Must-see attractions in Vancouver

  • Dominion Building

    Gastown & Chinatown

    A handsome architectural vestige of yesteryear Vancouver, this copper-hued, French-style vintage skyscraper across from Victory Square is well worth a…

  • Totem Poles

    Vancouver

    This handsome collection of totem poles clustered at Brockton Point is one of Stanley Park's busiest visitor lures. Arrive early or late on summer days to…

  • Macaulay & Co Fine Art

    Vancouver

    One of the area's top smaller galleries represents a stable of brilliant, newer artists who may be the next big thing. Look out for eye-popping…

  • Nelson Park

    Vancouver

    A West End park beloved of local dog-walkers, this is also where you'll find the summer-long West End Farmers Market.

  • Spirit Gallery

    North Shore

    Drop into this Horseshoe Bay gallery to peruse authentic First Nations artworks.

  • Exterior of the Vancouver Lookout observation tower attraction

    Vancouver Lookout

    Vancouver

    Expect your lurching stomach to make a bid for freedom as the glass elevator whisks you 169m to the apex of this needle-like viewing tower in just 40…

  • Exterior of the landmark Woodward's building

    Woodward's

    Gastown & Chinatown

    The project that catalyzed latter-day Downtown Eastside redevelopment, this former iconic department store was a derelict shell after closing in the early…

  • Vancouver Maritime Museum exterior

    Vancouver Maritime Museum

    Vancouver

    Teeming with salty seafaring artifacts, dozens of intricate ship models and a couple of walk-through recreated boat sections, the prize exhibit at this…

  • Vancouver City Hall, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

    City Hall

    Fairview & South Granville

    Architecture fans should save time for one of Vancouver's best art-deco buildings. Completed in 1936, its highlights include a soaring, Gotham-style…

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    Vancouver Aquarium

    Vancouver

    Stanley Park's biggest draw is home to 9000 critters – including sharks, wolf eels and a somewhat shy octopus. There's also a small, walk-through…

  • Morris and Helen Belkin Gallery exterior

    Morris & Helen Belkin Art Gallery

    Vancouver

    This ever-intriguing gallery specializes in contemporary and often quite challenging pieces, with chin-stroking new exhibitions opening in its high…

  • Pendulum Gallery

    Vancouver

    A creative use for a cavernous bank building atrium, this gallery offers a varied roster of temporary exhibitions. It's mostly contemporary art and can…

  • Jack Chow Building

    Gastown & Chinatown

    This unusual spot was known for decades as the Sam Kee Building until Jack Chow Insurance changed the name and spruced it up. Listed in the Guinness Book…

  • Capilano River Hatchery

    North Shore

    Just 2km north of Capilano Suspension Bridge, this government-run fish farm works to protect coho, chinook and steelhead salmon stocks. Visit from July to…

  • Olympic Village

    Vancouver

    Built as the home for 2800 athletes during the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, this glassy waterfront development became the city's newest…

  • Ferry Building Art Gallery

    North Shore

    Housed in a cute wooden heritage building, which was once a ferry terminal when transit boats plied the waters between West Van and Vancouver, this…

  • RBC Royal Bank

    Vancouver

    This main Vancouver branch of one of Canada's biggest bank chains has a huge hidden artwork on its 2nd floor. Head up the escalator just inside the…

  • Carnegie Community Centre

    Gastown & Chinatown

    The city's first public library was a landmark corner building funded by US philanthropist Andrew Carnegie in the early 1900s. Now a community center…

  • Flack Block

    Gastown & Chinatown

    Restored to its former glory in 2014, this dramatic corner landmark across from Victory Sq is chiefly noted for its hulking, elaborately-carved stone…

  • HMCS Discovery

    Vancouver

    The historic naval station located on Stanley Park's Deadman's Island (actually a peninsula) has a long history as both a First Nations' burial ground and…

  • Lumberman's Arch

    Vancouver

    A chunky wooden structure erected here in 1952 to recognize BC's logging industry; the nearby grassy swathe is an ideal spot for picnics.

  • Cricket Pavilion

    Vancouver

    Brockton Oval's historic cricket pavilion ensures this pocket of Stanley Park will forever feel like an English country village.

  • Playland

    Vancouver

    Combining traditional rides and thrill-making coasters, this is Vancouver's main fairground attraction.

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