Mounties and ministers, cowboys and cooks, prohibitionists and politicians! Join knowledgeable tour guides and talk a walk back through time to learn about the people, personalities and events that helped shape Calgary into the city it is today. During the summer months, The City tells their fascinating stories through free guided walking tours of Calgary's historic St Mary's Cemetery, Union Cemetery and Burnsland Cemetery.
Our cemeteries are like museums, serving as a record of our City's culture and social history. Their headstones reflect personal and national sentiment, summarize the lives of remarkable longevity and remind us of lives lost through tragedy.
Historical tour dates and times
Travel back in time to meet the people who shaped Calgary's history: ordinary folks who did extraordinary things. Knowledgeable volunteer tour guides lead these walks through three of our historic cemeteries in south Calgary.
Summer tour info:
Union Cemetery tours - every Sunday, 2 - 3:30 p.m.
Meet at the Galloway House, on the east side of Union Cemetery, 28 Ave. & Spiller Rd. S.E. Vehicle entrance is off Spiller Rd. S.E.
Dates:
June: 2, 9, 16, 23 & 30
July: 7, 14, 21 & 28
August: 4, 11, 18 & 25
September: 1, 8, 15, 22 & 29
Burnsland Cemetery - last Saturday of the month, 2 - 3:30 p.m.
Meet at the Galloway House, on the east side of Union Cemetery, 28 Ave. & Spiller Rd. S.E. Vehicle entrance is off Spiller Rd. S.E.
Dates: June 29, July 27, August 31 & September 28
St. Mary's Pioneer Cemetery - third Saturday of the month, 2 - 3:30 p.m.
Meet at the Pioneer Cemetery gates, just inside the St. Mary's Cemetery, Erlton St. & 32 Ave. S.E.
Dates: June 15, July 14, August 11 & September 15
NEW! Queen's Park Cemetery - second Sunday of the month, 11 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
Meet at Queen's Park Administration Office, 3219 4 St. N.W.
Dates: June 9, July 14, August 11 & September 21
Fall tour info:
Sunday tours in Union Cemetery
Dates: Sunday throughout October
Time: 2 - 3:30 p.m.
Remembrance Day tours in Union Cemetery
Date: Monday, November 11, 2013
Times: 12:30 - 2 p.m. and 2:30 - 4 p.m.
The Canadian Military and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police are steeped in tradition, and have been since Confederation. But there has also been considerable change. Join in a Remembrance Day tour of Union Cemetery that reflects on these military units and the heroes buried there.
Want more information on our tours?
Admission is FREE!
Tours are not wheelchair accessible and are best suited for adults and children nine years and older. Pets are not permitted in the cemeteries. For more information on our historical cemetery walking tours call the Cemetery office at 403-221-3660 or email CalgaryCemeteries@calgary.ca.
Contact 3-1-1 or visit the Parks Facebook page for updates on tour cancellations due to weather, program highlights and cemetery information.
Did you know?
- St. Mary's Cemetery dates back to 1876 when it was the first Catholic cemetery in Calgary, it is home to many of Calgary's city founders and pioneers.
- Back in 1884, Calgary's first Protestant cemetery opened at Shaganappi Point, where the Shaganappi Golf Course is now located. It closed in 1892 and sixty-five bodies were moved to Union Cemetery, which opened in 1891. Many of Calgary's founders and pioneers are buried there.
- Burnsland Cemetery was established in 1923 and is where many of Calgary's First World War Veterans are buried.
These sites are deemed historically significant to Calgary
The Calgary Heritage Authority has deemed Union Cemetery, Burnsland Cemetery and St. Mary's Cemetery to be historically significant cultural landscapes that played an important part in the settlement and establishment of Calgary as a city. If you would like more information about these historic cemeteries; or to discover some of the important people buried there, visit our pages on Union Cemetery history, Burnsland Cemetery history, Queen's Park Cemetery history, The Chinese Cemetery history and St. Mary's Cemetery history.
