Vancouver Rainy Day Activities

The Lower Mainland’s best things to do on rainy days include visiting Vancouver museums, restaurants, indoor attractions and entertainment venues.

Vancouver offers so many fun things to do indoors, which is good seeing as we get so much rain!

Below you’ll find information on the following topics. Continue reading for the full article, or click a link to jump to a particular list.

Seasonal Indoor Places | Dry Places for All Ages | Rainy Day Places for Kids | Adult Rainy Day Activities

Rainy Day Things to Do in Vancouver

So where should one go to escape the wet stuff? Below are a few suggestions, including special seasonal activities plus lists of dry places for people of all ages, for children specifically and for adults.

For a video of Vancouver’s best rainy day places, click Vancouver Rainy Day Activities Video. For a list of best rainy day places, see below.

Seasonal Indoor Places

Below are lists of indoor festivals, events , concerts, activities and attractions happening this time of year that are great to do and visit on rainy days.

Indoor Festivals and Events

The following festivals include lots of great activities on days with rainy weather.

NACAC International Universities Fair – a college fair for prospective students wanting to learn about post-secondary educational opportunities at universities from around the world. (April 27th, 2024)
Koningsdag: King’s Day Extravaganza – a Dutch-themed event celebrating the birthday of the King of the Netherlands in North Vancouver. There are both free and ticketed activities, and pretty much everything is indoors and under cover. (April 27th, 2024)

Shows & Concerts in May

EnChor Choir Concert – the EnChor Choir performs its Fields of Gold Concert at Pacific Spirit United Church in Vancouver. Tickets cost $25 at the door. Folks ages 18 and under are free. (May 5th, 2024)
Laudate Singers – the North Shore-based choir has a concert at West Vancouver United Church. They perform both Handel’s Dixit Dominus and Bach’s Christ Lag in Todesbanden accompanied by the Paragon Singers and a Baroque Orchestra. (May 4th, 2024)
Chor Leoni in Concert – the choir performs its Earth & Aether concert at St. Andrew’s Wesley in downtown Vancouver. (On May 10th & 11th, 2024.)
Royal Canadian International Circus – the circus has shows in Surrey (May 2nd to 12th) and Richmond (May 16th to 20th). (TIP: You can get 2-for-1 general admission tickets if you use the promo code VANSBESTPLACES.)

Other Events in May

Pacific Art Market – the art gallery and art store on West Broadway hosts a number of special events and workshops including ones on May 4th, 10th, 11th and 12th in 2024. It’s also an interesting place to visit in general when it’s open on Thursdays to Sundays.
West Coast Wedding Show – a bridal fair event at the Hilton Hotel in Burnaby. (May 5th, 2024). (TIP: If you use the promo code WCW-VBP20 you’ll save 20% on admission.)
Mother’s Brunch Buffets – a number of places host fancy brunch events on May 12th including the Westin Bayshore Hotel in Vancouver and Pinnacle at the Pier Hotel in North Vancouver, plus dozens of other places. If you want to treat your mother to one of them, you’ll want to book your spot as soon as you can!
West of Main Art Walk – artists in a large region of Vancouver open their studios to the public for the weekend. (May 25 & 26, 2024)

Continue reading below for a number of other great indoor places to visit.

Other Indoor Activities & Attractions

Good indoor activities to do this time of year are listed below.

Have a Vancouver Staycation – there are some pretty good hotel deals happening this time of year. If you book one or two nights at a downtown Vancouver hotel you can get a bonus gift through StayVancouverHotels.com.
Zero Latency – a VR games centre where you can battle zombies and other creatures with or against your friends in virtual reality. They have locations in both Vancouver and Langley.
The Improv Centre – live comedy theatre takes place at Granville Island.
FlyOver Canada – multidimensional flying films show at the theatre at Canada Place.
Pacific Art Market – an art gallery and art store on West Broadway in Vancouver. The place also hosts a number of special events every month.
Capilano Mall – lots of Lower Mainland malls are good places to hang out at on rainy days. The shopping centre in North Vancouver, however, is home to the North Shore Bike Park which is huge, tons of fun and 100% indoors.
Lower Mainland Restaurants – there are thousands of other restaurants that are great places to spend time with friends and family too. In Yaletown, for example, there is Tutto which has amazing Italian Food. In downtown Vancouver there are places like the P2B Restaurant, H Tasting Lounge and H2 Kitchen, and on the North Shore there is Pier 7 and The Lobby. There are amazing restaurants all over the region!

Continue reading below for more great places to visit on rainy days, including museums like those listed below.

Featured Attractions to Check Out on Rainy Days

Vancouver Maritime Museum – the family-friendly museum by Vanier Park is a great place to visit rain or shine. Use the promo code BESTVANCOUVER and save 25% on the cost of admission.
Fraser River Discovery Centre – a educational museum that’s especially great for young children in New Westminster. It also has tours on weekends.
Chinese Canadian Museum – a relatively new museum in Vancouver’s Chinatown that’s open from Wednesdays to Sundays.
Museum of Surrey – the museum is located at 17710 56a Avenue in Cloverdale. Not only is it a great place on a rainy day, but admission is also free.
CPR Engine 374 Pavilion – a free museum in Yaletown at the Roundhouse Community Centre. Inside you’ll find the first locomotive to arrive in Vancouver back in 1887.

Dry Places for Folks of All Ages

Great indoor Vancouver places any time of the year are listed below. See even further below for places specifically for kids and other places specifically for adults.

Places within the City of Vancouver

BC Sports Hall of Fame – a museum full of sports memorabilia at BC Place Stadium.
Bill Reid Gallery – the Indigenous art gallery in downtown Vancouver.
Bloedel Conservatory – an indoor glass-domed tropical garden facility at the top of the hill at Queen Elizabeth Park.
Dimensions Art Gallery – a small gallery with paintings and other exhibits that present optical illusions and great photo opportunities not far from Gastown.
FlyOver Canada – a film and flight simulation attraction at Canada Place.
Museum of Vancouver (MOV) – the best place to learn about Vancouver history indoors.
Pacific Centre Mall – a good place for indoor shopping in downtown Vancouver.
Roedde House Museum – a heritage building that offers guided tours of a home built in the 1890s in Vancouver’s West End.
Vancouver Maritime Museum – an exceptional place to visit if you like maritime history and want a dry place.

Places Elsewhere within Metro Vancouver and the Lower Mainland

Britannia Mine – a museum that’s 45 minutes from downtown Vancouver and formerly the largest copper mine in the British Empire. (Note: It’s mostly indoors, but some of it is outside and visitors have to walk outdoors between buildings, so if it’s raining hard, you might still want an umbrella.)
Gobo VR – a family-friendly virtual reality arcade centre at Guildford Town Centre in Surrey.
Gulf of Georgia Cannery – a historic site and museum in Steveston Village in Richmond.
North Shore Ski Hills – but only if they happen to be above the clouds (so check before you go).
- Grouse Mountain – in North Vancouver.
- Cypress Mountain – in West Vancouver.
- Mt. Seymour – in North Vancouver.
Metrotown – if you want to do some giant-shopping-mall shopping.
Museum of North Vancouver (MONOVA) – a place to learn about the history of the North Shore.
Museum of Surrey – a museum at 17710 56a Avenue in Cloverdale.

Other Places with Various Locations

Vancouver Climbing Centres – facilities with climbing walls and bouldering opportunities exist throughout the Lower Mainland.
Professional Sports Games (including ones with the following local teams):
- Vancouver Canucks – NHL hockey at Rogers Arena from October until around April.
- Vancouver Giants – WHL junior hockey at the Langley Events Centre from September until around March.
- BC Lions – CFL Canadian football from June until around November at BC Place Stadium.
- Vancouver Whitecaps – Major League Soccer at BC Place Stadium from March until October.
- Vancouver Canadians – NWL baseball at Nat Bailey Stadium from June until September.
For more good places and things to do for people of all ages in Vancouver on a rainy day, check out Vancouver’s Best Places for Entertainment and Vancouver’s Best Restaurants.

Science World Statues with Umbrella — Science World on a Rainy Day

Rainy Day Places for Kids

Wondering what to do with children on a wet, miserable day? Below are some great kid-friendly rainy day places.

Castle Fun Park – home to the best indoor mini golf in the Fraser Valley (plus outdoor go karts, bumper cars, batting cages and more).
Chuck E. Cheese – a fun place to take young children in Langley.
Clip ‘n Climb Vancouver – a colourful indoor climbing facility with ladders, staircases, walls and all kinds of things to climb in Richmond.
Extreme Air Park – indoor trampoline centres in New Westminster, Richmond and Langley.
Fraser River Discovery Centre – a educational museum in New Westminster.
Funky Monkey Fun Park – laser tag, bumper cars, pirate ship ride and playground at 13853-104 Avenue in Surrey.
H.R. MacMillan Space Centre – home of Vancouver’s planetarium.
Kidtropolis – an indoor miniature village in Richmond that’s suitable for children ages 3 to about 8.
Science World – a great IMAX Theatre and lots of cool science stuff to see.
Watermania – one of the Lower Mainland’s best aquatic centres, and a best place for children in Richmond.
West Vancouver Aquatic Centre – another one of the best indoor aquatic centres in Metro Vancouver.
If you don’t mind the rain and want to take in other top attractions without the crowds, check out Vancouver’s Best Places for Children, for top things to do with kids in general.

Adult Rainy Day Activities

For great bars and restaurants, check out Vancouver’s best places to eat and drink. Just don’t worry about places with fancy views, though – if the weather is bad, you won’t be able to see much.

For music, theatre and other performances around town, check out Vancouver’s Best Places’ Shows and Entertainment Calendar.

Indoor places that are of interest to people of all ages, but in particular adults, include the following:

Beaty Biodiversity Museum – a museum with a biological collection at UBC.
Bill Reid Gallery – a Northwest Coast Indigenous art gallery in downtown Vancouver.
Gobo VR – virtual reality game centre in Surrey where you can do shooting games, VR car racing and RV escape room adventures.
Vancouver Art Gallery – a great place for art and to escape the rain.
Museum of Anthropology – an excellent anthropological museum at UBC.
The Improv Centre – live improvisational comedy on Granville Island.
Zero Latency – a virtual reality game centre where you can battle pirates, zombies and aliens in Vancouver.