Museum of Vancouver

The Museum of Vancouver is a hidden gem that brings the city’s past, present, and future to life. From Indigenous history to contemporary urban culture, the exhibits are thoughtfully curated and visually engaging. What makes this museum stand out is how it connects local stories to broader social and cultural movements. You’ll walk away with a deeper understanding of Vancouver—not just as a place, but as a living, evolving community. It’s a peaceful and enriching stop, perfect to pair with a visit to the Space Centre.

Very interesting and peaceful experience in this space. Interesting 1950’s vibes in the 50’s exhibit. Perfect for kids. The space centre is sure to spark the interest of anyone with the kind of imagination to explore. East kitsalano legend!! The planetarium is the most magical place and architectural design inspiration. Exiting area for nature and wildlife. Very clean and beautiful place. Classic place to visit when you’re in east kitsalano.

My favourite exhibits (1900s-20s gateway to the Pacific; 1930s-40s boom, bust, and war; 1950s the fifties gallery) are, unfortunately, rarely - if ever - updated... understandably so. But that also makes subsequent visits to this museum difficult to justify. These spaces are also incredibly small, compared to other museums (especially, in the international arena). I adore museums, but I cannot say this is one that is worthwhile for people visiting Vancouver. Though, it can be meaningful if you live in Vancouver, just to gain an appreciation of our history. (I do not think the grumpy woman at admissions helped our most recent visit - she seemed far more concerned about getting off work in 30 minutes.)

It was my first time visiting the museum of Vancouver. This place has lots of exhibits about the history of Vancouver. When I visited 1-5 sections were closed for renovation. However, it still took me a couple of hours to go through sections 6-12 in detail. They have lots of audio and video exhibits too. The city before the city is one of my favorite exhibits here. They also have quizzes at the end of most sections which you can take by scanning a QR code. It was a fun exercise to do the quizzes and learn about the history of the place. The museum took me through a travel in time where I could see how Vancouver evolved over the years/decades. I would come back here again to check out the exhibits which were closed during my visit.

I visited on the first Sunday of the month, when admission is by donation. It took about an hour and twenty minutes to go through the museum. It starts with the history of the Indigenous people, then throughout the decades as Vancouver develops. I enjoyed it - I found the space to be well designed, easily moving through, and with immersive sets.

Incredible learning experience about the city of Vancouver, its various epochs, its people and its culture. The museum has everything you need to know about the history of the city. The exhibits are well-curated and interesting artifacts are plentiful. I love the architecture as well. It's a pretty big place, so be prepared to spend a large part of your day here if you want to explore all the exhibitions in detail. Unfortunately, parking around the museum is not free.

Very sad museum. Some interesting info about Vancouver history but this museum needs love. The outside architecture is really nice. Save money on the first Sunday of the month is pay what you can. The park around is lovely.

Awesome museum! Lots of local information, great to see spaces dedicated to first nation folks. Lost of exhibits and things to see. Worth a visit

This was an absolutely lovely museum. Thank you for hosting us last week at Indigenomics IMPACT. The best part of the experience was that all the panels were held in a planetarium and this is the first planetarium I've ever seen with a stage. It made the conference that much more awesome. HIGHLY recommend the museum as an event space! And wish I had more time to view the exhibits, but of what I did see, the retro/back-in-time exhibit was my favorite. It even had a working juke box!

It was my first time visiting in a long while, so my aunty brought me to the museum to check out, since it was pouring outside. It was a cool and informative spot that gave you a nice surface level on the history of Vancouver, BC. The information wasn't too excessive and the props and displays were well positioned. They even had nice areas throughout the museum that made a good spot for a quick photoshoot! Unfortunately, the staff were not friendly and were bery dismissive and lacked information when asked. There were two at the front desk that were judgemental, as well, as they made some rude comments about us to one another.

I went here with a friend at her recommendation. I especially enjoyed the exhibit on the history of Vancouver from decade to decade. There were sections about Vancouver's music and activist scenes. The temporary exhibits included one about chairs - which was actually more interesting than it sounds - and Indigenous objects in the museum that are being repatriated. So timely and important. I thought the gift shop would have more selection, and the price to get in is rather high considering it is a rather small museum. That said, it is in a beautiful area and is worth a visit if you're into visiting museums.

Fantastic local history museum. As visitors to Vancouver, we were eager to learn more about the local history, and this museum did not disappoint. As you approach the museum, located in the southwest corner of Vancouver, you're welcomed with a beautiful panoramic view of the bay. The museum itself is an interesting, circular structure and essentially is divided into two separate spaces. When we were visiting, the "flex space" was dedicated to an extremely interesting tattoo exhibit, highlighting, different tattoo, techniques, and artists. It was very well put together, and we found the material to be well curated and presented. What a fun exhibit! On the other side, they have the permanent exhibit which is a fantastic historical timeline of the area, explaining the history from the First Peoples to present day. Many controversial subjects are covered in a tasteful manner, and these separate chapter exhibits give the visitor a great perspective of this wonderful city, even with its own set of historical flaws. The multicultural, diverse population of Vancouver is highlighted and celebrated. Overall, a very fun experience, and well worth the trip. I would encourage visitors to the area to make time for this wonderful museum, since it gives so much perspective about the area, the people, and the culture. Will definitely be back!!

Another gem in Vancouver!! This museum looked very simple when we got in, but halfway through it changed for the better. Their exhibits on the history of the city were both interesting and informative (and a bit sad). There are so many different things to see, like the exhibit on Chinatown and the exhibit on the 50's. This place is also very recommended if you visit Vancouver.

Let me start by saying that I don't think any of the museums in Vancouver are anything to write home about, which is quite a pity for a city where it's dreary for nearly half the year and there's no better time then to be indoors enjoying a solid museum. That being said, some parts of the Museum of Vancouver really impressed me and I wished I had used my visit time better. We were there for just over two hours. Learn from my mistakes, and don't do this museum in the numerical order of the exhibits. We did just that, started with Ghetto, moved onto Reclaim + Repair, then Dressed for History, into Refuge Canada, then The City Before The City, That Which Sustains Us and finished off with Vancouver History 1900s to the 1970s. Because of this we spent time where we shouldn't have and rushed through the parts we actually found interesting. Standout exhibits for me were: Ghetto, Dressed for History, Refuge Canada and the Vancouver History. The City Before The City is designated to First Nation artifacts and history, but I think the Museum of Anthropology is much better. Ghetto was an interesting concept to read about and learn about an idea to combat population growth and housing crisis's. Dressed for History went through attire from the 1800s and how it's evolved in effect from what was going on at the time. The Refuge Canada exhibit was particularly moving, reading the stories and facts is downright heartbreaking and makes you feel privileged for living in a western country that so many of us take advantage of. And the Vancouver History was interesting all together, it was cool to walk through the decades and read about how the city has changed through time and in some ways, how it hasn't.

It would've been good in the 70s. Staff was nice. Kindaboring no offence. If it was a different concept would be better.

You'll find multiple exhibits. An extensive collection of items is beautifully displayed in the 5 rooms dedicated to Vancouver through the decades. The City Before the City is an excellent historical view of First Nation culture. That Which Sustains Us--interesting! Reclaim and Repair displays simply beautiful works of art made from reclaimed mahogany. Dressed for History displays a unique collection of women's clothing over the centuries. How did they find these centuries old dresses? We spent 3 hours there and enjoyed every moment. Recommended.

The Museum of Vancouver is an awesome spot to spend time with your kids on a rainy day. The exhibitions were very interesting and we learned so many things notably about the history of immigration in this city, the kids loved it! It's also located not too far away from the Maritime Museum so we were able to do both on the same day, I strongly recommend!

Absolutely must visit! The tickets need to be bought online due to covid and the entry time is fixed. The staff is helpful and the place is huge. So much about Vancouver that we didn't know. They have done a great job to preserve the history and recreate scenarios. We almost missed the neon sign display area which is right near to the entrance so don't miss it. Over all, you take an hour to see everything. The gift shop has some really good stuff and is the most affordable gift shop I have ever been to! Got loads of goodies. Good for families and groups. Children need to walk a lot so keep that in mind.

Honestly that giant crab sculpture outside the entrance is my favorite part! To enter the museum, adult tickets cost $20.50 apiece. We took roughly an hour and a half to explore all sections. We first strolled through the featured exhibitions, of which I liked in particular "Neon Vancouver | Ugly Vancouver" and "Wild Things: The Power of Nature in our Lives". Not only were they informative, but the little stories or quotes on the walls successfully drew my attention. The rest of the museum is set up as if walking through a timeline of Canada starting from the 1900s. Personally I found these sections less interesting. I always found history class in school to be boring, so I mostly just admired the displays and occasionally skimmed the text.

I was not at all familiar with the history of the city of Vancouver until this visit to the Museum and now I know plenty. And it has caused me to love and appreciate this city even more! Great to see the origins of the city but the highlight for me was the hall of neon. There used to be quite a few of these bright and shining signs in Vancouver but then the city fell out of love with the lights and many were removed and destroyed. Some have been recovered and restored to be put on display here. It's a unique exhibit and very interesting to see. Also interesting to see how violent it was here in the 70's. As a progressive city, they certainly fought hard to stay so. And after spending a bit of time in Yaletown, it's safe to say that the conservative side has lost that battle I'm not a fan of the paid parking lot here. It would be nice if there was some sort of parking pass with museum entry, but no, they don't do that. I did manage to save $2 with a Yelp check-in offer!

It was a fun little visit here. We were in the area and came for the Space Center and while we visited we thought we might as well check out the Museum of Vancouver. It was massive but it was a cool exhibit seeing the history of Vancouver. Between the First Nations, Old Vancouver and Chinese History in Vancouver, it was a very informative and fun way to spend the hour. I would recommend it if you're looking for an hour or two to kill in the area.

I recently visited this museum with my parents who were visiting from Montreal. The museum itself is small, housed in the same building as the space museum/planetarium. (The building is the white domed edifice located on the far southwest side of Kits beach, near the Maritime Museum). There's a large parking lot (it's metered, so .... not free. My folks were shocked at this but I'm used to this being the norm in Van by now). All in all, the museum is wonderful, chock-full of interesting displays and facts about the city. Various eras are housed in separate rooms, making for a chronologically-clear walk-through of the city's historical timeline. Starting off with the indigenous people and their tribes who first inhabited the area, and ending up in an area focusing on the 70's, the displays and artifacts and photos give one an excellent sense of the basic history of Vancouver. If one had time, one could literally spend a whole day here, reading all the plaques and looking at all the detailed displays. (In contrast, we did a precursory walk-through and just focused on those items/displays that were of interest to us most. We spent one hour here, which I think is the norm). From our experience and from what I gleaned from friends, the highlight of the museum is the room focusing on the 50's, with its jukeboxes and neon and doo-wop history. My dad loved the Fairlane car on display (he said it was his very first car, back in the day). I got a kick out of seeing items from my childhood in the early 60's. It was truly a walk down memory lane for all of us. I had heard about the neon room and was most looking forward to it but we didn't see it at all! There were a few neon signs on display in the 50's room, but we didn't see a room of neon at all, so either we missed it because there were no signs directing us there and no exhibition rooms that lead us there, or this room is no longer there. (I'm tempted to think the former theory is correct). Either way, when I got home, I was really disappointed, as I felt I missed out on the museum's main attraction. Still, the rest of the museum was great and my parents enjoyed it immensely. There was a lovely gift shop section after the last museum room. Note: you can often find a Groupon for admission to this Museum; we got one and the price was over 50% less than it would've been otherwise.

As a local sometimes I neglect this museum, but please don't! You have to go! I went on a sunny Sunday with a friend after hanging out on the beautiful grassy park behind it. It's really in such a beautiful location. The MOV shares the foyer of the HR McMillan Space Centre. This iconic building's roof was designed to reflect the form of a traditional woven hat of NW Coast First Nations people. Currently there is a Haida Now exhibit which I need to go back & spend more time immersing & appreciating. I have a Haida background & recognized alot of faces in the exhibition. Based on modern and current times of many Haida artists, musicians, activists, mover n shakers.... Also on, the Ugly Neon. Anyone growing up in Vancouver will remember a lot more neon signage back in the days on the streets. A lot of these are now in the museum, it is amazing to see and nostalgic! There was also a Wild Things exhibit with a huge amount of fake or taxidermied? animals. And more... Honestly I need to go back. I think that MOV is underrated. When it comes to "Vancouvering", this should be moved to the top of the list! Keep in mind it's all pay parking here, and they do check! I ran out to my car with a minute left & the parking police was out there checking. So make sure you purchase enough time. It would be easier to bike, walk, or transit as it's just off the foot of Burrard St bridge.

It's free admission on Family day. Quite busy but enjoyed their historic collection in Vancouver. My favorite part would be neon exhibition and first nation's corner. Their alphabet chart was very interesting. There was family craft corner where kid can make animation. It might be changed every year but I'm sure It's good day to bring your kids.

Museum was pretty cool. Really enjoyed the chronological timeline of what life in Vancouver was like during the 1900s-1970s for each nationality/demographics. The room with all the neon signs was fun to look at: "Neon Vancouver, Ugly Vancouver." My family of 4 cost a total of $42.00 CAD for admission. It took us about 2 hours to get through ALL the exhibits. Probably longer if we have read all the inserts and mom didn't need to use the restroom lol. The receptionist was really friendly and she didn't hesitate one bit when I asked if she could please call us a taxi. Taxi ride was about 15 minutes from The Sutton Place Hotel downtown.

Really enjoyed their Covid exhibit and the Neon lights exhibit was pretty cool. Good value too. Thought at times the museum was a little too PC though.

Wow! What a cool way to introduce the First Nations culture to little ones! I was fortunate enough to go today and I learned a lot about the culture of the Coast Salish and Inuit. There was also a display from 1900s to 1970s where we got to do a trivial hunt to learn about these decades. Hope to come back some day!

This isn't the world's biggest museum, but it does show a lot about the history of our city - something many residents are sadly unaware of. Parking is available in front (pay), but there are many many free spots a block away. The museum layout is actually quite confusing - it's not linear or straight at all. I found the best way about this was to pick a way and follow it continuously, winding all over the place until I hit the lobby again. Admission is reasonable, at $12 for an adult. The exhibits cover most of the big topics such as the Great Fire of 1885, the internment of Japanese Americans during WW2, the race riots (leading to the Asian Exclusion Acts). An amusing side exhibit was the "History of Sex Education in Vancouver" bit - totally brought back a ton of childhood memories. The coolest exhibit in my opinion though is the room with all the neon signs. I still remember when some of those signs were being used on the streets! How times have changed. It may be a bit boring for some, but this museum is really informative for those who are interested in learning more about Vancouver.

Like most attractions in the city, I have only been to the Museum of Vancouver a handful of times. In fact, I had completely forgotten it existed until a few years ago. Because it was one of the attractions on the Inspiration Pass, I thought that I had better take advantage of the free admission. (At $15 for an adult admission, it's a bit pricey since it's quite a small museum.) There were a couple of feature exhibits that I found quite interesting: "All Together Now: Vancouver Collectors and Their Worlds" and an exhibit on Expo 86 paraphernalia. The Expo 86 exhibit was very small, so if you're expecting a huge exhibit, you'll be very disappointed. However, it was still interesting to see, as I only have a few, vague memories of Expo 86, as I was quite young at the time. (It wasn't until years later--probably when the Millennium Line was being built--that I realized that the Skytrain was built for Expo 86.) The Collectors exhibit featured the collections of 20 people, from corsets and jukeboxes to prosthetic limbs and glass eyes. Quite interesting. I'd say it's not a bad little museum, and worth going to if the feature exhibit is something you are really interested in. (I recall, around 1990 or so, I went with my mom and saw a really cool exhibit on fashion/women's fashion through the ages. That has always stuck out for me.) However, it's not a museum that I plan on going to often, unless there is something that particularly interests me.

I have to tell you, I've been here a few times and seen the 50's memorabilia and been curious. Lots of Neon, ok i get it. However when I came to see the museum, there was the Happy Exhibit! Which was interactive, informative and fun. With Gum-ball machines which you get a free gum by displaying how happy you are. A bicycle in the middle of a great big room on a platform, which you can ride and a huge display runs slogans of inspiration in front of you. Seek discomfort to achieve your goals. You only grow when your uncomfortable! In a word Brilliant! We haven't had this kind of mind jogging exhibit ever.

Whooo! This place is fab! The #1 thing I love about this place is that they allow photography inside! But just remember to turn off the flash though. Came here the other day when were in the Vancouver area on a whim after searching through my GPS for some places to go. Found this museum and loved it! It wasn't expensive at all too! They had two main exhibits, the featured one being Velo-City, an exhibit of different bicycles collected from different people, places and events. Really enjoyed this one, and really really liked the hanging bicycles from the ceiling! Whoo. The other exhibit was the history of Vancouver one. Loved this too! They had different set-ups with different artifacts/objects/clothing/things from different time periods. I really liked the salon display with the "Chez Paris" pink and blue neon sign! Fab. Spent a little over an hour here, I believe. Just enough to see without getting too tired while viewing. Loved it.

This museum is a wonderful spot for both tourists and locals. The permanent exhibitions highlighting the city's history are well done and thorough. As someone not from Vancouver, or even Canada, it was very educational! But I bet even if you've lived in Vancouver your entire life, you'll learn something new. The Riot Boards is a new exhibition that lasts until the end of September -- really fascinating. I do wish there was more context than just these massive boards that people wrote messages on. I mean, I guess everyone knew what happened, but when you compare it to the other exhibitions, there could just be a little more.

This place is awesome and totally re done I came here's the other day thinking it was going to be old and full of the Same exhibits they had last year but to my surprise it had been totally redone I strongly recommend visiting it with friends and family it really interactive.

A recent revamp of the museum brings to us the shoe exhibiton, "Fox, Fluevog and Friends" as well as the local food production and sustainable farming exhibition "Home Grown." The Fluevog exhibtion featured many pairs of shoes from over the years, complemented by photos and catalogues, and some hand written letters. Wonderful exhibit design. As for the 'Home Grown' exhibit, photographs are displayed to show how locals grow sustainable food. This museum is a lot smaller than the other museums in other cities, but the current exhibits are interesting enough to make me pay the $12 adult admission. Along with the exhibitions, there are also talks and tours related to the topics. Then there's the permanent exhibits that are all about the history of Vancouver, walking you through the history starting from the late 1920s. I even learned some facts along the way. The building is actually in the same one as the space center. Vanier Park surrounds the museum, so bring some lunch and have a picnic at the park as there is no dining establishment nearby. A good place to go on a rainy day.

I am reviewing this as an event venue. I haven't seen the exhibitions. The "Joyce Walley Learning Centre" room is available to rent. My friend was able to book it just a few weeks before his Saturday wedding (in October). Carpeted floor, podium with mic, no stage. I think our DJ-friend brought his own speakers. We had tables only for serving, none to sit at. I think it may be because of the number of guests, not because they did not have enough tables. Some nice-looking (black matte plastic on stainless steel) chairs, and cushy seating (low couch-like, but no back, also black) accommodated guests while eating. The huge glass windows presented a very nice view of the water. However, it was very dirty (bird poop and rain runoff lines). Since the museum had no cleaning scheduled between the booking and the event, our professional window cleaner friends came the night before (not officially sanctioned by the museum) and did it without charge. If we didn't have these friends, I don't know if the window would have remained dirty, or the museum would consider doing their next (I assume scheduled) cleaning earlier for a fee. The room was very warm. Downstairs are very large washrooms. Also downstairs, the few people in charge of food/drink serving are allowed to use the sink in the snack room. The staff was very nice, and allowed us to stay a bit longer than the allotted time (which was supposed to be pretty early for a wedding reception, 10 or 10:30 or something). The window issue is what brought my rating down. Otherwise, I have no complaints.

I was attending an evening photojournalism event, but I did have an opportunity to poke around the Seventies in Vancouver Exhibit briefly and found it absolutely delightful. This particular exhibition included a wonderful collection of pinball machines, early electronic arcade (predecessor to the video) games that dominate our family rooms today , a wide variety of board games and collectibles and a lovely neon sign display.

Despite missing out on the Fluevog exhibit and Ravishing Beasts (taxidermy), I finally made it back to the Museum of Vancouver for the Neon Vancouver, Ugly Vancouver show. This show displayed some of the museum's collection of neon signs from around Vancouver in the 50s, 60s and 70s. They are very coolly displayed, lighting up a darkened room with their colours and form. Historical photos in the exhibit, however, illustrate why there was such a campaign (or crusade) to rid many of the neon signs from the streets - it was just too much. Now of course, we decry the bad preservation of favourite pieces of the neon era still out there ... the Bow-Mac sign, the Hotel Niagara sign, and the Aristocrat diner sign come to my mind. The Neon Vancouver show didn't really address this issue, and perhaps it could have if it was bigger than just one room. As for the permanent exhibit, it has been completely revamped since I was last here. It covers the time period from about the turn of the last century to the 1970s, and issues such as multiculturalism and race (Chinatown riots, Japanese expulsion in WW2), growth, war, and prosperity, hippies and social movements, culminating in a "what might have been" view if Vancouver had built those freeways. The permanent exhibit space has a lot to look at, but the space is rather cramped. It also seemed like history has been left hanging by ending the display at the '70s. What about Expo? Hong Kong immigration? The redevelopment of False Creek? Woodwards? Total world domination in yogawear? It also seemed to focus almost exclusively on the central neighbourhoods of the city, especially Kits and the West End. That may be the view from the windows, but this curatorial view seems a bit narrow. I hope they can continue to develop the story of our city further. It probably seems like I'm hating on the MOV a bit. We really did have a nice afternoon there, poking around, taking pictures, and playing with the interactive exhibits - like 60s music and kids toys. It's one of the very few museums that I was faster than my husband in walking through. He's all anti-museum-as-fun most of the time, so that's saying a lot. Shine on, MOV.

I finally went to check out the neon exhibit as I'd been wanting to see it for a long time. I was pretty disappointed when I got there and found out it was just one small room with about 10 neon signs. Seriously? The signs they did have were great, but to pay $15 admission to walk in a room and walk out 5 min later is a bit of a joke. Yes, I know there are other exhibits to see but that wasn't what I came for. This museum seems geared at people who don't know much about early to mid century history.

I learned so much about the First Nation people on my visit here. So amazing. The tours are really worth it and the guides/docents are very knowledgeable and respectful of the traditional tribes and cultures. A must for all adults and children visiting Vancouver!

Interesting exhibitions, Vancouver history from first nations to today, arcades machine, neon signs, and more!

I love the MOV. Besides last night, I have been there 2 other times within the last 6 months. I really enjoyed the neon exhibit, but I preferred the BhangraMe exhibit as it had more info, was more hands on and more to see. The Vancouver archives are superb, I could (and have) spend hours looking through the old artifacts. This museum is a hidden gem located just over the Burrard Street bridge, and generally isn't very busy. And, it is located right next door to the Planetarium! I highly recommend visiting.

One of the things I like to do when I go to a new city is check out the local history museum. So my DH and I walked across Burrard Bridge on a rainy October day to check it out. Tip- I checked in when we got there and unlocked an admission discount. You should too! The seasonal exhibit was focused on women's clothing before and during wartime. What I really liked was the number of Christian Dior dresses in light of his recent death. It gave the exhibit much more of an impact on me. I will repeat what others have written, the core museum in very dark and the individual displays are a bit of a mess. The items are not numbered, even though the exhibit card is, and sometimes there are more items in the case than on the card. What's cool: the letters in the Chinatown area that were never picked up from the Sam Kee building, the menus in the 1950's diner that have individual stories about the time, sitting under the hairdryer and listening to 1920's gossip, and the dress up closet in the 1960's-70's apartment. I wish there was more information about the Japanese interment during the war and the First Nation. And when the museum reaches the '60's it gets seriously weird. After that, we went to the neon gallery which was very cool. There are some interesting notes about the fight to remove neon in Vancouver that I found very interesting. It also made me very aware of any neon we saw when we were walking around the city which was a neat result. I There is also a space exhibit with a planetarium for a second admission. We wandered in by accident since there were no signs and we weren't asked if we wanted to add it when we paid for the museum. All in all, it was a fun way to spend a rainy day in Vancouver. We easily spent 3 hours going through it.

Not very well organized. The timeline is not complete for the late 20 century part. It suddenly jumps to another topic without finishing the previous one. Some exhibition boards are too low and you have to bend to read it. Okay in general but there is still room to improve.

The permanent exhibit sucks, but their revolving exhibits are consistently interesting and visually engaging. Velo-City, Art of Craft, Ravishing Beasts and even the Fluevog exhibit were all definitely worth the price of admission. Plus the MOV does tie-in events such as the craft nights at the museum during Art of Craft and bike-in movies and bike tours during Velo-City. Keep an eye on the exhibits and check it out when one strikes your fancy! You won't be disappointed.

A small museum chronicling Vancouver's history. The changing exhibits can be quite cool. From Drug paraphernalia, to undergarments.

Yesterday, I had one of the greatest time of my trip in Vancouver. I went to the Museum of Vancouver, where I had the chance to experience a new style of dance: Bhangra. But before the dance workshop, I visited the Bhangra.me exhibition. I wanted to understand what Bhangra is about. The amount of information the museum has been able to collect was really impressive. Many objects like music instruments, vinyls, cassettes, traditional clothing and archives videos were offered to the visitors. We could even try some music instruments! . I was surprised to learn that Vancouver is a great Bhangra music city. Famous DJs are mixing here some of the biggest hits! After the visit came the dance workshop: jumpy, sweaty and extremely fun, as I was expecting it to be! One of the best Bhangra musician of North America was there to give us some beat. After learning the basic steps, we put them all together, added a little attitude and ended up with a short choreography. One class was enough for me to become totally addicted! Really, it was an incredible experience to dive in such a rich culture.

I'm from out of town and my trip to this museum was very disappointing. I was surprised by how small it was.You can get through the entire museum within 30 minutes. I enjoyed the flash back exhibits (1900s-1970s) but that's pretty much it. Very little about the wildlife in Vancouver; that exhibit could've been expanded. Very little about famous local citizens unless you count the man who had four wives and twenty-three children. I should've went to Museum of Anthropology instead. I do not recommend coming here unless you're a kid.

I find it strange to review a museum on yelp. It was definitely worth the time and money. The staff was very friendly.

The outside of the Vancouver Museum is a spectacle itself. The dome top building resembles the top of some spaceship from another planet. The giant steel crab with its pincers raised in a battle pose seems to protect the entrance from unruly intruders to its domain. Inside, they have a number of cool exhibits to view. You can tour Vancouver through the earliest stages of the 20th century. They have remnants from war time era all the war up to the disco era (what's the difference really?) What I really like about this place is that it's the only real place to see the history of Vancouver. They lay out the entire history of this city with actual photos and replica models of how the city was at a specific time. There's a sense of nostalgia and sadness when you walk through the exhibits and see how people struggled to make this city one of the best in the world. There's a ton of stuff for kids. At $11 for an adult pass, you won't learn any more about Vancouver than you will here.

The fountain is quite impressive...Inside, they have nice exhibits for rainy days, when tired of the planetarium or the maritime museum.The jukebox and and the car from the sixties are pretty nice.There is also a focus on the japanese community and what happened to them during the second world war.The neon exhibit isn't much but some people may find the dress exhibit interesting. As you enter on the left, there is a new and rather interactive expo on native people.Good for some kids but in general they should quickly get bored...

Unlike a large amount of the previous reviewers I came here to see the permanent exhibit. It felt at times like they had just raided grandmas house for heirlooms. You can even try on some of grandmas clothes, no really just like a thrift shop. You can learn some interesting history about Vancouver here but it is fairly light on and like its neighbour the Space Centre, it is outdated and tired. It seems to me that they no longer care about the permanent exhibit and just focus on one off shows and events.

WARNING FOR USERS OF THE HANDICAPPED ENTRANCE: Despite a lack of signage, the parking lot is NOT free. Because my wife has to use a knee scooter and she has a state-issued handicapped authorization, upon arrival at the MOU we looked for handicapped parking. Finding none, we drove to one of the parking places facing and closest to the museum. We saw nothing saying it was anything but free parking -- no signage and no kiosk for payment. We entered the museum via the handicapped entrance. No sign saying there was a charge for parking. Likewise, when we went to the desk to pay our admission fees. After an hour and a half in what the interesting museum, when we returned to our car we found a notice of violation for "Payment Not Made For Parking." The fine was $55 (Can) which would rise to $85 if not paid within one week and $125 if not paid within three weeks. When I went back into the museum to complain, I noted that on the non-handicapped doors leading in there was signage stating that the operator of the parking lot was active in issuing citations to cars for which parking had not been paid. Unfortunately, there was no such signage on the handicap entrance, which is at a location and position where the signage on the non-handicap doors is not visible. Likewise, when we went to the desk to purchase our admission, it was from an angle that signage at other locations was not visible. When I complained to the attendant, I was told to call EasyPark, the parking lot operator. When my wife subsequently spoke with an EasyPark person she was told to simply pay the fine. When I tried to do that this morning -- a little less than 24 hours after the citation had been issued -- I was told the violation number was not yet in its system and that I should try again tomorrow. This happened as we were leaving Vancouver to drive home to Seattle. I left a very definite bad taste in my mouth, for what otherwise as a fun trip.

The first museum I've ever visited in my life. I remember going here when I was in preschool. First field trip in my life, or was it the pumpkin patch? Sadly, there hasn't been any change since my preschool days. There is one area which is dedicated to space exploration and another area dedicated to B.C.'s history. I love the steel crab water fountain, especially on a warm summer day.

Where geek meets street. Came here for the DIY arts and crafts night at the invitation of an artist friend who runs Blim. Never had so much fun making buttons and watching people glue, color and mingle. So reminiscent of good childhood. Such a lovely venue, too, with a pond and glass dome. Will come back to kill a restful afternoon.

This museum makes me so very sad. Maybe it's because I'm a museum nerd that has seen a lot of other bigger, better museums so I'm always warning visitors against coming here. I would love to love this museum, but I just can't see past the small space and lackluster exhibits. They do try hard though, and I have to give them points for trying to make the best of it. Sometimes the special exhibits are worth the trip, but it's hard to give space to these special exhibits for their full potential. For a Museum of Vancouver, I find that it doesn't really focus on Vancouver. You have this museum to highlight the city, tell visitors what makes Vancouver great, the unique culture within, and as an education tool, but it ends up being knick knacks behind glass. I think because of spacing issues, they end up having to compete with the Art Gallery for interesting exhibits. I've seen a lot of great exhibits show at the Art Gallery even when it's less about art and more about history/local interest topics, which really should be at MOV. Here's to hoping that they find a new space soon! They have dedicated curators... they just need the room to make it better.

Just checked out the 'Ravishing Beasts' exhibit on the history of taxidermy. It was really well done! Put together in a respectful, informative and, most importantly, intriguing way. Definitely have an interesting array of beasts on display (none killed for the exhibit - all are historical pieces). Totally fascinating! Everyone in our group of eleven enjoyed it - even the skeptical vegetarian!! I'll be back for the museum's next exhibit!

Awesome exhibit & fun location. While visiting Vancouver my partner and I wanted to check out the local sights. We took the False Creek Ferry (fun little trip!) to the museum stop and walked .6 kilometers to the Museum of Vancouver. They currently have a Happiness exhibit and it totally rad! We spent 3 hours checking out the art and we are still joyfully reflecting on the experience.