A mirrored sculpture that wants to hear your wishes
📸 PHOTO SPOT
Location:Â 950 McPherson Square N.E., Calgary
Best for: Couples • Portraits • Quirky photos • Instagram
Time needed:Â 5 minutes
Cost:Â Free
Season:Â Year-round
 PHOTO POTENTIAL ★★★★☆
Why it’s worth the stop: This isn’t your typical ‘stand in front of the sculpture and smile’ kind of photo spot.
The Wishing Well is a giant, gleaming stainless-steel sculpture where your words become music and colourful light.
Text a message, greeting or wish to 1-587-327-9939. Your words are transformed into braille-like dots, then translated into a melody and a colourful pattern of light and played back inside the sculpture.
And it has a pretty great comeback story. Originally installed in Calgary in 2012, the sculpture was removed in 2014 after its polished stainless-steel surface created a safety concern by concentrating sunlight and scorching a visitor’s jacket.
After spending years in storage, it found a new home in Bridgeland in 2022, with modifications and a new location designed to make it safer.
Come for the shiny sculpture. Stay for the interactive light show — and the excuse to act like a kid inside a giant wishing well.
💡 Calgary Uncovered Tip: Don’t just take a picture of the Wishing Well — get inside it. This is one of those rare photo spots where climbing into the artwork is actually part of the experience. And whatever you do, check out your reflection before you leave. You might discover Calgary looks pretty funky from inside a giant shiny sculpture.
📸 How to Get the shot: Don’t stand back and politely photograph this one. Get in there.
The Wishing Well is made for playing around with perspective. Step inside the opening and shoot outward, or have someone stand inside while you photograph them from the other side. The curves of the sculpture create some wonderfully strange framing — and that’s before the reflections get involved.
Move around the outside and watch what happens. The shiny surface bends and stretches the buildings, trees and people around it, so your reflection can become part of the shot too. Get close, shoot wide and don’t be afraid to experiment. This is one of those places where the weird angles are usually the good ones.
For a completely different look, come back after dark. Text the sculpture a wish, then head inside and see what happens when your words turn into light.
Don’t just take a picture of the Wishing Well. Play with it. That’s where the fun shots are hiding.
Good to know:
- Free admission
- Setting: Outdoor setting, and weather-dependent
- Busyness level: Light to moderate foot traffic except during community events
- Parking info: Limited street parking is available nearby. Bridgeland/Memorial CTrain station is about a two-minute walk if parking is being a pain.
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