The Calgary Zoo

Calgary, Alberta View map

Rating 4.8 out of 5

34 reviews

15 to 280 Guests

1 / 54

About

The Calgary Zoo is a wedding venue located in Calgary, Alberta, designed to create treasured memories. This venue provides the perfect mix of elegance and fun for you and your wedding guests. Enjoy an unforgettable event with our one-of-a-kind venues and delicious locally sourced cuisine. Exploring St. George’s Island, your guests will be treated to unique encounters as the zoo is home to almost 900 animals, and 130 different species. Rain or shine couples can expect exquisite photos in our lush Dorothy Harvie Gardens. Your special day will also have a lasting impact, as proceeds will support conservation activities here at the zoo and around the world.

Facilities and capacity

The Calgary Zoo offers 4 distinct event spaces among its facilities. The Eurasian Gateway Tent is an outdoor tented space, an ideal spot for an al fresco reception. Here, you can seat up to 180 guests for an exciting dining experience surrounded by breathtaking views. For a blend of indoor and outdoor, consider the ENMAX Conservatory. This space can host your reception, along with your cocktail hour in its spacious pre-function area. You can accommodate up to 150 attendees here. The Safari Lounge boasts a truly exciting view with its veranda overlooking enclosures with giraffes, zebras, and ostriches. Here, you can seamlessly transition from your reception dinner to after-dinner entertainment with the lounge’s built-in dancefloor. It is the largest space on the property with a capacity of up to 280. An intimate affair can be held at Grazers Restaurant & Patio. Perfect for private receptions with a select few attendees, you can enjoy its outdoor patio and flexible capacity. You can also choose to host your rehearsal dinner here before celebrating your big day in one of the larger event sites.

Services Offered

The Calgary Zoo offers a number of services to facilitate your special day’s celebration. You can look forward to in-house catering from the talented culinary team who will work closely with you to design a menu tailored to your taste. Audio equipment is also available, as well as chairs and tables.

Cuisine

By partnering with Calgary's top chefs, the cuisine offered by the zoo stays true to sustainable ingredients that are always fresh. The dishes include vegetables and herbs grown right in the zoo's Garden of Eatin'. Guests with allergies can also have menus designed specifically for them.

Highlights

Type

Ballroom, banquet hall, historic, park/zoo, restaurant

Style

City, classic, garden, modern, rustic, tropical

Event Services

Catering / bar, clean up, liability insurance, outside vendors

Reception Site Fee - Peak Season

$1,100

Plated Service (per head)

$48

More information

How many event spaces or rooms does your venue offer?

What kind of settings are available?

Covered outdoor

Indoor

Uncovered outdoor

Which of the following wedding events does your venue service?

Ceremony

Reception

Bridal shower

Engagement party

Rehearsal dinner

What catering services do you offer?

Buffet

Cocktail reception

Dessert

Family style

Hors d'oeuvres

Outside cake

Plated

Server(s)

Stations

Tastings

What bar services do you provide?

Bartender(s)

Cash bar

Champagne toast

House beer

House wine

House liquor

Limited bar

Liquor license

Open bar

Premium liquor

Signature drink

Specialty beer

Specialty wine

What event items are available?

Altar/arches

Centerpieces

Dance floor

Chairs

Tables

What food and beverage items are available?

Barware

China

Chocolate fountain

Flatware

Glassware

Linens

What transportation and access is available?

Parking

Wheelchair access

Do you have a site fee for wedding receptions at your venue?

Yes

What is the starting site fee for wedding receptions during off-peak season?

$1,100

Do you have a site fee for wedding ceremonies at your venue?

Yes

What is the starting site fee for wedding ceremonies during peak season?

$500

What is the starting site fee for wedding ceremonies during off-peak season?

$500

Which of the following are included in starting site fee?

Set up

Clean up

Chairs

Tables

Linens

China

Flatware

Glassware

What is the average catering price per person for buffet service?

$47

What is the average catering price per person for stations?

$46

What is the average catering price per person for hors d'oeurves?

$46

Which of the following are included in the cost of wedding catering?

Server(s)

Dessert

What is the starting price per person for bar service?

Which of the following are included in the starting price for bar service?

Limited bar

Open bar

House beer

Specialty beer

House wine

Specialty wine

Champagne toast

House liquor

Premium liquor

Signature drink

Bartenders

Rated

4.8

out of 5.0

Quality of service

Rating 4.9 out of 5
Response time

Rating 4.7 out of 5
Professionalism

Rating 4.9 out of 5
Value

Rating 4.7 out of 5
Flexibility

Rating 4.7 out of 5

15 User photos

+ 11Photos

Order by:

Brittany K. Married on 31/12/2021

Rating 5 out of 5
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The most magical place to get married

We had a Zoo Year's Eve wedding and it was absolutely magical. Loree, our Coordinator was an angel. Our guest list dropped by almost half (yes, half) in the two weeks prior to our wedding. The Zoo was incredibly understanding and flexible and helped reduce our stress load.

The food was incredible - our guests are still raving about it. The poutine bar and appetizers were amazing! Our bartenders and servers were all incredible professional and kind, and we so appreciated them spending their NYE with us.

Our guests being able to attend Zoo lights was the cherry on top of an already incredible sundae! If you're considering Calgary venues, the Zoo should be top of your list!
- + 5Photos
Sent on 10/02/2022
April G. Married on 04/05/2019

Rating 5 out of 5
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The day was perfect

We had our wedding in the Enmax Conservatory. It snowed the day of and their team was amazing at making the turnover quick. The food is AMAZING!! Our coordinator Loree was phenomenal to deal with. We highly recommend getting married at the Zoo. So many great places to have your photos and your guests won't get bored between the ceremony and reception.
Sent on 15/05/2019
Courtney P. Married on 23/02/2019

Rating 4.6 out of 5
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Beautiful Venue

We had our wedding at the Enmax Conservatory. It was a beautiful venue! The food was delicious and the staff was friendly and wondeful to work with!
Sent on 24/06/2019
Courtney B. Married on 31/08/2018

Rating 5 out of 5
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Incredible!

This was the most beautiful venue! We booked the Enmax Conservatory at the Zoo for the reception and had the ceremony in the private garden behind the building. The zoo Coordinator Robin was phenomenal to work with and so accommodating. The food was spectacular and we could not have asked for a more stunning venue!
Sent on 18/09/2018
Shelbi L. Married on 14/07/2018

Rating 5 out of 5
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The Calgary Zoo was Amazing from Beginning to End!

THANK YOU! The Calgary Zoo was the perfect venue and made our special day beyond anything we imagined. From initial planning to final details - the Calgary Zoo team was so great to work with. No request was too big or too small. This venue was perfect, we wanted an outdoor ceremony an indoor reception and we ended up having a lot of families and kids as guests. The Calgary Zoo brought every aspect of what we wanted together perfectly. Thank you especially to Robin and her team. They contacted our vendors (musicians, bakery, Justice of the Peace, etc.) all prior to ensure everyone had all information prior. And the catering - our guests were complimenting the chef and kitchen staff all night as the dinner and desserts were unreal. Thank you Calgary Zoo, our wedding day was amazing thanks to all of you.
Sent on 02/09/2018
Michelle H. Married on 30/12/2017

Rating 4.6 out of 5
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Special Zoo Wedding

The Calgary Zoo was a wonderful venue. We got married at Grazers which was gorgeous, the perfect winter wedding location. With so many indoor places for photos nearby, we didn’t have to worry too much about the weather (40 below and snowing!). The staff was amazing. When the zoo event coordinator was unable to make it due to the weather, the catering staff stepped up. They helped to bring in flowers and walked me and the bridesmaids to the venue before the ceremony! The food was amazing and the bar staff did a great job. Having my wedding at the zoo was very special.
Sent on 22/01/2018
Erin S. Married on 09/09/2017

Rating 5 out of 5
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We had an amazing experience with the Calgary Zoo. We had our wedding in the Safari Lodge- Robin was extremely responsive, helpful, and went above and beyond to make our day special. I can't say enough good things about the Zoo - I would recommend it to everyone!
Sent on 13/09/2017
Malorie G. Married on 20/08/2017

Rating 5 out of 5
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The Calgary Zoo was amazing! The day couldn't have gone any better than it did! The staff were SO helpful, kind, and understanding. Before the ceremony, the sound wasn't working, and the staff were on it faster than I could say "I do!". Robin Eriksen was beyond wonderful! If you're looking for a magical place to have your wedding, look no further. All our guests LOVED it! Highly recommend!
Sent on 14/11/2017
Stephanie W. Married on 01/06/2019

Rating 5 out of 5
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Perfect wedding!

We held our ceremony and reception at the zoo in the Enmax Conservatory, and our experience was amazing from beginning to end. Our event coordinator, Loree, was very pleasant to work with, always responded to our messages in a timely manner, and made sure to provide answers to every little question we had. We had made several site visits before our wedding day and every single one of them was accommodated. The venue itself is beautiful, with plenty of space for guests to wander around and take pictures all throughout the day and evening. The banquet staff were excellent - special shout out to our banquet captain and the bartender for doing an awesome job right to the end of the night! Everyone commented on how amazing the food was, and we agreed it was better than most hotel buffets we'd been to. We would absolutely recommend this venue to anybody.
Sent on 08/06/2019
Jasmyn R. Married on 11/12/2021

Rating 5 out of 5
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Incredible!

We booked with The Calgary Zoo prior to Covid and ended up postponing, twice. They could not have been easier to work with. Estelle is an absolute delight and helped us reschedule and rebook with zero stress. It goes without saying that the venues are gorgeous! We had booked the Conservatory and ended up downsizing to Grazers and they are both stunning. Our photos are next level!
The food and service on the day of was amazing and we received many compliments. They were able to accommodate everything we wanted without hassle.
Can't wait to continue to visit The Zoo having even more memories now!
- + 2Photos
Sent on 20/12/2021

See more reviews

Awards

The Calgary Zoo Real Weddings

Brittany & Sean
26 Photos · 31/Dec/2021
Payton & Austin
37 Photos · 24/Oct/2020
Lynsey & Jess
44 Photos · 20/Feb/2020
Jill & Jason
19 Photos · 20/Jul/2019
Katelyn & Brodie
62 Photos · 28/Jul/2018
Lisa & Joe
44 Photos · 22/Jul/2018

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