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The Atlas Obscura Guide To Vancouver

31 Cool, Hidden, and Unusual Things to Do in Vancouver, British Columbia

Updated July 5, 2022

Unusual Attractions in Vancouver

Vancouver, British Columbia

VanDusen Garden's Elizabethan Hedge Maze

This Elizabethan hedge maze is one of only six in North America.

Vancouver, British Columbia

Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden

Traditional 15th century Chinese garden in the middle of Vancouver.

Vancouver, British Columbia

The Marine Building

This art deco masterpiece has stood in for some of the most famous buildings in comic book history.

Vancouver, British Columbia

Cambie Climbing Tree

Locals transformed this Canadian evergreen into a secret hangout with spectacular views of Vancouver's skyline.

Vancouver, British Columbia

The Shameful Tiki Room

A high point in Vancouver kitsch.

Vancouver, British Columbia

Gastown Steam Clock

A working steam clock, one of only a few in the world, located in Vancouver's Victorian Gastown.

Vancouver, British Columbia

Bloedel Conservatory

This conservatory allows a little bit of the tropics to thrive in the middle of a major Canadian city.

Vancouver, British Columbia

Vancouver Police Museum

Housing a morgue, rare and confiscated weapons, and autopsy remains, the Vancouver police museum displays the dark side of Canada.

See All 31 Things To Do in Vancouver

Cool Places to Eat & Drink in Vancouver

Vancouver, British Columbia

Japadog

Surprisingly Delicious Asian-Style Hot Dogs.

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Architectural Oddities 5

Unique Restaurants & Bars 2

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Stories About Vancouver

130-Year-Old Menus Show How Climate Change Is Already Changing What We Eat

Eating local doesn't mean what it used to.

This ‘Cryptically Carnivorous’ Plant Has Been Hiding in Plain Sight, Waiting for Flesh

The western false asphodel has an appetite for insects, but it’s not a great time to be a meat-eating plant.

by Jessica Leigh Hester

September 17, 2021

How a First Nations Restaurateur Found Her Family Through Food

For more than a decade, Salmon n' Bannock has been serving indigenous cuisine and stories in Vancouver.

by Diana Hubbell

September 16, 2021

Podcast: Dude Chilling Park

Join us for a daily celebration of the world’s most wondrous, unexpected, even strange places.

by The Podcast Team

Why a Vancouver Cemetery Is Planting Squash, Kale, and Corn

The leafy greens are very much alive.

by Laura Kiniry

In the Era of COVID-19, Fieldwork Is Scrappy and Socially Distant

And sometimes involves storing dead fish in your in-laws’ freezer.

by Jessica Leigh Hester

Simulating What Could Happen When the 'Really Big One' Hits the Pacific Northwest

When the Cascadia subduction zone slips, the effects will vary based on where and how.

by Kelsey Kennedy

October 23, 2017

A Tragic, Unrequited Love Story Between a Peacock and a Turkey

Their awkward co-existence has lasted for years.

by Erik Shilling

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