Learn Outside at Outdoor Museums Around Vancouver
As the weather warms up, it's time to combine time outside with learning at Vancouver's outdoor museums. At open-air exhibitions across the city you dive into science, history, culture, nature, and more .
Ken Spencer Science Park at Science World
If you're visiting Science World, Vancouver's iconic science museum, don't miss the Ken Spencer Science Park, which is included with museum admission. Opened in 2013 and recently revitalized, the 35,000-square-foot outdoor gallery includes interactive exhibits that highlight BC's diverse ecosystems and promote learning about sustainability. You can meet the resident chickens, explore the food gardens, watch the FarmBot gardening robot in action, and enjoy live demonstrations on the outdoor stage.
Weather-permitting, the Ken Spencer Science Park is open daily in spring, summer, and fall. Visit in the afternoons to enjoy the live stage show.
Grab a meal before or after your visit at one of the restaurants in the nearby Olympic Village neighbourhood. It's an easy and picturesque walk along the False Creek Seawall.
Heritage Harbour at the Vancouver Maritime Museum
The Vancouver Maritime Museum has a huge indoor collection of exhibits focused on the Pacific Northwest and Arctic oceans. But even locals may not know about Heritage Harbour, the free outdoor exhibit located just outside the museum on the shores of False Creek. Heritage Harbour is a collection of vintage wooden boats, each with its own info plaque.
The Heritage Harbour exhibits are open daily, but If you visit on Saturday mornings you can also watch members of the Oarlock and Sail Wooden Boat Club maintaining or restoring their boats.
If you want to continue the nautical theme, take a ride on the False Creek Ferries. They pick up and drop off at the same dock as Heritage Harbour. A ride on the ferry is a great way to get to destinations like Granville Island and Yaletown. Or just stay on for the full circuit to enjoy the views.
Burnaby Village Museum
Step back in time at the Burnaby Village Museum. The 10-acre site includes several dozen heritage buildings arranged to reconstruct a 1920s-era village. You can wander the open-air museum to discover exhibits like period-specific homes, businesses, and a traditional schoolhouse. Costumed interpreters on site also give demonstrations.
The museum is open from early May to until late September each year. It's also open for seasonal events like Christmas, Halloween, and Spring Break. Aside from special events, admission is free.
Burnaby Village Museum is adjacent to Deer Lake Park, a nature escape in the middle of Burnaby. The nearby skyscrapers of Metropolis at Metrotown are visible on the horizon, but Deer Lake feels miles away. You can explore the forested trails, watch for wildlife like birds, beavers, and turtles, or rent a canoe or rowboat to paddle in the lake.
Britannia Shipyards National Historic Site
While it is big and bustling today, the city of Richmond south of Vancouver started as a quaint fishing village. See what it was like in the 1880s on a visit to the Britannia Shipyards National Historic Site. It includes a cluster of restored buildings on stilts along the banks of the Fraser River. Costumed interpreters and informative signs help you learn the stories of Chinese, Japanese, Indigenous, and European workers.
The historic site is open daily between April and mid-October and from Fridays to Sundays from mid-October to late December. Admission is free. You can book guided tours between May and early September as well.
Afterwards, head to nearby Steveston to visit the present day fishing village. Take a walk along the docks at Fishermen's Pier to see fishers unloading the day's catch. Having a seafood meal at one of the nearby restaurants lets you continue the nautical theme.
Fort Langley National Historic Site
European settlement in the Vancouver area started at Fort Langley with a Hudson's Bay Company fur trading post in 1827. Today you can visit a recreation of that fort at the Fort Langley National Historic Site. The site includes 10 buildings surrounded by wooden palisades as well as interactive activities like gold panning, costumed storytellers, and live demonstrations.
The fort is open daily except over the Christmas and New Year's holidays. Check the historic site's event calendar for seasonal events like Vivre les Voyageurs, a celebration of French-Canadian and Metis culture.
If you're in the area, don't miss the town of Fort Langley. Browse the boutiques and antique shops along Glover Road or eat at one of the cafes. Film crews often use this picturesque neighbourhood for movie and TV shoots so you might recognize some of the buildings.
Britannia Mine Museum
Go for a scenic drive along the Sea to Sky Highway north of Vancouver to learn about British Columbia's mining past at the Britannia Mine Museum. At one time, this site was one of the largest copper mines in the world. The mine is now a museum where you can wander through historic buildings, ride an underground train, and try gold panning.
The museum is open daily and underground train tours as well as the BOOM! interactive shows are offered several times a day.
While you're in the area, take in some of the gorgeous scenery. Stop for a picnic by the water at Porteau Provincial Park. Or take a short walk to the base of towering Shannon Falls. Don't miss browsing the boutiques along Cleveland Avenue in nearby Squamish.