Curious to explore the underbelly of this pristine city without getting roughed up? Step into the Vancouver Police Museum and Archives, where the city’s turbulent past comes to life.

Housed in a 1930s heritage building that once functioned as a hospital, Coroner’s Court, autopsy facility, and the City Analyst’s laboratory, the Vancouver Police Museum and Archives lets you relive the rough and riotous past of the city. With around 30,000 exhibits detailing the city’s policing history, you’ll journey from the lawless days of the Wild West to modern-day initiatives.

One of the highlights is the original Coroner’s Court morgue and autopsy facility, where you will find real crime-scene evidence and photos from Vancouver’s most notorious crimes. Learn about the investigative techniques used to crack these cases, and for those seeking hands-on experience, the museum offers mock crime scenes and criminal artist sketching stations to help you channel your inner detective.

The museum also holds periodic movie screenings, showing anything from family-friendly Hotel Transylvania to the horror classic Carrie and the unsettling Se7en. Check out the listing in the Movies in the Morgue section for upcoming screenings, or join the waitlist for future screenings. This might be the most unusual (and perhaps creepy) place for you to watch a flick!

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Set sail into Vancouver's nautical past at the Vancouver Maritime Museum. The museum showcases a fascinating collection of artefacts, exhibits, and stories that highlight the city's maritime heritage. From historic vessels to navigational instruments and maritime art, visitors can explore the city's deep connection to the sea and its pivotal role in maritime trade, exploration, and naval history. 

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Get acquainted with the rich cultural heritage of the original Canadians at the University of British Columbia's Museum of Anthropology.

While the museum features exhibits on world arts and culture, it places special emphasis on the First Nations peoples and other cultural communities of British Columbia, Canada. Built on the traditional land of the Musqueam people, its Welcome Plaza is specially dedicated to artworks by Musqueam artists.

The permanent exhibitions include the Multiversity Galleries, where thousands of artefacts from international communities are on display, as well as the Bill Reid Rotunda, which features artwork by the late Haida (one of the First Nations artists).

 
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Did you know that Vancouver is home to the largest copper mine in the former British Empire?

Now a National Historic Site and selected by the Canadian Tourism Commission as a Canadian Signature Experience, the century-old Britannia Mine Museum offers visitors a rare glimpse into the life of a copper miner.

An underground tour will take you on a ride aboard the mine train into the cool bowels deep beneath the earth, just as the miners did in 1914. Temperatures get cool below, so remember to bring a sweater along. Once you are inside, your guide will regale you with tales of early mining—complete with actual working equipment.

Discover how life was like for the mining families through many stories and photos that capture their daily lives. Try the hands-on exhibits, including panning for gold. Who knows, you may just get lucky!

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