Virtual Historical Experiences and Self-Guided Walking Tours

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Listed below are different opportunities to discover and experience the history of the Chinook Country Historical Society (CCHS) region through self-guided walking tours and maps, photo and video tours, and immersive 360- degree virtual tours. 

CCHS covers the region from Olds to Nanton and from the British Columbia border to the Saskatchewan border. Do you know of a map/self-guided walking tour or virtual tour in the CCHS region that is not on this list? Please let us know at info@chinookhistory.ca.

This list contains external links, please proceed with caution when accessing sites outside of Chinookhistory.ca.

Access maps for four different self guided walking tours on the Heritage Calgary website – Inglewood Walking Tour, Cliff Bungalow-Mission Walking Tour, Warehouse District Walking Tour and Chinatown Walking Tour. 

Explore A Literary Map of Calgary, compiled by Shaun Hunter, Heritage Calgary’s 2020 Historian in Residence. 

Take a self-guided heritage walk through Hillhurst Sunnyside, one of Calgary’s oldest communities. 

See the Century Homes of Richmond/Knob Hill with their community’s virtual map. 

Discover something new in the community of Crescent Heights through their interactive Community Asset Map. 

Immerse yourself in the history of East Village with their walking [DE]TOUR. 

Learn about Calgary’s Francophone history with their virtual map and tour of Rouleauville, Calgary’s Historic Francophone District. 

Explore heritage in the Beltline through their heritage inventory map and see the expansive open-air art gallery of the Beltline Urban Murals Project. 

The community of Bridgeland Riverside has a number of self guided walking tour maps available through their Bridgeland Walks program. Check out the Overview Tour, Ukrainian History Tour, Churches Tour, East Village Tour, and Riverside Art Walk Tour. 

Stroll through the historic community of Elbow Park with their walking tour guide. 

Discover the stories of Calgary’s Deep South (Midnapore, Fish Creek, and more) through their historic map. 

Learn about the history of the community of Rosedale with their heritage guide and self-guided walking tour. 

Explore the community of Crescent Heights' history through sidewalk stamps with CCHS's self-guided sidewalk stamp tour.

The community of Highland Park has a number of sites of heritage significance. Use their Asset Map to discover them all. 

Visit Kensington’s sculptures, murals, and art installations with the Kensington Art Walk map. 

Journey through history with the Building Community online tour of Historic Jewish Calgary. 

Discover the stories behind the art of Stampede Park with the Calgary Stampede Art Walk. 

Explore Calgary’s diverse and amazing parks through a self-guided walking tour – ten different tours available.

Learn about the early years of downtown Calgary through the City of Calgary’s Historical Downtown Walking Tour virtual map and walking tour guide. 

On GPSmyCity, follow an existing self-guided walking tour of Calgary or create your own. 

Explore the City of Calgary’s heritage publications website for past walking tour brochures for select communities, including Inglewood and Mission and Cliff Bungalow. 

Discover the Town of Okotoks’ heritage buildings, murals, public art and historic spaces on their Culture and Heritage Map. Learn what it was like to grow up in a small Alberta town in the beginning of the twentieth century with a virtual tour of early Okotoks. 

With this virtual map and tour, explore the history of the Sheep River and surrounding land and people, 

In High River, discover the town’s historic mural and sculpture walking tour map and guide. 

Canmore Museum’s historic sites map showcases the structural reminders of Canmore’s early settlement years. 

Originally a hamlet, explore the history of Strathmore through a virtual map or the Western District Historical Society’s self-guided walking tour document. 

Explore Vulcan’s history through their virtual tour and map.

Learn about Calgary’s past residents through virtual tour videos  of Calgary’s Burnsland Cemetery, St Mary's Pioneer Cemetery, and Union Cemetery.

View the collection of the National Music Centre online and learn about the history of music in Canada.

Experience the Glenbow Museum’s exhibitions and collection from home.

Explore the exhibits of Fort Calgary through Google Street View and explore all virtual offerings on their website.

Tour the Botanical Gardens of Silver Springs through their photos and videos.

Discover Calgary’ Literary History with the Lougheed House's Literary Walking Tour video series, hosted by Shaun Hunter. Get started with the first video here.

See Calgary then and now through a photo tour of Life in Early Calgary.

Explore the history of The Calgary Highlanders over the years through The Calgary Highlanders Museum and Archives at The Military Museums.

Relax with the University of Calgary’s Libraries & Cultural Resources De-Stress Virtual Music Exhibition.

Experience the exhibitions of the Esker Foundation online.

See the Murals of Calgary’s Chinatown through the Sien Lok Society of Calgary’s interactive tour and map.

Take a tour through Chestermere’s history with the Chestermere Historical Sites video presentation.

Discover Didsbury Museum’s exhibits through their virtual tour videos.

Explore Champion Park, located just outside of the Town of Okotoks. The Park is an homage to the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) and features a restored CPR railway station, outbuildings, railway tracks, locomotives and rail cars.

At The Military Museums, tour the Air Force Museum of Alberta’s Cold War Museum,  and the museum of Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry.

Explore the University of Calgary’s digital preservation of Alberta's diverse cultural heritage through their collection of digital models.

See the intricate details of each room of the Lougheed House through their virtual tour.

Virtually go inside the Calgary Courts Centre, the largest court facility in Canada.

Take a 360-degree tour of Contemporary Calgary’s presentation of Omar Ba: Same Dream.

Discover the Cochrane Historical & Archival Preservation Society (CHAPS) Cochrane Historical Museum and history of the Cochrane area.

Take a walk along the Tiger Lily Loop with Traditional Stoney Nakoda Knowledge Keepers, Historians, and Advisors at the Glenbow Ranch Provincial Park.

Discover Pioneer Acres of Alberta through their immersive virtual tour.

Take a virtual trip to Banff to see the home of Peter Whyte and Catharine (Robb) Whyte at the Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies.

See the Royal Tyrell Museum in 360-degees with Travel Alberta or explore the museum with the help of Google Maps.

Get up close to the collection at Nanton’s Bomber Command Museum through their 360-degree tour.

In the Lethbridge Historical Society region, virtually explore Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump World Heritage Site or go on an immersive Elder guided journey  through Writing-on-Stone / Áísínai’pi Provincial Park and World Heritage Site. In Medicine Hat, virtually tour the Medalta Potteries Museum and learn the stories of Alberta’s historic clay district.