Experience Vancouver with Kids

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Lizzie Lau

This gorgeous city has so much going on all the time. I wanted to create a list of as many of the ways you can experience Vancouver as I could find. I will very likely have to update this list often!

Vancouver Attractions

The PNE / Playland – Playland opens in May every year, and The Pacific National Exhibition opens mid-August.
Vancouver Aquarium – Hosting some beautiful displays as well as running a centre for marine research, conservation and marine animal rehabilitation.
Granville Island – food, shopping, arts and entertainment, right on the water. It’s not to be missed.
Canada Place and the Olympic Cauldron
Flyover Canada – state-of-the-art technology gives you the feeling of flight. You are suspended in front of a 20-metre spherical screen projecting an 8-minute journey across Canada, from east to west. Special effects, including wind, mist and scents, combine with the ride’s motion to create an unforgettable experience. It’s fantastic and I always come away feeling extra patriotic.
Vancouver Lookout – Harbour Center – Where else can you enjoy a 360º aerial view of beautiful Vancouver? We used to call it the Sears Tower, and even though the Sears at that location closed in 1987, I still think of it that way.
Robson Square – It’s an outdoor ice rink in the winter, and a roller rink in summer.
Dr. Sun Yat Sen Classical Chinese Garden – In the heart of Vancouver’s historic Chinatown, the Garden is a non-profit org. connecting cultures & communities through festivals, live music, art exhibits, theatre, education & wellness programs.
Chinatown – Chinatown in Vancouver, BC is Canada’s largest Chinatown. Centered on Pender Street, it is surrounded by Gastown and the Downtown Financial and Central Business Districts to the west, the Downtown Eastside to the north, the remnant of old Japantown to the northeast, and the residential neighborhood of Strathcona to the east. The approximate street borders of Chinatown’s official area as designated by the City of Vancouver are the alley between Pender Street and Hastings, Georgia, Gore, and Taylor Streets.
Christ Church Cathedral – Since 1888 people have met on this site to worship. Their motto is Open Doors, Open Hearts, Open Minds. Their mission is to be a Cathedral which is radically inclusive, restlessly inquisitive, intentional, and inspired.
Hop on Hop off Trolley
Hastings Racecourse
Gastown – Steam Clock
Commercial Drive
Maplewood Farm

Vancouver Beaches and Outdoor Pools

Experience Vancouver beaches

Vancouver is a popular destination for outdoor enthusiasts, and even if you aren’t here to ski or hike, you can enjoy all the seasonal outdoor pools and experience Vancouver beaches.

Kits Beach – Vanier Park
Spanish Banks Beach
Jericho Beach
English Bay Beach (Fireworks Competition)
2nd Beach and saltwater pool
Third Beach – Stanley Park
Locarno Beach

Vancouver Museums

Police Museum 240 E Cordova St 604.665.3346
Museum of Anthropology at UBC 6393 NW Marine Drive 604.822.5087
Vancouver Art Gallery 750 Hornby St 604-662-4700
Science World 1455 Quebec St 604-443-7440
Museum of Vancouver 1100 Chestnut St 604.736.4431
Vancouver Maritime Museum 1905 Ogden Ave 604.257.8300
Bill Reid Gallery 639 Hornby St 604.682.3455
Beaty Biodiversity Museum 2212 Main Mall 604.827.4955
Bloedel Conservatory
BC Sports Hall of Fame
Contemporary Art Gallery
The Polygon Gallery
Old Hastings Mill Steel Museum
Roedde House Museum

Vancouver Parks

Stanley Park Seawall
Pacific Spirit Regional Park
Whyte Cliff Park
Lighthouse Park
Queen Elizabeth Park
Yaletown – David Lam Park
Amazing Laughter Statues

Vancouver Outdoor Experiences

UBC Botanical Garden & Tree Walk
Coal Harbour Seawall
Capilano Sunspension Bridge
Grouse Mountain
Lynn Canyon Suspension Bridge
Nitobe Japanese Garden
Van Dusen Botanical Gardens
Cypress Provincial Park
Mount Seymour Provincial Park
Harbour Cruises
Whale Watching

Check out my list of other great family friendly cities.

Experience Vancouver with Kids

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