Vancouver Maritime Museum
1905 Ogden Avenue
Vancouver, BC, V6J 1A3
Phone: 604 257-8300 604- Fax: Fax: (604) 737-2621
http://www.vancouvermaritimemuseum.com

Location:
The Maritime Museum is in Vanier Park in Vancouver, at 1905 Ogden Ave (at the foot of Chestnut Street).

General Information:
Every day the Vancouver Maritime Museum charts a different course of adventure for all. Come aboard for fun and knowledge. Discover the rich maritime history and traditions of the Pacific Coast. Step back in time to 1944 on board Canada’s famous RCMP St Roch and explore the many permanent and changing exhibits, Children’s Maritime Discovery Centre, family activities, and the boats in Heritage Harbour.

Age Group:
Babies: Doesn’t hurt to bring them along, but more for toddlers and up!

Toddlers: From about 18 months on, toddlers will love this place. Lots of interactive stuff to do. Buttons to push, clothes to dress up in, a model shipbuilder to watch in action, computer games to play. There's not a ton of room for running around (but toddlers seem to find the space anyway!), but good space for imaginative play.

Older children: Be sure to catch the tour of the St Roch. It's fascinating to "experience" life on a schooner back in 1944. Older kids will find the information about the commercial fishery and oil spill clean-ups topical and interesting. For those interested in model-building, model ships abound here, including the resident model shipbuilder who welcomes visitors to his shop. Lots to do and learn for any age.

Keep the lines of communication open. You can really enhance your child's learning by asking them about what they're seeing, what it reminds them of, help them relate what they see to their own lives. Encourage them to ask you questions, and if you can't answer a question, you can embark together on a fact-finding mission.

Hours of Operation:
Opening Hours:
The Museum is open daily from 10 am to 5 pm. Winter hours run from Labour Day to Victoria Day weekends (Tues – Sat 10 am to 5 pm, Sunday noon to 5 pm and closed Mondays)
Staff available by phone on all Mondays.
We are able to accommodate people with different abilities.

Cost: (Currently)
Adults $10.00+ GST
Youth age 6-19 and Seniors $7.50+ GST
Children 5 and under Free
Family $25.00+ GST

Members of the Museum Free
* Group rates available for 10 or more when booked in advance.
Annual Museum Memberships:
Family $60.00+ GST
Individual $40.00+ GST
Senior $35.00+ GST

Coupons see http://www.vancouvermaritimemuseum.com/page128.htm
Paid public parking is available adjacent to the Museum. There is also street parking available in the surrounding neighbourhood, but watch for parking restriction signs.

What is there to Do and See?
Every day the Vancouver Maritime Museum charts a different course of adventure for kids and their families – and the young at heart. So come aboard for fun and knowledge. There’s the Children’s Maritime Discovery Centre, RCMP schooner St Roch housed ashore, interactive displays, family activities, boats in Heritage Harbour, and feature exhibits. Seafaring fun at its best!

The Vancouver Maritime Museum is a fun place for kids in any weather. The Children's Maritime Discovery Centre makes it a perfect destination for toddlers and younger kids.
The Museum itself focuses on generations of maritime history along the Pacific Coast. The fascinating Arctic Schooner, St Roch, is housed here and open for guided tours. It's a step back in time to life and duty on a ship in 1944. Other permanent exhibits include pirates, lighthouses, shipwrecks, trade and shipbuilding to name but a few.

The Alcan Children’s Discovery Centre at the Vancouver Maritime Museum provides young children. They can take the controls in a full-size replica of the wheelhouse of a tugboat, look through telescopes, pilot a remote-controlled deep sea robot, and take to the deck in oilskins in “Fishing for a Living”. The Discovery Wall offers drawers filled with special treasures that are fun and interactive, and young children learn how to protect the marine environment from oil and other pollutants.

For kids, there are plenty of things to do and see for plenty of different interests. There's really something for everyone here. The Children's Maritime Discovery Centre is a hands-on gallery. Kids can learn about cleaning up oil spills and commercial fishing, they can drive a scale replica of the Seaspan Queen tugboat, complete with all the buttons, controls and levers for pushing and turning as well as voices from the on-board radio, they can dive into the world of pirates or learn about life below the decks in the living quarters, complete with dining table and hammock.

Always fun is piloting the underwater ROV (remotely operated vehicle), checking out Vancouver's Harbour through a pair of high-powered telescopes, or exploring the contents of the many drawers on the Discovery Wall.

• dress up in costumes from sailor suits or wet suits, to fishing rain gear or pirate's garb.
• interactive displays for kids of all ages, including computer games teaching kids things like loading a container ship.
• Discovery Wall drawers with contents from puppets, books and toys, to safe boating, women at sea and items from ports around the world (one from Dalian in China and one from Sept-Isles in Quebec).
• Pirate section including a pirate ship to steer, costumes, treasure chest and histories of famous pirates.
• Heritage Harbour at the water's edge near the Museum has famous ships on display or berthed here on a regular basis.

The Alcan Children's Maritime Discovery Centre is a great place for kids! With lots of hands-on displays, children of all ages have plenty to do:
• Take the controls in a full-size replica of the wheelhouse of the tugboat Seaspan Queen
• View Vancouver's active port life through high powered telescopes
• Take to the deck in oilskins in "Fishing for a Living"
• Pilot a remote-controlled deepsea robot
• Explore the Discovery Wall, where drawers are filled with special treasures
• Discover how to protect Vancouver Harbour from oil and other nasties
• Visit our model maker, Lucian Ploias in his shop
There are often special exhibitions, in addition to the permanent ones, and special events and activities going on. Check http://www.vancouvermaritimemuseum.com/page153.htm to find out what the current exhibits are.

Sea Hunter on Sundays
Join us for this second series of Sea Hunter Sundays. Explore the Museum on your own, view artifacts from famous British Columbia shipwrecks and watch an episode of the popular TV show The Sea Hunters - a documentary series about shipwrecks from around the world. Video presentation begins at 2 pm and is free with paid admission to the Museum and free for Museum members. Call to make sure it is still running!

Captain Nasty’s Pirate School
While observing the "Pirate Code of Conduct", young swashbucklers discover how pirates work and live together navigating hte open seas and searching for treasure! Program is for kids 6 to 9 years old, two hours long and runs from 10 am to noon. Cost per child is $10 for Museum members and $12 for non-members.
Call for next date it runs!

For more information and to register call 604-257-8300.
Space is limited. Drop in registration will not be accepted.

Tips:
1. Call ahead to find out what programs and activities are running before you go.
2. Watch out for the replica of the Seaspan Queen Tugboat. It's quite dark in there and some younger kids may not like it.
3. There aren't any specific places to eat at the Museum, but lots of picnicking opportunities on the grass or at the beach outside.
4. Go early, before it gets too busy. Best is to be there as it opens, at 10am.
5. When you purchase your tickets, ask when the next tour of the St Roch will be so you don't miss the action.