Fresh Air Cinema

Vancouver

　　Screening outdoor, admission-free movies at venues around Metro Vancouver every summer, the company's Stanley Park events often draw thousands of blanket-hugging locals. Check ahead to see what's on during your visit. ...

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-ceilinged, white-walled spaces throughout the year. Check ahead for workshops and presentations, often covering key or emerging themes in avant-garde art. 　　Although the Belkin only opened in 1995, it replaced the UBC...

Kitsilano Showboat

Vancouver

　　An 80-year-old tradition that generations of locals know and love, this alfresco waterfront stage near Kits Pool offers free shows and concerts in summer. Grab a bleacher-style seat facing the North Shore mountains and prepare for singers, musicians, dancers and more; check the online schedule to see what's coming up....

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 entrance and you'll find a gigantic and impressive First Nations carved mural right in front of you. It's well worth a look if...

Arbutus Greenway

Vancouver

　　A former disused urban rail line that's being transformed by the city into a cool linear park, this 8.5km-long flora-fringed walking and cycling route is already paved and open to the public. Running south to the Fraser River, it's a popular and accessible nature-hugging weave where you can expect to...

Vancouver Public Library

Vancouver

　　This dramatic Colosseum-like building must be a temple to the great god of libraries. If not, it's certainly one of the world's most magnificent book-lending facilities. Designed by Moshe Safdie and opened in 1995, its collections (including lendable musical instruments) are arranged over several floors. Head straight up to floor...

Engine 374 Pavilion

Vancouver

　　May 23, 1887, was an auspicious date for Vancouver. That's when Engine 374 pulled the very first transcontinental passenger train into the fledgling city, symbolically linking the country and kick-starting the eventual metropolis. Retired in 1945, the engine was, after many years of neglect, restored and placed in this splendid...

Marine Building

Vancouver

　　Vancouver's most romantic old-school tower block, and also its best art-deco building, the elegant 22-story Marine Building is a tribute to the city's maritime past. Check out its elaborate exterior of seahorses, lobsters and streamlined steamships, then nip into the lobby, which is like a walk-through artwork. Stained-glass panels and...

Offsite

Vancouver

　　The Vancouver Art Gallery's outdoor installation space next to the Shangri-La Hotel, the sometimes esoteric but always thought-provoking exhibits here are changed a couple of times a year. Aim for an artsy selfie or just read the explanation alongside: it often comes with some arresting concepts that may have you...

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 range from striking paintings to challenging photographs and quirky arts and crafts. The space also houses one permanent exhibit: a gargantuan 27m-long buffed aluminum pendulum that...

Stanley Park Nature House

Vancouver

　　Illuminating the breathtaking array of flora and fauna just steps from the busy streets of the West End, this charming nature center is a great introduction to Stanley Park's wild side. The chatty volunteers will tell you all you need to know about the area's critters, from coyotes to Douglas...

Contemporary Art Gallery

Vancouver

　　A flexible three-room space, often with a different show in each, this smart, white-walled gallery exhibits striking, sometimes complex works in a wide range of media. Check ahead for talks, events and regular show openings, and save time for a visit to its tiny bookshop nook, lined with a cleverly...

Kids Market

Vancouver

　　A kaleidoscopic mini shopping mall for under-10s (there's even a special child-size entrance door), the Kids Market is crammed with 25 family-friendly stores, mostly of the toy variety. If your child's interests extend beyond Lego, there are top-quality kites, books, puppets and educational wooden toys to consider here. Cool the...

Equinox Gallery

Vancouver

　　One of Vancouver's oldest established private galleries, Equinox pioneered this area's arty new credentials by being one of the first big names to move here. Look out for works by local and national artists – and if there's a show by Fred Hertzog, make sure you visit. His brightly colored...

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 avoid the tour bus crowds and snap some evocative photos of these colorful landmark carvings. ...

Second Beach & Third Beach

Vancouver

　　Second Beach is a family-friendly area on Stanley Park's western side, with a grassy playground, an ice-cream-serving concession and the Stanley Park Pitch & Putt course. In summer, there are free outdoor movie screenings – see www.freshaircinema.ca for listings – but its main attraction is the seasonal outdoor swimming pool....

Bill Reid Gallery of Northwest Coast Art

Vancouver

　　Showcasing detailed carvings, paintings, jewelry and more from Canada's most revered Haida artists and others around the region, this open-plan gallery occupies a handsome bi-level hall. Bookended by a totem pole at one end and a ceiling-mounted copper-lined canoe at the other, explore the cabinets of intricate creations and the...

Jericho Beach

Vancouver

　　An activity-lover's idyll, Jericho is great if you just want to putter along the beach, clamber over driftwood and catch stunning views of downtown. It's popular with locals on summer evenings, so expect impromptu but civilized beach gatherings where discreet coolers of beer may appear. Talk nicely to folk with...

Sandbar

Vancouver

　　West Coast seafood dominates at this slick, high-ceilinged restaurant-with-a-view near Granville Bridge. The fresh oysters are popular and they're best sampled on the fireplace-warmed rooftop deck – there's also a sushi bar if your raw mood continues. Sandbar has a giant wine list, but the urban professionals crowding the U-shaped...

Stanley Park Seawall

Vancouver

　　Built between 1917 and 1980, the 8.8km seawall trail is Vancouver's favorite outdoor hangout. Encircling the whole of Stanley Park, it offers spectacular waterfront, mountain-fringed vistas on one side and dense forest canopy on the other. You can walk the whole thing in around three blister-triggering hours or rent a...

Granville Island Public Market

Vancouver

　　Granville Island's highlight is the covered Public Market, a multisensory smorgasbord of fish, cheese, fruit, teas and bakery treats (near-legendary Lee's Donuts included). Pick up some fixings for a picnic at nearby Vanier Park or hit the market's international food court (dine off-peak and you're more likely to snag a...

Kitsilano Beach

Vancouver

　　Facing English Bay, Kits Beach is one of Vancouver's favorite summertime hangouts. The wide, sandy expanse attracts buff Frisbee tossers and giggling volleyball players, and those who just like to preen while catching the rays. The ocean is fine for a dip, though serious swimmers should consider the heated Kitsilano...

Vancouver Art Gallery

Vancouver

　　Combining blockbuster international shows with selections from its striking contemporary collection, the VAG is a magnet for art fans. There are often three or four different exhibitions on its public levels but save time for the top-floor Emily Carr paintings, showcasing swirling nature-themed works from BC's favorite historic artist. Check...

Bloedel Conservatory

Vancouver

　　Cresting the hill in Queen Elizabeth Park, this domed conservatory is a delightful rainy-day warm-up. At Vancouver's best-value paid attraction, you'll find tropical trees and plants bristling with hundreds of free-flying, bright-plumaged birds. Listen for the noisy resident parrots but also keep your eyes peeled for rainbow-hued Gouldian finches, shimmering...

Vancouver Police Museum & Archives

Vancouver

　　Illuminating Vancouver's crime-and-vice-addled history, this quirky museum has had a recent makeover, uncovering the former coroner's courtroom (spot the elaborate cross-hatched ceiling) and sprucing up exhibits including a spine-chilling gallery of real-life cases (weapons included). The star attraction is the old autopsy room, complete with preserved slivers of human tissue;...

VanDusen Botanical Garden

Vancouver

　　This highly popular green-thumbed oasis is a 22-hectare, 255,000-plant idyll that offers a strollable web of pathways weaving through specialized garden areas: the Rhododendron Walk blazes with color in spring, while the Korean Pavilion is a focal point for a fascinating Asian collection. Save time to get lost in the...

Roedde House Museum

Vancouver

　　For a glimpse of what the West End looked like before the apartment blocks, visit this handsome 1893 Queen Anne–style mansion, now a lovingly preserved museum. Designed by infamous architect Francis Rattenbury, the yesteryear, antique-studded rooms have a lived-in feel while its guided tour (included with admission) tells you all...

Science World

Vancouver

　　Under Vancouver's favorite geodesic dome (OK, it's only one), this ever-popular science showcase has tonnes of hands-on galleries and a cool outdoor park crammed with rugged fun (yes, you can lift 2028kg). Inside, there are two floors of brilliant educational play, from plasma balls to whisper dishes. Check out the...

Capilano Suspension Bridge Park

Vancouver

　　As you inch gingerly across one of the world's longest (140m) and highest (70m) pedestrian suspension bridges, swaying gently over roiling Capilano Canyon, remember that its thick steel cables are firmly embedded in concrete. That should steady your feet – unless there are teenagers stamping across. Added park attractions include...

Stanley Park

Vancouver

　　One of North America’s largest urban green spaces, Stanley Park is revered for its dramatic forest-and-mountain oceanfront views. But there’s more to this 400-hectare woodland than looks. The park is studded with nature-hugging trails, family-friendly attractions, sunset-loving beaches and tasty places to eat.  　　Why you should goBuilt in stages between...