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The over-stuffed Fiat 500 has a piled-high roof rack and stickers in the rear windows.
A Sunday in Nice
Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant with its iconic red tower
Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant
The Spot Where The Governor Drowned
Granite Dells
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The Grand Concourse Restaurant is located in a former train station dating to 1901.
Grand Concourse Restaurant 
Hyeholde is a castle-like residence and elegant restaurant near Pittsburgh.
Hyeholde
The Lost Close tasting room
The Lost Close
Art at the VCC
Vintage Cocktail Club
The Buckhorn Saloon exterior
The Buckhorn Saloon and Opera House
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All Canada British Columbia Vancouver

The Atlas Obscura Guide To Vancouver

37 Cool, Hidden, and Unusual Things to Do in Vancouver, British Columbia

Updated July 14, 2025
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Unusual Attractions in Vancouver

Maze

Vancouver, British Columbia

VanDusen Garden's Elizabethan Hedge Maze

This Elizabethan hedge maze is one of only six in North America.
Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Garden - Maple Hall Courtyard.

Vancouver, British Columbia

Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden

Traditional 15th century Chinese garden in the middle of Vancouver.
The tarnished brass main entrance.

Vancouver, British Columbia

The Marine Building

This Art Deco masterpiece has stood in for some of the most famous buildings in comic book history.
Cambie Climbing Tree.

Vancouver, British Columbia

Cambie Climbing Tree

Locals transformed this Canadian evergreen into a secret hangout with spectacular views of Vancouver's skyline.
The bar at the Shameful Tiki Room.

Vancouver, British Columbia

The Shameful Tiki Room

A high point in Vancouver kitsch.
The Gastown steam clock

Vancouver, British Columbia

Gastown Steam Clock

A working steam clock, one of only a few in the world, located in Vancouver's Victorian Gastown.
Bloedel Conservatory

Vancouver, British Columbia

Bloedel Conservatory

This conservatory allows a little bit of the tropics to thrive in the middle of a major Canadian city.

Vancouver, British Columbia

Japadog

Surprisingly delicious Asian-style hot dogs.
See All 37 Things To Do in Vancouver

Cool Places to Eat & Drink in Vancouver

Vancouver, British Columbia

Japadog

Surprisingly delicious Asian-style hot dogs.
In partnership with KAYAK

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Unforgettable Experiences Nearby

Explore Vancouver, British Columbia

Architecture 8
Architectural Oddities 5
Museums 5
Sculptures 4
Plants 4
Art 4
Parks 4
Trees 3
Animals 3
Statues 3
Unique Restaurants & Bars 2

Vancouver Leaderboard

Places Added

  1. canuck
    4
  2. rahscake
    2
  3. SamM
    2
  4. nitikp
    1
  5. simonele
    1
Join the Ranks!
Add an unusual place to Vancouver.

Places Edited

  1. notoriousFIG
    8
  2. SamM
    7
  3. canuck
    3
  4. staceykenny11
    3
  5. Rachel
    3
Join the Ranks!
Improve the Atlas with edits and photos.

Places Visited

  1. katieprescott79
    36
  2. forrest314
    34
  3. mlam66
    33
  4. Munringus
    33
  5. casscs
    31

Recent Vancouver Activity

  • mariamirza2711

    wants to go to Japadog

  • mariamirza2711

    wants to go to 'The Drop'

  • thesandwichlaw

    wants to go to Dude Chilling Park

  • thesandwichlaw

    wants to go to 'The Drop'

Stories About Vancouver

USDA and Washington State agriculture officials tagged this Asian giant hornet. Sept. 10, 2021.

What Ever Happened to the Murder Hornets?

Asian giant hornets, or murder hornets, are officially eradicated in the U.S. and Canada—for now.
by The Podcast Team
July 14, 2025
Green-Wood Cemetery, overlooking New York Harbor.

Where Our Team Looked for Joy During Pandemic Lockdowns

Five years after the initial COVID-19 lockdown, the AO team reflects on the places that brought them joy, comfort, and connection during a difficult time.
by The Podcast Team
June 14, 2025

Podcast: Killer Trees with Mary Roach

Danger trees meet explosives.
by The Podcast Team
April 25, 2024
Koji-cured wild sockeye salmon at a restaurant in Vancouver, Canada.

130-Year-Old Menus Show How Climate Change Is Already Changing What We Eat

Eating local doesn't mean what it used to.
by Ian Rose
July 5, 2022

This ‘Cryptically Carnivorous’ Plant Has Been Hiding in Plain Sight, Waiting for Flesh

The western false asphodel has an appetite for insects, but it’s not a great time to be a meat-eating plant.
by Jessica Leigh Hester
September 17, 2021
Inez Cook at her restaurant.

How a First Nations Restaurateur Found Her Family Through Food

For more than a decade, Salmon n' Bannock has been serving indigenous cuisine and stories in Vancouver.
by Diana Hubbell
September 16, 2021

Podcast: Dude Chilling Park

Join us for a daily celebration of the world’s most wondrous, unexpected, even strange places.
by The Podcast Team
July 6, 2021
Wildlife is often drawn to Heritage Gardens’ open spaces and pollinator meadow.

Why a Vancouver Cemetery Is Planting Squash, Kale, and Corn

The leafy greens are very much alive.
by Laura Kiniry
April 19, 2021
Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
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