Near Varsity: Prince's Island Park and other places to visit
Most of what there is to see is museums or galleries: 6 of 7. All of them lie outside Varsity. The best-known trip out is to Glenbow Museum, 8.4 km away.
Around Varsity: where to begin
GardenPrince's Island Park4.9 km outside town, to the southeast
Art galleryContemporary Calgary4.7 km outside town, to the southeastMuseumMuseumCreative Kids Museum4.7 km outside town, to the southeastMuseumMuseumCanada's Sports Hall Of Fame2.6 km outside town, to the westArt galleryArt galleryBABA'S ART Haus4 km outside town, to the southArt galleryArt galleryFranz Dopf Gallery4.3 km outside town, to the southeastEach has a page of its own: what it is, who runs it, the weather month by month and what else is near it.
On the map
The dashed line is Varsity’s neighbourhood outline; orange marks its middle (where most people live). Numbers match the list below. © OpenStreetMap contributors · Statistics Canada 2021 outline
The types of place
Green: inside Varsity. Grey: within 5 km of its edge.
The places, one by one
Close and well known first. Provincial and city parks are on the Outdoors page instead.
Historic places in Varsity → · Parks, footpaths and green space in Varsity →
Worth the drive
MuseumGlenbow Museum8.4 km southeast · 149K visitors a year (2019)
AttractionCalgary Tower8.3 km southeast
ZooCalgary Zoo9.9 km southeast
MuseumTelus Spark Science Centre10 km southeast · 380K visitors a year
CathedralSt. Mary's Cathedral8.6 km southeast
MuseumFort Calgary9.3 km southeastMuseumMuseumBattalion Park7.9 km southwest
GardenOlympic Plaza8.4 km southeast
MuseumAero Space Museum of Calgary9.9 km east
MuseumCalgary Chinese Cultural Centre7.7 km southeast
GardenDevonian Gardens7.7 km southeast
CathedralCathedral Church of the Redeemer8.3 km southeastPlaces well known beyond Varsity (Wikipedia articles in several languages, published visitor counts, or a Parks Canada property), close and famous first. Distances are straight lines from the middle of the town.
Planning a visit to Varsity
What is there to see near Varsity?
Look just beyond Varsity: within 5 km are Contemporary Calgary, Creative Kids Museum and Canada's Sports Hall Of Fame, though none is inside it.
Does Varsity have a museum?
Look at BABA'S ART Haus, Franz Dopf Gallery and Truck Contemporary Art, in Varsity or within 5 km.
Is there a Parks Canada property near Varsity?
Our list has none in Varsity or within 5 km of it.
What are the best-known days out near Varsity?
Further out, up to 40 km: Calgary Tower (8.3 km), Calgary Zoo (9.9 km), Telus Spark Science Centre (10 km), St. Mary's Cathedral (8.6 km).
How is this list made?
One list is built from OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, ODCAF and the heritage registers: museums, galleries, national historic sites, forts, lighthouses, gardens, national parks, waterfalls, ski hills, zoos and theme parks. Historic buildings need a visitor sign such as opening hours, a fee, a website, a heritage operator or a Wikipedia article, and hotels, restaurants and tour operators never count. A place belongs to the town when it lies inside its 2021 outline or within 5 km of the edge.
Places to visit: Canada publishes no open tourism list, so this one is assembled from OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), Wikidata (CC0), Statistics Canada’s ODCAF museums and galleries (2020, Open Government Licence – Canada), the federal and Québec heritage registers and CPCAD’s national parks, and it reflects what mappers and editors have recorded. Forts, houses, lighthouses and churches count only with a sign that visitors are welcome. Places sit in each town’s 2021 census outline; visitor counts are Wikidata’s latest, with their year.
Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (13)
- Prince's Island Park: Scott5114, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Contemporary Calgary: MapleSoy, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Glenbow Museum: Darthrussel, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Calgary Tower: Qyd, CC BY 2.5, Wikimedia Commons
- Calgary Zoo: Qyd, CC BY 2.5, Wikimedia Commons
- Telus Spark Science Centre: CharlesAPhillips63, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- St. Mary's Cathedral: Dr Haggis at en.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Fort Calgary: Thivierr, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Olympic Plaza: Resolute, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Aero Space Museum of Calgary: Jaydec, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Calgary Chinese Cultural Centre: Greenwood714, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Devonian Gardens: Qyd, CC BY 2.5, Wikimedia Commons
- Cathedral Church of the Redeemer: Dbraw, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Adapted from Statistics Canada (Census of Population 2021, population estimates 2025, 2021 census boundaries) under the Statistics Canada Open Licence; this does not constitute an endorsement by Statistics Canada. Neighbourhood names in some cities © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).