Museums & Galleries in New Westminster

The H.R. MacMillan Space Centre reaches into the great unknown to pull the mysterious night sky a little closer with informative and entertaining astronomy exhibits. The evening programs include admission to a visually exhilarating multimedia show in the Planetarium Star Theatre. Delve into mind-scramblers such as the birth of stars, the age of the universe, and what came first, the chicken or the asteroid, in 360-degree panoramic glory. Also included in the program is admission to the microlecture "Hot Topics," which tackles the latest developments in all things astro. The observatory caps an awe-inspiring evening with a sky-watching session, during which patrons play connect-the-dots with the constellations and discover space's heavenly imitations of spoons, hunters, and South American tapirs on jet skis.

Cities are the ultimate conglomerations, existing as both the collections of people, institutions, and locations that currently compose them as well as the memories of all of the bygone inhabitants that came before. Without some concept of that past, current-day residents are hard-pressed to really understand their present. Fortunately, the historians at Museum of Vancouver keep visitors in the know with expertly curated exhibits revealing the unforgettable events that shaped the city's character. In the permanent galleries, a series of permanent historical displays chronicle the city’s evolution from the 1900s real-estate boom into the excitement of the 1970s. In 1960s-1970s: You Say You Want A Revolution, Vancouver’s hippie community comes to life with the jangling tunes of local bands of the day and discussions of the Greenpeace movement; in Neon Vancouver, Ugly Vancouver, gallery walls fill with the sizzling light of antique advertising and signage rescued from obscurity before its date with the dump.

To complement the history galleries, three special rotating exhibits each year showcase works by artists such as Tobias Wong, a cheeky craftsman considered one of the forerunners of conceptual design. In 2013, visitors will revist Vancouver's street photography era as they delve into the works of the infamous Foncie Pulice, and explore the west coast modernist architecture of Daniel Evans White. During special events, the museum’s halls fill with the wisdom of curators, artists, and others explaining their work.

After more than 60 years, the University of British Columbia Museum of Anthropology could almost do an anthropological study on its own history, from its humble basement beginnings in 1949 to its present-day status as Canada's largest teaching museum. Today, it is home to thousands of ethnographic objects—archaeological objects gathered from indigenous cultures around the world—including totem poles, silver, and masks from the First Nations. The array of artifacts from the province’s northwest coast is eclipsed only by the museum’s Asian collections, which transport visitors back in time with historical Cantonese opera costumes, ceramics, and paintings.

At one time, the Britannia Mine was the largest copper mine in the British Empire. It operated from 1904 to 1974, and over the course of those 70 years, more than 60,000 people of myriad races, religions, and backgrounds made it their workplace.

Today, resting alongside British Columbia's sea-to-sky highway, the mine enjoys retirement as a National Historic Site, and opens its doors to visitors every day of the week year-round. Inside, dozens of exhibits, displays, and hands-on activities keep bygone eras alive, including the award-winning short film, Groundbreaking: The Britannia Mine Story, which details the mine's origins. Perhaps the museum's biggest draw, daily guided train tours head underground to showcase the sights, sounds, and working conditions of the mine. Meanwhile, back above ground, a gift shop sends visitors home with their own little pieces of history.

Featured in the Vancouver Sun and TLC Vancouver, glass artist Braden Hammond has skyrocketed from life as a simple student at Santa Cruz Art and Glass Studio to the current head of one of Canada’s largest lampworking facilities. His artwork peppers galleries and boutiques throughout the country, ranging from statement glass jewellery to chandeliers shaped to resemble glowing roses or venus flytraps devouring lightbulbs. At his studio, Hammond also hosts classes for budding glass artists at beginning through advanced levels, teaching students the art of glass blowing, borosilicate glass manipulation, and crafting glass with marble moulds.