Nancy H.
Yelp
I knew I'd enjoy visiting this museum, but I didn't know how much I would love it. And I did, totally! What a superb, historic building, chock full of stories (boy, if those walls could talk!), artifacts, displays and interactive exhibitions. If you know someone who is interested in '30's Vancouver architecture, police and/or forensic history, or simply the history of the city of Vancouver, this is a fabulous place to visit. And if you can snag a Groupon for the admission here (as I did), it's a killer of a deal, too (no pun intended. Ok, maybe a bit...!).
I visited with my daughter and we both like the CSI series on tv, so we were fascinated by the authentic forensic tools on display, and the grisly history of some of Vancouver's scandalous murders (some still unsolved). There are actual cross-sections of victims' organs on display, with the bullet holes or knife stabbing marks intact. There are actual murder weapons in showcases (I'm still thinking of an old axe - intact with a victim's hair still clinging to the rusted blade). There are informative displays about the collection of evidence and preserving the crime scene, fingerprint analysis, profiling, polygraphs, and more. There's a whole room devoted to early gambling artifacts (I MUST take my dad here when he next visits! He'd love it!), drugs, and counterfeiting (gosh, I remember the showcased Canadian bills from the 60's. What a walk down memory lane).
Speaking of, nothing like seeing rotary phones and typewriters and other items from the early '60's to remind oneself how OLD one is, and how rapidly technology has changed. Yikes! And seeing how drastically the city of Vancouver has changed in the past 100 years. It's quite shocking, actually.
Did you know there used to be a kiddie "driving school" in Stanley Park? That the science of "geographic profiling" was "discovered" and developed here in Vancouver, at Simon Fraser U? That liars typically avoid eye contact, provide more details than needed when answering questions and often repeat the question asked of them? I could go on and on about the fascinating factoids learned at this museum. But it loses impact without seeing the photos and objects in person.
The autopsy room is fascinating, and the tiny holding cell is, too. I also liked how there is a hallway and room devoted to the stories of the officers and police dogs who have lost their lives in the line of duty. Very respectful, and it strikes home, the sacrifice of those who protect us.
There are some local true crime books available for purchase at the check-in/check-out counter.
I really can't say enough good things about this place. It's rare to find such an authentic museum to visit, to really get a genuine, true understanding or feeling for a subject. My only suggestion for improvement, here, is for the museum curators to go through all the informative information signs posted throughout the site, as I found quite a few typos and they really diminished the overall excellence of the museum. (I mean, they even posted about the "Canandian [sic] Pacific Railroad". Blatant typos of commonplace words).