Calgary 3-hour self-guided walking tour and scavenger hunt

Looking for things to do in Calgary? Our Calgary scavenger hunt is a walk through the city’s center is an opportunity to learn about its history and discover many attractions. Solve challenges at each step to discover your next destination.

Walk from Calgary Tower to Olympic Plaza and McDougall Centre, by way of the Bow and Stephen Avenue Walk. Have fun completing the challenges at each stop.

Buy $50

Scavenger Hunt information :

What you'll see

City Hall
Calgary Tower
Olympic Plaza
McDougall Center
Devonian Gardens
Palace Theatre
The Bow
Stephen Avenue Walk
And much more!

Specifications & Requirements

Starting point: outside the Hotel Fairmont Palliser at 133 9 Ave SW, Calgary, AB T2P 2M3
Distance: 4.2 km / 2.61 mi
Duration: 3 hours
Methode: on foot
Required: Fully charged smartphone with internet access (data plan) – Wifi will not be enough.
Suggested:
- Water bottle
- Local map

History

Calgary, located at the confluence of the Bow and Elbow Rivers, is named for Calgary on the Isle of Mull in Scotland. The name means “cold garden” in Old Norse.

The area was inhabited by pre-Clovis people at least 11,000 years ago. The Niitsitapi (Blackfoot Confederacy) occupied the region until the coming of cartographer David Thompson in 1787.

The 1st European settler in the Calgary area was in 1873. Then came the 1st Mounted Police post in 1875 to protect the fur trade.

The Canadian Pacific Railway reached Calgary in 1883. Its headquarters moved here from Montreal in 1996. The City was incorporated in 1884. In 1886 a fire destroyed much of the city’s downtown, including 14 buildings.

Following the fire, the city required all buildings to be built with sandstone, which led the way for the Knox Presbyterian Church, Imperial Bank, City Hall, and Calgary Courthouse.

In 1905, Alberta became a province (this was initially the North-West Territories) but Edmonton was chosen as its capital instead of Calgary.

The 1st “Calgary Stampede” was held in 1912, following the federally funded Dominion Exhibition of 1908 which had proven to be a success. 1914 marked the beginning of the oil and gas age in Calgary.

In 1930, the Conservative Party’s Calgary representative R.B. Bennett became the 11th Prime Minister of Canada. Another, for the Social Credit party, William Aberhart became the 7th Premier of Alberta.

In 1945, The CFL Calgary Stampeders were formed. They won the Grey Cup 8 times between 1948 and 2018. In 1980, the NHL Alberta Flames moved to Calgary. They won the Stanley Cup twice, in 1988 and 1989. In 1988, Calgary hosted the Olympic Winter Games