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City Guide - Vancouver - Key Attractions | ||
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Key Attractions Stanley Park The ten-kilometre (six-mile) Seawall that circles Stanley Park (tel: (604) 257 8400, press 1 for information) provides incredible ocean views for strollers, joggers, cyclists and in-line skaters. Equipment may be hired nearby. Stanley Park Horse-drawn Carriage Tours (tel: (604) 681 5115; web site: www.stanleyparktours.com) offers one-hour tours every half hour from mid-March to late October for C$16.80 (concessions available). The network of trails that crisscross the 404 hectares (1000 acres) of rainforest and parkland connects the Seawall and beaches with an open-air swimming pool, restaurants, a totem pole park and the Vancouver Aquarium Marine Science Centre. The aquarium is home to West Coast marine life, as well as creatures from warmer climes. Daily whale and dolphin shows and the feeding of the sea otters are popular events. Vancouver Aquarium Marine Science Centre Stanley Park Tel: (604) 659 3474. Web site: www.vanaqua.org Transport: Bus 23, 35 or 135; a free shuttle bus makes a circuit around Stanley Park in the summer. Opening hours: Daily 0930-1900 (late Jun-early Sep); daily 1000-1730 (early Sep-late Jun). Admission: C$12.95 (concessions available). Vancouver Art Gallery Housed in the former provincial courthouse, the gallery's permanent collection includes a substantial number of paintings by Emily Carr, whose naturalistic style echoes that of the Group of Seven. The permanent collection also includes works by Canadian and international artists and is supplemented by a variety of touring exhibitions. 750 Hornby Street Tel: (604) 662 4700 or 662 4719 (information). Web site: www.vancouverartgallery.com Transport: Granville SkyTrain station; bus 5 or any Granville Street bus. Opening hours: Daily 1000-1730 (until 2100 Thurs); Nov-Apr closed Mon. Admission: C$10 (concessions available); by donation Thurs eve. Gastown Gastown, the reconstructed old centre of Vancouver, is a pleasant array of cobblestone streets, cafés and shops. It is named after Gassy Jack, a voluble saloon owner who offered the local mill-workers all the whisky they could drink if they helped construct his saloon. He was open for business the next day. Gastown is also the site of the unique Steam Clock, driven by steam from the system used to heat downtown's office buildings. Most tourists come here for the shopping; it is one of the best spots in the city to find souvenirs such as Inuit art and works by native Pacific Northwest artists. Tel: (604) 683 5650 (information). Transport: Waterfront SkyTrain station; bus 1, 50. Chinatown Vancouver's large Chinatown district is centred on Pender and Main Streets and offers a kaleidoscope of rich scents and colours. A wide range of restaurants is the focus for morning dim sum and more elaborate evening meals. The night market (Jun-Sep: Fri-Sun 1830-2300) is especially worth a visit. At the western edge of Chinatown, the Dr Sun Yat-Sen Garden was the first full-sized classical Chinese garden to be built outside of China and offers an oasis from the gritty urbanity that surrounds it. Based on Ming Dynasty precepts, the combination of water, plants, limestone rock and pavilions has finely composed views and is suffused with symbolism. Dr Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden 578 Carral Street Tel: (604) 689 7133. Web site: www.discovervancouver.com/sun Transport: Stadium SkyTrain station; bus 3, 8, 19 or 22. Opening hours: Daily 0930-1900 (mid-Jun-Aug); daily 1000-1800 (Sep and May-mid-Jun); daily 1000-1630 (Oct-Apr). Admission: C$7.50 (concessions available). Granville Island Granville Island is home to a lively mix of entertainment and eating spots, shops and a large public market. Visitors can watch potters, weavers and glassblowers as they work, or stop by the sport-fishing, model boat or train museums. There are often concerts and outdoor events during the summer months. Visitors with children will appreciate the Kids' Market and playground. The best way to get there is an experience in itself - on one of the tiny ferryboats that connect various points along False Creek. Tel: (604) 666 5784 (information) or (604) 689 8447 (Kids' Market). E-mail: info@granvilleisland.bc.ca Web site: www.granvilleisland.com Transport: Bus 50 or 51; Downtown Historic Railway from Science World; Aquabus or False Creek Ferries. Opening hours: Daily 0900-1800 (Information Centre and Public Market); daily 1000-1800 (Net Loft, Kids' Market and Maritime Market). Admission: Free. Science World The distinctive silver geodesic dome at the end of False Creek houses Science World British Columbia - an interactive museum with a special appeal for children. However, the high quality of the exhibits, temporary exhibitions and fascinating demonstrations of science should keep audiences of all ages rapt. It is also the site of the Alcan OMNIMAX Theatre, with its enormous dome screen. 1455 Quebec Street Tel: (604) 443 7443. Fax: (604) 443 7430. Web site: www.scienceworld.bc.ca Transport: Main Street/Science World SkyTrain station; bus 3, 8 or 19; Downtown Historic Railway from Granville Island; Aquabus or False Creek Ferries. Opening hours: Mon-Fri 1000-1700, Sat and Sun 1000-1800. Admission: C$11.75 (Science World); C$10-11.25 (OMNIMAX show); C$14.75 (combined ticket). Vancouver Maritime Museum The Vancouver Maritime Museum chronicles the region's rich maritime history, with exhibits on everything ship-related, the RCMP Arctic schooner St Roch (the first vessel to navigate the Northwest Passage from West to East) and working vessels in the Heritage Harbour. Sharing Vanier Park with the museum are the HR MacMillan Space Centre (web site: www.hrmacmillanspacecentre.com) and the Vancouver Museum (web site: www.vanmuseum.bc.ca), as well as major outdoor events in summer. 1905 Ogden Avenue Tel: (604) 257 8300. Web site: www.vmm.bc.ca Transport: Bus 22 to Cornwall and Cypress Streets; Vancouver Trolley; False Creek Ferries. Opening hours: Mon-Sat 1000-1700, Sun 1200-1700; closed Mon in winter. Admission: C$7 (concessions available). UBC Botanical Garden For nature lovers, there are two world-class gardens on the University of British Columbia campus - the UBC Botanical Garden and the delightful Nitobe Memorial Garden. The former is a 28-hectare (70-acre) collection of temperate plants from around the globe (with the largest collection of rhododendrons in Canada), while the latter is a traditional Japanese garden and a tranquil place for reflection. 6804 Southwest Marine Drive Tel: (604) 822 9666. Web site: www.hedgerows.com/UBCBotGdn/index.htm Transport: Bus 42 or any UBC-bound bus and a short walk. Opening hours: Daily 1000-1800. Admission: C$4.50 (UBC Botanical Garden); C$2.50 (Nitobe Memorial Garden); C$5.75 (combined ticket). Museum of Anthropology The Museum of Anthropology on the UBC campus is a striking building designed by Arthur Erickson for the purpose of displaying a collection of British Columbia's Native American heritage. The simple concrete forms allow the star attraction - totem poles - to stand out against the view of the ocean visible through the expanse of glass walls. 6393 Northwest Marine Drive Tel: (604) 822 5087 or 822 3825. Fax: (604) 822 2974. Web site: www.moa.ubc.ca Transport: Bus 42 or any UBC-bound bus and a short walk. Opening hours: Daily 1000-1700 (until 2100 Tues); opens 1100 in winter. Admission: C$7; free Tues 1700-2100 (concessions available). |