What can you do on a rainy day in North Vancouver and Vancouver?

On a wet day in North Vancouver, take the SeaBus to Lonsdale Quay and stay within a few minutes' walk of the terminal. The Polygon Gallery takes admission by donation and MONOVA: Museum of North Vancouver charges an adult $15 in 2026. Lunch and dinner sort themselves out in the Lonsdale Quay Market's Food Hall, which serves until 9 pm, or 11 pm on Fridays and Saturdays. Both museums close on Mondays and Tuesdays, so on those days cross to Vancouver, where the Vancouver Aquarium and Science World open every day of the week.

We built this guide from the sight and market files on North Van Guide, which our researchers checked against each venue's own pages on 16 October 2026. Prices are each venue's 2026 adult price as posted. We write "plus GST" where the venue says tax goes on top and say so plainly where its pages don't. The time to allow comes from the venue wherever it publishes one, and we mark the few that are our own estimate.

Which rainy-day sights in North Vancouver cost what?

Four of the North Vancouver picks sit within a short walk of the SeaBus at Lonsdale Quay, so one wet morning can take in all of them.

Sight	Adult price, 2026	Time to allow	Closed	The catch
The Polygon Gallery	By donation	About an hour (our estimate)	Mondays and Tuesdays	Backpacks and big bags go in the free lockers
MONOVA: Museum of North Vancouver	$15; MONOVA doesn't say whether tax is added	Not published	Mondays and Tuesdays	Last admission is 30 minutes before closing
Lonsdale Quay Market	Free to walk in	About an hour (our estimate)	Open daily	The ground-floor stalls close at 7 pm
The Shipyards Skate Plaza	Free in your own skates; rentals $8 for adults and $5.50 for kids	Not published	Opens in late November 2026	The ice closes for cleaning at 1:30, 3:30 and 5:30 pm

Which rainy-day sights in Vancouver cost what?

Across Burrard Inlet you get ten more to choose from, and adult tickets run from $8.55 online at the Bloedel Conservatory to $57.95 at the Aquarium on its busiest dates.

Sight	Adult price, 2026	Time to allow	Closed	The catch
Vancouver Aquarium	$41.95 to $57.95 plus tax, by date	90 minutes to 2 hours (the Aquarium's figure)	Open daily	Cashless since May 2026, and parking costs extra
Science World	$37.50 plus GST	At least 2 hours (Science World's figure)	Open daily	The Dome Theatre is closed with no reopening date
Vancouver Art Gallery	$35, or $29 for BC residents; the gallery doesn't say whether GST is in	Not published	Tuesdays	Cards only, and it turns away phone wallets
Bill Reid Gallery	$15 plus GST	About an hour (our estimate)	Sundays and Mondays, October to May	The main show changes only once a year
Vancouver Lookout	$23.88 with taxes and fees included	30 to 45 minutes (the Lookout's figure)	Open daily	One entry per ticket
Flyover in Vancouver	$31 online or $38 to $40 at the gate; Flyover doesn't say whether tax is in	40 to 60 minutes (Flyover's figure)	Open daily	Riders must stand 102 cm tall
Museum of Anthropology at UBC	$26; MOA doesn't say whether GST is in	Not published	Mondays from 15 October to 15 May	The 4 bus takes 41 minutes each way from Waterfront
Bloedel Conservatory	$8.55 online with the Showpass fee, or $9.50 at the desk, plus GST	Not published	25 December	Winter days end at 4 pm
Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden	$16; the garden doesn't say whether GST is in	About an hour (our estimate)	Mondays and Tuesdays	Only one room has heat
Granville Island Public Market	Free to walk in	Not published	Mondays in January, 25 and 26 December and 1 January	Studios and restaurants keep their own hours

How do you spend a wet morning at Lonsdale Quay?

Start at the Polygon and work your way east along the water. The SeaBus crosses from Waterfront Station in 12 minutes, and TransLink charges an adult $5.10 for the 2-zone crossing on a weekday before 6:30 pm in 2026, or $3.50 after that and all weekend. Children 12 and under ride free.

The Polygon Gallery stands next to the terminal and works from photography outward. BMO's support keeps entry by donation every day it opens, which is Wednesday to Sunday from 10 am to 5 pm, and on Thursdays the doors stay open until 9 pm. From 27 November 2026 to 31 January 2027 The Lind Biennial fills the building. It suits anyone with an hour and an interest in images, and the one drawback is the bag rule: backpacks and big bags have to go in the lockers, and coffee stays outside. Leave a wet umbrella in the stand by the door.

MONOVA is a couple of minutes' walk away at 115 West Esplanade. Its Main Exhibit Gallery tells North Vancouver's story through artifacts and digital displays, starting with the people who have called these lands home since time immemorial. Adults pay $15 in 2026 and a family ticket for two adults and three youth costs $38. MONOVA doesn't say whether tax goes on top. Thursday evening is the time to go, since the museum stays open until 8 pm and admission becomes pay what you can. It suits a family or a history reader on a wet afternoon. Plan around its short week, because it closes on Mondays and Tuesdays like the Polygon.

Lonsdale Quay Market opened on 12 April 1986 for Expo 86, and in 2026 it marks its 40th year. The Level 1 stalls trade from 9 am to 7 pm every day, while the shops upstairs keep 10 am to 6 pm. The Food Hall opens at 10 am and runs until 9 pm from Sunday to Thursday and until 11 pm on Fridays and Saturdays. Order the siu mai at Heritage Asian Eatery or fresh pasta from La Mano and sit at the long tables facing the harbour. The catch is the 7 pm close downstairs, so buy anything you want to carry home before then.

From late November the Shipyards Skate Plaza gives you somewhere to move. A roof covers the ice, so a wet evening still works, and the plaza holds up to 300 skaters. Skating costs nothing in your own skates. Rentals cost $8 for adults and $5.50 for kids in 2026/27, in limited numbers, and the rental desk stops handing out skates at 7:30 pm. Helmets come free. The City says the rink reopens in late November and hadn't named the day by 16 October 2026. The ice closes for about 30 minutes of cleaning at 1:30, 3:30 and 5:30 pm, and the City warns that wind and weather can shut it without notice.

The City of North Vancouver acknowledges this waterfront as the traditional and unceded territories of the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations.

Which Vancouver sights fill a rainy day with kids?

The Vancouver Aquarium and Science World are the two to book, and either one fills a morning. The Aquarium suits families with small children, since toddlers under 3 go free and most guests stay 90 minutes to two hours. Its adult ticket for ages 13 to 64 cost $41.95 to $57.95 plus tax in October 2026, depending on the date, and a child aged 3 to 12 paid from $26.45 on the cheapest dates. The Dragons reptile exhibit runs through January 2027 on the same ticket. In December the ticket store sells entry slots from 10 am to 3:30 pm, and from 11:30 am to 2:30 pm on Christmas Day. Buy online early for the lowest fare. The drawback is the price, and the galleries are narrow enough that wagons and jogging strollers stay outside.

Science World suits children under 13, and anyone under 13 needs an adult aged 19 or older with them. Adults pay $37.50 plus GST and children 3 to 12 pay $25.50 in October 2026, and Science World tells you to allow at least two hours. Its giant-screen Dome Theatre was closed when we checked, with no date to reopen. The Expo Line from Main Street–Science World reaches Waterfront in 7 minutes, so it pairs neatly with a SeaBus ride home.

Which Vancouver galleries work best in the rain?

Go to the Vancouver Art Gallery for a big show and the Bill Reid Gallery for an hour of Northwest Coast art, and you can walk between them along Hornby Street. The Art Gallery charges visitors from outside BC $35 and BC residents $29 in 2026, and it doesn't say whether GST is included. That Green Ideal: Emily Carr and the Idea of Nature hangs until 8 November 2026, and Modern Iran and the Avant-Gardes, 1948–78 opens on 11 December. The gallery closes every Tuesday and turns away phone wallets, so bring a card. On the first Friday of every month BMO's Free First Friday Nights open the doors free from 4 to 8 pm.

The Bill Reid Gallery holds the Simon Fraser University Bill Reid Collection of the Haida artist's sculpture and jewellery. Adults pay $15 plus GST, and the family ticket costs $32 plus GST for two adults and two youth from one household. From October to May it opens Tuesday to Saturday only. Entry is free on the first Friday of each month from 2 to 5 pm.

The Museum of Anthropology at UBC suits anyone drawn to Northwest Coast art who doesn't mind the ride. Its collection holds nearly 50,000 objects, and MOA acknowledges that it stands on the traditional, ancestral and unceded land of the Musqueam people. Adults pay $26, and Thursday evenings after 5 pm run at half price until the 9 pm close. The trade-off is the trip: the 4 bus takes 41 minutes between Waterfront Station and UBC Exchange by TransLink's timetable, and the museum sits a 15-minute walk from the exchange. MOA closes on Mondays from 15 October to 15 May.

Where else in Vancouver keeps you dry for an hour?

The Vancouver Lookout on Harbour Centre suits a first afternoon. A glass elevator climbs to a deck 168 metres above the street, and the $23.88 adult ticket already carries its taxes and fees. Most people finish in 30 to 45 minutes, and a ticket covers one entry only, so you can't come back after dinner on it.

Flyover in Vancouver at Canada Place puts you in a motion seat in front of a spherical screen for 8 to 10 minutes of flight, and the whole visit lasts 25 to 30 minutes by Flyover's count. An adult paid $31 online or $38 to $40 at the gate in October 2026, depending on the day, and Flyover doesn't say whether tax is included. Every rider has to stand at least 102 cm (40 inches) tall.

The Bloedel Conservatory on top of Queen Elizabeth Park keeps more than 500 tropical plants and a flock of rescued parrots warm under its 1969 dome. Its adult ticket costs $8.55 online with the Showpass ticket fee or $9.50 at the desk, plus GST, which undercuts every other paid sight in this guide. Children 5 to 12 pay $4.28 online or $4.75 at the desk. From November to February it closes at 4 pm, so go after lunch. Wear layers, because the air under the dome runs warm and humid.

The Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden in Chinatown has covered walkways that keep the rain off, and its Hall of One Hundred Rivers is the only heated room, so keep your coat on in December. Adults pay $16 and a family ticket for two adults and up to three children under 17 costs $32. The garden doesn't say whether GST is included. It opens Wednesday to Sunday from 9:30 am to 4 pm, and its own pages disagree on Tuesdays, so take Tuesday as closed.

The City of Vancouver acknowledges that its land is the unceded traditional territory of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish Nation) and the səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh Nation).

Where can you shop and eat under a roof?

Two indoor markets can hold a whole wet afternoon, and neither charges you to walk in. You've met Lonsdale Quay Market already. On the Vancouver side, the Granville Island Public Market opens daily from 9 am to 6 pm through the winter. It closes on 25 and 26 December and 1 January, and it shuts every Monday in January for maintenance. Coffee at Blue Parrot and JJ Bean starts at 7:30 am, before the stalls open. The 50 bus links Waterfront Station with West 2nd Avenue and Anderson by the island's entrance, and the ride back to Waterfront takes 20 minutes on TransLink's September 2026 timetable.

November brings two indoor craft fairs. The Circle Craft Holiday Market puts more than 315 artisans in the Vancouver Convention Centre West from 11 to 15 November 2026, and an early-bird adult ticket costs $12 with a free return visit. The Got Craft Holiday Market fills the Croatian Cultural Centre on Commercial Drive on 21 and 22 November and again on 28 and 29 November, with tickets from $5.72 on SimpleTix. Children 12 and under get into both free.

West Van has two quiet rooms by Ambleside Beach as well. The West Vancouver Art Museum at 680 17th Street opens Tuesday to Saturday from 11 am to 5 pm with admission by donation, and the Ferry Building Gallery on Argyle Avenue hangs up to eleven shows a year. Our Ambleside page has the bus from downtown.

Which days close which sights?

Monday and Tuesday knock out the most, so check the day before you pick.

Day	Closed on that day	Open that day
Monday	Polygon, MONOVA, Bill Reid Gallery (October to May), MOA (15 October to 15 May), Dr. Sun Yat-Sen garden; Granville Island's market on Mondays in January	Lonsdale Quay Market, the Shipyards Skate Plaza from late November, Vancouver Aquarium, Science World, Vancouver Art Gallery, Vancouver Lookout, Flyover, Bloedel, Granville Island outside January
Tuesday	Polygon, MONOVA, Vancouver Art Gallery, Dr. Sun Yat-Sen garden	Lonsdale Quay Market, the Shipyards Skate Plaza from late November, Vancouver Aquarium, Science World, Bill Reid Gallery, MOA, Vancouver Lookout, Flyover, Bloedel, Granville Island

Keep a Thursday evening free if you can. The Polygon and MOA both stay open until 9 pm that night, and MOA drops to half price after 5 pm. MONOVA lets you pay what you can until its 8 pm close.

Can you still do Capilano or Lynn Canyon when it rains?

Yes for Capilano. Capilano Suspension Bridge Park stays open in the rain and its gift shop sells umbrellas, and an adult paid $76.95 online in 2026 plus GST. Most of the visit happens outdoors on the bridges and the Cliffwalk, so bring a proper jacket.

Lynn Canyon Park is a forest walk with a free suspension bridge, and its one dry corner is the Lynn Canyon Ecology Centre, which opens on weekdays from 10 am to 4 pm and on winter weekends from noon to 4 pm with admission by donation. The District of North Vancouver asks everyone to stay on the trails and behind the fences in every season. Its fire chief has warned of rocks hidden under the surface of the pools and water cold enough to bring on hypothermia even in summer. North Shore Rescue asks walkers to leave a trip plan with someone and carry the ten essentials, and phones lose their signal in parts of the canyon.

Quick answers

What is there to do in North Vancouver when it rains?

North Vancouver's rainy-day cluster sits at Lonsdale Quay, beside the SeaBus. The Polygon Gallery takes donations and MONOVA charges an adult $15 in 2026. Lonsdale Quay Market opens daily from 9 am to 7 pm, and its Food Hall stays open until 9 pm from Sunday to Thursday.

Is the Polygon Gallery free?

The Polygon Gallery in North Vancouver takes admission by donation every day it opens, with support from BMO. It opens Wednesday to Sunday from 10 am to 5 pm and stays open until 9 pm on Thursdays.

Is the Shipyards rink in North Vancouver covered?

Yes. A roof covers the ice at the Shipyards Skate Plaza in North Vancouver, so it works on a wet night. It reopens in late November 2026, skating is free in your own skates, and rentals cost $8 for adults and $5.50 for kids.

Which Vancouver museums are open on Mondays in winter?

The Vancouver Art Gallery, the Vancouver Aquarium and Science World open on Mondays through the winter of 2026/27. The Museum of Anthropology at UBC closes on Mondays from 15 October to 15 May, and the Bill Reid Gallery closes on Sundays and Mondays from October to May.

How long do you need at Science World?

Science World recommends at least two hours. An adult ticket cost $37.50 plus GST in October 2026, and a ticket covers the whole day.

Is Capilano Suspension Bridge open in the rain?

Yes. Capilano Suspension Bridge Park in North Vancouver stays open in the rain, and its gift shop sells umbrellas. Most of the park is outdoors, so dress for the weather.