Studio Bell - National Music Centre, Calgary (must see)

Any Calgary walking tour that skips the Downtown East Village is cutting corners. This is where the city first took shape, and Fort Calgary still marks that original starting point. From frontier beginnings, the neighbourhood has grown into one of the city’s most active cultural areas, and its biggest crowd-puller today is the music museum everyone talks about.

Here’s where names get a little tangled. The museum is officially the National Music Centre, but the striking building it occupies is called Studio Bell. Call it one, call it the other—either way, this is one of Calgary’s standout stops, and you’ll hear it mentioned often.

Inside, the experience is anything but passive. The permanent exhibitions are built to be explored, not just observed. Music Mosaic walks through the story of music in Canada, touching not only on performers but also on inventors and broadcasters who shaped how music is made and shared.

The Power of Music takes a more personal angle, inviting visitors to sing in vocal booths, watch live performances, and learn how music affects the body and the brain. Then there’s Making Music, where you’re encouraged to sit down and actually play—from percussion instruments all the way to a baby grand piano.

Another major draw is the Canadian Music Hall of Fame, which celebrates artists who helped put Canadian music on the world stage—among them Alanis Morissette, Shania Twain, Bryan Adams, David Foster, and Leonard Cohen, to mention but a few. The range is wide, spanning different genres and generations, and together they underline just how influential Canada’s music scene has been.

Studio Bell also hosts regular concerts, film screenings, and touring exhibitions. If your timing is right, your visit might include a live performance or a special event layered onto the museum experience. It’s worth checking the official calendar in advance, since tickets are timed and entry is strictly scheduled. The doors are open on weekends from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.—so plan ahead, show up on time, and let the rhythm of Calgary’s music history pull you in.