Vancouver Police Museum

Located in the city’s old coroner’s office and morgue, the Vancouver Police Museum is an attraction that showcases Vancouver’s history of crime and police.

It’s a small museum, but an interesting one. It’s also the oldest police museum in North America.

This article contains the following information about the Vancouver Police Museum:

About the Museum | Admission | Hours | Venue Location | Other Information

Vancouver’s Museum about Crime and Policing

The Vancouver Police Museum & Archives opened in 1986 as a celebration of the Vancouver Police Department’s centennial anniversary. The museum showcases the history of crime and law enforcement in Vancouver. The venue is a historical building that used to be the site of the city’s morgue and Coroner’s Court.

Exhibits at the museum examine the history of policing in Vancouver as well as the city’s Coroner’s Service and the City Analyst Laboratory. In total, the museum has about five historical exhibits.

The Vancouver Police Historical Society is the registered charity that runs the museum. The organization’s goal is to create connections between law enforcement and the public and to get people interested in the history of the Vancouver Police Department.

FORBIDDEN VANCOUVER WALKING TOURS

If you like crime stories and want to learn more about Vancouver’s past and present, then check out Forbidden Vancouver. This organization offers a number of great walking tours including a couple in and around Gastown. The Lost Souls of Gastown Tour in particular has a focus on history and crime!

About the Museum

The building that currently houses the Vancouver Police Museum was built in 1932 and has a long history with law enforcement in the city. Originally home to Vancouver’s Coroner’s Court and autopsy services, it later housed the City Analyst’s Laboratory. The building served as a makeshift hospital for a period of time as well.

The attraction hosts special events in addition to its museum exhibits. Events include Spring Break and other camps for children. The facility shows adult horror films from time to time too.

Museum Admission

Admission rates as of early 2026 are listed below. (Note: Prices and other details may change over the course of the year.)

Adults – $14
Students (with ID) and Seniors (over 65) – $13
Youth (ages 5 to 18) – $12
Families (two youths and two adults) – $40

One-hour private tours of the museum are also available for a fee. Contact the museum for current prices and availability.

Run by a non-profit society, all admission proceeds and other sales made go directly to offsetting the costs of operating the facility.

Museum Hours

As of early 2026, the Vancouver Police Museum operates Thursdays to Saturdays from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm and on Sundays from 12:00 pm to 5:00 pm. The museum is closed Monday to Wednesday and on public holidays.

Venue Location

Located at 240 East Cordova Street, the museum is slightly removed from Gastown and the core of downtown Vancouver. Gastown is about a 10-minute walk west of the Police Museum. Waterfront Station, Vancouver’s main transportation hub, is less than a 20-minute walk away. The museum is also just a couple of blocks from Vancouver’s Chinatown.