Museums of Metro Vancouver: Burnaby Village Museum

by Laila Kasuri - May 14, 2021

One of the first places we visited in Vancouver, sans baby, was Burnaby Village Museum. At the time, we didn't even have a car, but were easily able to use subway and bus to find our way there. Though technically in Burnaby, it is only a thirty minute drive from downtown Vancouver, or you can take the train to Metrotown and transfer to a bus. It took us approximately 40 minutes.

Unlike typical indoor museums, this one is open-air, and essentially is a museum that re-enacts a community set from the 1920s. There's great attention to detail in each of the sets, which includes a range of things, from homes, shops, post-office and bank of the past, with period-costume donning interpreters.

The Museum is open during the summer, and during parts of Spring Break and Winter Break. It is free (and honestly, would even be worth a paid visit since it is large and you can easily spend two to three hours there.)

As soon as you enter the museum, there's always a line up for the carousel which is at the entrance (I think that is paid but only like $3).

From there, you'll immediately see a bunch of historic buildings from a theater, bakery, barber shop, bank, general store, and post office.

One of the best things about this museum is the open-air aspect, and that you can really enjoy the sun while strolling through the village. However, you can go inside, where you will be greeted by amazing guides and amazing sets. Needless to say, the staff who volunteer there as guides are extremely engaging and knowledgeable and will act in their roles with authenticity.