Calgary Tower, Observation tower in Downtown Calgary, Canada
Calgary Tower is a cylindrical observation platform in the heart of downtown Calgary, Alberta, rising 191 meters above street level. From the upper deck, visitors see the city skyline, the plains stretching eastward, and the peaks of the Rocky Mountains to the west.
Construction began in February 1967 as part of Canada's centennial celebrations and was completed in June 1968. An Olympic flame was later added, which burned during the 1988 Calgary Winter Games and is relit for special occasions since then.
The tower was renamed Calgary Tower on November 1, 1971, as a tribute to the city's residents, though airport officials still call it the Husky Tower to avoid confusion with the airport's own tower. The revolving restaurant, now Sky 360, completes a rotation every 45 minutes during the day and every 60 minutes in the evening. The Vertigo Theatre, founded in 1976 as Pleiades Theatre, operates at the tower's base.
Two high-speed elevators carry visitors to the observation deck and the rotating Sky 360 restaurant in about 62 seconds. The deck is enclosed with glass panels, so views remain clear in all weather, while the restaurant requires a reservation.
The tower's developers deliberately understated its height as 187 metres so rival builders could not surpass it; when San Antonio claimed a record with the 190-metre Tower of the Americas, they revealed the true 191 metres. The 802-step stairwell is closed to the public but hosts an annual charity stair-climb race.
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