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 2024 Playland started up for the season on May 18th, just in time for the Victoria Day Long Weekend. It then ran until August 16th (after which the PNE Fair started up and went until September 2nd).
From October 4th until Halloween night on October 31st, there are haunted houses and amusement rides at the PNE during Fright Nights.
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.
Last year Playland was open on select dates between early June and mid-August. In 2024 Playland started up a couple of weeks earlier. This year it operated from Saturday, May 18th, until Friday, August 16th (after which the PNE Fair started up and ran until September 2nd). During the fair there are all sorts of rides. There are 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.
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 little children.
Playland is a great place – it’s not modern and fancy like Disneyland, but is still tons of fun.
Think of Playland as 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.
Playland Hours and Admission
Playland in 2024 ran on select dates from May 18th until August 16th. Days and hours of operation are listed below. (Note: Exact dates, times and other details were subject to change.)
- May 18th to 26th, 2024: Opened on Saturdays and Sundays between 11:00 am and 5:00 pm.
- June 1st to 30th, 2024: Opened on Saturdays and Sundays between 11:00 am and 5:00 pm.
- July 3rd to August 16th, 2024: Opened on Wednesdays to Sundays each week. Hours were 11:00 am to 5:00 pm most days, except on select Saturdays when it was open from 11:00 am until 10:00 pm.
For tickets and full details about the amusement park, visit the PNE/Playland website.
Tickets Prices
There were two different season passes to choose from for Playland in 2024. The Fun Pass cost $109 and allowed access to kid-friendly rides. The Thrill Pass, meanwhile, cost $129. This pass was for people over 48 inches tall and included access to the kid-friendly rides.
Day passes for all of the kid-friendly rides ranged from about $33 to $40 per person. One day of thrilling rides cost between about $45 and $55 each.
Benefits of season passes included a 10% discount on Playland games, food and beverages. Passholders also got to take a friend for free on either June 1st or June 2nd. There were other perks too.
Playland Rides
The following rides ran at Playland, at least to start the 2024 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 and the Westcoast Wheel.
Cap’n KC, Choppers and Cool Cruzers were also running, but not on weekdays in June.
There was also the new ThunderVolt coaster in 2024. It replaced the now-retired corkscrew coaster and is the fastest electric coaster in the country. The ThunderVolt hoped to take its first passengers on a ride in July.
For more information about each ride, along with rides that may return in the future, check out our Playland Rides article.
Tips & Advice
Below are some suggestions and additional information to help you make the most 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: Fun-Priced Thursday ran on all Thursdays in July and August of 2024. Everyone can get a Thrill Pass for the normal price of a Fun Pass. This means you can save up to about $15 or so per person!
TIP #5: 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 #6: 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 #7: 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!
Other Information
For more information about Playland in the summer, see the official PNE/Playland website.
For details about the PNE in late August and early September, see the Pacific National Exhibition.
To learn about Playland in October in the lead up to Halloween, click Halloween Fright Nights.
For a description of the attractions at the amusement park, see our article about Playland Rides.
Other articles that might be of interest include the following:
- Vancouver’s Best Places for Children
- Vancouver Summer Activities
- Metro Vancouver’s Top 100 Places
- Vancouver’s Festivals & Events Calendar
- Vancouver on a Budget