Heritage Park Historical Village welcomed its first visitors on Canada Day 1964, marking the beginning of what would become one of Calgary’s top tourist destinations. Guided by the mission “Discovering Our Past, Inspiring Our Future,” the park creates meaningful connections between yesterday and today, helping guests understand how history shapes our present and opens doors to future possibilities. Visitors can explore nearly a century of Western Canadian development, from the frontier fur trade of the early 1860s through the oil boom and automotive age of the 1950s. More than just a tourist attraction, Heritage Park serves as a vital educational resource, preserving and sharing the rich history of the early West while entertaining and inspiring guests of all ages to see how the past continues to influence our world today.
There are so many different areas to visit at the Heritage Park historical village period since the park is only open 7 hours a day in the summer, planning in advance at the areas you want to visit is critical. When you first enter the park, to the right, is the gasoline museum. This is a must stop and count on a 30-to-45-minute visit of the two-floor museum with restored antique cars gas signs and gas pumps, make sure to take the elevator to the basement. There are some real classic cars in the basement.
There are two popular activities that may require a wait. They include the steam train ride and paddle boat.
The paddle boat departs every 35 minutes from the rear of the park. There are two levels that you can sit or stand in. Once in the open water, the captain drives the boat in a large circle. There is very little to see on the shoreline but a fun excursion.
There are numerous restaurants, cafes and bakeries in the park. Make sure to visit one of those before you leave.
There are four sections of the park. We recommend grabbing a park map when you purchase your ticket. Here of four sections.
Fur Trading Fort and First Nations Encampment
Pre-Railway Settlement
1910 Prairie Railway Town
1930s Heritage Town Square
BretonTravels spent about 4.5 hours visiting Heritage Park. It was a late June Saturday, and the temperature was very comfortable. During our visit we spent 30 minutes touring the gasoline museum taking pictures and talking to one of the employees, helping us understand the history of the museum and the collection of cars.
We ate lunch at the Wainwright Hotel Which provided us a great selection of sandwiches and desserts.
BretonTravels road the steam train around the park a few times before exiting the train and heading to the paddle boat ride. We planned to stay at the park later but when we exited the paddle boat, a heavy rainstorm hit with small hail we ended up leaving early because we were too wet. A memory maker for sure.
Here are a few recommendations for our followers. Arrive at 10:00am and stay until 5:00pm. These are the hours of the park during the summer. There to see so much to see so you don’t want miss anything. When you first arrive, you’ll have to pay for parking and also pay for admission. Check the weather before going. If it rains, several of the vintage rides will temporarily close as well as the outdoor activities.
As always, if you have any questions about this destination, please reach out to us at info@bretontravels.com or on Facebook or Instagram.
