89 Best Sights in Vancouver, British Columbia

Vancouver's first store and oldest building was built in 1865 at the foot of Dunlevy Street in Gastown and moved to this seaside spot near the Royal Vancouver Yacht Club in 1930. It's a little wooden structure at the corner of Point Grey Road and Alma Street—west of Kitsilano en route to UBC—and is the only building to predate the 1886 Great Fire. The site is now a museum with displays of First Nations artifacts and pioneer household goods.

A four-pronged sculpture towering more than 30 feet, the Olympic Cauldron is next to the Vancouver Convention Centre's West Building. In 2010, when Vancouver hosted the Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games, it burned with the Olympic flame, and it's relit occasionally for Canada Day and other special events. The Cauldron overlooks the Burrard Inlet on Jack Poole Plaza, which is named for the Canadian businessman who led the bid to bring the Olympics to Vancouver. Sadly, Poole died of cancer just one day after the flame for the Olympic torch relay was lit in Olympia, Greece, at the start of its journey to Vancouver.

Close to the University of British Columbia, on Vancouver's West Side, Pacific Spirit Regional Park has 73 km (45 miles) of multiuse walking, hiking, and biking trails within its 763-hectare (1,885-acre) forest. Open dawn to dusk year-round, it also has access to Spanish Banks and Wreck Beaches.

Opened in 2017 in a striking purpose-built waterfront facility at the foot of Lonsdale Avenue, this public gallery focuses on photography and media-based art. You can join a tour of the current exhibit, led by an art professional, on Saturday afternoon or Thursday evening. The on-site shop has an excellent selection of photography books and photo supplies, including Polaroid cameras.

At 64 meters (211 feet), Prospect Point is the highest point in the park and provides striking views of the Lions Gate Bridge (watch for cruise ships passing below), the North Shore, and Burrard Inlet. There's also a (summer only) souvenir shop, a snack bar with terrific ice cream, and a restaurant. From the seawall, you can see where cormorants build their seaweed nests along the cliff ledges.

Lavish sunken gardens (in a former stone quarry), a rose garden, and an abundance of grassy picnicking spots are just a few of the highlights at this 52-hectare (130-acre) park. Poised at the highest point in the city, there are 360-degree views of Downtown. Other park facilities include 18 tennis courts, pitch and putt (an 18-hole putting green), and a restaurant. In the Bloedel Conservatory, you can see tropical and desert plants and 100 species of free-flying tropical birds in a glass geodesic dome—the perfect place to be on a rainy day. To reach the park by public transportation, take the Canada Line to King Edward station. From there, it's a six-block walk to the edge of the park (and a hike up the hill to appreciate the views). Cambie Bus 15, which runs south along Cambie Street from the Olympic Village SkyTrain station, will drop you a little closer, at the corner of 33rd and Cambie. Park activities make for a great family excursion, and unlike Stanley Park with its acres of rainforest, Queen Elizabeth Park is all about the flowers.

Architect Arthur Erickson designed this plaza to be the gathering place for Downtown Vancouver, although it's not accessible at street level, which makes it a bit of a secret. Landscaped walkways connect the Vancouver Art Gallery, government offices, and law courts at street level, while the lower level houses a University of British Columbia satellite campus and bookstore. In winter, there's also a covered, outdoor, public ice skating rink. In summer, the rink becomes a dance floor for weekly (free) salsa sessions, usually on Friday night and Sunday afternoon. Political protests and impromptu demonstrations take place on the grandiose gallery plaza facing Georgia Street, a tradition that dates from the days when the building was a courthouse.

Running from the Terry Fox Plaza outside BC Place Stadium down to the West End, Robson is Vancouver's busiest shopping street, where fashionistas hang out at see-and-be-seen sidewalk cafés, high-end boutiques, and chain stores. Most of the designer action takes place between Jervis and Burrard Streets, and that's also where you can find buskers and other entertainers in the evening. Alberni Street, that runs parallel to Robson from Burrard Street, is the other hot spot for uber high-end brands.

On a pretty residential street, the Roedde (pronounced roh-dee) House Museum is an 1893 home in the Queen Anne Revival style, set among Victoriana gardens. It was the first Francis Rattenbury–designed house in Canada—he went on to design the Legislative Buildings and Fairmont Empress Hotel in Victoria. Tours of the restored, antiques-furnished interior take about an hour. On Sunday, tours are followed by tea and cookies. Museum hours are usually 1–4 pm, but can vary, so it's a good idea to phone before visiting. The gardens (free) can be visited anytime. The museum also hosts a concert series (classical music on the second Sunday of the month at 3 pm, and jazz on the second Thursday at 7 pm).

Under a gigantic, shiny dome on the False Creek waterfront, this hands-on science center encourages children to participate in interactive exhibits and demonstrations about the natural world, the human body, and other science topics. Exhibits change throughout the year, so there's always something new to see. Adjacent to the museum, and included in the admission, the Ken Spencer Science Park is an outdoor exhibit area focusing on environmental issues. Science World is an easy walk (or mini-ferry ride) from Yaletown or a short walk from the Olympic Village; the Main Street-Science World SkyTrain station is across the street. Limited paid parking is available.

North Vancouver's historic dry docks have been reimagined as a vibrant waterfront public space, including restaurants, cafés, a hip pub, a boutique hotel, and even a kids' water park reconfigured as an ice rink in winter. Just steps from Lonsdale Quay on the North Vancouver waterfront, the Shipyards are easy to reach by SeaBus. On Friday nights from May through September, more than 120 vendors, a wealth of food trucks, and a beer garden set up shop outdoors for the Shipyards Night Market. The Shipyards are also home to the photo-centric Polygon Gallery.

Vancouver architect Richard Henriquez knitted four buildings together into Sinclair Centre, an office-retail complex that takes up an entire city block between Cordova and Hastings, and Howe and Granville Streets. Inside are a handful of specialty retailers, federal government offices, and services including UPS and a multilingual travel agency. The two Hastings Street buildings—the 1910 Post Office, which has an elegant clock tower, and the 1911 Winch Building—are linked with the 1937 Post Office Extension and the 1913 Customs Examining Warehouse to the north. As part of a meticulous restoration in the mid-1980s, the post office facade was moved to the Granville Street side of the complex. The original clockwork from the old clock tower is on display inside (on the upper level of the arcade).

According to a local First Nations legend, this 50-foot-high offshore promontory is a monument to a man who was turned into stone as a reward for his unselfishness. The rock is visible from the seawall. If you're driving, you need to park, and take a short path through the woods.

The Spanish Banks and Locarno Beaches form a sandy chain, and feature huge expanses of sunbathing sand backed by wide lawns full of picnic tables. There are also volleyball courts. The shallow water, warmed slightly by sun and sand, is good for swimming. Farther west along the coastline, toward the Spanish Banks Extension, the scene becomes less crowded. Spanish Banks West and Locarno Beaches are designated "quiet beaches," which means that amplified music is prohibited. Amenities: food and drink, lifeguards, parking (for a fee), toilets, and water sports. Best for: its atmosphere, sunsets, swimming, walking, and windsurfing.   

This child-size steam train takes kids and adults on a ride through the woods. In summer, the railway travels a 2-km (1.2-mile) winding journey through Stanley Park. Halloween displays draw crowds throughout October for the annual Ghost Train. And at Christmas, an elaborate light display illuminates the route during Bright Nights. The train periodically runs outside of these special events, too. Call or check the website for details.

Farther along Beach Avenue toward Burrard Bridge, Sunset Beach, between Thurlow and Broughton Streets, is too close to the Downtown core for clean, safe swimming. But it is a great spot for an evening stroll. It's also a "quiet" beach, which means no amplified music. You can catch a ferry to Granville Island here. Amenities: food and drink, lifeguards, parking (for a fee), and toilets. Best for: sunset and walking.

Totem poles are an important art form among native peoples along British Columbia's coast. These nine poles—eight carved in the latter half of the 20th century and one created in 2009—include replicas of poles originally brought to the park from the north coast in the 1920s, as well as poles carved specifically for the park by First Nations artists. The several styles of poles represent a cross section of BC Native groups, including the Kwakwaka'wakw, Haida, and Nisga'a. The combination of carved animals, fish, birds, and mythological creatures represents clan history. An information center near the site has a snack bar, a gift shop, and information about BC's First Nations. 

The only freshwater lake in the center of Vancouver, Trout Lake, in John Hendry Park, has a sandy beach and a swimming raft. Community festivals and family picnics are popular here, and there's an attractive farmers' market on summer Saturdays. Amenities: food and drink; lifeguards; parking (free); toilets. Best for: swimming, walking.

Ten thousand trees, shrubs, and rare plants from around the world thrive on this 70-acre research site on the university campus, which abuts Pacific Spirit Park. The complex feels as far away from the city as you can get, with forested walkways through an Asian garden, a garden of medicinal plants, and an alpine garden with some of the world's rarest plants. A Walk in the Woods is a 20-minute loop that takes you through more than 1,000 species of coastal plant life. The garden gift store is one of the best of its kind. One-hour guided tours, free with garden admission, are offered on certain days; call or check the website for a schedule. If you're planning to visit several attractions at UBC, a UBC Museums and Gardens Pass will save you money.

The 308-meter-long (1,010-foot-long) Greenheart TreeWalk Canopy Walkway, a swaying network of suspended bridges weaving a trail between huge cedars and hemlocks, is a thrilling way to explore the garden. Along the way, you stop off on eight platforms in the trees, each more than 15 meters (49 feet) high, while an additional two-story viewing platform tops a freestanding tower more than 22 meters (72 feet) in the air. Visits to the walkway are at your own pace or by a 45-minute guided tour, where you learn about the forest, local wildlife, environmental issues, and First Nations traditions; call or check the website for seasonal tour schedules. The walkway is a great adventure for kids. Just note that small children must either be able to walk on their own or be carried in a child backpack or other carrier (strollers aren't permitted).

Canadian painter Emily Carr's haunting interpretations of the British Columbian hinterland are among the attractions at western Canada's largest art gallery. Carr (1871–1945), a grocer's daughter from Victoria, BC, fell in love with the wilderness around her and shocked middle-class Victorian society by running off to paint it. Her work accentuates the mysticism and danger of BC's wilderness, and records the diminishing presence of native cultures during that era (there's something of a renaissance now). The gallery, which also hosts touring historical and contemporary exhibitions, is housed in a 1911 courthouse that Canadian architect Arthur Erickson redesigned in the early 1980s as part of the Robson Square redevelopment. Stone lions guard the steps to the Georgia Street side (the plaza is often the site of festivals and other events); the main entrance is accessed from Robson Square or Hornby Street.

Resembling a flying saucer stuck atop a high-rise, the 553-foot-high Vancouver Lookout Tower has fabulous views of Vancouver and its surrounding landscapes—on a clear day, as far as Mount Baker in Washington State. A glass elevator whizzes you up 50 stories to the circular observation deck, where knowledgeable guides point out the sights and give a (free) tour every hour on the hour. The top-floor restaurant (604/669–2220) makes one complete revolution per hour. (Note that the elevator ride up is free for diners.) Tickets are good all day, so you can visit in daytime and return for another look after dark.

Sharing the seafaring history of the Pacific Northwest and Arctic regions, this family-friendly museum houses the RCMP Arctic St. Roch, the first ship to sail in both directions through the treacherous Northwest Passage and the first to circumnavigate North America. You can scramble around the decks and into the St. Roch's cabins, imagining yourself as a sea captain attempting to navigate the Arctic. About a third of this museum has been turned over to kids, with touchable displays offering a chance to drive a tug, maneuver an underwater robot, or dress up as a seafarer. Toddlers and school-age children can work the hands-on displays in Pirates' Cove and the Children's Maritime Discovery Centre. The museum also has an extensive collection of model ships. While you're here, take a moment to look at the 30-meter-tall (100 foot) replica Kwakiutl totem pole in front of the museum. The massive white-and-yellow contraption behind the Vancouver Maritime Museum is the Ben Franklin submersible. It looks like something a Jules Verne character would put to sea but was actually built in 1968 as a marine research tool to, among other things, chart the Gulf Stream. A more fascinating claim to fame is that it was once the largest of its kind in America and was instructional for NASA. The information about how people lived in such close quarters for extended periods of time provided preliminary research data on the dynamics of living aboard a space station.

Home to the Museum of Vancouver, the Vancouver Maritime Museum, and the H.R. MacMillan Space Centre, Vanier Park is also known as the best kite flying venue in the city. Every summer, this is also where you'll find the Children's Festival and Bard on the Beach theater—both presented under billowing tents along the water.

This former Canadian Pacific Railway passenger terminal was built between 1912 and 1914 as the western terminus for Canada's transcontinental railway. After Canada's two major railways shifted their focus away from passenger service, the station became obsolete. But a 1978 renovation turned it into an office-retail complex and depot for SkyTrain, SeaBus, and the West Coast Express (a suburban commuter rail). In the main concourse, murals up near the ceiling depict the scenery travelers once saw on journeys across Canada. This is where you catch the SeaBus for the 13-minute trip across the harbor to the waterfront public market at Lonsdale Quay in North Vancouver, and the adjacent Shipyards with its restaurants, galleries, and open-area concert space.

This calm cove near Horseshoe Bay is popular for swimming, scuba diving, sunset watching, and, at low tide, hiking out to Whyte Islet just offshore. Amenities: food and drink, parking (for a fee), and toilets. Best for: sunsets, swimming, and walking.  

Clothing-optional Wreck Beach is in Pacific Spirit Regional Park, accessible via Trail 6—a winding staircase of 483 steps that's near the University of British Columbia campus. On sunny days, the beach is busy with locals and visitors, most of whom strip down to their birthday suits and enjoy the clean swimming waters. The welcoming sands also stretch around Point Grey to the north, where beach logs, wildlife, and WWII searchlight towers are some of the many reasons to explore further. Amenities: parking (for a fee) and toilets. Best for: its atmosphere, nudists, sunsets, and swimming.