Many people have lived in Alberta their whole life and have never been to Calaway Park! Just a few minutes East of Calgary on the Trans-Canada Highway, Calaway Park is renowned as Western Canada’s largest amusement park. It’s a fairly easy road trip from many places in Alberta, especially Southern and Central locations. You may have even driven past it numerous times when you’ve headed to Canmore, Banff or the Rocky Mountains. You can see the large green and pink roller coaster from your car window!

A theme park in Alberta with rides, entertainment and fun!

If you are looking for a really memorable family-adventure this summer that is reasonably priced and entertaining for all ages, add Calaway Park to your summer road trip bucket list. Calaway Park can easily be done in one day. I know many people who drive 3-4 hours, spend the day there, and drive back home that same evening. This is a great way to avoid the costs of a hotel room.

Or if you are road tripping to other parts of Alberta (or going onward to other provinces), Calaway Park is a great stop on your itinerary. If you are camping there is a great campground right on site! They also offer many accommodation packages with partner hotels in Calgary and area.

Here are some of my favourite things about Calaway Park.

1. Calaway Park is fun for all ages. We have been going there since my kids have both been babies. There are rides that accommodate all ages and levels, plus there are games and shows such as dancing, singing and theatre. We have gone with children aged 0-16+ and they have all found something they really enjoyed.
   
2. One-pay gate pass. They make it so easy because you pay one fee at the gate and enjoy unlimited rides and entertainment for the entire day. They also have great deals on season passes and often offer online discounts and group rates. We find the prices to be so reasonable for a day of family fun.
   
3. Clean and friendly. We have always found Calaway Park to be extremely clean and the staff to be professional and friendly in all areas. We also love that it feels like a very safe and family-orientated environment.
   
4. Super fun rides for all levels. If you’re an adrenaline junky, there are some thrill rides for you! Or if you prefer something relaxing, they have some tamer rides that will put a smile on your face. We love how they have the giant swings for the big kids, but they also have mini swings for the toddlers. It makes it easy to give everyone a chance to try something fun.
   
5. Not too big, not too small! We love that Calaway Park is large enough to spend the entire day (or even a weekend) exploring, but it’s not so big that it’s overwhelming. It’s hard to get lost and once you spend a few hours there you’ll have the layout figured out!

If you’re thinking about exploring Calgary, here are some really fun things to do in Calgary with the kids.

The post Road Trips in Alberta with Kids – Calaway Park! appeared first on Work Travel Repeat.

Choose a great hotel for kids in Calgary.

Plan your trip by having a great home base! Choose a Calgary hotel with waterslides! Our favorite hotel is Best Western Port o’ Call which has two super fun waterslides and a fantastic kiddie pool area for children under 5. We have tried other hotels in Calgary but always return here. Our kids spend hours in the pool and we feel relaxed knowing they are in a fun and safe swimming environment! The hotel offers a great breakfast buffet, lunch and dinner service plus a coffee shop with snack bar. You won’t have to go far to make sure the kids are fueled up before or after all the swimming!

Spend the day at Calgary Zoo.

It’s so easy and fun to spend many hours at Calgary Zoo. Voted as one of Canada’s top tourist destinations, Calgary Zoo has amazing animal experiences. They have nearly 1,000 animals across 119 species including pandas, elephants, giraffes, penguins and much more. The kids will enjoy exploring the prehistoric park with towering dinosaurs all around. There is a huge playground, plenty to eat and drink, souvenir shops and nice grassy areas and gardens to take a break.

Ride the day away at Calaway Park.

Calaway Park is Western Canada’s largest outdoor amusement park. There are 32 rides with levels for all-ages, plus there are carnival games, exciting live shows and plenty of delicious treats. It’s easy to spend the entire day at Calaway Park, and the value for the money is excellent. They offer a one-time pay at the gate fee, allowing for unlimited rides and shows for the day. The park is clean and family-friendly throughout.

Zoom with Skyline Luge Calgary.

Skyline Luge Calgary is located at Canada Olympic Park. Ride the chair lift to the top of the hill and then grab a downhill kart to descend down the track. Downhill karting is a unique, wheeled gravity ride that provides a fun-filled adventure activity suitable for riders of all ages and experience. Smaller riders can go with an adult.

Head to the top of Calgary Tower.

For beautiful 360 degree views of the city, mountains and prairies, head up to the top of Calgary Tower. Give the kids a one-of-a-kind experience stepping onto the glass floor in the Observation Deck that looks directly down onto the streets! Not for the faint of heart, but definitely a memorable adventure. Grab a drink or bite to eat at Sky 360 Restaurant which revolves every 45 minutes! The kids will get a kick out of the fact that the restaurant is actually turning as they eat!

Fire up your imagination at Telus Spark Calgary

There is just so much to do at Calgary’s science centre, Telus Spark. Spend the day exploring over 100 exhibits and galleries with hands-on learning and really cool and unique demonstrations that share excitement about the world of science, technology and creativity. There is also an HD digital dome theatre and outdoor park for the kids to get fresh air and burn off energy!

Go back in time at Heritage Park.

Heritage Park is a historical park in southwest Calgary featuring a replica 1910 pioneer town. It is Canada’s largest living history museum with hundreds of exhibits, rides, shops, restaurants, daily demonstrations and activities. Just inside the gates, you can board a real steam engine train which will take you into town. Stroll down the main street and check out the old fashioned buildings and midway rides. There are farm animals, a settlement fort and aboriginal encampment. Workers are dressed up and in character to represent what life was like back in the ‘olden days!

Other fun things to do in Calgary.

One place we haven’t been yet but will be checking out soon is Granary Road located just south of Calgary. Granary Road offers 36 acres of activities, 3.5 kilometers of trails, a petting zoo and themed exhibits. There are a restaurant and year-round public market with vendors offering the best local products.

If you need a retail fix, be sure to visit Cross Iron Mills shopping centre. It is the biggest one-level shopping centre in Alberta and home to many stores and outlets, a movie theatre, restaurants and food court. Our kids enjoy visiting Bass Pro Shop which is a huge outdoor-gear store. There are plenty of unique things to look at including a large aquarium located near the center of the store. On the north side of the mall, there is a neat kids play area for the little ones if they need a break from shopping!

What are your favorite things to do in Calgary with the kids? Leave me a comment below!

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