Free things to do in Calgary

14 places in Calgary with free entry or no charge, based on guide listings and map data.

Ranked with the travel guide's picks and well-known places first.

SeeNorthwest
Bowness Park
Bowness Park is along the Bow River between Stoney Trail and 85 St NW. A shallow lagoon runs along the along the park's southern edge, a favourite spot for paddle boating in the summer and ice skating in the winter. Bowness Park is highly used for picnicking and accessing the Bow River.
5AM - 11PMfree
SeeNorthwest
Crescent Heights Park
This park offers a pleasant walk, along with popular views of Downtown Calgary.
Free
SeeCity Centre
Devonian Gardens
A large indoor urban park in TD Square, above the shopping area.
Free
DoSoutheast
Harvie Passage
The area around Calgary Bow River Weir was remade into a Class II and III white water park for paddlers. Harvie Passage is meant only for experienced canoe and kayak paddlers; all others should portage around it.
Free
SeeSoutheast
Inglewood Bird Sanctuary & Nature Centre
Registration for tours is recommended. The Nature Centre building, housing washrooms & drinking fountains, is closed until 2021. This 32-hectare wildlife reserve offers more than 2 km² of walking trails throughout the riverine forest. More than 250 species of birds and 300 species of plants, plus several kinds of mammals, have been observed in the area. As it is a bird sanctuary, no bicycles or dogs (except assistance dogs) are allowed.
Trails open sunrise–sunset, Nature Centre Tue-Sun 10AM-4PM, closed Mon and statutory holidays, closed at noon on Dec 24Free
SeeCity Centre Not mapped
Calgary Central Library
New Calgary Central Library
Flagship branch of the Calgary Public Library, opened on November 1, 2018. interior centres around a four-storey central atrium topped by a skylight. The lower floors contain the library's meeting spaces and activity centres, while the upper floors feature book stacks with space for 450,000 titles and a reading room. Also features a 340-seat theatre, conference rooms, and small café. Named one of the 12 Most Anticipated Buildings of 2018 by Architectural Digest.
Mon-Thu 9AM-8PM; Fri 9AM-6PM; Sat 9AM-5PM; Sun noon-5PMfree
Do Not mapped
Carifest
(June, 1 day) Calgary's annual festival celebrating the city's large West Indian population starts with a parade downtown to Shaw Millennium Park for the day's festivities.
Free
Do Not mapped
Dragon Boat Race and Festival
(August, 2 days) Dozens of 20-person dragon boat crews race to the beat of their drummers on Glenmore Reservoir. Kids' activities, food, and entertainment are all available in the park.
Free
SeeSoutheast Not mapped
Fish Creek Provincial Park
Fish Creek Provincial Park is one of North America's largest urban parks, covering. This natural area park stretches along the banks of Fish Creek and the Bow River in south Calgary, from roughly 14 St SW in the west to the Bow River in the east. The park includes the Sikome Lake Aquatic Facility (a man-made lake open in summer), the Bow Valley Ranch Visitor Centre, The Ranche Restaurant and Annie's Café (both privately operated), picnic sites, group use areas, trails for walking, bicycling, mountain biking, and horseback riding, a native garden, and a sculpture garden.
8AM to sunsetFree
Do Not mapped
FunnyFest Calgary Comedy Festival
(Late May, early June; 11 days) A festival of comedy in halls, clubs, pubs, and bars across Calgary.
Free to $25
Do Not mapped
Harvie Passage
The area around Calgary Bow River Weir was remade into a Class II and III white water park for paddlers. Harvie Passage is meant only for experienced canoe and kayak paddlers; all others should portage around it.
Free
Do Not mapped
Historic Calgary Week
(Late July & early August, 10 days) Learn about local history through talks, behind the scenes tours, and walks.
Free, donations welcome
SeeNorthwest Not mapped
Nose Hill Park
One of the largest municipal parks in North America, and the second-largest park in Calgary after Fish Creek Provincial Park. This is a beautiful surviving chunk of prairie and some wooded coulees, offering sweeping views over Downtown, NE Calgary including the airport, and west to the Rockies. A place to retreat from city life and enjoy nature, you may encounter deer, porcupines, coyotes, ravens, butterflies and bees. There are many kilometres of hiking and biking trails. Although large sections of the park are off-leash areas, on a few occasions coyotes have attacked and killed dogs in the park.
Free
DoSouthwest Not mapped
Spruce Meadows
Just south of the city on Highway 22X, Spruce Meadows is a world-renowned show jumping and equestrian facility. When there are major events at Spruce Meadows, a free shuttle takes visitors from the Somerset/Bridlewood C-Train station (Route 201) to Spruce Meadows. Check Spruce Meadows website for dates and times.
Free when there are no events; some events are also free. Tickets for major events start at $5 per person

Listings from the Wikivoyage guide to Calgary (CC BY-SA 4.0).