Vancouver Police Museum & Archives
Vancouver Police Museum & Archives
4
Thursday
11:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
11:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
11:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
12:00 PM - 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.
Suggested duration
< 1 hour
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Neighbourhood: Downtown Eastside
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
Popular mentions
4.0
222 reviews
Excellent
68
Very good
110
Average
33
Poor
7
Terrible
4
Louise F
Cambridge, UK3 contributions
Aug 2023 • Family
This was one of the most interesting museums I've ever visited. I read pretty much every display and we stayed for about an hour and a half.
I would advise that you plan your route in advance as the surrounding area feels potentially dangerous. I wish I had known this in advance.
I would advise that you plan your route in advance as the surrounding area feels potentially dangerous. I wish I had known this in advance.
Written 26 August 2023
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.
Catriona F
3 contributions
Apr 2023 • Family
Loved this fascinating museum just off the beaten track. It’s a a ten minute walk from the sea bus terminal through gastown. We found lots of interesting exhibits about the history of the city and its criminal past. Staff were lovely and helpful, absolutely worth a visit.
Written 11 April 2023
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.
Thank you so much for your review catrionaf543.
We are so glad you enjoyed your visit! Thank you for your lovely review.
Written 18 June 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Stephen P
Fairfield, CT725 contributions
Jul 2022 • Couples
An unexpected gem. This is really a very interesting museum not only about the history of the Vancouver police department but about policing. Great exhibits. Really well done.
Written 22 July 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.
NormLWat
Waterloo, Canada877 contributions
Jun 2022 • Couples
Interesting museum covering Vancouver police history. Great content related to Vancouver riots and how the police have evolved as the city has evolved. The morgue portion of the tour had various stories of historic cases and unique artifacts to view. Weapons room was small however, packed full of tradition and odd artifacts collected over time.
Written 10 July 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.
TeamWard
Nottingham, UK5,176 contributions
Jun 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.
Jayne T
West Mersea, UK68 contributions
Jun 2022 • Couples
This was a very interesting experience with exhibits ranging from firearms, police helmets, and stories of local crimes and investigations through the last couple of hundred years set in the building which also enabled you to see the Coroner Court, the morgue and adjoining rooms. We spent more than an hour reading the cuttings and exploring the exhibits. It cost only $10 for seniors and was very good value
Written 11 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.
Judith K
Vancouver, Canada82 contributions
May 2019
It is very interesting and educational. I live here and found out things that I never knew about. Worth while going to and if you have the time, take in a walking tour. That one walking tour was an eye opener. I like to go on the other walking tours however someday.
Written 6 March 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.
APP06
Cambridge, UK245 contributions
Apr 2019
First off this is the site of the old police station. After walking through nearby streets to get here you can see why it was needed here so just watch your pockets for thieves; rowdy drunks etc.
Having said that we're glad we came. It's not the fanciest or best laid out of museums but there is a lot of interest here. From the Powder Puff pink helmet given to the first female member of the VPD Drill Team (1991 when she was considered to be encroaching on a male domain!) to the display of animals who have given their lives in the cause of protecting the Vancouver public (mostly dogs) there is so much of interest.
The mortuary room is particularly interesting if somewhat gruesome with its jars of preserved human organs. Errol Flynn (the actor) ended up here after dying in Vancouver. There is also an alleged bullet hole from a gun fired in an apparent attempt to thwart a particular post-mortem. Not sure about this but you can make your own mind up.
It wasn't that busy whilst we were there until the end when a school group arrived and it is not a big museum so can't cope with large numbers. I hope they can expand as although it is very interesting I feel it would benefit from more space and refreshed presentation
Having said that we're glad we came. It's not the fanciest or best laid out of museums but there is a lot of interest here. From the Powder Puff pink helmet given to the first female member of the VPD Drill Team (1991 when she was considered to be encroaching on a male domain!) to the display of animals who have given their lives in the cause of protecting the Vancouver public (mostly dogs) there is so much of interest.
The mortuary room is particularly interesting if somewhat gruesome with its jars of preserved human organs. Errol Flynn (the actor) ended up here after dying in Vancouver. There is also an alleged bullet hole from a gun fired in an apparent attempt to thwart a particular post-mortem. Not sure about this but you can make your own mind up.
It wasn't that busy whilst we were there until the end when a school group arrived and it is not a big museum so can't cope with large numbers. I hope they can expand as although it is very interesting I feel it would benefit from more space and refreshed presentation
Written 4 February 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.
Spiderdog
Cheshire, UK7,273 contributions
Sep 2019
We enjoy looking around museums and are always keen to see one that's a bit different.
The Police museum was listed in a guidebook we were using during our stay in Vancouver and was a great recommendation.
There is nothing fancy about it but it provides plenty of information about policing in Vancouver and has some great displays.
I really enjoyed the autopsy room where there were numerous bottles of preserved human organs and the unsolved murder cases information!
At the end of the museum route there were pictures and details of police officers and dogs who had been killed in the line of duty which was a sobering thought.
The whole tour was well done and as we had arrived quite late on in the afternoon we couldn't spend as much time as we would have liked. I would definitely put aside a couple of hours if you want to see everything and read the information properly.
The Police museum was listed in a guidebook we were using during our stay in Vancouver and was a great recommendation.
There is nothing fancy about it but it provides plenty of information about policing in Vancouver and has some great displays.
I really enjoyed the autopsy room where there were numerous bottles of preserved human organs and the unsolved murder cases information!
At the end of the museum route there were pictures and details of police officers and dogs who had been killed in the line of duty which was a sobering thought.
The whole tour was well done and as we had arrived quite late on in the afternoon we couldn't spend as much time as we would have liked. I would definitely put aside a couple of hours if you want to see everything and read the information properly.
Written 22 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.
dkmgnome
Chicago, IL26 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.
marinamcleod
Nanaimo, Canada
cost of admission?
Renegade225
Richmond, Canada2,153 contributions
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.
marinamcleod
Nanaimo, Canada
cost of admission
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 :)
Joannad1960
Vancouver, Canada
Is this museum a place to take primary school aged children , or better to wait till middle school or high school?
IntrepidTraveller777
Vancouver, Canada93 contributions
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.
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
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
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