What to know
- Vancouver is home to more than 30 museums and galleries covering art, science, history, and Indigenous culture.
- The Vancouver Art Gallery showcases one of Western Canada’s largest collections of Canadian and First Nations art.
- Family-friendly attractions like H.R. MacMillan Space Centre and Science World offer interactive experiences focused on space and science.
- The Museum of Anthropology and Museum of Vancouver highlight Indigenous heritage and the city’s rich cultural history.
Forget the Metropolitan Museum of Art, why not take a chance on one of Vancouver’s many art galleries and niche museums?
The city is home to over 30 fine art galleries, historic sites, and public and private museums. Whether you’re looking to learn more about Canadian paintings, space exploration, or British Columbia’s First Nation’s people, there’s a museum or gallery for every interest.
Here are five galleries and museums that need to be on your bucket list for your next trip to the Rainy City.
Vancouver Art Gallery
- Location: 750 Hornby St.
Founded in 1931, the Vancouver Art Gallery is the largest public art museum in Western Canada and is located in Robson Square in the heart of downtown. The gallery houses approximately 12,000 works by Canadian artists and also offers seasonal and travelling exhibitions. In its permanent collection, half are by exclusively Western Canadian artists. The gallery also focuses on First Nations art and photography and conceptual art from the 1950s onwards.
H.R. MacMillan Space Centre
- Location: 1100 Chestnut Street
Geared towards the space nerds of the world, H.R. MacMillan Space Centre has been British Columbia’s astronomy museum and planetarium since 1968. The museum houses exhibits that aim to cultivate curiosity about space, creativity, and a sense of community. The planetarium theatre is used for lectures and events. The space centre is a family friendly museum where kids can learn more about the solar system, space exploration, and the stars.
Museum of Anthropology
- Location: 6393 NW Marine Dr.
Originally established as part of the University of British Columbia’s faculty of arts, the Museum of Anthropology is dedicated to bringing Indigenous art to the mainstream with its robust curated collection of ethnographic and anthropological objects from around the world. The teaching museum has many sizable Northwest Coast collections, including the a selection of works by Bill Reid, a Haida artist who was one of the most important Northwest Coast artists of the late 1900s.
Science World
- Location: 1455 Quebec St.
Originally called the Expo Centre built for the 1986 World’s Fair, Science World is the crowning jewel of Mount Pleasant. Located on the entrance to False Creek and shaped like a triangle-paneled globe, Science World is an interactive science and technology museum that carries exhibitions for the whole family. Among its permanent exhibitions are Bodyworks, where children and adults alike can learn about “what makes us move and grow” and Eureka!, an exhibit that encourages kids to think like a scientist.
Museum of Vancouver
- Location: 1100 Chestnut St.
Situated next to H.R. MacMillan Space Centre, Museum of Vancouver is the largest urban museum in Canada and is also the city’s oldest museum, established in 1894. Its mission as a civic centre is to deepen visitors’ understanding of Vancouver through storytelling, objects, and experiences. The museum of Vancouver has about 80,000 works in its permanent collection, including sculptures, painting, photographs, and furniture. Fun fact, before 1957, the Museum of Vancouver occupied the top floor of Carnegie Library in Chinatown.
