Studio Bell is home to the National Music Centre (NMC), and is an impressive, modern building located on the East side of Calgary. It spans no less than FIVE floors and its design incorporates the historic 1905 King Edward Hotel, with a Skybridge connecting both sides of the building across the street. With such a large space, there are plenty of exhibits for visitors of all ages to explore Canada's rich musical history as well as its current day music scene.
We’ve been lucky enough to visit Studio Bell on multiple occasions, and we think it is one of the 40 Best Things to do in Calgary. We’ve reviewed our most recent visit to this iconic music museum, as well as sharing tips to help you explore this incredible space with your family and friends.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Getting There
Studio Bell is located close to East Village on the East side of downtown Calgary, just around the corner from the Calgary Central Library. The centre is easily accessible by car, public transit, or on foot if you're coming from the downtown area. It's only a short 5-minute walk from the City Hall LRT station, several bus routes stop nearby, and there are two paid public parking lots just across the street.
Parking
There are two parking lots close to Studio Bell: the Calgary Parking Authority lot and the Indigo lot. The Indigo lot which is closest to the centre fills up quickly, especially on weekends or during special events, but you can generally always find plenty of parking.
Important to Note: The Calgary Parking Authority lot requires payment via an app with a $25 minimum 'reload', so if you are not a local that will use the credits another time, I'd recommend trying to park at the Indigo lot instead.
Studio Bell Hours
Studio Bell is open every day from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM. During holidays or special events, hours may vary, so it's always a good idea to check their website before your trip for any updates or changes to opening times. If you’re looking to visit on Family Day, Studio Bell offers free admission, though it tends to be incredibly busy on that day, so be prepared for larger crowds.
Admission
Studio Bell admission to is as follows:
Adults: $24.50
Students/Seniors (65+): $19.50
Youth (ages 4-12): $16.50
Children (3 and under): Free
NMC Members: Free
Canada Day: Free
You can purchase annual passes if you think you are likely to visit multiple times in a year. Check with the ticket desk for more information.
Accessibility
Studio Bell is fully accessible, with elevators to all floors and wheelchair-friendly entrances.
STUDIO BELL EXHIBITS
As you might expect, with five floors of exhibits, there’s a lot to explore. We've broken down what there is to see and do on each floor.
You can view a map of each floor here: https://www.studiobell.ca/museum-map
Level One: Canada Music Square
On the ground floor, you'll find a gift shop, a ticket desk, and a coat room. There's not much else to mention here. Staircases on either side lead up to the second floor, with elevators available for easy access.
Level Two: Music Mosaic
On this level, you'll find information about the people and cultures that have shaped Canadian music. There's a dedicated section highlighting famous music venues across the country, as well as a space that shares the stories of some of Canada's music legends.
An Alberta-specific room features video interviews with some of the province's most renowned artists, along with plenty of opportunities to listen to their music through headphones mounted on the walls. I might have listened to Brett Kissel longer than I should have....!
In general, I would say that a lot of the information on this floor was a bit over the girls' heads but visiting Studio Bell with kids is still worthwhile. Take a moment to enjoy the music on the headphones, but they are likely to be more engaged on the other floors.
Level Three: The Power of Music
On this level, there’s a lot more for families and kids to enjoy. There are live demonstrations of the famous Kimball Theatre Organ (we sat and watched it the last time we were here), but even if you miss the presentation, there are touch screens explaining how the organ was used in films to set different moods - happy, sad, or scary. It’s an incredibly impressive instrument!
There’s a room that highlights Indigenous artists, as well as another space meant to make you reflect on the music you’re listening to. The girls both filled out postcards to pin on the wall, sharing what music means to them.
There are also two vocal booths where you can step in and sing your heart out. Don’t worry – they’re fully soundproof!
Level Four: Making Music
This floor was definitely the girls' favorite as you could get really hands-on with instruments. They enjoyed looking at all the wacky outfits and fashion memorabilia from the '70s, '80s, and '90s.
There were also some antique instruments from the early 20th century.
But by far, the girls’ favorite part was trying their hand at playing a guitar. If you’re visiting Studio Bell with kids, this is the perfect floor to let them explore and interact with different musical instruments.
Also on this floor was my favourite part of the centre - the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame. There's also the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame and the ADISQ Hall of Fame, which celebrates the achievements of Quebecois musicians.
Level Five: The Best of Canada
On this level, you'll find the Canadian Music Hall of Fame, where you can see memorabilia from some of Canada’s biggest music icons (both past and present), as well as view the latest inductees into the Canadian Music Halls of Fame. Of course, as soon as the girls saw the red carpet, the poses came out!
Evelyn gave Drake (one of the most recent inductees) a big thumbs down - that's my girl!
There was also a featured exhibition all about the Beatles called 'From Me to You: The Beatles in Canada 1964-1966'. What I enjoyed most about this was that it wasn't just an exhibit about the Beatles; rather, it was a tribute to the band's visits to Canada and the excitement of Beatlemania that took over the country.
Studio Bell Events
If you're visiting on a weekend, you'll often find live music performances on the main stage (on level 2) throughout the day. It's a good idea to check what’s on before your visit, as catching some live music is always a fun experience. The first time we visited, the band was playing a history of Canadian music, covering everything from the early 1900s to modern-day artists like Shawn Mendes and Justin Bieber.
The stage isn’t huge, so there can sometimes be a bit of a queue for popular shows - it's free and people walk in and out regularly.
However, you can still listen to the music from behind the main stages, as it’s been designed with acoustics in mind, allowing the sound to travel up through the center of the building to all floors when live music is being played.
Studio Bell also hosts ticketed events from time to time, including the popular Studio Bell Candlelight concerts. I haven’t been myself, but I’ve heard they’re fantastic. For example, there's a tribute to Pink Floyd by the Listeso String Quartet coming up in March.
We hope you find this information useful when planning your next visit to the Studio Bell in Calgary!
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