At the end of last year, I got to visit Telus Spark Science Centre during the Christmas holiday season.  I have not gone for around a decade, just a couple times when they reopened at the new location.  I remember it being really wheelchair accessible and was excited to visit again.

About the Science Centre

Originally opened in 1967 as the Calgary Centennial Planetarium in downtown Calgary and later re-established in 1987 as the Calgary Science Centre.  In 2011, it moved to its much larger and current location and was rebranded as the Telus Spark.

Telus Spark offers a range of workshops, school and youth programs, and even science and art camps.  There are several permanent exhibits: Being Human, Creative Kids Museum, Earth & Sky, Energy & Innovation, Digital Dome Theatre and Open Studio.  When I went they had the temporary Holiday Countdown exhibit.

Getting There

Coming from downtown Calgary, there is an easy way to get to Telus Spark without taking an Uber or taxi.  Taking the Blue line C Train from City Hall Station to Zoo Station is only a few minutes ride.  From the Zoo Station it is about a 15 min walk/stroll to Telus Spark.  There is accessible parking spots for the flat rate of $7 for everyone parking over 45 minutes.

Admission for adults is $26 and they do offer free companion/caregiver admission.  Local residents with a low income card can get admission for only 25% of the regular price and it can even be combines with a free companion ticket.

Lobby/Atrium

After entering the lobby and atrium area, there are a few holiday themed sculptures that people are taking pictures with including Santa’s Toy Bag and some giant Christmas ornaments.  Basically the whole museum was very festively decorated.

Ro5ie the robo-coaster just recently opened and became a new addition to Telus Spark, it uses a robotic arm to simulate a roller coaster right in the museum.  There is 5 levels of thrill for different levels of comfort for up to 3 guests per ride.  There is a cost of $10 for single rides or $25 for a group of 3.  This ride is NOT wheelchair accessible.

Digital Immersion Gallery

First exhibit I saw was a show at the Digital Immersion Gallery called Goodnight Moon.  This show started running from late Fall 2022 until February 2024 and starts out letting visitors take pictures with giant size sculptures of a rabbit and a bed before starting the show.

It is about a 9 minute long and uses 3 walls as a screen to immerse visitors into the storytelling of the classic children’s book.  It is Canada’s first permanent Digital Immersion Gallery and they run a new show about every 6 months.

Infinity Dome

Infinity Dome is included with admission and offers 360 degree viewing on 8K screens.  There are different short shows throughout the day everyday and I got to see the 20 minute Dinosaurs of Antarctica.  Accessible seating area is located on the second floor and I had to inform a staff member to let me in from the exit doors.

There are several empty spaces for wheelchairs beside a few companion seats.  This show talks about how dinosaurs use to roam Earth in the lush landscape and how Antarctica and the melting ice blocks is allowing scientists to find new fossils to learn about the past.  The show was very informative and went by fast.

Second Floor

Located on the second floor is the Learning Centre, Behind the Scenes, Open Studio and the eatery.  Not too much has changed since I was here last so I didn’t really spend an excessive amount of time on this floor.  Many of the exhibits seemed to aimed for kids.  There are interactives games and screens to play with.

I got to play with a few of the displays as not everything was wheelchair accessible.  It wasn’t really busy either and everyone seems to be respectful letting people take turns at each station.  After that, I was ready for a quick snack and headed back down to the main floor.

Astronaut Ice Cream Cafe

Astronaut Ice Cream Cafe opened in June 2021 and is located near the main entrance of Telus Spark.  It is on the side where no admission ticket is required to enter.  They sell ice cream, snacks, specialty drinks and coffees.

There are 10 different soft serve ice cream flavors that are all named after planets and have different toppings and sauces on them.  I got the Mercury one which costs $5.95 and was charcoal soft serve with sprinkles in a black sugar cone.  It really was delicious.

Holiday Countdown

Holiday Countdown is a seasonal exhibit that is at Telus Spark just during the holiday season.  There are many photo ops that really puts you into the holiday spirit.  They range from Christmas displays to what is popular in pop culture at the moment like the Grinch and Barbie.  It was fun taking selfies in a bunch of them but this exhibit was quite busy as everyone was trying to take selfies too.

Final Thoughts

Even though it’s been years since I have been to Telus Spark, it seems not to have changed too much.  With the addition of Ro5ie, a permanent digital immersion gallery and the astronaut ice cream cafe, it might be worth it to some to revisit this science centre.  I spent almost 3 hours that day and did have a good time but will probably wait a few years before coming back.