CALGARY, CANADA - July 15: Studio Bell, home of the National Music Centre on July 15, 2016 in Calgary, Alberta. The National Music Centre is a major new music venue and museum in Calgary.; Shutterstock ID 454978084

Shutterstock / Jeff Whyte

National Music Centre

Top choice in Calgary

LoginSave

Looking like a whimsical copper castle, this fabulous new museum is entirely entertaining, taking you on a ride through Canada's musical history with rotating exhibits, cool artifacts (like the guitar Guess Who used to record 'American Woman') and interactive displays. Test your skill at the drums, electric guitar or in a sound-recording room and even create your own instruments. Don't miss the Body Phonic room or the solar-powered Skywalk with its repurposed pianos destroyed in the 2013 flood.

You don't need to be a music junkie to enjoy yourself here, but you'll probably leave as one. There's an excellent cafe and shop on-site.

Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

  • Glenbow Museum

    Glenbow Museum

    0.37 MILES

    With an extensive permanent collection and an ever-changing array of traveling exhibitions, the impressive Glenbow has plenty for the history buff, art…

  • Male Peacock displaying at Calgary Zoo, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

    Calgary Zoo

    0.81 MILES

    More than 1000 animals from around the world, many in enclosures simulating their natural habitats, make Calgary's zoo one of the top rated in North…

  • CANADA - 2003/01/01: Canada, Alberta, Calgary, Heritage Park, Main Street. (Photo by Wolfgang Kaehler/LightRocket via Getty Images)

    Heritage Park Historical Village

    4.81 MILES

    Want to see what Calgary used to look like? Head down to this historical park (the largest in Canada!) where all the buildings are from 1915 or earlier…

  • Fort Henry National Historic Site Cannon

    Prince's Island Park

    1.08 MILES

    For a little slice of Central Park in the heart of Cowtown, take the bridge over to this island, with grassy fields made for tossing Frisbees, plus bike…

  • Calgary Tower on 9th Avenue, Calgary, Alberta

    Calgary Tower

    0.45 MILES

    This 1968 landmark tower is an iconic feature of the Calgary skyline, though it has now been usurped by numerous taller buildings and is in danger of…

  • Bow

    Bow

    0.52 MILES

    This cresent-shaped glass skyscraper soars 58-storeys and 236m-high in the sky and is home to one of the many oil companies in town. Until 2016 it was the…

  • Inglewood Bird Sanctuary

    Inglewood Bird Sanctuary

    2.12 MILES

    Get the flock over here. With more than 260 bird species calling the sanctuary home, you're assured of meeting some feathered friends. It's a peaceful…

  • Calgary Chinese Cultural Centre

    Calgary Chinese Cultural Centre

    0.72 MILES

    Inside this impressive landmark building, built by skilled Chinese artisans in 1993, you'll find a magnificent 21m-high dome ornately painted with 561…

View more attractions

Nearby Calgary attractions

1. Glenbow Museum

0.37 MILES

With an extensive permanent collection and an ever-changing array of traveling exhibitions, the impressive Glenbow has plenty for the history buff, art…

2. Fort Calgary Historic Park

0.43 MILES

In 1875 Calgary was born at Fort Calgary. The site today is occupied by a replica of a military barracks that stood here in the 1880s (the original fort…

3. Calgary Tower

0.45 MILES

This 1968 landmark tower is an iconic feature of the Calgary skyline, though it has now been usurped by numerous taller buildings and is in danger of…

4. Bow

0.52 MILES

This cresent-shaped glass skyscraper soars 58-storeys and 236m-high in the sky and is home to one of the many oil companies in town. Until 2016 it was the…

6. Calgary Chinese Cultural Centre

0.72 MILES

Inside this impressive landmark building, built by skilled Chinese artisans in 1993, you'll find a magnificent 21m-high dome ornately painted with 561…

7. Calgary Zoo

0.81 MILES

More than 1000 animals from around the world, many in enclosures simulating their natural habitats, make Calgary's zoo one of the top rated in North…

8. Prince's Island Park

1.08 MILES

For a little slice of Central Park in the heart of Cowtown, take the bridge over to this island, with grassy fields made for tossing Frisbees, plus bike…

  • placement: superzone
  • path: Destinations/POIs/superzone
  • possible size: [970, 250], [970, 90], [728, 90], [1, 1],
  • targeting: 
    {
  "url": "canada/alberta/calgary/attractions/national-music-centre/a/poi-sig/1544745/361219",
  "destination": "Calgary",
  "continent": "North-America",
  "country": "Canada",
  "city": "Calgary",
  "position": "superzone"
}