Roller Coaster and Entrance to Playland

Playland at the PNE is Vancouver’s amusement park with all kinds of rides including a roller coaster, bumper cars and fun kiddy rides.

In 2023 Playland runs on select dates between June 3rd and August 18th.

For the attraction’s official website visit pne.ca/playland.

This article contains the following information:

About Playland | Hours & Admission | Playland Rides | Tips & Advice | Other Information

Click any of the above links to jump to a specific topic, or continue reading to learn all about Vancouver’s Playland amusement park. Or, for PNE events and activities at various times of the year, click Pacific National Exhibition (from late August until early September) or Halloween Fright Nights (in October). For descriptions of individual rides, see our article about Vancouver’s Playland Rides.

Playland at the PNE

Playland is Vancouver’s amusement park. It usually runs on weekends in the late spring and early fall, and daily in the summer, except for the last three weeks leading up to the September Long Weekend when the place turns into the Pacific National Exhibition, or PNE.

In 2022 Playland operated between mid-June and mid-August. In 2023 it runs from the first Saturday in June until August 18th (after which the PNE Fair starts up and runs until September 4th). During the fair there are all sorts of rides. There are usually also concerts, shows and other fun things to see and do!

For tickets and full details about the amusement park, visit the PNE/Playland website.

View of Playland from the Ferris Wheel — Rides at the Amusement Park

About Playland

Playland is a great place for kids. It has all kinds of rides including two roller coasters, with one being a 65 year-old wooden antique.

At Playland there is also AtmosFear and the Drop Zone (the last of which is kind of like bungee-jumping, except that they shoot you up through the air). There are also all kinds of rides for tiny folk.

Playland is a great place – it’s not modern and fancy like Disneyland, but still tons of fun.

Think of Playland kind of like a large fancy midway carnival that comes to your town once a year and sets up in a parking lot – with the usual Tilt-a-Whirl, Scrambler and Ferris Wheel. Playland has some fancier rides too though, like the giant Wave Swinger, the Beast and Hellevator. It’s impressive and kids love the place!

For descriptions of the attraction’s various rides see our article about Playland’s Rides.

PNE Mascot at Playland

Playland Hours and Admission

In 2023 Playland runs from June 3rd until August 18th (which is two weeks longer than last year). Tentative days and hours of operation are listed below. (Note: Exact dates, times and other details are subject to change.)

June 3rd to 30th, 2023: Open most weekdays between 10 am and 3 pm. Saturday hours are from 11 am to 5 pm and from 6 pm to 11 pm. Expected hours on Sundays were from 11 am to 5 pm.
July 1st to July 31st, 2023: Fridays and Saturdays from 11 am to 5 pm and from 6 pm to 11 pm. Hours on most Sundays, Wednesdays and Thursdays were from 11 am to 5 pm.
August 1st to 18th, 2023: Fridays and Saturdays from 11 am to 5 pm and again from 6 pm to 11 pm. It was also open most (but not all) weekdays and Sundays from 11 am to 5 pm.

Again, the above times and dates are only tentative. Exact details are to be confirmed.

For tickets and full details about the amusement park in 2023 visit the PNE/Playland website.

Playland Ferris Wheel

Tickets Prices

In 2023 there are two different one-day passes to choose from. The Fun Pass costs $33 and allows access to kid-friendly rides. The Thrill Pass, meanwhile, costs $45. It is for people over 48 inches tall. The second option also includes access to the kid-friendly rides. Both types of passes are available at the gate for about $5 more.

Playland Ride Fun — Breakdance Amusement Ride

Playland Rides

The following rides are running at Playland, at least to start the 2023 season:

AtmosFear, Balloon Explorers, The Beast, Breakdance, Bug Whirled, Cedar Rapids Log Flume, Dizzy Drop, Enterprise, Flutterbye, Gladiator, Hell’s Gate, Honeybee Express, Kettle Creek Mine Coaster, Merry-Go-Round, Pirate Ship, Rock’n’Cars, Sea-to-Sky Swinger, Sweet Escape Mini Golf, Tea Cups, Westcoast Wheel and the Wooden Roller Coaster.

Cap’n KC, Choppers and Cool Cruzers are also running in 2023, but not on weekdays in June.

For more information about each ride, along with rides that may return in the future, check out our Playland Rides article.

Tips and Advice

Below are some suggestions and additional information to help you make the most out of your Playland experience.

TIP #1: Take a sun hat and sunscreen on hot sunny days as there isn’t a lot of shade. Also take a water bottle.

TIP #2: Try to arrive early on weekends and days with good weather. This way you’ll be able to enjoy the most popular rides first, before the afternoon crowds and accompanying ride lineups.

TIP #3: The Flume (water log chute ride) is especially popular on hot days. Also, do the roller coasters and Flume early in the day before the crowds form, or at the end of the day if it’s not hot weather. You don’t want to be cold for the rest of the day after getting soaked on the Flume!

TIP #4: If you plan to leave and return later, don’t forget to get a re-entry stamp on your way out so you can get back in.

TIP #5: Most years members of the BC Automobile Association (BCAA) get around 30% off admission and ride passes at the Pacific National Exhibition (i.e., when Playland becomes the PNE from the third week of August until the first weekend in September). The discount is for the PNE, not Playland.

TIP #6: Some people love the old wooden and rickety roller coaster, and some people don’t. It’s a “classic” (i.e., antique), so don’t say you haven’t been warned!