zepplin III and IV.

Here are 7 things you might not know about Calgary:

1) Did you know that the Canadian province of Alberta has more cattle than people? Savor their world-famous beef at old-school steakhouse Caesar’s Steakhouse or at award-winning restaurant Major Tom, which boasts city skyline and Rocky Mountain views from the 40th floor.

2) Speaking of Caesar’s, Calgary is the birthplace of Canada’s signature cocktail, the Caesar. It is estimated that up to 400 million Caesars are consumed annually. Find a variety of versions of this uniquely Canadian drink – some with wild toppings – at a variety of Calgary distilleries, restaurants and bars.

3) While you may have heard that Calgary is home to the Calgary Stampede, the “greatest outdoor show on earth,” year-round visitors can experience Calgary’s western heritage at the Sam Centre, a new attraction opening May 2024, that will share the Stampede and western destination story year-round with interactive displays at a ranch in the heart of the city.

4) For visitors wanting to take home a unique piece of Calgary’s western story, just like Kevin Costner has, visit Alberta Boot Company, for a pair of custom leather cowboy boots. Each pair of boots takes more than 270 steps to make by hand and on pre-world war era machinery.

5) For music-lovers, Calgary boasts Studio Bell, home of the National Music Centre. Tour the hundreds of interactive displays and memorabilia from Canadian music legends or take an exclusive Behind-the-Glass tour that includes going inside the Rolling Stones’ Mobile Recording Studio where many hit albums were recorded including Led Zepplin III and IV.

6) A visit to Calgary would not be complete without exploring some of the pathways, since the destination has the longest urban pathway network in North America, at more than 621 miles. Walk, bike or scoot on the trails alongside the glacier-fed Bow River, for great people-watching and even some wildlife viewing right in the heart of Canada’s fourth largest destination.

7) With the most number of UNESCO sites of any Canadian province in Alberta (six in total), five of those UNESCO World Heritage Sites, including Banff National Park and Dinosaur Provincial Park, are only a day trip away from Calgary.