The 15 best museums (and more) in Vancouver right now

Besides being the backdrop to many a movie, the Vancouver Art Gallery’s beautiful columns and dramatic entrance make the whole plaza a charm to walk around and explore. Located right in the heart of downtown Vancouver, the historical gem does not let its classical architecture limit its adventurous exhibits of modern and contemporary art (the permanent collection includes famous paintings by Canadian artist Emily Carr). The galleries themselves are small, intimate, and changing all the time, so make sure you check out the current exhibition being featured when you visit.

The Museum of Vancouver is part of a trio of museums located on the waterfront of Vanier Park, which means you can hit all three with a combined admission pass to combat any rainy-day blues. As an award-winning civic history museum, the Museum of Vancouver holds proof that even young cities are rich with history, walking you through the original peoples and cultures of native history to the neon light phase emblematic of 1950s Vancouver. Eclectic and educational, the galleries are perfect for anyone wanting to walk away with a little bit more knowledge on the city of Vancouver and the communities that keep it alive.

Technically a gallery rather than a museum, but far too good to leave off this list. Located on North Vancouver’s waterfront, the Polygon Gallery focuses on photography and contemporary visual culture through ambitious exhibitions that often challenge how we see the world around us. Add floor-to-ceiling harbour views and a stylish café, and you’ve got one of Metro Vancouver’s most rewarding cultural outings.

Gustav Roedde became Vancouver’s first bookbinder when he settled with his wife Matilda in the city in 1888. Five years later, he built one of the protected heritage homes of Vancouver’s West End. Furnished to represent late Victorian family life, the house is alive and full of period objects, from box cameras to family portraits. Help yourself to tea and biscuits on a Sunday afternoon tour, or catch an intimate classical concert or live jazz.

Another hidden gem on the UBC campus, the Pacific Museum of Earth takes visitors on a journey through billions of years of geological history. Fossils, minerals, dinosaur displays and interactive exhibits reveal how mountains formed, oceans shifted and life evolved. Lose yourself in here for an afternoon.

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The building that houses the H.R. MacMillan Space Center and the Museum of Vancouver is iconic, from the roof designed to resemble the woven basket hat of the NW Coast First Nations to the stainless steel crab fountain that greets all visitors. But step through the threshold, and you’ll be transported somewhere much more universal as you lie on your back in the space centre’s majestic planetarium. You can also catch star shows and a number of other events for both kids and adults.

Nestled between the woods and the water of Vancouver’s Stanley Park, the Vancouver Aquarium elicits oohs and aahs from children and adults. Focused on conservation and rehabilitation, visitors leave feeling empowered, educated and totally guilt-free eating fish sandwiches with their Ocean Wise program. Highlights include a walk with butterflies through an Amazon rainforest exhibit, hand-holding sea otters, walruses, African penguins, and of course, gorgeous jellyfish.

One of Vancouver’s freshest cultural institutions occupies one of its most historic buildings. Located in the beautifully restored Wing Sang Building in Chinatown, the Chinese Canadian Museum explores the stories, struggles and achievements of Chinese Canadians through immersive exhibitions that connect personal histories to the broader story of Canada. Thoughtful, moving and highly relevant, it offers an essential perspective on Vancouver’s multicultural identity.

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Located in Burnaby, this cultural centre explores the history and contributions of Japanese Canadians through exhibitions, archives and community programming. The museum offers a powerful look at immigration, resilience and identity, particularly through stories surrounding the internment of Japanese Canadians during the Second World War.

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Residents and visitors alike rave about the MOA, and just a glance at the award-winning, stunning structure by Canadian architect Arthur Erickson gives you one reason why. Inside, the concrete and glass structure is even more interesting; you’ll find towering totem poles and other artistic and cultural works of art from indigenous communities across the world. The museum has 9,000 ethnographic objects in public view, with artfully designed drawers revealing endless cultural artefacts to explore.

It’s hard to miss the 155-feet-tall geodesic dome that lights up along Vancouver’s gorgeous False Creek. Inside the dome, visitors find a science centre well-known for its interactive exhibits and explore-at-will set up, designed to ignite your brain with all things science and nature. Fiddle around with tricks of light and sound, challenge friends to mind puzzles and catch a show in the world’s largest OMNIMAX dome theatre. Daily programming currently includes a VR Flying experience—and if you aren’t into kid-chaotic environments (what can we say, science is cool), stay tuned for After Dark events.

The Beaty Biodiversity Museum was opened on the University of British Columbia’s campus in 2010, allowing the university’s natural history collections to be on display to the public for the first time. Since then, the museum has become a community space of flora and fauna, devoted to bringing a timeline of the local landscape’s biodiversity to life. The true highlight of this university museum is undoubtedly its skeleton of the blue whale (one of 21 on public display in the world), complete with a documentary in the auditorium explaining its journey across 6000km from Prince Edward Island and into the gallery’s glass atrium.

This Vanier Park museum is devoted to the maritime history of the Pacific Northwest and the Arctic and is itself a stunning piece of mid-century modern design. Its A-frame structure is built around the restored 80-ton schooner St. Roch, the first vessel to explore the Northwest Passage that spans across the length of the country through the waters of the north. Climb aboard and explore the cabins of the famous ship before checking out other artefacts of naval history packed full in the intimate space.

Modelled after a 1920s town square, the Burnaby Village Museum is a heritage site in Deer Lake Park, not too far from Burnaby Lake. With a blacksmith, print shop, general store and period-costumed townspeople, the village provides an all-immersive experience for visitors looking to take a ride in a restored tram railway, hop on the old carousel, or even churn some butter. Gate admission is free, and you can also enjoy a decked-out Heritage Christmas at the village during the holidays.

Tucked beneath BC Place, the BC Sports Hall of Fame celebrates the athletes, teams and moments that have shaped sporting history in British Columbia. Interactive exhibits let visitors test their skills while displays honour everyone from Olympic champions to local legends. Sports fans will appreciate the nostalgia, while casual visitors may be surprised by how many remarkable stories are hidden here.