MUSEUMS AND ART GALLERIES
1. Vancouver Art Gallery
The gallery’s collection is rich in historic and contemporary works by BC and international artists, including the world’s largest collection of Emily Carr pieces. The splendid fin de siècle exhibition hall hosts exhibits.
Wood Interior by Emily Carr
2. Chinese Cultural Centre Museum and Archives
555 Columbia St • 604 658 8880 • Open Tue–Sun 11am–5pm • Adm • www.cccvan.com
The collection here tells the story of the Chinese community from the Cariboo Gold Rush to the settlement of Chinatown. The annex exhibits classical and modern Chinese art.
3. Roedde House Museum
1415 Barclay St • 604 684 7040 • Open Jun–Aug: 11am–4pm Tue–Sat, 1–4pm Sun; Sep–May: 1–4pm Tue–Fri & Sun • Adm • www.roeddehouse.org
This is the only only museum in the city set in a heritage house, with original 19th-century architecture and beautifully restored artifacts. The museum regularly hosts small, intimate concerts.
4. BC Sports Hall of Fame and Museum
BC’s sports achievements, including those of local heroes Terry Fox and his Marathon of Hope and Rick Hansen’s Man in Motion World Tour, are celebrated in this gallery space. The Participation Gallery here entices visitors to try out pitching, sprinting, and rock climbing.
5. Inuit Gallery
206 Cambie St • 604 688 7323 • Open 10am–6pm Mon–Sat, 11am–5pm Sun • www.inuit.com
One of the region’s most respected commercial galleries, the Inuit Gallery shows an outstanding, museum-quality selection of Inuit and Northwest Coast First Nations sculpture, graphics, and jewelry.
6. Museum of Vancouver
Permanent and short-term exhibits offer an intimate look at Vancouver’s heritage. The hands-on exhibits, such as the 1950s soda shop and the interactive depiction of the 1960s hippie era, make history a delight.
Futuristic exterior of the Museum of Vancouver
7. Museum of Anthropology at UBC
Situated on cliffs overlooking Burrard Inlet, this museum focuses primarily on the coastal First Nations and aims at bringing indigenous art into the mainstream. The museum’s galleries house over 500,000 ethnographic and archaeological objects from around the world.
Exhibit in the Museum of Anthropology at UBC
8. Bill Reid Gallery
One of Canada’s greatest artists, Bill Reid (1920–98) helped introduce the Northwest Coast’s indigenous art traditions to a wider audience through his work. This gallery has over 60 pieces of his jewelry, and works by contemporary Inuit and First Nations artists.
9. Vancouver Maritime Museum
Exhibits of artifacts, models, vessels, and photos pay tribute to Canada’s marine heritage (see Vancouver Maritime Museum). At the heart of the collection is the restored 104-ft (32-m) schooner St. Roch, the second ship to navigate the North West Passage, but the first to travel it from west to east.
10. Vancouver Police Centennial Museum
Enter the old city morgue, which now serves as the police museum’s forensic laboratory, and it’s not difficult to imagine the coroner leaning over the slab, about to start an examination. The 20,000 artifacts housed here offer an intriguing glimpse into the dark world of crime and punishment in Vancouver’s past. Exhibits include confiscated weapons, counterfeit bills, and displays showing scientific evidence. You may find yourself amid a gaggle of wide-eyed children, as school tours play an important part in the programming.
Vancouver Police Centennial Museum
