Museums & Galleries in Vancouver

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.

Since its inception in 1966, BC Sports Hall of Fame's mission has been to preserve and honour British Columbia's illustrious athletic heritage. The facility packs 100-plus years of sporting history into its exhibits and displays, exalting Olympians, Paralympians, world-class competitors, and championship teams. In the Hall of Champions, artifacts and interactive touchscreens team up to lead visual tours through time; in the Vancouver 2010 gallery, visitors stand atop Olympic medal podiums and sniff Olympic torches for hints of the protein bars that once burned inside them.

Chock full of inspiration, visitors of any age can strap on their game faces and storm into the Participation Zone. There, they rise to meet the challenge and trace the monumental journeys of national heroes like Rick Hansen and Terry Fox while testing skills with a hockey shoot out, soccer simulator and immersadome, all while enduring the pressure of competing in front of an imaginary television audience. The Participation Zone also hosts birthday parties, which, along with corporate functions and other special events, can be held at the 20,000-square-foot facility year-round.