Introduction

Heritage Park Historical Village is designed to give visitors a taste of the past. Covering 127 acres of land next to Calgary's beautiful Glenmore Reservoir,  it is a family-friendly attraction that appeals to people of all ages.  

Hours of Operation

 

  • Gasoline Alley Museum: Open daily year-round 9:30 am to 4:00 pm
  • Haskayne Mercantile Block (Shopping): Open daily year-yound 10:00 am to 6:00 pm
  • Railway Cafe: Open daily year-round 9:00 am to 4:00 pm
  • Selkirk Grille: Open year-round for lunch and dinner (Closed Mondays for dinner)
  • Historical Village: Opens Victoria Day weekend (mid-May) and is open daily until Labour Day. From Labour Day (early September) until Thanksgiving Day (early October), village is only open weekends.

Getting there

Heritage Park is located in the southwest quadrant of Calgary, at the intersection of 14th Street and Heritage Drive SW. 

Car:  As a result of a major expansion which began in 2007, Heritage Park has now (2009) greatly expanded the amount of free parking available to visitors. There are designated spots for handicap parking, RV parking, and tour bus parking.

Transit:  Use the south line (Rte 201, Somerset-Bridlewood / Dalhousie) of the C-Train to get to Heritage Station, and transfer to the Rte 502 (Heritage Park Shuttle) bus, which will drop you right at the gate of Heritage Park.

Admission 

Adult:  $20
Child (3-17):  $15
Family (up to 2 adults and immediate dependant children aged 3-17):  $70
Unlimited Rides Bracelet:  $12  (includes steam train, wagon ride, S.S. Moyie paddlewheel boat, and antique midway)
Individual Ride:  $4 

(Above rates as of April 2009)

Boat cruises are scheduled; stop at the dock early so that you can get a boarding pass for the departure time of your choice. The cruise is 25 minutes, and there are boarding times scheduled for every 35 minutes, starting at 9:50 a.m. and continuing until the day's final sailing at 4:15 p.m. Strollers, carriages, and wagons are not allowed aboard the S.S. Moyie, but there is an area near the ticket booth where they can be left during your cruise. The cruise gives views of the mountains, park areas that surround most of the lake, and downtown Calgary.

Train rides are not on a posted schedule. Strollers and carriages are allowed aboard the train but must be folded; children's wagons are not allowed.

Heritage Park train

Guide

Make sure to pick up a copy of the park map at the entrance; not only is it your guide to finding important services (food, bathrooms) and exhibits you might otherwise miss, but the back of the map has a schedule of events which take place throughout the day, ranging from special children's activities to historical playlets.

Layout

The village buildings are organized by historic era, from the newest (Gasoline Alley automobile museum, c. 1935) to the oldest (the pre-railway era, c. 1875) . Teg new expansion, opened in 2009, surrounds a central plaza near the main entrance. It includes a new, improved and expanded Gasoline Alley with a variety of beautifully restored vintage vehicles and interactive displays and visitor activities for adults and children.

In the village, some buildings are staffed by costumed historical interpreters, who are happy to answer visitors' questions, and some buildings have museum-like room displays, blocked off from the public by plexiglass panels (and, in a few cases, chain link fencing) so that the antique furniture, bedding, and clothing within are visible but untouchable. A few glassed-off exhibits also feature costumed mannequins; the dentist and his patient are long-time visitor favorites.

Other popular stops are the Wainwright Hotel (featured in many movies) and the railway roundhouse's antique railway collection.

Heritage Park Ferris wheel

Photo: Ferris wheel in Heritage Park's antique midway