The best of North Vancouver, beginning at The Polygon Gallery
Museums or galleries make up 58 of the 82 places on the list. We list 5 places to visit inside North Vancouver’s municipal boundary and 77 within 5 km of its edge. Science World welcomes about 650K visitors a year. The big name further out is Museum of Vancouver, 7 km from the centre.
The names to know in North Vancouver
Art galleryThe Polygon Galleryin town
GardenPark and Tilford Gardensin townArt galleryArt galleryGordon Smith Gallery of Canadain townArt galleryArt galleryInuit Gallery Of Vancouverin townMuseumMuseumMuseum Of North Vancouverin town
GardenStanley Park3.1 km outside town, to the westEach has a page of its own: what it is, who runs it, the weather month by month and what else is near it.
Where things are
The dashed line is North Vancouver’s municipal boundary; orange marks its middle (where most people live). Numbers match the list below. © OpenStreetMap contributors · Statistics Canada 2021 outline
What sort of places
Green: inside North Vancouver. Grey: within 5 km of its edge.
Each place in turn
Park and Tilford Gardens
Botanical garden in North Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
Stanley Park
Park in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
Vancouver Art Gallery
Art museum in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
8
9Cathedral of Our Lady of the Rosary, Vancouver
Catholic cathedral in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
10Christ Church Cathedral
Cathedral church in Vancouver, British Columbia.
12Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden
Classical Chinese garden located in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; adjacent to Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Park.
14British Columbia Sports Hall of Fame
Hall of Fame and museum in British Columbia, Canada.
16Vancouver Police Museum
Museum in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
17Armoury
Canadian Forces armoury located at 620 Beatty Street in Vancouver, British Columbia, Cnaada.
19Chinatown Storytelling Centre
Museum in Chinatown, Vancouver, Canada.
Contemporary Art Gallery
Public art gallery in downtown Vancouver, Canada.
Canada's Northern House
Gallery, museum and cultural pavilion in British Columbia, Canada..
Chinese Canadian Military Museum Society
War museum in British Columbia, Canada.
Vancouver Lookout
Viewpoint in Harbour Centre, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
Bill Reid Gallery of Northwest Coast Art
Art gallery in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
Chinese Cultural Centre Museum
Museum in Vancouver, British Columbia.
The 5 inside North Vancouver come first, best known first; then the places within 5 km, close and well known first. Provincial and city parks are on the Outdoors page instead.
Historic places in North Vancouver → · Parks, footpaths and green space in North Vancouver →
Days out
MuseumMuseum of Vancouver7 km west · 78K visitors a yearSki hillSki hillCypress Mountain Ski Area13 km north
MuseumMuseum of Anthropology at UBC15 km west · 200K visitors a year (2024)
Ski hillGrouse Mountain7.3 km northeastMuseumMuseumVancouver Maritime Museum7.2 km west
GardenQueen Elizabeth Park9.2 km southwest
GardenVanDusen Botanical Garden9.9 km southwest
GardenNitobe Memorial Garden15 km west
Ski hillMount Seymour12 km east
CathedralHoly Trinity Ukrainian Orthodox Cathedral6.8 km southwestMuseumMuseumBeaty Biodiversity Museum14 km west
ZooBloedel Conservatory9.2 km southwestPlaces well known beyond North Vancouver (Wikipedia articles in several languages, published visitor counts, or a Parks Canada property), close and famous first. Distances are straight lines from the middle of the town.
Planning a visit to North Vancouver
What are the main attractions in North Vancouver?
The names to know inside North Vancouver’s municipal boundary: Park and Tilford Gardens, Gordon Smith Gallery of Canada and Inuit Gallery Of Vancouver.
Does North Vancouver have a museum?
Yes, Museum Of North Vancouver, Vancouver Art Gallery and Hastings Mill, all in North Vancouver or within 5 km.
Is there a Parks Canada property near North Vancouver?
None on our list stands in North Vancouver or up to 5 km away.
What are the best-known days out near North Vancouver?
Worth the drive, within 40 km: Cypress Mountain Ski Area (13 km), Museum of Anthropology at UBC (15 km), Grouse Mountain (7.3 km), Vancouver Maritime Museum (7.2 km).
How is this list made?
A single list is built from OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, ODCAF and the heritage registers, each site counted once. To appear, a historic building must show it takes visitors (hours, a fee, a website, a heritage operator, a Wikipedia article), and hotels, restaurants and tour operators are left out. Places in the town’s 2021 outline, or within 5 km of its edge, are the ones shown.
Places to visit: Canada publishes no open tourism list, so this one is assembled from OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), Wikidata (CC0), Statistics Canada’s ODCAF museums and galleries (2020, Open Government Licence – Canada), the federal and Québec heritage registers and CPCAD’s national parks, and it reflects what mappers and editors have recorded. Forts, houses, lighthouses and churches count only with a sign that visitors are welcome. Places sit in each town’s 2021 census outline; visitor counts are Wikidata’s latest, with their year.
Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (26)
- The Polygon Gallery: Shaundd, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Park and Tilford Gardens: Shaundd, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Stanley Park: squeakymarmot, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Science World: Differense, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Cathedral of Our Lady of the Rosary, Vancouver: Bobanny, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Vancouver Aquarium: Emancipator at en.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden: Bobanny, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Playland: ThePointblank, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Vancouver Police Museum: Bobanny, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Armoury: Bobanny, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Chinatown Storytelling Centre: Yuet Man Lee, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Wooden Roller Coaster: Ruth Hartnup, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Contemporary Art Gallery: Scott Massey, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Chinese Canadian Military Museum Society: William Chen, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Vancouver Lookout: Thomas Woodtli from Zürich, Switzerland, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Chinese Cultural Centre Museum: William Chen, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Grouse Mountain Skyride Base: Orlandkurtenbach, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Museum of Vancouver: Bobanny, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Museum of Anthropology at UBC: Rr parker, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Grouse Mountain: Orlandkurtenbach, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Queen Elizabeth Park: Craig Nagy from Vancouver, Canada, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- VanDusen Botanical Garden: Stan Shebs, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Nitobe Memorial Garden: Damien Guard, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Mount Seymour: Clayoquot, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Holy Trinity Ukrainian Orthodox Cathedral: Akatnick, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Bloedel Conservatory: Sporkist/Taz ( http://taz.sporkism.org ), CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Adapted from Statistics Canada (Census of Population 2021, population estimates 2025, 2021 census boundaries) under the Statistics Canada Open Licence; this does not constitute an endorsement by Statistics Canada. Neighbourhood names in some cities © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).