Bow Habitat Station & Sam Livingston Fish Hatchery

We were just there for the Biodiversity Festival and we had a blast. The staff at the booths were incredibly knowledgeable and so much fun to talk to. The staff throughout the center were soo lovely. We also got to see a falcon, which was soo cool. We also learned so much about the fishes while we fed them. The program was well run and we appreciated the efforts of the staff there.

After living in Calgary for 3 years we finally visited the Bow Fish Hatchery and boy did it not disappoint! Amazing staff, super knowledgeable and loads of information on all sorts of fresh water systems local to us. It was so applicable that even my toddler understood most of the information (and she was kept occupied for 2 hours during our visit). Amazing for kids of all ages. The exhibits we're upkept and clean and we made it to a feeding frenzy, which was cool to do for only $2. Well worth the price for all that we got to do and in an amazing location too! We will absolutely be back in the spring to do some catch and release!

It is truly a hidden gem in Calgary that not many people seem to know about. It's surprising how little this place is advertised because it’s an absolute must-visit for everyone in the city! Whether you're a kid or an adult, there's something here for everyone to enjoy. The learning experience is phenomenal—you'll come away with a deep appreciation for the environment, conservation, and wildlife, with the fish hatchery being a particular highlight. They offer feeding time slots you can sign up for, along with a tour of the hatchery that's both informative and engaging. The staff are incredibly knowledgeable and do a fantastic job explaining everything. The facilities are clean, well-maintained, and the overall experience is one that leaves a lasting impression. If you're in Calgary and haven't been to Bow Habitat Station yet, you're definitely missing out!

A great place to beat the heat and learn about trout (and other fish), as well as the various aquatic habitats of Alberta. The main floor has admissions and the hatchery, the upper floor is the discovery centre exhibits, and the basement has the aquariums! There are some monster trout down there!

Love coming here to feed the fish, see the babies, the aquarium in the basement, and the top floor. There used to be a big sturgeon in the basement, I miss them! Anyway keep on, keeping on!

A great place to visit if you have kids, for adults something very interesting should not be expected. 🐠 It's a great way to show what exactly and how people pollute the environment, the consequences are shown, as well as examples of how not to do it. 🐟 For the price of the room (10$) is pretty good. It took me 25 minutes to go everywhere and take all these pictures. I wish everyone a good vacation 🐡

It's great educational centre for both the kids and adults. As seniors, we still have learned a lot from the movie and displays. It's interesting for us to feed the fish as well. Last but not least, all the friendly staff here really help us enjoying hours of good experience. Thank you!

Very informative. Learned lots about water waste, animals and fish. Loved the reference of water from the quran. Kids had a great time. Plenty of craft activities because the calgary zoo was also there. We spent 2-3 hours.

The Bow Habitat Station is such an amazing educational and informational gem! We visited in the wintertime but I'd love to come back in the summer because they even stock the pond out front with fish that can be caught. We came with a school group and they did an amazing job with their educational presentations, it was fun and informative, and even my little guys were entertained with the performance. We also really enjoyed the fish feeding experience and seeing the sheer volume of fish that are hatched and raised here is eye opening. They take care of their facility and are careful with cleanliness here too and it really shines. Doing a scavenger hunt and learning to identify different kinds of fish in the lower fish tank areas. And these older fish really did seem like they were listening to us if we stopped and talked to them- that was probably the fishiest part of our visit! Fish talking lol And upstairs the displays are so well done! Lots to see and the video that was playing was really great too. Learned a ton here!

A quick note on pond fishing: As of this writing... it's $5 to rent a rod including basic tackle (no personal bait allowed). Additionally you will need a WIN card ($8) and fishing license (1 day = $27). So total of roughly $35 that you buy online at https://www.albertarelm.com/licensing.page . The pond is a modest catch and release pond for kids. More of an educational experience just to cast and reel. So you won't exactly haul in bucketloads of trout. $20 weekend classes every Saturday for 2 hours. Requires reservation. Seasonality applies - you can check their website beforehand.

Great day for a nice walk in nature after a monster size Fried Chicken Poutine at the Flea Market. Had to walk that bad boy off. We hand fed some chickadees and even seen an amazing Night Heron.

My little girl loves going there and my wife also loves it so I love it too. All kidding aside I do love this park ... I love the training pond for teaching fishing to little ones. This helps with those who can't get out of town but want to teach kids about fishing or aquatic habitats or even life in general. Water is life and this is a great way to introduce kids to the basics. I look forward to the clinics as does my little girl. People were loving the picnic area - it almost seemed like a smaller version of the Bowness Lagoon and its latest upgrades. I love the interpretive areas where I can teach my little girl about birds and fish and habitats. We spent a half day there but we could have done a full day with all the other work being done by the river. I think that the playground could be improved to have an aquatic theme of some sort akin to the playground at the Science Centre. I wonder if they could simulate a salmon swimming upstream? A tunnel that simulates what a fish might see as it develops? A beaver dam that doubles as a climbing apparatus? I was thinking that the toy shop could be a little less gimmicky and more on the fisherman side to be honest. It would be great to be able to sign off on the WIN card on the spot and we had difficulty with that. The tour tells us about how they make fish and they populate lakes and ponds but could they provide advice on lures and places to catch and best conditions to catch and so on. My little girl got one of the free fish rods from them and was keen to use the pond and even grabbed a net and lures and a tackle box for us to pay for but we will do that the next time for sure. We disappointed her that day but we promised many returns this summer as our training to get out on a pond or lake next year or this year. I also think that with its positioning on the Bow River that they could be making more from automated machines during the day and after hours. I also understand that the homeless make the area their habitat but could we not put in an automated toilet at that stop like we have on 17th and East Village? A toilet that closes at 4PM does not help when people stay until 8PM or later. At least some port-a-potties maybe ...? People love the place and it is a hidden treasure and I look forward to how the parkway in that area will be enhanced to connected to make a park from Fort Calgary to the bird sanctuary as this is the central point between the two. Kensington and Memorial Drive has had many improvements over the years so should this as it bookends the river pathway experience just like Bowness and Fish Creek.

My first fish hatchery! (on the same day as my first bird sanctuary)! Although I think they're trying to make it interesting for children, it's actually interesting for adults too. You can either pay for the hatchery or the interactive part or both. We only did the hatchery part which costs about five bucks. There are beautiful things to see outside the building too. There's also a catch-and-release pond!! They will provide a fishing pole if you don't have one! I think it's a great place! There's a gift shop inside and a little cafe.

I came here with a mommy group to feed the fish so can't really comment on much - however the front entrance is very modern and welcoming. We enjoyed our quick visit to see the rainbow trout. My 1.5 yr old son loved feeding the fish, he was easily able to sit on the edge of the tank and sprinkle the fish food in. He loved watching the trout swim and splash for the food. I can't wait to come back when my son is a bit older to try the fishing pond and remaining parts of the hatchery.

I have not attended the BHS with kids after the complete renovation. However, I can attest to the fundamental awesomness of this place. The Bow Habitat Station is the 'new' name for the Sam Livingston Fish Hatchery. Renovations have been completed for about a year. The new SLFH includes a microcosmic 'working' illustration of the ENTIRE WETLANDS AS AN ECOLOGICAL NODE AND PROCESS!!! How cool is that? Pretty cool. The SLFH still has the same wonderful exhibits regarding the endogenous fish of this province. The displays of pike, various trout, perch, walleye and the like are fastidiously presented -- it is just short of being able to witness the various species in the wild thanks to an invisible cloaking device. So wonderful! These species displays are (for me) alone worth the price of admission. But now, as the Bow Habitat Station, the SLFH also has regularly scheduled tours of the hatchery itself. Finally we can all see the inner workings of this formerly mysterious-brown-building just off of ninth avenue. The tour itself is professional and instructive. The myriad steps which combine to ensure that our provinces waterways are 'balanced and maintained' vis a vis the continued inclusion of those animals which developed as an expression of it have been laid clear. For me, the tour was delightful and fascinating. I can only imagine how children will respond! I am going to bring a friend back to the tour. It must be shared. Regarding adults, the fish hatchery seems serendipitously meant for the 'lysergically-minded' human, let me tell you... After LONG renovations, the Sam Livingston Fish Hatchery went from being one of Calgary's 'best kept secrets' to being one of the cities Must-go-to-venues. Please, don't avoid this place because you are an 'adult' -- rather, it deserves to be the aim of a planned day out to Inglewood. Trust me -- you will continually go to there. And you will tell others.

Incredibly well worth the visit! 2 year old had a great time with interactive visits - can't wait to go back in the Summer for the trout pond.