One way in which like to spend their time when visiting British Columbia is visiting museums and galleries, especially for art lovers and those with interests in history and culture. Here are some of the best Vancouver art galleries and museums.

Equinox

This is one of the most famous galleries in the city as it prides itself on only exhibiting pieces of the highest quality. These include the works of well-known Canadian painters, photographers, sculptors and printmakers. A variety of styles is on display, from abstract to realism. You will find this gallery at 2321 Granville Street, Vancouver, BC, just opposite the Granville Street Bridge.

Vancouver Art Gallery

Vancouver Art Gallery is located at 750 Hornby Street in the downtown core of Vancouver, this is the largest of the art galleries in Western Canada. The permanent exhibition contains 200 permanent pieces by Emily Carr, a local artist. The other exhibitions are constantly changing and contain international traveling pieces and a variety of historical pieces, leading to some people referring to this as a museum rather than a gallery. The gallery hosts public events, and the impressive architecture makes this a great venue.

Contemporary Art Gallery

This former government building at 555 Nelson Street is not just an art gallery; it is also a venue for public talks, education and outreach programs. Furthermore, they generate a range of publications. This independent non-profit art gallery worked in collaboration with Rethink Communications to create an attractive permanent display called ‘Button Wall.’ The exterior façade of the gallery was used to attach 50,000 buttons. Each of these is connected to a word that people have used in response to contemporary art.

Museum of Vancouver

With over 100,000 exhibits, this is the largest civic museum in Canada. You will find it at 1100 Chestnut Street in the Vanier Park area of Vancouver, just across from Burrard Street Bridge. The theme of this museum is the history and culture of Vancouver, and some exhibits date back to 1900. There are also temporary displays throughout the year.

Roedde House Museum

This is a restored late-Victorian home, originally built in 1893. In many house museums, the rooms are cordoned off, and the public can only view the contents from the doorway. This is not the case at Roedde House Museum. The public is free to enter the rooms and can even touch many of the items on display. The rooms represent daily life for middle-class families at the end of the 19th-century. There are guided tours, packages for schools and it is possible to hire the house and surrounding park for events. The museum is located at 1415, Barclay Street in Vancouver.

Museum of Anthropology

At 6393 Northwest Marine Drive, you will find the University of British Columbia. This building houses the Museum of Anthropology. The central focus of this museum is local First Nation art. Some of the First Nation artifacts you can find here include weaponry, tools, and totem poles. The museum also boasts the largest Bill Reid collection in the world. Bill Reid is a Haida artist of international fame. The public can view his most famous piece called ‘Raven and the First Men.’