Shaw Ocean Discovery Centre
Aquarium and science centre in Sidney, British Columbia, Canada.
Attractions in Sidney
Photo: Sidney Museum and Archives, Sidney Museum (CC BY-SA 3.0)Start with Shaw Ocean Discovery Centre: the sights of Sidney
This is a list led by museums or galleries, 8 of its 9. We list 3 places to visit inside Sidney’s municipal boundary and 6 within 5 km of its edge. The centre alone has 3 within 1 km. Day-trippers head 8.3 km out to Gulf Islands National Park Reserve.
In Sidney
3
inside the municipal boundary
Within 5 km
6
of the town’s edge
Museums & galleries
8
in or near town
Best known
The names to know in Sidney
AquariumAquariumShaw Ocean Discovery Centrein town
MuseumSidney Museum and Archivesin townArt galleryArt galleryRed Art Galleryin town
MuseumBritish Columbia Aviation Museum300 m outside town, to the southwestMuseumMuseumSaanich Pioneer Museum4.3 km outside town, to the southwestMuseumMuseumCentral Saanich Fire Museum4.5 km outside town, to the southwest
MuseumSidney Museum and Archivesin townArt galleryArt galleryRed Art Galleryin townMuseumBritish Columbia Aviation Museum300 m outside town, to the southwestMuseumMuseumSaanich Pioneer Museum4.3 km outside town, to the southwestMuseumMuseumCentral Saanich Fire Museum4.5 km outside town, to the southwestEach has a page of its own: what it is, who runs it, the weather month by month and what else is near it.
The map
The lie of the land
The dashed line is Sidney’s municipal boundary; orange marks its middle (where most people live). Numbers match the list below. © OpenStreetMap contributors · Statistics Canada 2021 outline
By kind
The list by type
Museums & galleries 7 museums · 1 art gallery2 in town · 6 nearby
Zoos, theme parks & days out 1 aquarium1 in town
Green: inside Sidney. Grey: within 5 km of its edge.
Every place
All of it
Sidney Museum and Archives
Local history museum in British Columbia, Canada..
British Columbia Aviation Museum
Aviation museum in Victoria International Airport.
Saanich Pioneer Museum
Museum dedicated to the history of the Saanich Peninsula in Canada.
The 3 inside Sidney 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 Sidney → · Parks, footpaths and green space in Sidney →
Big names nearby
Day trips from Sidney
National park · Parks CanadaGulf Islands National Park Reserve8.3 km northeast
MuseumRoyal British Columbia Museum26 km south · 350K visitors a year (2012)
MuseumCraigdarroch26 km south · 150K visitors a year
CathedralSt. Andrew's Roman Catholic Cathedral26 km south
MuseumFort Rodd Hill25 km southwest
CathedralChrist Church Cathedral26 km south
Art galleryUniversity of Victoria Legacy Art Galleries26 km south
MuseumArt Gallery of Greater Victoria26 km south
MuseumHelmcken House26 km southArt galleryArt galleryAlcheringa Gallery26 km south
ZooPacific Undersea Gardens26 km southwestZooZooSealand of the Pacific27 km south
Places well known beyond Sidney (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.
Places to visit in Sidney: questions
What are the main attractions in Sidney?
Inside Sidney’s municipal boundary, the one place on our list is Red Art Gallery.
Does Sidney have a museum?
In or within 5 km of Sidney: Saanich Pioneer Museum, Central Saanich Fire Museum and Henderson Hangar.
Is there a Parks Canada property near Sidney?
None within 5 km; the nearest, run by Parks Canada, is the one named above, 8.3 km northeast.
What are the best-known days out near Sidney?
For a day out within 40 km: Royal British Columbia Museum (26 km), Craigdarroch (26 km), St. Andrew's Roman Catholic Cathedral (26 km), Fort Rodd Hill (25 km).
How is this list made?
One list is built from OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, ODCAF and the heritage registers: museums, galleries, national historic sites, forts, lighthouses, gardens, national parks, waterfalls, ski hills, zoos and theme parks. Historic buildings need a visitor sign such as opening hours, a fee, a website, a heritage operator or a Wikipedia article, and hotels, restaurants and tour operators never count. A place belongs to the town when it lies inside its 2021 outline or within 5 km of the edge.
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 (12)
- Sidney Museum and Archives: Sidney Museum, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- British Columbia Aviation Museum: cliff1066, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Gulf Islands National Park Reserve: Paul Gierszewski, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Royal British Columbia Museum: Michal Klajban, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Craigdarroch: Michal Klajban, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- St. Andrew's Roman Catholic Cathedral: Original uploader was Drhaggis at en.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Fort Rodd Hill: Storeswallah at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Christ Church Cathedral: This photo was taken by Ryan Bushby( HighInBC ) with his Canon PowerShot S3 IS . To see more of his photos see his galle, CC BY 2.5, Wikimedia Commons
- University of Victoria Legacy Art Galleries: Heather Stone, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Art Gallery of Greater Victoria: Joe Mabel (on Flickr as Joe Mabel from Seattle, US), CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Helmcken House: Hans-Jürgen Hübner / Hans-Jürgen Hübner, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Pacific Undersea Gardens: H at English Wikipedia, Public domain, 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).