Kitsilano

H.R. MacMillan Space Centre and Planetarium
1100 Chestnut St
+1-604-738-7827
$15+GST, senior or student $10.75+GST
Tu-Su 10AM-5PM

The Space Centre is not unlike Science World, with most activities fascinating primarily to pre-teens. The planetarium, however, is a more interesting excursion, and will not be so fascinating to children. It is a small planetarium staffed by volunteers whose knowledge of all things space will stun and amaze you.

Museum of Vancouver
1100 Chestnut St
+1 604-736-4431
$12, senior or student $10, youth $8
Tu-Su 10AM-5PM (Th until 8PM); Mon 10AM-5PM in summer only
shares a building with the H.R. MacMillan Space Centre

The largest civic museum in Canada, with over 1 million items from Vancouver's history, only a fraction of which fit in the exhibit halls. Tucked away to the left off the Orientation Gallery is a series of rooms telling Vancouver's story from the 19th century to the 1970s. The museum makes an effort to tell many stories of Vancouver: English Canadian, First Nations, various immigrant groups, etc. Kid-friendly exhibits.

Vancouver Maritime Museum
1905 Ogden Ave
+1 604-257-8300
$10+GST, senior or student $7.50+GST
Summer (Victoria Day - Labour Day): M-Su 10AM-5PM; Winter: Tu-Sa 10AM-5PM, Su noon-5PM

Canada's premiere western maritime museum. Covers the maritime history of Canada, includes artifacts, models and the St. Roch ship. The museum apparently has far more things than space to show them, so they frequently rotate their exhibitions in fascinating thematic arrangements. Previous exhibitions included such familiar topics as the history of the Vikings, to the less familiar "1500 years of Croatian sailors." Check for $2 discount coupons that you can print from web site.

Vanier Park
1000 Chestnut St
at Whyte St, and shoreline of Kits Peninsula

Surrounds the Kits Peninsula, with trails for joggers and bikers paralleling it, and some green grass and trees.This unique location is famous as an ideal place flying kites and hosts a Kite Flying Festival every summer. Stunning views of English Bay, Stanley Park, and downtown.

There are a trio of museums in Vanier Park on Kits Point, the peninsula forming the mouth of False Creek just west of the Burrard Street bridge. There is some free parking in front of the Space Centre, and it's an easy walk from Translink bus #2 and #22 at Cornwall and Cypress streets. You can also walk down from the 4th avenue buses such as #4, or over from Granville Island about 1000m away.

An ExplorePass offers admission to the Vancouver Museum, the Vancouver Maritime Museum, and the H.R. MacMillan Space Centre for $30 adults, $24 students, including tax.