Where We Spent a Wake Window: Vancouver Maritime Museum
Location & Parking:
Parking: There is paid parking right in front of the museum.
Set your GPS to: 1905 Ogden Ave. Vancouver BC V6J 1A3.
Official info: https://vanmaritime.com/
The Damage Report ($):
Price: Children under 5 are Free. Adults are approx $22 + tax..
Other Money Matters:
Pay What You Can: They have a "Pay what you can Sunday" on the first Sunday of each month. This is a neat initiative to make the museum accessible to anyone who wants to visit.
Vanier Park Pass:You can get a 20% discount by purchasing tickets to all three nearby museums (Space Centre, Maritime Museum, and Museum of Vancouver). I had considered it because the discount was great, but you have to pick the dates before purchasing, and I wasn't sure I could commit.
Wheely Friendly?
Yes, you can easily navigate a stroller around the museum. However, you can’t take the stroller onto the St. Roch ship. The team at the museum was great at helping us find a place to park our stroller while we were on board.
One of the exhibits; Yuyu couldn’t help sitting down to watch what was on the TV
The Snack Situation:
You're not allowed to eat in the exhibit areas. There are vending-machine-type snacks and drinks for sale in the gift shop. My Suggestion: Pack snacks and enjoy them outside in Vanier Park before or after the museum - perfect if it's a sunny day!
Potty Proximity:
Yes, bathrooms and baby change tables are available in the foyer.
Mum Musings:
Our adventure to the Maritime Museum was another rainy day toddler gem! The gray drizzle didn't stop Yuyu from wanting to run around outside, but it stopped Jamie and I.
Some museums you keep in your back pocket for a rainy day so you don’t "waste" a sunny one. This is one of those museums that I would have been happy to have spent a sunny day at. Between the lovely park outside, the trails, and the outdoor "Heritage Harbour," I almost wished we had come on a sunny day to make it a full half-day trip.
You need to walk through the gift shop first before getting to the exhibit. Lovely things to look at, but be prepared for the many "Can I have that, ‘pease’?" requests!
The museum itself is pretty small, but each gallery is different, which makes learning about Canadian maritime history interesting through videos, exhibits, or hands-on experiences.
Exploring the St. Roch Ship.
Relaxing in the Kids area.
Yuyu's Favourite Elements
The St. Roch Ship (Pièce de Résistance): Being able to climb aboard and explore the actual ship was fun for us all. Having the compact cabins and kitchen staged really allows you to imagine what it was like living on this boat in the 1940s.
The Dedicated Kids Area: This area is lovely and feels like a core part of the museum, not an afterthought. We spent a bit of time here playing with the puppets, the faux ship, reading books, and making structures out of the giant blocks.
The Model Ships: Yuyu enjoyed looking at the various model boats
The Diver's Helmet Photo Op: Don't miss the chance to try and get a picture of your toddler wearing the old-school diver's helmet - it’s funny and a great memory of Jamie trying to hold her up while not being in the photo.
Additional family friendly elements
The Quiet Room (Port in the Storm): There is a multi-purpose quiet room near the west galleries. With couches, books, and dimmable lights. We didn’t need to use it this time but it could be a great room to feed your baby or take a break. They also have sensory kits you can borrow from the front desk (including noise-canceling headphones and fidget toys).
Sunny Day Bonus
If you go on a sunny day, don’t miss the Heritage Harbour - a free outdoor exhibit of vintage boats on the water with plaques explaining their history. I know Yuyu would have loved running around and looking at the boats.
Toddler Tolerance Level:
We were there for approximately 1.5 hours but, could have stayed longer if we ventured outside.
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:
Nearby Museums: The Museum of Vancouver or the Space Centre ( you can read about our experiences there) are within walking distance.
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.
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