Overview     Virtual Tour

For many Vancouverites, Vanier Park is where to fly a kite and enjoy its grassy slopes. But there’s a different kind of flying also to be had. It’s not quite NASA but families will find enough star-filled adventure to wile away a morning. Choose from a galaxy of presentations, from star finding and children’s shows to dazzling laser light and astronomy shows in the Star Theatre. The Cosmic Courtyard includes hands-on exhibits, space artifacts, and interpretive videos and computer games to travel the solar system, dock the shuttle, touch a real moon rock, visit the International Space Station and morph yourself into an alien. In the Virtual Voyages flight simulator, you can fly through space in Mars and Comet Impact or you can travel through time in The Dinosaur Simulator or Time Travelers. Once the kids have gotten excited about the concept of space, the Gordon M. Southam Observatory nearby offers kids and adults the chance to see the real thing for free.  The 29 ft roof opens to unveil the night sky. Learn about the heavens and bring stars into your yes as you view the universe through a half metro Cassegrain telescope with magnification up to 1,000 times.