Tourism & Attractions

The Vancouver Art Gallery, which is the 5th largest such gallery in Canada and the largest in western Canada, currently houses over 9,100 items and artifacts and is the most comprehensive resource for visual culture in British Columbia. The collection includes items from some of Vancouver's most internationally renowned artists including Jeff Wall, Ian Wallace, Stan Douglas, Rodney Graham, Roy Arden and Brian Jungen. The gallery also contains the most extensive collection of the works of Canada's beloved Emily Carr.

Originally built for the Expo '86 exhibition, the Science World 'golf ball' is actually a geodesic dome, the design of which was created and patented by American inventor R. Buckminster Fuller (1895-1983). In addition to the OMNIMAX Theatre and the Science Theatre, Science World is home to five permanent galleries: the Eureka! Gallery, the Sara Stern Search Gallery, the Kidspace Gallery, the Our World Gallery, and Illusions. It also boasts a feature gallery for special exhibitions, a Centre Stage for live science shows, a gift shop, Triple O's White Spot restaurant, and administration offices.

The Vancouver Aquarium Marine Science Center, a self-supporting, non-profit organization, was initially formed in 1951 as the Vancouver Public Aquarium Association and officially became Canada's first public aquarium 5 years later. Beginning as a 9,000 square foot facility with 7 employees it has grown to over 100,000 square feet and 385 employees today. The aquarium is internationally recognized for its world-wide research projects including the successful Marine Mammal Rescue and Rehabilitation Program.

Weekday Schedule (October 1, 2009 - June 30, 2010)

09:30 AM Vancouver Aquarium opens
10:30 AM Family Program
11:00 AM Caring for Dolphins
11:15 AM Sea Otter Talk
11:30 AM Creatures Off Our Coast
12:00 Beluga Family Talk
01:00 PM Dolphin Show
01:30 PM Sea Otter Talk
02:30 PM Discover Reef Sharks
02:30 PM Beluga Family Talk
03:00 PM Spotlight on Seals
03:30 PM Dolphin Show
04:30 PM Sea Otter Talk
05:00 PM Vancouver Aquarium closes; Gift Shop remains open until 5:30 PM.

Weekend & Holiday Schedule (October 1, 2009 - June 30, 2010)

09:30 AM Vancouver Aquarium opens
10:00 AM Family Program
10:30 AM Beluga Family Talk
11:00 AM Caring for Dolphins
11:15 AM Sea Otter Talk
11:30 AM Creatures Off Our Coast
12:00 PM Spotlight on Seals
12:00 PM Archerfish Feed
12:30 PM Beluga Family Talk
01:00 PM Dolphin Show
01:30 PM Sea Otter Talk
01:30 PM Critter Corner
02:00 PM Beluga Family Talk
02:30 PM Discover Reef Sharks
02:30 PM Dolphin Show
03:00 PM Spotlight on Seals
03:00 PM Frog Feed
03:30 PM Dolphin Show
04:00 PM Beluga Family Talk
04:00 PM Wetlab Exploration
04:30 PM Sea Otter Talk
05:00 PM Vancouver Aquarium closes; Gift Shop remains open until 5:30 PM.

Stanley Park is recognized around the globe as one of the great parks of the world! Vancouver's first park and one of the city's main tourist attractions, Stanley Park is an evergreen oasis of 400 hectares (1,000 acres) close to the downtown core. Its natural west coast atmosphere offering a back drop of majestic cedar, hemlock and fir trees embraces visitors and transports them to an environment rich in tranquility. The park abounds in wildlife and its features appeal to the naturalist, the plant lover or one who would do nothing more than relax in beautiful surroundings.

Stanley Park hosts many arts events. During the summer, you can "dance at dusk" at Ceperley Meadow, see local artists' work at Painters' Circle, and enjoy outdoor theatre with Theatre Under the Stars at Malkin Bowl. The Park can be enjoyed by all ages. Family attractions in the park include the Children's Farmyard and Miniature Train, Vancouver Aquarium, picnic sites, playgrounds, and aquatic fun at the beaches, the Second Beach Pool, or the water park at Lumbermen's Arch. Beautiful horticultural displays can be found throughout the park. Don't miss the Ted and Mary Greig Rhododendron garden, perennial and rose gardens, the Prospect Point carpet bedding, the Community Garden near Lost Lagoon, and ornamental plantings around the Parks administration offices at the Beach Avenue entrance to the park. World famous landmarks in the park include Lost Lagoon, Siwash Rock, Prospect Point, Beaver Lake, totem poles, the Nine O'Clock Gun, various monuments and sculptures, and the 8.8 km (5.5 mi) seawall which encircles the entire park. The large urban forest in Stanley Park is criss-crossed with trails providing access to second-growth forest, beaches and rocky seashore, and wildlife such as squirrels, raccoons, skunks, coyotes, magestic eagles and herons.

The Museum of Vancouver is the largest civic museum in Canada and includes artifacts collected from around the world by Vancouver residents. 1894 was the first official exhibit of the museum which has since moved into the HR. Macmillan Space Center building and has narrowed it's vision to focus on Vancouver and it's history. The museum offers a range of fun and educational programs for children, youth and families that might take you to an archaeological dig pit or an overnight experience with a real Egyptian mummy. Their weekend family programs range from self-guided scavenger hunts to workshops and other activities.

Vancouver's Museum of Anthropology was founded more than 50 years ago and houses over 535,000 ethnographic and archaeological objects, many of which originate from the Northwest Coast of British Columbia. Today, Canada's largest teaching museum is located in a spectacular building in the heart of the University of British Columbia overlooking mountains and sea - its collections, exhibitions and programs renowned for giving access and insight into the cultures of indigenous peoples. The Multiversity Galleries, to be opened in early 2010 as part of a larger renewal project, will provide access to approximately 15,000 artifacts from around the world for comparison and study.

In the late 1970s Granville Island began it's transformation from declining 37-acre industrial park to a thriving, unique urban oasis. Today over 100 shops and attractions line the streets of the island including the Granville Island Public Market, the world famous Vancouver TheaterSports League, a thriving art community that once included the late Bill Reid, the renowned Emily Carr Institute of Art and Design, and many of the best buskers, or street performers, in the world.

The site of the VanDusen Botanical Garden, purchased in 1966 from Canadian Pacific Railway with assistance from the City of Vancouver, the Government of British Columbia, the Vancouver Foundation and a hefty donation from W.J. VanDusen, after who the garden were named after, was originally planned to become a railway subdivision. VanDusen Botanical Garden officially opened to the public in 1975 and has matured into a garden of international stature boasting over 255,000 plants representing more than 7,300 taxa from around the world.

The Capilano Suspension Bridge is one of Greater Vancouver's greatest tourist attractions. Totem poles and gardens take you on a wonderful adventure into and overtop of one of Canada's west coast rainforests and it's award winning attraction, Treetops Adventure. Originally built in 1889 and one of Vancouver's oldest attractions, the Capilano Suspension Bridge stretches 450 feet (137m) across and 230 feet (70m) above the Capilano River. Top your adventure off by visiting the gift shop full of quality merchandise from all over Canada and great homemade fudge.

With over 450 stores that include clothing boutiques for men and women, electronics, jewellery, home furnishings, and speciality foods all located on three levels, Metropolis at Metrotown is British Columbia largest shopping center. Grand court featurettes includes performances by Cirque du Soliel, pop/rock idol competitions, a gigantic rocking horse, and an elaborate sand sculpture display. Other features include dining out at world-class restaurants and Famous Players SilverCity, offering the latest box office hits on the big screen with big sound.

Fort Langley, built in 1827 under the direction of James McMillan, chief trader of the Hudson's Bay Company, was the first place in the Lower Mainland where European settlement was established. The fort was initially built to establish a fur trading post and commence agricultural activity in the region. In 1858 gold was discovered along the Fraser and Thompson rivers initiating the Cariboo Gold Rush that resulted in over 30,000 miners piling into the area. In the same year paddle wheelers began steaming up to Hope and Yale and Fort Langley's importance began to diminish. In 1923 the Canadian government recognized Fort Langley as a national historic site and has since rebuilt or restored much of the area.

Benvenuto, Italian for 'welcome', is the name the Butcharts used for their original estate, now a National Historic Site of Canada, and still privately owned by family descendants. The Butchart Gardens offers 22ha (55 acres) of wonderful floral display located in Greater Victoria on Vancouver Island. The family's commitment to horticulture and hospitality continues to this day.

British Columbia’s past, present and future are alive at the Royal BC Museum. With a collection of more than seven million unique objects and documents, there’s something incredible to see every time you visit. The Royal BC Museum is a place of discovery. Through unique galleries, the Museum showcases the human and natural history of British Columbia and temporary exhibits from other countries and cultures. Authentic artifacts and specimens are displayed in highly realistic settings, giving visitors the experience of another time and place.

Visit the amazing Pacific Undersea Gardens and GO DEEP in Victoria’s Inner Harbour. See the Live Dive Show in our exclusive Undersea Theatre on the bottom of the sea! Descend... into a world where Victoria’s reputation as the “City of Gardens” extends beneath the tide-line! Home of the largest collection of local marine life to be found anywhere! You will come face to face with the excitement, the wonder, the magic and mystery of the underwater world.

The Greater Vancouver Zoo is dedicated to preserving and protecting endangered species, and creating an educational environment that inspires appreciation and concern about wildlife and wild places, while providing a pleasant recreational setting for our visitors.