The Raven and the First Men, UBC Museum of Anthropology

Situated on cliffs overlooking Burrard Inlet, this airy museum houses over 500,000 ethno-graphic and archaeological objects from around the world, with emphasis on coastal First Nations (For further details see University of British Columbia Museum of Anthropology).

The Vancouver Art Gallery’s growing collection is rich in historic and contemporary works by BC and international artists, including the world’s largest grouping of Emily Carr pieces. The splendid fin-de-siècle exhibition hall hosts traveling exhibits.

An intriguing glimpse into the dark world of crime and punishment in Vancouver’s past, including a walking tour. The 20,000 artifacts housed in the old Coroner’s Court include confiscated weapons, counterfeit bills, and displays depicting scientific evidence. You may find yourself amid a gaggle of wide-eyed children, as school tours play an important part of programming.

Chinese Cultural Centre Museum & Archives

Part of the Chinese Cultural Centre, the museum and archives share traditional Chinese architecture. The collection tells of the Chinese community from the Cariboo Gold Rush of the 1860s to the settlement of Chinatown. The annex exhibits classical and contemporary Chinese art.

Permanent and short-term exhibits offer intimate looks at Vancouver’s heritage. Hands-on exhibits, such as the 1950s soda shop, and a visit to the hippie era in Vancouver – complete with '60s clothes to try on – make recent history a delight (For further details see Vancouver Museum).

This public art gallery has a mandate to promote visual education and dialogue to a wide audience, including students, the arts community, and visitors alike. Shows feature innovative art of emerging and established artists, both local and international.

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 20,000 sq ft (1,858 sq m) of gallery space. The Participation Gallery entices visitors to try pitching, sprinting, and rock climbing.

Exhibits of artifacts, models, vessels, and photos pay tribute to Canada’s marine heritage. 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 (For further details see Vancouver Maritime Museum).

Bill Reid was one of Canada’s greatest artists whose work helped introduce the art traditions of the Haida and the cultures of the Northwest Coast to a wider audience. The gallery houses more than 60 pieces of his jewelry, and works by contemporary Aboriginal artists.

One of the region’s most respected commercial galleries, showing an outstanding, museum-quality selection of Inuit and North West Coast Native sculpture, graphics, and jewelry.