Situated in Calgary's East Village area, Studio Bell, Home of the National Music Centre, opened in its new state-of-the-art facility in 2016. Able to trace its roots back as far as 1987, the huge structure houses a number of music-related attractions, including the Canadian Music Hall of Fame, the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame, and the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame Collection.
Together, these museums boast an impressive collection of 2,000 music-related artifacts, including numerous old and rare instruments. Among the larger exhibits are a mobile recording studio that once belonged to the Rolling Stones and a piano once owned by Elton John.
The building itself is simply stunning, especially its interior, which features more than 226,000 attractive terra-cotta tiles. In addition to its many exhibits-many of them hands-on and interactive-Studio Bell offers a diverse program of educational events and workshops, daily performances, as well as concerts. Guided tours are available, along with a fun backstage pass tour that includes time playing some of the instruments you'll see.
