Bugtopia is the Calgary Zoo’s newest playground. It is an immersive, nature inspired play experience designed for kids 2-12 years old.
Note: Bugtopia is inside the Calgary Zoo perimeter. Regular admission is required to visit.
Location: Calgary Zoo – 210 St. George’s Drive NE, Calgary, AB
Follow the signs for the playground inside the Canadian Wilds.
Gordie’s Review (11 years old): “It was really good and immersive. But I wouldn’t recommend the tube slides for taller kids. They hurt my elbows.”
Nicky’s Review (9 years old): “I really liked it. I like how they made different kinds of bridges to different slides.”
Robbie’s Review (6 years old): “A million thumbs up!”
Age Range: The playground is limited to kids 2-12. Some equipment is suggested for kids 5-12 including the large slide. They have colored leaves to help know which equipment is suggested for which age range.
Ground Cover: playground wood chips. These should allow access for strollers and wheelchairs unlike pea gravel, however, they may not be as easy to maneuver around as other accessible flooring.
Shade: There are large trees nearby so you can find some shade.
Accessibility: There are pathways and some features that can be accessed from ground level including panels and a 4 seated spinner with back support. There is also a roller slide on the one of the small climbers and a roller table.
Seating: There is seating at various spots around the playground and washrooms.
Overall assessment:
This was our first visit to the Calgary Zoo’s Bugtopia playground. I had seen a few pictures but underestimated just how big it was.
The bug theme of the playground is carried throughout and really makes the play space feel special and unique.
Not only does the playground look good, it has great play value too.
It has some smaller climbers and ground level features for younger kids but still held the interest of my older kids as well.
I have been told that the two twisty slides go pretty fast and aren’t recommended for kids under 5 and my oldest found them too be uncomfortable to go down. For kids in the 6-10 age range, they were a big hit.
I think Bugtopia is a great new addition to the zoo and will definitely bring more traffic to the Canadian Wilds area of the zoo.