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Hillhurst, Calgary — Area Guide & Where to Stay
Heritage homes look south to the Bow River at Hillhurst, an inner-city community of Calgary known for the galleries of Contemporary Calgary.
About Hillhurst
Where to stay in Hillhurst
Not every neighbourhood fits every trip — here's what each one is good for.
Hillhurst rewards walkers. Its blocks of older homes run down to the Bow River, where Contemporary Calgary and the Creative Kids Museum stand among the pathways that trace the water east and west toward downtown. The paired community of Sunnyside sits just alongside.
Stay here for a quiet base near the river, the galleries, and the northwest edge of central Calgary.
About Hillhurst
What are the main landmarks in Hillhurst?
Hillhurst carries a run of designated heritage buildings. Contemporary Calgary and the Creative Kids Museum draw visitors near the Bow River, while Hillhurst United Church marks the older streets to the north. Early houses survive too.
The Johnston Residence, the Walter Hargrave Residence, and the Moodie-Smith Residence stand among older blocks off 8th Avenue NW.
What is the history of Hillhurst?
Hillhurst was established in 1914, on the north bank of the Bow River. The community grew as Calgary expanded northwest from its downtown core in the early twentieth century. Settlement came in waves.
Older houses and the congregation at Hillhurst United Church survive from that period, and Hillhurst later joined neighbouring Sunnyside under a shared community association.
Where is Hillhurst?
Hillhurst sits in Calgary's northwest, bounded by the Bow River to the south, 18th Street NW to the west, and 10th Street NW toward downtown.
More areas in Calgary
Updated July 2026