Written by Gabriela Torres
April showers bring May flowers, but did you know the first day of spring is right around the corner? With the season nearing full bloom on March 19th, it’s time to gear up for plenty of fun activities across British Columbia including Metro Vancouver, Kelowna, and Vancouver Island.
Take in the sights and soak in the sun outdoors at gorgeous parks, historic sites, and gardens, or stay in on a rainy day while you explore exhibits, galleries, and museums. If you or someone you know faces barriers to physical mobility, exploring new activities can be challenging at times. However, there’s no need to fret! Not only will each of the activities below enable you and your loved ones to enjoy spring to its fullest bloom, they are also accessible and affordable options for inclusive fun.
METRO VANCOUVER
1. The TELUS World of Science
Location: 1455 Quebec St, Vancouver
Hours: Click here to view hours
Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible, sensory friendly
Photo: @scienceworldca on Facebook
Vancouver is home to many hidden gems, yet Science World continues to be one of the city’s main attractions. But hey, we aren’t complaining! With a wide range of activities, films, and educational exhibits, there’s plenty to learn, see, and do. This year, Science World’s main attraction is an exhibit titled “Towers of Tomorrow” which replicates the world’s tallest buildings using LEGO. The exhibit features 20 world-famous buildings from Canada, Australia, United Arab Emirates, and more countries around the world, and is on display until September 7th.
If LEGO doesn’t interest you, try out an immersive OMNIMAX film experience featuring films about nature, space, and canine companions titled, “Into Nature’s Wild,” “Apollo 11: First Steps Edition,” and “Superpower Dogs.” Plus, enjoy live interactive science shows and an outdoor stage open from March until October.
Science World is not only fun for the whole family but also universally accessible. Every Monday, Science World offers sensory-friendly mornings. This program consists of inclusive events for individuals and families living with neurodiverse or accessibility needs. Not to mention, the building offers guests a sensory map, noise-cancelling earmuffs for those sensitive to noise, and is wheelchair accessible. Both noise-cancelling headphones and wheelchairs are available for guests to borrow on a first-come first-serve basis. For more information about Science World’s accessibility features and exhibits, click here.
2. Burnaby Village Museum
Location: 6501 Deer Lake Ave. Burnaby
Hours: 11:00 am – 4:30 pm
Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible
Photo: @BurnabyVillageMuseum on Facebook
Fun fact: you don’t need a time machine to go back to the 1920s. Take a trip down memory lane and back to the past right here in Metro Vancouver when you visit the Burnaby Village Museum. Established in 1971, this historic site is filled with stories about BC’s rich history told by costumed townsfolk in old-fashioned bakeries, historic homes, post offices, and more! Popular stops along the way include a chat with the blacksmith, a demonstration at the print shop, and a visit with the clerk at the General store.
This year, the Burnaby Village Museum is hosting plenty of fun Spring Break activities from March 16th to March 27th from 11 am until 4:30 pm with free admission. Enjoy carousel rides, scavenger hunts, and village adventure packs or simply stop by to experience the sites and munch on a snack at the village ice-cream parlour.
The Burnaby Village Museum’s facilities are wheelchair accessible. If you or someone you know faces barriers to physical mobility, a paved roadway connects the site and is perfect for relaxing and enjoying the historic scenery. If needed, the museum offers a wheelchair loan for guests. Learn more about the Burnaby Village Museum’s Spring Break Activities and accessibility features by clicking here.
3. Museum of Vancouver (MOV)
Location: 1100 Chestnut Street, Vancouver
Hours: Click here to view hours
Accessibility: Wheelchair and scooter accessible
Photo: @MuseumofVancouver on Facebook
Gain a deeper understanding of Vancouver through the stories, objects, and shared experiences on display at exhibits in the Museum of Vancouver. The museum’s mission is to maintain a socially connected and civically engaged city. Current exhibitions are: Arts of Resistance, featuring the artwork of Indigenous artists and activists artwork created to protest the Trans Mountain Expansion Pipeline project, along with Haida Now, featuring over 450 works of Haida art. Other must-see galleries include neon sign displays and installations that capture Vancouver’s 1950’s post-war boom and 1970s Hippie Takeover.
In addition to its installations, the museum also hosts events and workshops. This month, on March 26th from 5-8 pm, you can partake in Pay What You Can Night where admission is by donation. Additionally, don’t miss the chance to experience MOV’s latest throwback, a trip down memory lane to the 2010 Olympic games! Vancouver’s beloved Olympic Mascots are out on display until March 21st.
MOV is both wheelchair and scooter accessible, including ramps, elevators, and a drop-off area for guests who experience mobility barriers. For more information about MOV’s accessibility features and exhibits click here.
4. Fort Langley Historic Site
Location: 23433 Mavis Ave, Langley
Hours: Monday – Friday, 10 am – 5 pm
Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible
Photo: @FortLangleyNHS on Facebook
The perfect sunny day activity! Experience what life was like in the mid-1800s when you visit Fort Langley’s historic site. Even today, the fort’s palisades stand tall. Within its walls, you can find timber buildings and homes as well as a blacksmith’s workshop, a miniature farm, a schoolhouse, and more. When you enter, experience how fur traders mingled with Californian gold prospectors and listen to First Nation interpreters tell 100-year-old stories.
This spring, event organizers at the fort are hosting Spring Break activities from March 16th until March 27th from 10:30 am to 4:00 pm. Here, you can partake in plenty of fun activities. Try out barrel making, pan for gold, or even take a stab at shaping metal at the blacksmith’s workshop.
The site is wheelchair accessible and a paved pathway connects the sites buildings and historic grounds for easy access. Additionally, a rentable wheelchair is available on loan for guests to use. Learn more about Fort Langley here.
5. Spring Break Mystery at the Cannery (Gulf of Georgia Cannery, National Historic Site)
Location: 12138 Fourth Avenue, Richmond
Hours: 10:00 am to 5:00 pm
Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible
Photo: @GulfofGeorgiaCannery on Facebook
Soak in even more history at the Gulf of Georgia Cannery and National Historic Site. As one of the world’s few remaining 19th-century salmon canneries on BC’s coast, there’s a lot to learn and do. For example, you can participate in guided tours, leisurely walks, and of course family-friendly activities.
In commemoration of the development of Canada’s west coast fishing industry from the 1870s to today, the Gulf of Georgia Cannery offers a unique glimpse into the West Coast fishing industry’s past. Visit the museum, taste test salmon, and enjoy canning demonstrations starting May 16th until September 7th. If you want to get a head start on all the fun, check out the cannery’s Spring Break Mystery program on daily from 10 am-5 pm starting March 16th to the 29th. Help the cannery find Lulu Sweet by following clues throughout the site. This is the perfect activity for parents and kids alike!
The Gulf of Georgia Cannery is committed to providing a welcoming environment for all visitors. The site and museum are wheelchair accessible and highly accommodating to anyone facing barriers to mobility. To learn more about the cannery here.
6. H.R. MacMillan Space Centre
Location: 1100 Chestnut St, Vancouver
Hours: Click here to view hours and rates
Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible
Photo: @spacecentreyvr on Instagram
Craving some space? Visit the HR MacMillan Space Centre for all your astronomy needs. Located in the picturesque Vanier Park, BC’s Space Centre is one of Vancouver’s number one science attractions. Whether you plan on taking a closer look at stars, galaxies, and black holes at the Planetarium Star Theatre, watching live science shows, or stargazing using the observatory’s telescopes, there’s something to do for everyone.
And better yet, exciting events are right around the corner! Enjoy the Planetarium’s latest when you attend its popular Spring Break event starting on March 16th until March 27th from 10:00 am – 5:00 pm. Discover a wondrous world of space and science and learn about a myriad of scientific discoveries including how visible light from the Sun and infrared heat waves and x-rays help us understand some of the universe’s biggest unknowns.
The HR MacMillan Space Centre is wheelchair-accessible in all areas except the telescope and the virtual voyages simulator. If you’d like to learn more about the Space Centre’s accessibility features, call 604-738-7827.
KELOWNA
7. Kangaroo Creek Farm, Kelowna
Location: 5932 Old Vernon Rd
Hours: Open March 20th, 10 am – 3 pm
Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible
Photo: @KangarooCreekFarm on Facebook
If you love cute and fuzzy animals, Kelowna has the perfect place for you! For over twenty years, Kelowna’s Kangaroo Creek Farm has been caring for kangaroos and wallabies. The farm’s current inhabitants are Red Kangaroos, Common Wallaroos, Bennett Wallabies, and Dama Wallabies. Other cute creatures on-site include emus, peacocks, chickens, goats, parrots, an albino wallaby, baby kangaroos, and a capybara, the world’s biggest rodent!
Starting on March 20th, you can swing by the farm to experience exotic and domestic animals in their natural surroundings. The farm’s pathways are wheelchair accessible for easy access and also includes accessible parking spots in the parking lot.
8. Explore Kelowna’s Wineries
Location: Kelowna B.C Wineries
Hours: Click here for the latest tour bookings
Accessibility: Accessible charter bus transportation and wineries
Photos: @MissionHillWine on Facebook
If you love sipping on wine, visiting Kelowna’s wineries is a must! Soak in the Spring sunshine and soak in lakeside views from dawn to dusk in some of BC’s finest wineries. CHEERS! Okanagan tours offer a variety of accessible and fun wine tours and tastings throughout the Okanagan. Each of which is wheelchair friendly, fun, informative, and most importantly, memorable! This once-in-a-lifetime experience is led by a knowledgeable tour guide who will provide you with plenty of information about Kelowna’s local history, wine facts, and information about the wine industry. Currently, a four-hour wine tour and six-hour wine tour are available for booking. Check them out here.
The tours accessibility features include wheelchair-accessible charter transportation and of course accessible wineries! Click here to access more information about CHEERS! Okanagan Tours and accessibility.
VANCOUVER ISLAND
9. Victoria Butchart and Butterfly Gardens
Location: The Butchart Gardens, 800 Benvenuto Ave, Brentwood Bay
The Butterfly Gardens: 1461 Benvenuto Ave, Brentwood Bay
Hours: Click here for The Butchart Gardens hours
Click here for The Butterfly Gardens hours
Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible
Photos: @butchardgardens and @butterfly.gardens on Facebook
What better way to celebrate Spring than by immersing yourself in the full bloom of beautiful flowers? If this is on your Spring bucket list, there’s no better place to try it out than Victoria’s famous Butchart Gardens. Explore flower-lined pathways, 26 greenhouses, and 900 plant varieties across 55 acres of blossoming gardens! From rose gardens to Italian gardens, Japanese gardens, and more, this world of greenery is every Spring lovers dream.
If you prefer to stay indoors, take a walk on the wild side and visit Victoria’s very own indoor jungle, otherwise known as the Victoria Butterfly Gardens. This indoor oasis has a variety of plants to admire and comes with the added bonus of being able to experience over 70 species of fluttering butterflies in multiple shapes, sizes, and colours. Discover the beauty of the tropics and its wondrous plant and animal species including flamingos, tropical ducks, birds, iguanas, and an insectarium with insects and vertebrates from around the world.
The Butchart Gardens are wheelchair accessible with the exception of one lookout in the Sunken Garden known as “The Mound,” and the path to the wharf. Wheelchair rentals are complimentary with a $10 deposit along with scooter rentals which can be prearranged by contacting Motion Specialties.
The Butterfly Gardens are also a wheelchair accessible operation. However, the doors to the facility are not automatic due to regulations in place to keep butterflies from escaping. Staff are happy to open doors to the gardens for those who need assistance.
For more information about accessibility at The Butchart Gardens and Butterfly Gardens click the links below:
10. Hatley Park National Historic Site
Location: 2005 Sooke Rd, Victoria
Hours: Click here for hours and rates
Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible
Photo: @HatleyCastleGardens on Facebook
Revel in natural and historic scenery at one of British Columbia’s most filmed mansions. Hatley Park is home to a gorgeous oceanfront castle, countless gardens, and a touch of Hollywood magic. As seen in movies like Deadpool and X-Men and hit TV Series like Smallville, Hatley Park is a top-notch destination for local and international film crews.
In addition to marvelling at the park’s Hollywood past, you can explore an inventory of gardens ranging from rose to Italian to Japanese. The gardens feature unique plants and flowers from around the world.
All venues at Hatley Park are wheelchair accessible while garden trails are wide and smooth for wheelchair entry. However, guests using wheelchairs must exercise caution as there are a few hills near the castle.
There you have it! A full list of fun Spring Break activities to prepare you for the season. Whether you are staying in town or planning a road trip, there’s tons of great and affordable fun to keep you on your toes. If you have the chance to check out some of the activities listed above, comment below to tell us about your experience. We can’t wait to enjoy spring with you!
