Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
A view of Brașov’s Old Town.
Romania • 12 days, 11 nights
Legends of Romania: Castles, Ruins & Culinary Delights
from
Balkans road trip
Bosnia and Herzegovina • 9 days, 8 nights
Balkans Road Trip: Serbia, Croatia & Bosnia and Herzegovina
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
Contemplative paths.
Ayo Rock Formations
Parking Lot Shoeprints
Dewey Square Pylon & Bent 38
Black Rocks of Pungo Andongo
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
The pavlova comes crowned with jewel-like fruit.
Central Park Boathouse
The Village Tavern of Long Grove - exterior.
The Village Tavern
Hunter House Hamburgers
L’Escamoteur
Names on the bartop.
The Dive
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
Benshi would introduce and provide commentary for films like A Page of Madness.
Remembering the Heyday of Japan’s Silent FIlm Narrators
The Horn & Hardart Automat was a staple of urban dining in midcentury New York City.
All Hail the Slop Bowl, Lunch of Our Ancestors
The Grateful Dead’s “Wall of Sound” on display in Las Vegas.
The Grateful Dead’s Wall of Sound Changed Live Music Forever
Two suitcases in an empty airport hall.
AO Mailbag: Is It Normal to Share a Checked Bag With Your Boyfriend?

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
All Canada British Columbia Vancouver

The Atlas Obscura Guide To Vancouver

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

Updated June 14, 2025

Email
Attractions
Food & Drink
Map
Leaderboards
Stories
Hotel Deals

Unusual Attractions in Vancouver

Maze

Vancouver, British Columbia

VanDusen Garden's Elizabethan Hedge Maze

This Elizabethan hedge maze is one of only six in North America.
Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Garden - Maple Hall Courtyard.

Vancouver, British Columbia

Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden

Traditional 15th century Chinese garden in the middle of Vancouver.
The tarnished brass main entrance.

Vancouver, British Columbia

The Marine Building

This Art Deco masterpiece has stood in for some of the most famous buildings in comic book history.
Cambie Climbing Tree.

Vancouver, British Columbia

Cambie Climbing Tree

Locals transformed this Canadian evergreen into a secret hangout with spectacular views of Vancouver's skyline.
The bar at the Shameful Tiki Room.

Vancouver, British Columbia

The Shameful Tiki Room

A high point in Vancouver kitsch.
The Gastown steam clock

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

Japadog

Surprisingly delicious Asian-style hot dogs.
Bloedel Conservatory

Vancouver, British Columbia

Bloedel Conservatory

This conservatory allows a little bit of the tropics to thrive in the middle of a major Canadian city.
See All 37 Things To Do in Vancouver

Cool Places to Eat & Drink in Vancouver

Vancouver, British Columbia

Japadog

Surprisingly delicious Asian-style hot dogs.
In partnership with KAYAK

Plan Your Trip

In partnership with GetYourGuide

Unforgettable Experiences Nearby

Explore Vancouver, British Columbia

Architecture 8
Museums 5
Architectural Oddities 5
Plants 4
Parks 4
Art 4
Sculptures 4
Unique Restaurants & Bars 2

Vancouver Leaderboard

Places Added

  1. canuck
    4
  2. rahscake
    2
  3. SamM
    2
  4. nitikp
    1
  5. simonele
    1
Join the Ranks!
Add an unusual place to Vancouver.

Places Edited

  1. notoriousFIG
    8
  2. SamM
    7
  3. wythe
    3
  4. staceykenny11
    3
  5. Gogostevie
    3
Join the Ranks!
Improve the Atlas with edits and photos.

Places Visited

  1. katieprescott79
    35
  2. forrest314
    34
  3. mlam66
    33
  4. Munringus
    32
  5. casscs
    31

Recent Vancouver Activity

  • renaudjoel

    wants to go to Vancouver Police Museum

  • renaudjoel

    has been to 'Giants' on Granville Island Silos

  • renaudjoel

    wants to go to 9 O'Clock Gun

  • renaudjoel

    has been to Point Grey Battery Ruins

  • isabelleryann

    has been to 9 O'Clock Gun

Stories About Vancouver

Podcast: Killer Trees with Mary Roach

Danger trees meet explosives.
by The Podcast Team
April 25, 2024
Koji-cured wild sockeye salmon at a restaurant in Vancouver, Canada.

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

Eating local doesn't mean what it used to.
by Ian Rose
July 5, 2022

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
Inez Cook at her restaurant.

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
July 6, 2021
Wildlife is often drawn to Heritage Gardens’ open spaces and pollinator meadow.

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

The leafy greens are very much alive.
by Laura Kiniry
April 19, 2021
Once the experiments are set up, humans can hang back for a while. This cage was placed in peaceful Cedar Lake, British Columbia, in 2015.

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
May 7, 2020
Fourth Avenue in Anchorage, Alaska, after a magnitude-9.2 earthquake in 1964. The earthquake was caused by the Aleutian Megathrust, a subduction zone.

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

Become an Atlas Obscura Member

Join our community of curious explorers.

Learn More

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.