must-visit in VancouverPark & Garden

Stanley Park

📍 Stanley Park, Vancouver, BC V6G 1Z4, Canada

1 photos

4.6/ 5.0

★★★★★

Quick Facts

Location: Canada, Vancouver
Category: Park & Garden
Duration: Half a day for the Seawall; 3–4 hours including the Aquarium
Opening Hours: Park open 24/7, washrooms about 06:00–22:00; Seawall and totem poles accessible 24 hours. Aquarium daily 10:00–17:00, to 19:00 summer Saturdays, closed Christmas Day.
Ticket Price: Adult: Free · Park free. Aquarium 2026 dynamic pricing: adult CAD 39.95–55.20, youth CAD 32.95–45.95, child 3–12 CAD 24.95–35.20, under 3 free. Book on vanaqua.org; cashless since May 2026.
Address: Stanley Park, Vancouver, BC V6G 1Z4, Canada
Coordinates: 49.2981, -123.1406

Introduction

Stanley Park occupies a peninsula northwest of downtown Vancouver, British Columbia, covering roughly 405 hectares with water on three sides — Vancouver's largest urban park and its "green lung." It preserves one of the few remaining tracts of old-growth temperate rainforest in western Canada, with several-hundred-year-old western hemlock and Douglas fir, plus Beaver Lake, Lost Lagoon and a web of forest trails. The best-known feature is the Seawall, about 8.8 km around the peninsula with walking and cycling lanes kept separate, passing English Bay, Second Beach, Third Beach, the Lions Gate Bridge tunnel and Prospect Point, with views over the bridge, Burrard Inlet and the North Shore mountains. At Brockton Point on the east shore stand nine totem poles, among the most visited attractions in British Columbia. The poles are not Coast Salish work — they were collected from Kwakwaka'wakw, Haida and Nuxalk villages on Vancouver Island and the central coast from the 1920s; several originals have been repatriated and replaced with authorized replicas or newly commissioned works. The three cedar gateways beside them, People Among the People, were carved by Coast Salish artist Susan Point and installed in 2008. Also on site: the Vancouver Aquarium (opened 1956), the 1911 heritage pavilion, the Hollow Tree, and the Nine O'Clock Gun.

✨ Highlights

The 8.8 km Seawall

Walking and cycling lanes are separate as the route passes English Bay, Second Beach, Third Beach, the Lions Gate Bridge tunnel and Prospect Point; allow 2–3 hours on foot.

Nine totem poles at Brockton Point

One of British Columbia's busiest attractions. Free and open 24 hours, but touching, climbing or leaving offerings is prohibited — read the interpretive plaques before you photograph.

Old-growth temperate rainforest

Several-hundred-year-old western hemlock and Douglas fir survive inside the 405-hectare park, with forest trails to Beaver Lake and Lost Lagoon.

Prospect Point and the Lions Gate Bridge

The park's highest lookout, looking over the bridge, Burrard Inlet and the North Shore peaks — the classic panorama.

Vancouver Aquarium

Canada's largest aquarium, with 65,000+ animals across some 70 exhibits; opened 1956 and free of cetaceans since May 2017.

Nine O'Clock Gun and heritage buildings

The gun below the Lions Gate Bridge fires at 21:00 daily, a port-defence custom from 1884. The park also holds a 1911 heritage pavilion and the Hollow Tree, 17 m in circumference.

🛈 Practical Info

→Duration：Half a day for the Seawall and totem poles (2–3 hours walking, 1–2 by bike); add the Aquarium and you need 3–4 hours.

→On-site facilities：The Aquarium has been fully cashless since May 2026 — cards, Apple Pay and Google Pay only. Elsewhere in the park are Upstream Café, Stanley Park Brewing, the Pavilion restaurant, souvenir shops and playgrounds.

→Transport：Bus 19 runs the Stanley Park loop; a free in-park shuttle serves the Aquarium from June to September. The Seawall is about a 30-minute walk from downtown, or drive in via Georgia Street.

→Parking：In-park parking is mostly metered: roughly CAD 3.50/hour at Brockton Oval and the Aquarium lots, or CAD 4/hour and 13.50/day Aquarium-side. Lots fill by 11 AM at weekends — use the park-and-ride or the bus instead.

→Cycling：Rental shops cluster around the Coal Harbour entrance. Walkers keep to the water side and cyclists to the inner lane. The paved loop handles strollers fine.

→Worth it?：Yes, and it is free — the best value in Vancouver. The rainforest is greener after rain, so don't cancel over weather. With children, pair the Aquarium with the Second Beach pool, open from mid-May to mid-September.

→Watch out：The miniature train did not run in 2025 and is not running in 2026, including Halloween and Christmas; the Park Board began a replacement-attraction tender in early 2026. The Children's Farmyard closed permanently in January 2011.

→Opening Hours：Park open 24/7, washrooms about 06:00–22:00; Seawall and totem poles accessible 24 hours. Aquarium daily 10:00–17:00, to 19:00 summer Saturdays, closed Christmas Day.

→Transportation：Bus 19 loops the park; free in-park shuttle to the Aquarium June–September. About a 30-minute Seawall walk from downtown; metered parking roughly CAD 3.50/hour.

Ticket Information

Ticket Information
Adult	Free

Park free. Aquarium 2026 dynamic pricing: adult CAD 39.95–55.20, youth CAD 32.95–45.95, child 3–12 CAD 24.95–35.20, under 3 free. Book on vanaqua.org; cashless since May 2026.

💡 Tips

• Walkers take the water side of the Seawall and cyclists the inner lane; strollers are fine on the paved surface throughout.

• The totem poles and Susan Point's three cedar gateways are free to photograph, but touching, climbing or leaving offerings is prohibited — read the plaques first to understand each pole.

• The Nine O'Clock Gun fires at 21:00 daily below the Lions Gate Bridge; the tunnel at the bridge's south end puts you right beside it.

• Buy timed Aquarium tickets on vanaqua.org — weekend walk-up lines run 20–40 minutes. Allow 2.5–3 hours inside; about 95% of the building is enclosed.

• The Aquarium went fully cashless in May 2026: cards, Apple Pay and Google Pay only.

• Swim at Second Beach (family beach, with a heated saltwater pool from mid-May to mid-September); watch the sunset at Third Beach.

• The miniature train is still not running in 2026, including Halloween and Christmas, and the Park Board is tendering a replacement. The Children's Farmyard closed permanently in January 2011.

• The rainforest is greener after rain, so don't cancel over weather; children 12 and under ride all TransLink buses, SkyTrain and the SeaBus free.

FAQ

What are the opening hours of Stanley Park?

Park open 24/7, washrooms about 06:00–22:00; Seawall and totem poles accessible 24 hours. Aquarium daily 10:00–17:00, to 19:00 summer Saturdays, closed Christmas Day.

How much is the admission for Stanley Park?

Adult: Free; Park free. Aquarium 2026 dynamic pricing: adult CAD 39.95–55.20, youth CAD 32.95–45.95, child 3–12 CAD 24.95–35.20, under 3 free. Book on vanaqua.org; cashless since May 2026.

Any practical tips for visiting Stanley Park?

Walkers take the water side of the Seawall and cyclists the inner lane; strollers are fine on the paved surface throughout. The totem poles and Susan Point's three cedar gateways are free to photograph, but touching, climbing or leaving offerings is prohibited — read the plaques first to understand each pole.

How long should I spend at Stanley Park?

A typical visit takes Half a day for the Seawall; 3–4 hours including the Aquarium.

From Vancouver Park Board, Aquarium and Tourism sources (Oct 2026). The miniature train remains closed in 2026, with a replacement still being tendered. Confirm before travelling.