Vancouver Museums – 7 of the Best for a Rainy Day

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Vancouver is known for it’s rain. It’s a green city with parks, trees and gardens everywhere. Locals can complain about the rain a bit but in reality if we didn’t have it, this wouldn’t be the city that it is. Vancouver is an outdoors-lovers paradise. Skiing, hiking and cycling are some of our favorite activities. But what happens when it rains? That’s when you should take advantage of all the wonderful Vancouver museums the city has to offer. Here are some of my favorites.

The Museum of Vancouver

This is one of my favorite Vancouver museums. As someone who didn’t grow up here, it’s fascinating to me learning so much about the city’s history. The Museum of Vancouver (MOV) is located in Vanier Park near Kitsilano just outside of downtown. If you’re spending time at Granville Island, it’s a short walk to go check it out. The MOV usually has a couple of changing exhibits as well as the permanent ones. They like to mix in exhibits about the city today and some of the big issues like activism or housing. Then there are exhibits about the First Nations of the area who were here before Vancouver was the Vancouver it is today.

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But also staple exhibits like Neon Vancouver showcasing old neon signs from around the city and how they lit up the streets from the 1950s to the 1970s. Another thing I love about the museum is how the history gallery starts at the very beginning of Vancouver as a city and works through the decades until present day. A great way to learn about the city I now call home.

Vancouver Art Gallery

The Vancouver Art Gallery is central in the downtown core of Vancouver. The beautiful building is a former courthouse, looking very grand. There are works of art around the building, like the Four Boats on the roof. Inside there is a lovely cafe and a well stocked gift shop. But exploring the exhibits is the real reason to go here.

There are permanent collections, mostly on the upper floors with art from local artist Emily Carr, and First Nations art. Then the changing exhibits. Some of my favorites were the Picasso, and the surrealist exhibition. I also like when they do exhibits of old photos especially if they are local from Vancouver. Not all of the art might be my style but there’s usually a couple of exhibits I find really fascinating to make it worth my while.

Vancouver Police Museum

I don’t know if it’s morbid curiosity or what, but the Police Museum is kind of cool and creepy at the same time. Located just past Gastown towards the not so awesome part of town, but well worth a visit. The museum is in the old city morgue which adds to the creepy factor. There are stories of true crimes in Vancouver, a bunch of confiscated weapons on display (some really interesting ones there too) and information about the Vancouver Police Department. The museum even has a Movies in the Morgue night each month if you’re brave enough. It’s fun, only $10 a ticket and you can buy soft drinks and popcorn all for a good cause.

Museum of Anthropology

The University of British Columbia (UBC) is like a city on it’s own. They have a sprawling campus, shops, restaurants, accommodation, and even a botanical garden. Not to mention kick-ass views of Vancouver and the ocean. But if there’s one thing UBC does well, it’s their museums. They have a biodiversity museum on campus, but my favorite is the Museum of Anthropology. I can spend hours there learning all about First Nations cultures and settlers from the area. There are full size totem poles, canoes and a replica Haida village. There are hundreds of ceramics, textiles and other artifacts from around the world that can keep anyone engrossed for an afternoon. Any number of buses can get you to UBC from Downtown Vancouver.

Vancouver Maritime Museum

Also located around the Vanier Park area near the Museum of Vancouver, is the Maritime Museum. With this much water all around the city, it’s no surprise that Vancouver has a rich maritime history. You can learn about Captain George Vancouver, the city’s namesake, or famous pirates. There are model ships, and stories of shipping disasters (and successes). I like that there are changing exhibits. There was one about the arrival of many workers from Japan in the early 1900s, and another that I really enjoyed on the history of tattoos and the meanings of certain ones that sailors got. There are some interactive exhibits for kids at the Maritime museum too. It’s not very big, but has some good stories.

Bill Reid Gallery

I talked about the Art Gallery above, but there is a smaller, lesser know art gallery only a block away. On Hornby Street, downtown Vancouver, the Bill Reid Gallery is all about First Nations art.

They have some amazing pieces of art from sculptures and furniture, to jewelry and paintings. There are even videos telling you more about the artwork and the history of the First Nations cultures. It is a small gallery, definitely not as big as the Vancouver Art Gallery, but worth a visit nonetheless. The gallery is named after famous Haida artist Bill Reid, and has some of his works there too. If you are leaving from YVR airport there’s a beautiful sculpture called Jade Canoe by Bill Reid just before the International security checkpoint to get to the departure gates. It’s huge, you can’t miss it.

Roedde House Museum

I live in the West End of Vancouver, surrounded by tall apartment buildings. But there are still some old character houses in the neighborhood that I walk by each day. The West End should feel more city like than it does, but it’s got lovely tree lined streets and parks. Right in the middle of the city is a tiny museum in an old Victorian house, called Roedde House Museum. It’s cheap to get it, only $5, and has an incredible collection of antiques and Victorian era furniture. Set up as it would have been back in the day, you can get a great sense of how these houses were in the early 1900s. The museum is only open 1pm-4pm Tuesday through Friday, and Sunday the same hours so you’ll have to plan your visit well.

Museums a Little Further Afield

There’s more to Vancouver than downtown. The Greater Vancouver area has a lot to offer and you can find some amazing museums and historic sites just a short drive from the city. Usually the drives themselves are nice enough even if there aren’t fantastic attractions at the end of them. Here I’m going to talk about some of these further afield attractions around Vancouver. You’ll likely need a car to get to most of these.

Fort Langley National Historic Site

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East of Vancouver lies Fort Langley. The small town has some lovely individual shops and cafes, a 50s style diner, and more antiques than you can shake a stick at. It’s a fun day out. But next to the town of Fort Langley is the Fort itself. Where British Columbia started, the Fort is the site of a former Hudson’s Bay trading post. Since it’s a historical site everyone is dressed in character and you can wander around the fort visiting the various buildings. There’s a blacksmiths shop, a cafe, the original storehouse from the 1840s, and the Big house, home to the managers of the fort. It’s a great place to learn more about British Columbia.

Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Centre

In less than 2 hours on one of the most scenic highways I’ve ever seen, is the mountain town of Whistler. Famous the world over for it’s skiing, ad being part of the 2010 Olympics, the town is just as busy and popular in the summer. It’s a great weekend getaway for a lot of Vancouverites. In Whistler, you will find the Lil’wat Cultural Centre. If you get to Whistler, make sure you visit.

There is so much about First Nations history and culture here, and it’s a really well put together facility. They have some of the most intricately carved items I’ve seen, and the level of detail on things like the cedar canoe is unbelievable. They do guided tours every hour. When I went we got to make cedar bracelets. You can also take part in other craft making classes they offer.

Britannia Mine Museum

The Britannia Mine Museum is on the road to Whistler, along the Sea to Sky Highway. It’s located before the town of Squamish about halfway from Vancouver. Mining has a huge part in the past of the province, and this museum is such a good place to find out about it. I can stand next to a vehicle with wheels as tall or taller than I am. That’s pretty impressive in itself. The museum has a wonderful guided tour that takes you on a ride into the mine itself, after grabbing a hard hat. You’ll come out knowing more about the term “honey bucket” than you wanted to, and feel the power of the mining equipment and what it would have been like for the miners.

Gulf of Georgia Cannery

Just outside of Vancouver is the city of Richmond. If you continue through Richmond though, you’ll end up at the small fishing town of Steveston. They have a wicked farmers market every other Sunday in the summer months. They also have another of British Columbia’s historic sites, the Gulf of Georgia Cannery. This is where they would treat and pack BC salmon into cans. It was a huge operation in the early 1900s, employing. There are great interactive displays and talks from the knowledgeable staff. You’ll learn more about fish than you ever thought you would, and be in just the right place to go get some seafood at one of the many restaurants around the museum. Also in Steveston you need to visit Outpost Mini Donut Co. The BEST mini donuts, I sometimes drive out to Steveston just for them.

Royal BC Museum

Victoria is the capital of BC. It’s an easy trip from Vancouver for the day, but I would recommend at least one night if not more. I wrote a post about spending 24 hours in Victoria which tells you some of the amazing things to do there. But I can tell you now that one of my favorite things to do is visit the museum. The Royal BC Museum has ever changing exhibits such as Dinosaurs, Ancient Egypt and Vikings. But it also has the staple histories of the province of British Columbia.

Much like the Museum of Vancouver, there’s a wonderful timeline through the city’s history through the decades. The museum is very interactive especially for kids. There’s a silent movie theater where you can sit and watch a Charlie Chaplin picture. They have a reconstructed grand hotel you can walk around before taking a stroll down the cobbled street idly looking in the windows of the “shops”. There’s a natural history section, and a First Nations history section. Catch and IMAX movie and spend your money in the gift shop too. A great afternoon out. You can check out more on Victoria and plan your trip here.

The Best Vancouver Museums

I think it’s safe to say you won’t be bored in Vancouver. Sure it’s not always as sunny as we’d like, but that’s what makes it a beautiful city. When the weather is nice you can spend all the time you want outdoors. And when the weather is a little colder, a little rainier, you can call the museums of Vancouver home and learn a thing or two.

First Nations culture and art is prevalent throughout the city and its museums. I recommend anyone spend some more time learning about it. The city of Vancouver is only 125 years old, but a lot has changed in that time as the Vancouver museums will show you. I love visiting museums whenever I visit a city. I mean, can you really say you’ve been there and experienced the city if you haven’t learned some of its history?

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