Vancouver's Top Cultural Attractions

This university museum is one of the best in Vancouver, with indoor totems in the great hall, cases of rare international artifacts, and work by Haida artist Bill Reid. There's also an outdoor display where more totems stand above a reflecting pool.

The building itself is also key in Vancouver's cultural landscape: Arthur Erickson, a preeminent local architect, designed the concrete structure on the site of a WWII battery.

Cultures converge in the 1,000 acres of Stanley Park. Runners, hikers, and cyclists fit with Vancouver's outdoor-centric lifestyle -- a moving display against a beautiful forested park in the city's West End neighborhood.

Find a collection of totem poles at Brockton Point, see traditional First Nations territory on Deadman's Island, and learn about monuments like the Empress of Japan masthead along the Seawall. The park is also home an outdoor amphitheater, the Malkin Bowl, where summer shows include Theatre Under the Stars and live concerts.

Vancouver's cultural festivals are an immersion in another place. After moving to Canada, immigrants often continue to celebrate cultural festivals from their homeland. That ranges from the typically green St. Patrick's Day to the City of Bhangra Festival. Other fantastic and vibrant cultural festivals include Chinese New Year, the Sikh Vaisakhi Parade, and National Aboriginal Day on June 21.

Vancouver is also a national leader in the arts. Autumn and winter are particularly busy for artistic events. That's when you'll catch the Vancouver International Fringe Festival, the Vancouver International Film Festival, and the PuSh Performing Arts Festival.