Where We Spent a Wake Window: H.R. MacMillan Space Centre
Location & Parking:
Parking: There is paid parking right in front of the museum.
Set your GPS to: Vanier Park, 1100 Chestnut Street, Vancouver BC, V6J 3J9.
Official info: https://www.spacecentre.ca
The Damage Report ($):
Price: Children under 5 are Free! Adults are about $27.
Money Matters:
The Water Taxi Discount (My Grand Plan): My original adventure plan was genius: Walk to Granville Island, take a False Creek water taxi from Granville Island to the Vanier Park stop. Yuyu loves the water taxis, I get some exercise, AND there is a $3 discount for your Space Centre admission if you show your ferry pass. Wins all around!
We ended up visiting with Jamie on a rainy Saturday when he wasn't working (he loves space, so I happily let go of my little water taxi itinerary to go when he could). I didn’t want it to go to waste though, especially when a discount is in the mix so I decided to still share it.
Vanier Park Pass: You can get a 20% discount by purchasing tickets to the three nearby museums (Space Centre, Maritime Museum, and Museum of Vancouver).
Wheely Friendly?
Yes, you can bring your stroller; it's easy to navigate around the museum.
The Start Stuff Dark Room was fun for us all!
The Snack Situation:
There are vending machines available with chips and chocolates.
Potty Proximity:
Bathrooms are available with change tables
Mum Musings:
Taking a toddler to a museum that recommends its programs are for children aged 8+ is a gamble, but we went for it. Yuyu was just tagging along on our adult outing, and we hoped she'd be ok (She was!) Through each adventure not directly targeted for her age, I'm hoping Yuyu learns to adapt and find joy and entertainment wherever we go.
The Space Centre building itself invites you into an adventure with its dome/UFO-looking shape. You just have to make it into the building without your toddler wanting to play in the fountain first!
Admission includes: a Planetarium show, a live science presentation, and gallery time.
The Toddler Success Kit (The Hits for Yuyu)
Despite the 8+ age recommendation, Yuyu found plenty to love in the Cosmic Courtyard gallery.
Star Stuff Dark Room: This was the biggest hit! You go into the dark room, stand on the stars, and as you move, an avatar of your body shows up in the galaxy. We all took a chance dancing around,it was really neat!
Hands-On Zone: There was a little play area with LEGOs which she played with for a bit
Visual Interest: She loved the rocket ship replicas and getting to touch a small piece of the moon.
The Photo Op: Don't miss the space suit photo opportunity!
Reviewing the Official Programming
Live Science Presentation (20 mins): We were the only ones who attended. This was great because we struggled to get Yuyu to sit down and listen. Instead, Jamie and I had a great chat with the staff about Artemis 2 and Canada’s role in the mission.
Planetarium Star Theatre (30-45 mins): We considered skipping this due to the duration but, ultimately went in, prepared to leave if Yuyu fussed. Sitting in the dark on a reclined chair, staring up at the 360-degree dome, was a whole new experience. She was mesmerized for the first 15 minutes, cuddled up to Jamie. We had to do some "shhhhing" when she started to sing "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star," but luckily the show was loud enough that she wasn't disturbing anyone. We stayed the whole time.
Toddler Tolerance Level:
We were there for about 1.5 hours, which I think was the perfect amount of time with Yuyu.
Nap Roulette Options?
As the museum opens at 10 AM, we were ready to go home for her nap afterwards. However, if you wanted to continue the fun:
The Museum of Vancouver is right next door.
Outdoor Fun: On a nice day, beautiful Vanier Park is right there. It’s an ideal place for a picnic, a run around, and watching the boats at the nearby public Marina.
Author
I’m Mimi, the writer behind Mi & Yu. This blog was born out of a year spent exploring Vancouver with my toddler Yuyu and newborn son Gabe while my husband Jamie worked through a demanding fellowship.
What started as a way to survive the newborn phase turned into a collection of tried-and-tested family adventures, real reviews, tested logistics, and the occasional toddler meltdown included. Now back home in Newfoundland, I’m sharing those adventures so other parents can skip the decision fatigue and get straight to the fun part.
