Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Reviews of Attractions in Vancouver

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Vancouver

View of Vancouver from bridge in Stanley Park

International Fireworks Competition

Photo at right is of our twins waiting for the fireworks to begin over English Bay.

This is an annual event held at the end of July and early August on two Wednesdays and two Saturdays. Three countries compete with fireworks displays over English Bay, each on a different night, with the grand finale on a Saturday, . The shows start at 10pm and are SPECTACULAR!! We were lucky enough to see 2 of the shows during our week long stay in Vancouver, in 2007. Before dinner time, we left our hotel, grabbed dinner at a take-out pizza place and bought pop at 7-11 on the long walk (over half a mile) to English Bay. The second fireworks night, we stopped for take-out at Dairy Queen. Our youngest, being 9, rode their scooters. The flow of people on the sidewalks traveling to the bay in the evening was enormous, and the police presence was heavy for crowd control - on foot, bicycles, and horses, there were police everywhere, and yet, as we approached the park area, the aroma of marijuana was pervasive. We witnessed some people being ejected from the area, but did not see any rowdiness. Getting there in the evening secures a decent spot for viewing, though the best spots are taken much earlier in the day. We brought a blanket to spread on the grass. With an evening arrival, there were still 2-3 hours of waiting for dark when the show starts. Our kids ate our take-out dinner, scootered and walked along the paths, bought ice creams from the traveling sidewalk vendors, and played their Gameboys. We read the newspaper and walked around with the kids. The only annoying moments were during the show when groups walking along a path would pause for the fireworks, and obliviously block the view of many. Someone would eventually shout "down in front!" and they'd comply. After the show it is VERY dark, and it was somewhat hazardous over bumpy paths and curbs back to our hotel. The kids had to walk their scooters in some areas, when the crowd was particularly tight.

Vancouver Aquarium

Photo is view of Beluga show from upper standing room only area.

Even on a Tuesday, it was VERY crowded. Definitely buy your tickets online, or at the carriage house located below the final parking lot, as the lines at the gate for ticket purchasers is very long. The aquarium is extensive, with displays indoors and outdoors. We saw a beluga whale and a dolphin show, each just 15 minutes long, and refreshingly focused on teaching about their natural characteristics rather than emphasizing circus-like entertainment. However, there isn't enough seating and barely enough standing room at both shows. Tempers were tested.

Maritime Museum

This museum has lots of history displays, and a few hands-on items, and a large, well-designed little kids area. It was most appealing to adults and small kids, not especially appealing to our tweens.

Granville Island

Photo shows crowds on bleachers watching a juggler perform near harbor.

The link for Granville Island above has a ton of great photos. It is a very colorful place. There are rows and rows of bright vegetables, fruits, cheese, bread, artwork, knitted goods, toys, and other doo-dads. There are also well-organized and timed entertainment bits - we saw musicians and a funny juggler. There are also a handful of restaurants, some casual, some gourmet, but not much for kids. We examined many menus and ended up eating dinner at The Keg, a chain steak house. In fact, my kids, who aren't into shopping, really didn't enjoy the food market area or even the toy shops, which focused on novelty items, art items, and little-kid items: not much to keep my tech-nutty 'tween-aged kids interested. However, there is an operating cement company, and near it is an outdoor incredible moving ball and lever mechanical display that fascinated us all for a long while. And we all agreed that the water taxi trips to and from the island were really fun!

Also, there is a Granville Island brewery. Unfortunately, we missed the tour time. Kids are welcome on the tours, and even get to taste root beer, while adults can sample the brewery's alcoholic beer. Call ahead for the tour times. I think my kids would have enjoyed the science of brewing.

Grouse Mountain

Photo is of the view of Vancouver from Grouse Mountain cable car.

We drove from our hotel to the spacious, pay parking lot for Grouse Mountain. Enter the cable car base to buy tickets for the 6 minute, guided cable car ride to the top. Try to get on first, or last. That way you might have a chance of seeing out a window. Unless you're tall, then you can see over the heads of the crowd. I am very short, and on the ride back to the parking lot, I was looking at shoulders in the cramped cable car. There is an outdoor, quality 15-20 minute bird of prey show. Get a seat early for the shows, as space fills up, and groups of summer camp kids were seated on the ground next to the stadium seats. There is an orphaned bear exhibit. The 1/2 hour lumberjack show was HILARIOUS! There were athletic feats and comedic pratfalls involved, and some jokes were slightly off-color. We were tired after a couple hours there and eating lunch outdoors, so we didn't view the documentary movies inside the main building. Important - use sunscreen. I neglected to slather my kids' faces, and they ended up with pink skin sorrounding the pale skin that was under their sunglasses, giving a raccoon effect!

Science World

The link above does not do this Telus World of Science justice. The place is huge, and it is full of hands-on exhibits covering all kinds of science areas, including environmental education, physics, food, chemistry, media, optics, and more. Parents and kids alike were investigating and trying everything. There are periodic science demonstrations. There is also an IMAX theater inside a geodesic sphere, with movies scheduled throughout the day. My kids could have stayed all day at the water exhibit.

Note: It was fun to take the Sky Train to Science World. But we made a mistake in thinking it would be easier to walk from the Science World to Gas Town. It was a long walk (doable for my 9 year olds, though), but most worrisome was passing many, many obvious drug addicts.

Canada Place

We enjoyed seeing the architecture of this structure, and walked all around the perimeter. Unfortunately, we didn't see any indication that their hands-on Interpretive Centre even existed. So we missed out on the history videos, educational touch screens, and interactive map.

Note: For lunch, avoid the Waterfront Centre directly across from Canada Place. It is a food court and extremely crowded. Instead, walk to Sinclair Centre, 2 blocks away from the water, at the corner of Hastings and Howe. It is an upscale shopping center and includes a food court with choices such as Greek, sushi, fish-n-chips, wok, sandwich, and an A&W with a kids pack. Best of all, it was not crowded at all, and we easily found seating.

BC Sports Hall of Fame

Photo is of our kids playing with giant basketballs.

Take the Sky Train to BC Place Stadium, and walk around it until you find Gate A. We were so surprised by this place! We were amazed at the galleries - each one decorated for the era and full of history, fashion, and sports record holders of all kinds. A swimming display is tiled like a pool, the 1940s zone is in camo, and an early 1900s section has Victorian touches. Find the small niche with seats facing a large window overlooking the play field of the BC Place stadium. There are doors to open, quizzes to take, and video clips. Adults and kids alike can try their hand at foosball, air hockey, a timed sprint, a race car video game, and a basketball hoop with giant basketballs. A real quality museum, we highly recommend it.

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