Vancouver Maritime Museum

Just a five-minute stroll from the Museum of Vancouver [1], at the end of Cypress Avenue, is Vancouver Maritime Museum (1905 Ogden Ave., 604/257-8300, daily 10 a.m.–5 p.m. in summer, Tues.–Sat. 10 a.m.–5 p.m. and noon–5 p.m. on Sun. the rest of the year, adult $10, senior and child $7.50). Filled with nautical-themed displays that showcase British Columbia’s seafaring legacy, exhibits chronicle everything from the province’s first European explorers and their vessels to today’s oceangoing adventurers, modern fishing boats, and fancy ships.

Beyond the front desk is the historic RCMP vessel, St. Roch, which fills the first main room. Now a National Historic Site, the St. Roch was the first patrol vessel to successfully negotiate the infamous Northwest Passage.