Vancouver with Kids

This is the place for Star Trek wannabes to play in space and to use space gadgets. The space museum is an outgrowth of the H.R. Planetarium that occupies the top floor of the building and that has one of the finest star-gazing programs in North America.

It’s not quite the Enterprise’s Holo-deck, but the Space Museum’s Cosmic Courtyard will give you a good idea of what it might be like.

It's a short walk next door to the Gordon MacMillan Southam Observatory with its Cassegrain telescope for night-time public viewings of the Vancouver sky.
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Hours
Monday-Friday: 10am-3pm
Saturday & statutory holidays: 10am-5pm
Sunday: Noon-5pm
Saturdays: Astronomy Shows 7:30pm and 9pm

Admission
Adults: (19-54) $15
Seniors (54+): $10.75
Students: $10.75
Youth:(5-18) $10.75
Children: (under 5) Free

Address:
1100 Chestnut Street
Vancouver

Tel: (604)738-7827

Gordon MacMillan Southam Observatory
Hours:
Saturday: Doors Open at 8pm
Admission: Free

Phone:(604)738-2855

Vancouver`s relationship to the sea is an important element in its cultural character. In front of the building is a Kwakiutl totem pole, towering 100 ft. (30.5 m) into the sky. Inside is the wooden 1928 sailing ketch, the St. Roch, in its own permanent building, a glass encasement that surrounds the National Historical Site.

The former RCMP craft was the first sailing vessel to circumnavigate the Northwest Passage from west to east. The ship was brought on shore and the building was built around it.

Check out the permanent collection in the museum for the hands-on interactive area where kids can maneuver an underwater robot.
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Hours
Summer: Daily 10am-5pm
Winter: Tuesday - Saturday: 10am-5pm
Closed Monday
Sunday/Holidays: noon-5pm

Admission:
Adults: $11
Students and seniors: $8.50
Children 5 and under: Free
Families $30

Address:
1905 Ogden Avenue

Tel: (604) 257-8300

The roof atop this building, which also houses the Space Museum, is shaped in the form of a traditional Coast Salish cone-hat, giving you an indication of what awaits you inside.

Here’s where you go to see how the city grew from a wilderness on the edge of the ocean to a major North American city in 100 years. There’s a replica of a saw mill, elaborate dresses and clothing, and thousands of individual items ranging from Native carvings to railway passenger cars.

It's a fun place where parents and kids can enjoy a hands-on look at history that's both informative and enjoyable.
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Open:
Winter Hours (September to June):
Tuesday-Sunday 10am-5pm
Thursday 10am-8pm Closed Mondays

Summer Hours (July & August):
Monday-Sunday 10am-5pm
Thursday 10am-8pm

Holiday Hours
Open most Statutory Holidays
December 24th & 31st 10am-3pm
Closed December 25th - Christmas Day

Tickets:
Adult: $12
Senior: $10
Student: $10
Youth: $8
Family: $35

Address:
1100 Chestnut Street
Vancouver

Phone:
(604)736-4431

Like most of the shops on Granville Island, this megastore for kids is located in an old factory building that dates from the early 1900s. There are about 30 mini-stores selling virtually everything a kid would like. Even adults can have fun browsing.

Next to it is a large water playground for hot days.

And if the kids get tired, stroller rentals are available at the Kids Market administration office on the 2nd level.
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Address:
1496 Cartwright Street,
Granville Island

Phone:
(604}689-8447

When it’s lit up at night, the silver geodesic globe of Science World looks like a giant dimpled golf ball. Inside are some of the most wonderful hands-on exhibits that have ever turned an adult into a child.

There are exhibits where you can play the piano with your toes, create a cyclone, or take a picture of your shadow. The on-site OMNIMAX theater has one of the world’s largest dome screens.

Located at the east end of False Creek, Science World houses five permanent galleries and a feature exhibition gallery that has regular changes in content.

The center begins on street level with a Gravitram for experimenting with potential energy and the force of gravity; the IBM Info Windows that introduce the world of computers; and puzzling optical effects of the Visual Illusions exhibit.

The centerpiece and biggest draw, of course, is the 400-seat OMNIMAX Theater where the audience is surrounded with huge images on the five-storied, domed screen and engulfed in wrap-around sound. These larger-than-life shows cover a wide variety of subjects such as that vast icy world of Antarctica, the explosive ring of Pacific Rim volcanoes, and the history of transportation.

Do something different by taking a small ferry ride from the foot of Granville Island to Science World.
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Open:
Monday–Friday: 10am–5pm
Saturday/Sunday/Holidays: 10am–6pm

General Admission (OMNIMAX not included)
Adults: $23.50
Seniors: (64+) $19.75
Students: (with ID) $19.75
Youth:(13-16) $19.75
Children:(3-12) $16.75

Ultimate Experience: Add $5.50 to include OMNIMAX
Family Day Pass: (2 Adults or Seniors and up to 4 Children (OMIMAX not included)$83.50

Address
1455 Quebec Street
Vancouver

Phone
604)443-7440