Lougheed House: step inside Calgary's 135-year-old mansion
Built in 1891, the sandstone home of Senator James Lougheed is one of the city's oldest surviving buildings—and you can tour it for just $6.50.
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In a city of glass towers and new builds, a 135-year-old mansion still stands in the heart of Calgary, preserved almost exactly as it was when Senator Sir James Lougheed and his wife Isabella called it home.
The Lougheed House was built in 1891 as a political and social hub in early Calgary. Its sandstone exterior and impressive gardens made it a landmark. After the Lougheed family's time there, the property evolved with the city—serving as a women's training facility, a YWCA boarding house, a Women's Army Corps space, and later a Red Cross Blood Donor Clinic. Today it stands restored as a National and Provincial Historic site, much of its original character intact.
You can actually walk through it. General admission is just $6.50, enough to spend an hour or two exploring restored rooms where original details give you a sense of what the home looked like over a century ago. Guided tours are available for an additional cost and provide deeper context on the Lougheed family, the mansion's role in early Calgary, and how the building adapted over the decades.
Outside, the three-acre Beaulieu Gardens offer vibrant flower beds, tree-lined walkways, and quiet spots to sit. Whether you're wandering historic rooms or exploring the gardens, there's plenty to see. It's striking that while Calgary has transformed completely around it, this house has remained standing through it all.
Lougheed House is open Thursday to Sunday, 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., at 707 13th Ave. SW.