Vancouver Maritime Museum, Vancouver

This large replica of an older exploration boat is akin to those used by Capitan George Vancouver to discover the city he was named for. The intricate design of the ship, including the sails, masts and details make this an impressive front to the entrance of the Vancouver Maritime Museum's larger galleries outside the St. Roch exhibit. CREDIT: Venture Vancouver, SOURCE: www.venturevancouver.com

This impressive scale model of an older wind propelled ship is one of dozens of boat models acquired by the Vancouver Maritime Museum to showcase the importance of water transportation to the city including older and newer style boats used in the harbour present day.

STATS

HOURS

RATES

Type:

Museum

Season:

All Seasons

Weather:

All Weather

Time:

2 hours

Cost:

What to bring:

Camera, Sense of Curiosity

With its unassuming facade, the Vancouver Maritime Museum, opened in 1958, is almost missed among the beaches and coast of Vancouver. Its front, a simple and older A-frame building hides one of Canada's most famous ships, the St. Roch, a seasoned RCMP boat which made it through the North West Passage many times. Appearances can be deceiving as renovations and new additions to the space have made the Maritime museum one of the most interesting museums in the city with its historical and present emphasis on the importance of the shipping lanes and transportation methods the city has depended on for decades.

The Vancouver Maritime museum, the main Maritime Museum in Vancouver and one of the largest on the west coast, is a treasure trove of historical and current information as well as many rare artworks and one of Canada's famous boats, the St. Roch.

The museum was built around this vessel with its amazing story of being one of the first Canadian boats to make it through the Northwest Passage from Vancouver to Halifax during the Second World War and has the distinction of being the first boat to make it through the same passage in one season - less than 90 days. This stunning ship incorporated with a video to illustrate its famous history through its usage by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police has been fully restored with period artifacts and a wide range of areas on board to explore. Housed in the large peaked triangular wing, the St. Roch is the largest exhibit in the museum, built specially to preserve it from the elements when it was dry docked in 1954.

The museum itself was built and opened in 1959 where it was operated by the City of Vancouver. After changing hands many times, the museum is now independently run since 1988 by the Vancouver Maritime Museum Society.

Although the outside appearance of the museum may be deceiving, the inside is modern, updated and has dozens of exhibits with artifacts from some of the most famous Canadian explorations along the west coast and the arctic.

With an interactive learning zone for children it appeals to all age groups and its wonderful displays and models are sure to impress many historical buffs. There are also paintings and exhibits depicting Captain George Vancouver's explorations around the city that is now named for him.

It is highly recommended to come to Vanier Park and explore the museums that strive to teach visitors and locals about the West Coast and many other areas of interest.