Sights and landmarks in Vancouver

Sights and landmarks in Vancouver

1. SeeYaletown-False Creek

   BC Place

   The home of the BC Lions CFL football team and Vancouver Whitecaps FC in Major League Soccer. It also hosts the Canada Sevens, a major international event in the sevens variant of men's rugby union. The building is also home to many conventions, tradeshows and concerts. It has had two roofs in its history, both claimed as the largest of their types in the world. The original roof was air-supported, but it has since been replaced by a cable-supported retractable roof. The BC Sports Hall of Fame and Museum is located within BC Place. The museum includes permanent galleries devoted to Terry Fox and Rick Hansen as well as displays of BC sports history from the early 1800s to present.

2. SeeUBC-Point Grey

   Beaty Biodiversity Museum

   Home to Canada's largest blue whale skeleton, a herbarium, and a wide array of animal specimens including fish, insects, arthropods, tetrapods, marine invertebrates and fossils.

   Wed-Sun 11AM-5PM·$12 adults, $10 seniors/youths/non-UBC students

3. SeeCity Centre

   Bill Reid Gallery of Northwest Coast Art

   The Gallery showcases the permanent collection of acclaimed Haida artist Bill Reid (1920–1998) and changing exhibitions of contemporary Northwest Coast Art. Gallery highlights include over 40 pieces of Bill Reid’s gold and silver jewelry, Reid’s bronze masterpiece Mythic Messengers, several of Reid’s works that were featured on the Canadian $20 bill and a full-scale totem pole, carved by James Hart of Haida Gwaii.

   Wed-Sun 11AM-5PM·$5-$10

4. SeeWest End

   Brockton Point

   At the north-east tip of Stanley Park, Brockton Point affords stunning views of the Lions Gate Bridge, the North Shore, and Burrard Inlet.

5. SeeCity Centre

   Canada Place

   Built for Expo 86 as Canada's exhibit, today the building serves as a cruise ship terminal and the eastern building of Vancouver Convention Centre. It is also the site of an IMAX theatre and the luxurious Pan Pacific Hotel. Walk around the unique sailed structure and take in views of the building itself, Coal Harbour, and the North Shore. It uses white colour with a roof of funky "sails" or "waves", which is a curved triangular shape, that has made it a modern gem.

6. SeeUBC-Point Grey

   Chan Centre for the Performing Arts

   A concert hall and events centre; often the location of convocation ceremonies.

7. SeeGastown-Chinatown

   Chinatown Millennium Gate

   Located at the western edge of Chinatown, it consists of ornamental arches with tiled roofs in traditional Chinese style.

8. SeeCity Centre

   Christ Church Cathedral

   Vancouver's oldest surviving church was completed in 1889. Often in the shadow of its neighbour, the 23-storey Cathedral Place, you should visit in the afternoon to see the sun shining through the stained glass windows.

9. SeeGastown-Chinatown

   Dominion Building

   A distinctive red and mustard coloured building completed in 1910. It was the first steel-framed high-rise built in Vancouver and briefly was the tallest commercial building in the British Empire.

10. SeeGastown-Chinatown

    Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden

    A Ming-dynasty style garden in Chinatown. Built in 1986 by Chinese craftsmen using traditional materials, tools, and techniques, this was the first classical garden built outside China. The gardens combine traditional Chinese buildings, plants, a small lake, and curved footpaths to create the illusion of a very big place within a single block. Tours are available. Compared to the city park next door, the differences are quiet but profound: more interesting materials, richer vistas, greater serenity.

    Adult $10, senior $9, student $8

11. SeeGastown-Chinatown

    Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Park

    Constructed by Vancouver-area designers at the same time as its classical garden neighbour, this public park shares the lake and the Chinese garden look. But this is a city park, and free to enter.

    Free

12. SeeCommercial Dr-Hastings Park

    East Van Cross

    This artwork installed in 2010, looks like a Christian cross, and is a reference is to the city’s Eastern half, which is traditionally less wealthy and harder-edged. Ironically almost half of Greater Vancouver residents identify as not having a religion, a fraction that is higher than any other large city in North America. This artwork is easily seen when looking south, while taking the SkyTrain Expo Line between Main Street-Science World station and Commercial-Broadway station. It is also a located a block east of VCC-Clark station on the SkyTrain Millenium Line.

13. SeeGastown-Chinatown

    Gastown

    The oldest part of downtown. You will find cobble-paved boulevards and over-priced tourist traps selling every imaginable thing you can print "Vancouver" on. Popular with tourists are the Gastown Steam Clock, promoted as the only active steam clock in the world but in fact an electric clock that pumps steam, rather an underwhelming experience. The area is notorious for aggressive beggars-drug addicts who are quite unsettling.

14. SeeGastown-Chinatown

    Gastown Steam Clock

    A clock that tries to look old and belches steam every 15 minutes may not be the most stunning landmark, but it has an endearing charm in a kitschy kind of way. It was built to take advantage of the steam vents that are all over downtown Vancouver, but it never lived up to its billing and now relies on electricity to count the minutes. It is one of a kind though and remains a photographic pilgrimage for thousands of Vancouver tourists.

15. SeeKitsilano-Granville Island

    H.R. MacMillan Space Centre and Planetarium

    The Space Centre is not unlike Science World, with most activities fascinating primarily to pre-teens. The planetarium, however, is a more interesting excursion, and will not be so fascinating to children. It is a small planetarium staffed by volunteers whose knowledge of all things space will stun and amaze you.

    Mon Tue Thu Sat Sun 9:30AM–4:30PM, Wed Fri 7-11PM·Admission $18+GST, child under 5 free

16. SeeCity Centre

    Hotel Vancouver

    The third such hotel in this spot, the Hotel Vancouver was built over 11 years and completed in 1939. As with all Canadian Pacific hotels in Canada, the chateau-style is truly impressive. It was the tallest building in Vancouver until 1972. The hotel's first guests were King George and Queen Elizabeth. Bring binoculars for a close-up view of the building's many gargoyles.

17. SeeWest End

    Inukshuk

    At the southern end of English Bay is this inukshuk statue facing out to sea. It's not the inukshuk statue for the Olympics; this statue was made for the city as part of Expo 86.

    Free

18. SeeUBC-Point Grey

    Irving K. Barber Learning Centre

    This library has the Automated Storage and Retrieval System (ASRS), an automated "robot librarian" cranes scurry along 5-story shelves holding 1.6 million books, at the beck and call of human librarians. For a geek thrill, watch them through the ground floor windows on the north side of the building. On the 2nd floor, near the Circulation desk, is a more limited view.

    Mon-Thu 8AM-11PM, Fri 8AM-6PM, Sat 10AM-6PM, Sun noon-8PM·Free

19. SeeCity Centre

    Jack Poole Plaza

    Olympic Cauldron

    Brick-paved plaza with good views of the North Shore mountains, Stanley Park and Coal Harbour. It is also the home of the Olympic Cauldron.

20. SeeSouth

    Jewish Museum and Archives of BC

    A small museum that documents the history of the Jewish community in British Columbia. Check for interesting summer programs and tours at this museum; in 2007 it operated a "Tour de Blintz" cycling tour, which took participants to local Jewish eateries.

    Mon-Thu 9AM-5PM·Free (except for special programs)

21. SeeCity Centre

    Library Square and Vancouver Public Library

    The modern and attractive central branch of the City of Vancouver's Public Library is located in an architecturally interesting building, designed by Moshe Safdie. Constructed as a 'square within a circle', this building is reminiscent of a modern Roman Colosseum. Its design was chosen in a public competition. There are large public spaces around the building and a nice atrium space in the lobby. Guest internet access is available at VPL and visitors can also obtain guest wireless privileges from the library. If you prefer not to obtain a guest login, there are a few terminals that allow access to selected resources (bus schedules, government pages, etc.) without logging in.

    Mon-Thu 10AM-9PM, Fri-Sat 10AM-6PM, Sun noon-5PM

22. SeeWest End

    Lions Gate Bridge

    This green coloured Vancouver landmark links the city with the North Shore across Burrard Inlet. Similar in style to San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge, it was built in 1937-38 in large part to help develop land owned by the Guinness family (of beer fame) in West Vancouver. Although the family sold their land in the 1950s, a link remains in the decorative lighting they donated for the bridge in 1986. The bridge is three lanes with sidewalks on either side for walking or cycling. The centre lane is controlled by traffic signals, so it alternates direction depending on the traffic conditions.

23. SeeWest End

    Lost Lagoon

    The place in the park to see birds, including Canada Geese, white swans, and ducks. Walking around the lagoon is a relaxing 1.8 km along paths that travel mostly near the edge of the lagoon. Feeding wildlife is no longer allowed in the park.

24. SeeCity Centre

    Marine Building

    This 22-storey Art Deco office tower was completed in 1930. Because of the Great Depression, only four floors were occupied for the first several years. Note the attention to detail on both the exterior, and in the lobby.

25. SeeCommercial Dr-Hastings Park

    Momiji Garden

    Small Japanese garden built as an apology for Japanese internment.

    Free, except when the PNE is open during the second half of August

26. SeeUBC-Point Grey

    Morris and Helen Belkin Art Gallery

    A small gallery with regular exhibitions. What looks like a woodpile outside is actually a sculpture, made of concrete.

    Tue-Fri 10AM-5PM, Sat Sun noon-5PM (closed Mondays and statutory holidays)·Free

27. SeeKitsilano-Granville Island

    Museum of Vancouver

    formerly the Vancouver Museum

    The largest civic museum in Canada, with over 1 million items from Vancouver's history, only a fraction of which fit in the exhibit halls. Tucked away to the left off the Orientation Gallery is a series of rooms telling Vancouver's story from the 19th century to the 1970s. The museum makes an effort to tell many stories of Vancouver: English Canadian, First Nations, various immigrant groups, etc. Kid-friendly exhibits.

    Sun-Wed 10AM-5PM, Thu-Sat 10AM-8PM·$20, senior or student $15, youth (6 to 17) $15, children (5 and under) free

28. SeeCommercial Dr-Hastings Park

    New Brighton Park

    Good-sized park tucked on the shore of the Burrard Inlet between port facilities. It provides an interesting, grittier view of the North Shore mountains with the port facilities and Second Narrows Bridge in sight. Amenities include playing fields, a children's playground, a beach and a trail along the shore. There is also the New Brighton Pool, a heated outdoor pool that is usually open from the Victoria Day long weekend to Labour Day (late May to early Sept).

    The park is free, $3-6 for the pool

29. SeeWest End

    Nine O'Clock Gun

    Built so that mariners could set their chronometers. This gun has marked 9PM every night since 1894. Also a great place to take a picture of downtown Vancouver.

30. SeeUBC-Point Grey

    Nitobe Memorial Garden

    One of the most traditional, authentic Japanese gardens in North America and among the top five Japanese gardens outside of Japan.

    Daily from 9AM-5PM, mid-March to Oct·Youth $2, senior $5, adult $6

31. SeeYaletown-False Creek

    Olympic Village

    The Village on False Creek

    The site of the Vancouver Athletes Village during the 2010 Winter Olympic Games. It's slowly being sold off as condos and becoming a community within Vancouver. The central plaza is distinctive with the deep red of the Salt Building and the giant sparrow statues. There is also a terraced slope leading down to False Creek that is lovely for sitting in the sun.

    Free

32. SeeWest End

    Prospect Point

    At the north tip of Stanley Park, Prospect Point affords stunning views of the Lions Gate Bridge and First Narrows. There is a concession and bathrooms here, and sometimes you may spot a large contingent of raccoons begging for food. Please don't feed them.

33. SeeMt Pleasant-South Main

    Queen Elizabeth Park

    An old quarry that was converted into a number of gardens and ponds. The top of the park is the highest point in the city of Vancouver and offers views of the entire city.

    Free

34. SeeCity Centre

    Robson Square

    Both an office building and public space designed by Vancouver architect Arthur Erikson, it houses the Provincial Courts and a satellite UBC campus. The building, which was built to represent a skyscraper on its side, is noted for its use of water and greenery and is mostly underground. The public space features a skating rink underneath Robson Street, which is the only outdoor rink in Vancouver.

    Skating is available during winter and is free, skate rentals are $3

35. SeeYaletown-False Creek

    Rogers Arena

    formerly GM Place

    The building also hosts many of the big name concerts that come to Vancouver.

36. SeeYaletown-False Creek

    Roundhouse Community Center

    The restored roundhouse that used to work the railyard before the condos were built. Engine 374, which hauled the first passengers into Vancouver, is on display with some historical information. There is also a gym that can be used on a drop-in basis (for a small fee) and a small performing arts centre.

    Mon-Fri 9AM-10PM, Sat-Sun 9AM-5PM

37. SeeGastown-Chinatown

    Sam Kee Building

    This two-storey building is the world's narrowest commercial building according to the Guinness Book of World Records, with a width of just 4'11" (1.5 m) at its base. Its slim size is due to the city expropriating most of the lot to widen the street. The owner went ahead and built anyway, and businesses have been operating out of its confines since 1913. If you do take a look, the perspective is better from the other (north) side of Pender.

38. SeeYaletown-False Creek

    Science World

    This science centre is located in the distinctive building from Expo 86 at the end of False Creek. Has a wide range of participatory exhibits. Get off the Skytrain at the Main St/Science World station. The building is a unique shaped building that was constructed for Expo 86. Popular with the young and with those who like science. An Omnimax theatre is in this building as well.

    $30.40 per adult, $24.30 for 13-18 years old and 65+, $20.30 for 3-12 years old, free for 2 years old and younger

39. SeeWest End

    Stanley Park Train

    Stanley Park Railway

    Who doesn't like to ride a miniature railway? At Christmas, there is a very popular light display for the miniature railway.

    4–10PM·Adults $7, less for seniors, children and youth (slightly higher during special events)

40. SeeGastown-Chinatown

    Sun Tower

    A high-rise building built in the Beaux-Arts style. It was completed in 1912 and was the tallest building in the British Empire at the time. The tower is noted for its dome (painted to look like copper cladding) and its exterior was used in the TV series, Smallville.

Browse all 259 places in Vancouver

Listings from the Wikivoyage guide to Vancouver (CC BY-SA 4.0).