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The Ultimate List of Indoor Things to Do in Calgary
- andrewsco3
- Mar 9
- 15 min read
Updated: Apr 4
Calgary might be known for its iconic Stampede and its proximity to the breathtaking Canadian Rockies, but let’s face it – when winter rolls in and temperatures drop (which happens a lot), you might prefer to stay indoors. Thankfully, there are plenty of fun indoor activities in Calgary to keep you entertained when the weather takes a turn for the worse.
We’ve been living in the city since 2012, so when it comes to the best things to do in Calgary, we’ve got you covered!
In this guide, we’ll explore the best indoor things to do in Calgary, ensuring you’ll always find something exciting to do, no matter how cold it gets outside! And if you’re looking for even more things to do in the city, check out our guide to the 40 best things to do in Calgary, which includes a mix of both indoor and outdoor attractions that will keep you busy all year round. And if you're short on time, our perfect 2-day itinerary will help you make the most of a quick visit!
MAP OF INDOOR ATTRACTIONS IN CALGARY
Whenever we plan a trip, we always start with Google Maps. It helps us visualize locations and create efficient itineraries. We’ve added all the top indoor attractions in Calgary to the map below to help you see where everything is and plan your own itinerary.
To use this map, click the tab in the top left corner to toggle between layers and for more details about each attraction. To save the map to your Google Maps account, click the star next to the title. To access it later, open Google Maps, go to “Your Places,” and find it under “Maps.”
THE BEST INDOOR THINGS TO DO IN CALGARY
The Calgary Tower
Located in downtown Calgary, the iconic Calgary Tower is a perfect indoor activity on a cold but clear winter day. From its 191-meter-high observation deck, you can enjoy stunning 360° views of the city and the Rocky Mountains, and the glass floor gives you no choice but to look straight down at the streets below!
However, admission isn’t cheap. Instead, we often take the more budget-friendly option and eat at the revolving SKY 360 restaurant, which is 155 meters above the city. It offers similar views but you don't need to pay to go up (just pay for the food you buy in the restaurant).
Gasoline Alley at Heritage Park
Heritage Park Historic Village is one of Calgary's most popular summer attractions, but did you know that you can visit the Gasoline Alley Museum (located inside the grounds) year-round? As the only part of the park that remains open throughout the winter, it’s a fantastic indoor option when the weather isn’t ideal.
Inside, you’ll find an impressive collection of vintage vehicles, from classic cars to antique trucks and motorcycles, as well as fascinating gas pumps and petroleum memorabilia. It’s the perfect spot to dive into Alberta’s history while staying warm and dry!
The Studio Bell National Music Centre
Studio Bell, home to the National Music Centre (NMC), is an impressive museum that spans five floors, and explores Canada’s musical history and contemporary music scene. Visitors of all ages can enjoy a hands-on approach to learning about music; from trying different instruments, to recording songs in the state-of-the-art studios.
One of the highlights for our kids is always the main stage, where local performers play covers of hits from Canadian music icons like Justin Bieber, Bryan Adams, and Shawn Mendes. We recently visited Studio Bell, and we’ve shared all the details in our blog post here.
The Military Museums
The Military Museums in Calgary is the second largest museum in Canada, and is actually made up of eight separate 'mini' museums; the Naval, Army, and Air Force Museums of Alberta, the Air Force Cold War Museum, and the four regimental museums of the city’s founding military units.
It's a really interactive museum, with many lifelike exhibits, including an incredibly realistic WW1 trench that you can walk through,. In addition, there is a Cold War exhibit, which features two hangars displaying various fighter jets. The museum even houses an original German Enigma machine from WWII which is pretty interesting to see!
The Hangar Flight Museum
On a similar note, the Hangar Flight Museum (previously known as the Aero Space Museum of Calgary) is an interesting place to visit for families with young kids, and of course, aviation enthusiasts. The museum is housed in a drill hall constructed as part of the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan during World War II, and features an impressive collection of over 24 rare military and civilian aircraft. It's a great place to learn about Canada's aviation history and the remarkable stories of those who risked their lives piloting these incredible machines.
Youthlink Calgary Police Interpretive Centre
The YouthLink Calgary Police Interpretive Centre is a hands-on museum that offers a fascinating look into Calgary's law enforcement and crime prevention world. Located at the Calgary Police Headquarters, it includes exhibits on forensic science, historical crime cases, and even real-life policing equipment. You can even sit in a real life police car and turn on the lights! The best part? It's free to visit! We had an amazing time exploring YouthLink, and if you want more details about our experience, be sure to check out our blog post here.
The Calgary Central Library
Opened in 2018 on the edge of East Village, the Calgary Central Library is one of the city’s most stunning architectural buildings. During a Calgary walking tour, we learned that its interior design is inspired by a candle, symbolizing Calgary’s deep connections to Indigenous history. If you enjoy photography, the library's stunning interior provides plenty of opportunities to capture some incredible shots.
Just next door to the library you'll find Cochu, an award-winning chocolate shop. It’s a must-visit for chocolate lovers with a sweet tooth, as they make some unique candy covered slabs of chocolate, and even an indulgent cup of rich, melted chocolate straight from their chocolate fountain!
Indoor Ice Skating
Ice skating is one of Canada’s most iconic winter pastimes, and we love heading out onto a frozen lake for a night skate during the colder months. However, when temperatures drop too low or warmer weather makes outdoor skating unsafe, Calgary offers plenty of excellent indoor rinks too.
One of the top indoor skating rinks is the University of Calgary’s Olympic Oval, which was built for the 1988 Winter Olympics. If you can, try to visit on a Monday as they have a special 'Toonie Night' offer, where everyone can skate for just $2 each. You can check their schedule here: oval.ucalgary.ca.
Skydiving at iFly
Don't fancy jumping out of a plane when it's -30C and snowing? Don't worry, Calgary has you covered! iFly Calgary is an indoor skydiving experience, where you can feel the rush of freefall without jumping from a plane. IFLY uses a vertical wind tunnel to create a smooth, controlled flying experience suitable for all skill levels, including kids. It's a fantastic way to experience the thrill of skydiving without having to jump from a plane, (which is just fine with me)!
Watch a Hockey Game
Hockey is a huge part of Canadian culture, and if you’re visiting during the hockey season, watching a game is definitely worth it. Even if you’re not a hockey fan, the energy in the arena is amazing, making it an unforgettable experience - and about as Canadian as it gets! The Calgary Flames are Calgary's local team that plays in the NHL, which is the highest level of professional hockey in North America. The Calgary Hitmen, on the other hand, play in the Western Hockey League (WHL), which is a major junior hockey league in Canada.
If you happen to be in Calgary in early December, The Hitmen are famous for their Teddy Bear Toss, which is an annual game where fans throw thousands of stuffed animals onto the ice after the home team scores its first goal. Definitely worth going if you are in town and have kids!
Ticket prices vary, with budget-friendly options starting around $30 and premium seats going for $300 or more. You can buy ticket here:
Calgary flames tickets: https://www.nhl.com/flames/tickets/
Calgary Hitmen tickets: https://chl.ca/whl-hitmen/tickets/
The Chinook Mall
Chinook Mall is one of Calgary’s largest and most popular shopping malls, featuring over 250 stores, including a variety of luxury boutiques and well-known mainstream brands. The mall is located on Macleod Trail in the south of the city and is easily accessible by car, with both above-ground and underground parking options. It is also conveniently near the Chinook Calgary Transit C-Train station.
The mall also features a cinema and bowling alley, and regularly hosts special events (we attended a light show called 'mirror mirror' last year), which you can check out to see what's on here.
The Devonian Gardens at the CORE Shopping Mall
The Devonian Gardens is an indoor botanical garden located on the 4th floor of the CORE Shopping Centre, in downtown Calgary. The mall has four floors of shopping and dining options, with over 150 stores to explore. The gardens feature more than 500 trees, 50 plant varieties, a 900 sq. ft. living wall, as well as fountains and fish ponds. It's a nice place to take kids as they will have fun playing at the play area, which includes a climbing wall, while the parents can relax in a bit of tranquility.
Visit an Art Gallery
Calgary has a thriving art scene, with a number of fantastic art galleries to visit throughout the city. Best of all, most of them are free. Here are two of our favourites:
Esker Foundation
The Esker Foundation is a free art gallery located in Inglewood. The gallery is a beautiful building with a number of revolving contemporary art exhibits. There is a small section called the nest where you can read books, relax, and take in the view of downtown.
Nickle Galleries
Another free art gallery, this time located on the campus of the University of Calgary, Nickle Galleries focuses on contemporary works from Western Canadian artists. The museum also hosts free weekly 'Nickle at Noon' talks (Thursdays at noon), often led by the artists themselves, if you want to gain a more in depth understanding of the artwork on display.
Calgary Plus 15 Downtown Walk
A unique feature of downtown Calgary is the 'Plus 15', which is a network of elevated walkways that connect various downtown buildings, shopping centers, and transit stations. These walkways are 15ft off the ground, thus the Plus 15 name, and it means that you can walk around almost all of downtown without ever having to venture outside, which is a pretty neat thing when it's -30°C outside! It's a great option if you want to get some steps in but the weather isn't playing ball.
Chinese Cultural Centre
If you are spending a day exploring downtown, I'd definitely recommend spending some time in China Town. It's an interesting place to walk around, and has one of the most interesting buildings in the city. The Calgary Chinese Cultural Centre has a 70 foot high multicolored ceiling, that was inspired by the Temple of Heaven in Beijing. There is a free museum where you can learn about the history of Chinese Canadians as well as browse the Chinese Artifacts Museum, which is free to enter.
It probably goes without saying, but there are some pretty good places to eat in China town! One of the most famous is the Silver Dragon, and it's a great place to try ginger beef, a dish that originated in Calgary and is one of our top recommendations for foods to try when visiting Calgary.
Calgary Farmers Market
There are a few farmers markets scattered around the city, but our favourite is definitely the Calgary Farmers Market, that is just up the hill from Deerfoot Meadows (a large shopping centre). Like most farmers markets, there are vendors selling local produce, artisanal goods, and handmade products, as well as having many vendors selling hot and cold food. There is also a soft play area for the kiddos, which is perfect for kids under the age of 8. There is also a West location that is close to the Calgary Olympic Park that has many of the same vendors. It's open Thursday through Sunday 9am - 5pm.
The Jubilee Auditorium
The Jubilee Auditorium, known as the 'Jube', is one of Calgary's top performance venues, offering a range of live shows throughout the year. From Broadway productions and concerts to ballet, orchestras, and comedy, this iconic theater always has an impressive lineup of entertainment. We recently attended a performance by the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra, where they played the music to the movie Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, and it was an unforgettable experience - the kids absolutely loved it.
Afternoon Tea at the Fairmont Palliser
If you are looking for a little bit of indulgence, then why not try an afternoon tea at the Fairmont Palliser in downtown Calgary? The hotel is located just a few steps from the famous Calgary Tower and is one of Calgary's most famous and luxurious hotels. It's one of our top recommendations where to stay in downtown Calgary.
The afternoon tea includes a large selection of pastries, scones, finger sandwiches, sweets and of course a huge selection of tea. Sometimes it's just nice to get dressed up and do something a little bit posh!
INDOOR THINGS TO DO IN CALGARY WITH KIDS
The TELUS Spark Science Centre
The TELUS Spark is one of Calgary's best indoor attractions for families. This interactive science center is perfect for kids, offering engaging exhibits that encourage hands-on learning. You can drink out of a toilet and even lie on a bed of nails, all in the name of learning about science! You can explore the stars in the planetarium, experiment with robotics and even experience virtual reality, so there’s no shortage of exciting activities to enjoy.
One of the best things to do at the TELUS Spark is to watch a movie in the Dome Theatre. The dome is a massive HD screen that surrounds you for an immersive experience unlike a typical movie theater. With four different shows each day, it's a unique way to experience science and space. Just be aware, the shows do fill up quickly, as there are no tickets and seating is first-come, first-served.
The Bow Habitat Station
The Bow Habitat Station is located in Pearce Estate Park near Inglewood, and is a unique place to visit along the Bow River, as it combines a fish hatchery with an interesting discovery center and aquarium. It describes the vital role fish and fishing play in Alberta’s heritage while also allowing visitors to view the hatchery’s operations.
The hatchery helps replenish Alberta’s lakes and rivers by raising fish for stocking, and visitors have the opportunity to feed them - an activity that is great for kids. Since the discovery center and hatchery have separate admission fees, you can choose to visit either one or enjoy both experiences.
Treehouse Kids Play Area
Treehouse Kids Play Area is a fun indoor playground designed for children that are aged 13 and under. There are two locations in the city, with one in the South and one in the North.
Their interactive space has a variety of activities for kids to enjoy, including large play structures, slides, arcades, a small climbing wall, ball pool rooms and soft play areas for toddlers. There is also a large cafeteria so that parents can relax while their little ones explore. Our kids went there many times when they were younger and they always had a great time.
Indoor Climbing
Calgary has plenty of indoor climbing walls, ranging from bouldering-only gyms to full-scale climbing facilities with ropes. Rock climbing is a great activity to get kids active, as they quite literally get a full body workout. Plus, with the Rockies nearby, it’s a great skill to develop! You can hire all the gear you need if you don't have your own.
One of our favorite spots is SoCal Bouldering Gym in Shawnessy, in the south of Calgary, but you can find all of Calgary’s Climbing Center locations here. Also, MEC on 10th Ave offers free climbing on Sunday afternoons on a first come first served basis.
The Locked Room
Calgary has several escape room experiences, but the one we tried was The Locked Room, and we all really enjoyed it. If you’ve never done an escape room before, it involves solving puzzles and finding clues to 'escape' within a set time. It’s a fun activity for families with older kids.
The Locked Room has three locations, each offering four different puzzle scenarios, so you can pick one that interests you most. There is also Exit Calgary and Escape 60 which are similar experiences.
Swimming at YMCA in Seton
The YMCA in Seton is an amazing facility (built in 2016) and a fantastic place for swimming, whether you’re doing laps, playing in the kids’ pool, or floating down the lazy river. The 50m competition pool is a truly world-class venue - many of Canada’s Olympians have trained there.
For families, there’s a lazy river, a huge waterslide, plenty of basketball hoops and balls to play with in the pool, and even a surfing simulator. The YMCA complex also features a well-equipped gym, a skating rink, a running track, and much more (see the full list here). Plus, it’s right next to the Seton Library, making it easy to combine both on a rainy day.
There is a similar another newish YMCA up in Rocky Ridge in the NW of Calgary, which I beleive is similar (although we haven't been yet).
B-Line Bike Park
B-Line Indoor Bike Park has plenty to offer for riders of all ages. Younger and beginner riders can enjoy pump tracks, jumps, and a kid-friendly area with a seesaw track. Older or advanced riders will find more challenging pump tracks, wooden boardwalks, and foam pit ramps to practice their jumps.
This indoor park is a great option for families during colder months and an excellent place to refine your skills before hitting the outdoor trails in spring and summer.
Monster Mini Golf
Monster Mini Golf is a unique glow-in-the-dark, monster-themed mini-golf experience located in the NE of Calgary. The course is filled with animated, talking 'Monsters', vibrant blacklight artwork, and lively music—making it a hit even for kids who aren’t golf fans! It’s especially fun during the Halloween season. As well as the mini golf there is also a pretty fun arcade too.
Calgary Selfie Museum
If your kids are anything like mine, they absolutely love taking 'selfies' on phones! Well, Calgary now has it's very own Selfie Museum! It's a one-of-a-kind experience where there are 25 permanent backdrops filled with quirky props, plus unique seasonal exhibits, such as Christmas and Halloween. It's great for families and they even allow dogs if you want to get your pooch in on the act!
Honestly, it's pretty tacky, but that’s the point! The kids will have a blast.
Kidzgo
Kidzgo is a lively indoor play space designed for young children, and offers a variety of interactive play zones. There are climbing structures, ball pits, slides, and obstacle courses for kids to explore. There is also a large café that offers a pretty extensive menu, and gives parents the much needed chance to relax while their little ones play!
Speeders (Chinook)
Speeders Chinook is one of the best multi-activity destinations for kids and adults in Calgary. The main attraction is its indoor karting, where you can choose between 'adult speed' or 'family speed,' which accommodates racers up to 14 years old. It's worth noting that children have to be at least 4ft 7" to ride, so for reference that was somewhere between 9-10 years old for our kids.
In addition to karting, Speeders offers a multi-level laser tag arena, an 18-hole mini golf course, duckpin bowling, augmented reality (AR) axe throwing, AR darts, and an arcade. With so many activities, there’s something for everyone in the family! There’s also another location near the airport, but it's less extensive.
Visit the Regal Cat Café
If you are a cat lover you can book a slot at the Regal Cat Cafe and enjoy stroking a cat with your coffee! They have a separate area where you can play with the cats, who are provided by the Meow Foundation, so if you REALLY fall in love with a cat, you might even be able to adopt it. Fun fact, the last time we went was when we discovered that Evelyn is allergic to cats, so we haven't been back for a while!
Horsin’ Around
Horsin’ Around is a great facility in the south of Calgary, that offers pony rides, riding lessons and even has a petting farm. Thanks to its spacious heated indoor arena, you can arrange pony rides all year round. The facility also has permanent bouncy castles set up year round, and our daughters have been to birthday parties there and it’s lots of fun.
The petting farm is home to a variety of animals, including rabbits, goats, pigs, and chickens. You can even walk through the horse stables and pet them.
Flying Squirrel
On a rainy day, why not spend a few hours at Flying Squirrel, one of the world’s largest indoor trampoline parks? It's not just trampolines, they have freestyle areas, ball pits, rope swings, dunk hoops, a battle beam, and a dodgeball zone, there’s plenty to keep you entertained. Plus for more advanced jumpers, there are four Olympic-sized trampolines.
In addition to the trampolines, there's a large arcade which makes this venue extremely popular for birthday parties (both of our girls have had one here). There is also a café which sells all the usual party food. The pizza there is actually really good and quite reasonably priced.
Activate Calgary
Activate Calgary is an active gaming facility where you can take on competitive arcade-style challenges across eleven interactive rooms. Each room features real-time technology that responds as you jump, climb, and problem-solve through agility and speed-based tasks. Whether you're dodging lasers (like those guarding the crown jewels!), scaling glowing walls, or shooting hoops, the games are designed to be fun for adults and kids. You wear an electronic wristband to track your progress and see how you rank on the leaderboard, so it can get competitive!
WE HOPE YOU ENJOY CALGARY
We hope that this post has given people visiting some ideas on how to spend a rainy day in Calgary, and for those that live here, maybe a few ideas you hadn't come across before.
Remember, if it's not raining then Calgary is one of the best places to get outside and be active! We've written a guide to the 40 best things to do in Calgary, which includes a mix of both indoor and outdoor attractions, plus our suggestions for the perfect 2-day itinerary if you are only in town for a weekend!
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