Vancouver Police Museum & Archives
Vancouver Police Museum & Archives
4
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
11:00 AM - 5:00 PM
About
The former Coroner's Court, City Morgue, and Forensic Analyst Lab c. 1932 and city heritage building. The Vancouver Police Museum & Archives is an independent non-profit organization exploring the gritter history of Vancouver and specializing in the history of forensic sciences and policing. We run walking tours through the Summer and host Movies in the Morgue during the winter. Check out our website and social media pages for more information.
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Neighbourhood: Downtown Eastside
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4.0
225 reviews
Excellent
68
Very good
111
Average
35
Poor
7
Terrible
4
Katwak
Widnes, UK134 contributions
Sept 2019 • Couples
Was really interested in visiting here after reading about it in the guidebook but was disappointed in my visit. However definitely plenty of room for improvement!
Firstly - location - if you are going DO NOT make the mistake we did of walking a block up East Hastings Street - this is the street of homeless - literally 4/5 people deep all the way along on both sides of the street. People taking drugs in the street in broad daylight. Pretty scary experience even for a seasoned traveller. So plan your route carefully.
Secondly some of the museum is really interesting - case studies and autopsy room. However it feels pretty dated in its display. Lots of spelling mistakes in the displays. Personally felt it was expensive for the amount of time we spent there - 30 mins or so - and we read pretty much everything on display. A real shame as there is so much of interest - just needs displaying better and more carefully!
Firstly - location - if you are going DO NOT make the mistake we did of walking a block up East Hastings Street - this is the street of homeless - literally 4/5 people deep all the way along on both sides of the street. People taking drugs in the street in broad daylight. Pretty scary experience even for a seasoned traveller. So plan your route carefully.
Secondly some of the museum is really interesting - case studies and autopsy room. However it feels pretty dated in its display. Lots of spelling mistakes in the displays. Personally felt it was expensive for the amount of time we spent there - 30 mins or so - and we read pretty much everything on display. A real shame as there is so much of interest - just needs displaying better and more carefully!
Written 27 September 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
TeamWard
Nottingham, UK5,691 contributions
June 2022 • Family
Vancouver Police museum is based just in the walking dead area of Vancouver, you even pass a drop in centre to fetch to it from gastown, but don't let that stop you. The museum is jammed full of items to show how the VPD has changed over the last 125 years, fascinating true life stories, gory items in the autopsy, including a story about Errol Flynn (ask anyone over the age of 55)
Written 23 June 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Michael S
Vancouver, Canada29 contributions
Feb 2013 • Couples
Interesting exhibits and well worth a visit on a rainy day. There are frequently 2 for 1 deals on Groupon so check there before going, otherwise it's $12 per adult for admission. It's pretty small but there's plenty to see and they have some fun activities for the kids. Some of it isn't for the faint hearted; there's the old morgue and autopsy room on full display with bottles of body parts hanging on the walls!
Written 9 February 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Roam17307
Calgary Alberta1 contribution
I recently visited the Museum with my son. The displays were interesting. I spoke with the person in charge (Marie I think). She just started there and her plans for the Museum are fantastic and will make it a "must-see" when you viist Vancouver. I'll be anxious to see it again in six months.
Bob
Bob
Written 14 August 2003
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
dkmgnome
Chicago, IL27 contributions
Jan 2020
This museum is one of the hidden treasures of Vancouver. Its not a typical tourist spot- no crowds which is great for a quiet time to review and gain an appreciation for Vancouver's police force. Its a great place for kids and teenagers to learn about who is protecting them and there love ones. I highly reccomned this museum.
Written 13 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Anna_Maria39_11
Winnipeg, Canada599 contributions
Dec 2019 • Couples
The police museum is located in the old city morgue and the autopsy room was a visit highlight looking like a scene from many episodes of Law and Order complete with the cold storage body lockers, stainless steel examination table and sinks as well as many specimens of causes of death. The confiscated weapons were really interesting (some like the nailbat were disturbing) but I would have loved some context. There were opportunities to interact with your detective skills as well as pose in old police uniforms which would be fun. The museum felt like a great starting point with the potential to really develop into something special. The area the museum is found has many challenges so be careful with your vehicle (remove valuables, lock doors etc) but don’t let that stop you from visiting.
Written 6 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
BHJR1
Vancouver, Canada35 contributions
Sept 2019
An interesting, very well run specialty museum, in the perfect, historically relevant space. Interesting collection, great events, friendly and efficient staff. Recommended for visitors (don't be afraid to walk here) and locals. I return regularly.
Written 26 October 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
HMcK877
Maldon, UK26 contributions
June 2019 • Family
Area isn’t great....we first tried visiting on a Sunday, but it was closed. Made the mistake of taking a different route back to the main shopping area (i.e. not through Gastown), but this took us through streets packed with unfortunate homeless people and drug users (injecting in full view). That felt quite uncomfortable.
We went back later...the museum itself is fairly small, but very interesting. Nice reading the tributes to fallen officers, but the information boards are riddled with spelling mistakes and grammatical errors (some covered over with tape, but 99% undetected or uncorrected). There were also whole sentences repeated on the boards. This turned into a ‘spot the spelling mistake’ between my daughter and I, but there were so many we soon lost interest. The mistakes were all the way through the museum, but I felt they were less acceptable in the officer tributes.
This didn’t spoil the visit. Still an interesting insight into the history of the VPD.
We went back later...the museum itself is fairly small, but very interesting. Nice reading the tributes to fallen officers, but the information boards are riddled with spelling mistakes and grammatical errors (some covered over with tape, but 99% undetected or uncorrected). There were also whole sentences repeated on the boards. This turned into a ‘spot the spelling mistake’ between my daughter and I, but there were so many we soon lost interest. The mistakes were all the way through the museum, but I felt they were less acceptable in the officer tributes.
This didn’t spoil the visit. Still an interesting insight into the history of the VPD.
Written 27 June 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
WI_USA_JonB
Menomonie, WI144 contributions
July 2018 • Couples
I found the museum displays to be interesting. Unfortunately it was very warm in there and fairly crowded so it was uncomfortable. They do a nice job making it somewhat interactive. I think it would have been a better visit if we got there earlier when it might have been cooler inside.
Written 12 July 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Peter In Lewes
Lewes, UK464 contributions
June 2018 • Solo
I had a free afternoon and was looking for something to do and found this on Trip Advisor and most reviews were positive so I thought why not!
A short walk from Gastown through a not particularly nice neighbourhood as mentioned in other reviews. I didn't feel threatened at all, but I can understand some people being concerned with the various homeless people. I avoided using East Hastings Street and certainly didn't see any drug dealing or taking. Just be 'Street Smart' and you should be absolutely fine.
Entrance not well signposted and I just took a chance with an anonymous looking door and went up the stairs where the admission desk was and paid to enter.
Exhibition is spread through various rooms with a number of crime exhibits in glass cases including confiscated weapons and firearms. The unique part of museum, for me, was the autopsy room with the tables and displays of various tools used and preserved specimens that had been removed from bodies undergoing autopsy.
Well worth a visit for something different.
A short walk from Gastown through a not particularly nice neighbourhood as mentioned in other reviews. I didn't feel threatened at all, but I can understand some people being concerned with the various homeless people. I avoided using East Hastings Street and certainly didn't see any drug dealing or taking. Just be 'Street Smart' and you should be absolutely fine.
Entrance not well signposted and I just took a chance with an anonymous looking door and went up the stairs where the admission desk was and paid to enter.
Exhibition is spread through various rooms with a number of crime exhibits in glass cases including confiscated weapons and firearms. The unique part of museum, for me, was the autopsy room with the tables and displays of various tools used and preserved specimens that had been removed from bodies undergoing autopsy.
Well worth a visit for something different.
Written 5 June 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
To the best of my recollection the cost of admission is as follows:
adults $12.00
seniors & students $10.00
youth (child) $ 8.00
The prices if not correct are very close to being correct. The Vancouver Police Museum is a very economical exhibit and a nice and educational way to pass a wet and rainy day.
Written 27 June 2018
Vancouver Police Museum
Vancouver, Canada
Hi all,
Admin for the museum here. These are the admission prices as of today:
Admission Prices
$12 Adult
$10 Senior / Student (ID required)
$8 Youth (6-18)
$30 Family (2 adults & 2 youth)
Children 5 and under are free
Self-Guided Group rates: We offer a $2 discount off regular admission price for groups of 10 or more. Group bookings must be booked over the phone.
Private museum tour: $40 (60-minute tour)
We also have memberships and our "frequent offender card" which really gives you a bang for your buck and offers exclusive access and discounts on our events. Info below:
INDIVIDUAL MEMBERSHIP $30
Unlimited free admission for a full year for you and a guest
Invitations to special events and exhibition openings
Member pricing for public programs and special events
One complimentary ticket for a Sins of the City walking tour of your choice
SENIOR MEMBERSHIP $25 (65+)
Unlimited free admission for a full year for you and a guest
Invitations to special events and exhibition openings
Member pricing for public programs and special events
One complimentary ticket for a Sins of the City walking tour of your choice
STUDENT MEMBERSHIP $25
Unlimited free admission for a full year for you and a guest
Invitations to special events and exhibition openings
Member pricing for public programs and special events
One complimentary ticket for a Sins of the City walking tour of your choice
FAMILY MEMBERSHIP $65
Unlimited free admission for four for a full year
Invitations to special family and youth-oriented programming
Member pricing for public programs and special events
Two complimentary tickets for a Sins of the City walking tour of your choice
OR, GET THE FREQUENT OFFENDER CARD!
Not sure how often you’ll visit, but love bringing friends and family when they're in town or when it rains? Get our Frequent Offender Card! We’ll keep a card for you at our reception desk and, for each paid visit, you can rack up stamps that will get you into jail for free on your 6th visit!
From April to Nov, we also run our Sins of the City Tours, which are historic walking tours around Chinatown, Gastown and Strathcona. You can learn more about them on our website or google Sins of the City Vancouver walking tours (unfortunately I can not post links to TripAdvisor due to their spam regulations).
Feel free to call the museum at 604-665-3346 for more info. Thanks for supporting us :)
Written 23 July 2019
Joannad1960
Vancouver, Canada
Is this museum a place to take primary school aged children , or better to wait till middle school or high school?
Written 9 February 2018
There is a morgue and slices of bodies on display. It’s more for adults in that there are a lot of articles to read of old cases. We had a talk from a guide there about women on the force. It’s not something younger ones would sit still for or be interested in. It’s not a very large museum. Just one floor in an old building in a bad part of town. Safe but if they’ve never been there they would need to be told about it first.
Written 10 February 2018
Hi. I had an assignment about Vancouver police museum. The question is what is the best year to visit? Hope i got a feedback from you guys. God bless
Written 25 October 2016
Vancouver Police Museum
Vancouver, Canada
Hi Glydel,
Thank you for your question.
As Claudia mentioned, any time of the year would be good. Some people prefer visiting winter time since you can stay dry inside of the museum, and it is quieter during winter (March - September would be the tourism peak season). We have Sins of the City Walking Tour from April - early October, which would be recommended if you are interested in the local history as well.
Hope I answered your question. If you have further questions, feel free to contact us anytime.
Thanks,
VPM
Written 25 October 2016
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