H.R. MacMillan Space Centre

It has all you need in a rainy day. Space to wall and now about history of Vancouver. Also, the planetarium is an excellent place that offers different shows during the year. Book online it is better, it has an auditorium, washrooms, snacks areas and if you want to coordinate an event with your students, wedding or something else you can directly contact them. From downtown there are many ways to reach there and by car too. Good for kids and family moments. Be happy and enjoy a while here.

I feel cheated. We bought a day session for 3: 45. After the session, it turned out that the exhibition on the first floor was already closed.the guy at the reception didn't warn about it, my child got upset

We had a lovely evening with three different parts of the visit. The first in the planetarium was informative and funny, it discussed the Moon and highlighted upcoming space projects, like the Lunar Gateway. The planetarium guide was knowledgable and engaging.
Next we saw a talk about the ISS and living on it. This is the only part I would not give a rave review. The demonstrator was very knowledgeable, well trained, and engaging. It just did not seem like a "live science demonstration".

The observatory was great, even though it was cloudy. We still saw Jupiter and it's four moons due to the dedication of the observatory operator. He also explained everything about the observatory, but only after ensuring that we all got to see Jupiter while there was a clear patch in the sky.

Best of all because it was cloudy we can come back anytime to have a "redo" in the observatory.

I highly recommend going to the night show for the observatory and planetarium.

This is a blast from the past and not in a good way. Very little has changed, been updated since I visit the space centre eight years ago. Beautiful location on the water but that is all the positives. The exhibit is so old, no updates and the space feels very tired. My daughter and I tripped on the uneven cement outside. They really need update this place or close it.

The star show up in the dome was awesome! Unfortunately the vibe was ruined by the lecture we were dragged into afterwards, in a separate room. They need to do something about that. No one should have to sit through such torture

The Space Center Vancouver is generally well-received, with many praising the exhibits and planetarium shows for being informative and engaging.

Very informative place for all the folks who have interest in space, universe, life cycle of stars and all other spatial phenomeno. You will love this place if you have the affinity for space and beyond.

Don’t miss the planetarium show or you will get upset a little bit, the area is so small but worth the price in total, was a very good experience.

Overall, the experience was fine but the museum is a bit bland. The exhibits were boring, and only the movie was entertaining. It was also expensive and not worth the cost.

Great visit with kids.
Updated annual membership price makes it super affordable!
Went for the first time today and I expect to go many more times during the rainy season!

Enjoyed a very quiet Sunday afternoon here with my kids! Admission is quite pricey for what you’re getting but it’s quieter and more enjoyable than the overcrowded Science World. We did happen to arrive just in time for the show and demonstration (11: 00am). Presenters at the demonstration and show came off a little dry (material may be too difficult for small children to understand or stay engaged with) but all in all a nice place to spend a couple of hours.

It’s a nice place to visit. Planetarium show is great however the lecture of 40 minutes before that felt kind of being in a college class, so not fun for kids. However the knowledge given was good, but a first timer in space centre wouldn’t want so much talking only. Especially the little kids were getting restless.
Everything else was good.

Small number of models and interactive displays. The planetarium and fire show were entertaining.

Bought tickets to see Mars 1001. It is advertised as the fictional account of the first manned trip to Mars. What we got was a presenter talking to a birthday party group asking questions and a few pictures of the surface of Mars. Not was was advertised at all.

Still requiring out dated pre-reqs like the c-19 vax pass. It's unnecessary and honestly just annoying at this point.

Have been many times through the years. It's always tidy, staff are knowledgeable and helpful, and it's a nice quiet atmosphere. Great for when you need to slow down and enjoy the moment. The starshow is wonderful! Don't expect it to be done it's not, the planetarium has always been pretty low energy.

Even if you don't go into the Space Centre (which you definitely should go check out), come here for a picture with the famous metal crustacean!

A great place to visit, planetarium is good. The live show I would say is not very good. But the observatory is very nice, staff is super friendly and kind, they were happy to answer all the answers and tell real great stories, definitely a place to go. Try to plan it whenever it's not cloudy though.

We had a great night here. The staff is passionate and knowledgable, and the whole experience was very sincere and genuine. We'll be back!

Very outdated. Looks like the theatre projector is from 1990s pixel resolution. We had hoped and expected for far better considering what’s available technology wise in 2021. Wouldn’t bring guests. Wouldn’t go back

If you used to go here as a kid and wish to relive quality memories as an adult do yourself a favor, don't. The lack of care and adequate funding is the only thing that will now draw your attention.

Went during covid, Interesting place & good presenters, hope to come back after covid is over.

Love this Space Centre. Brings back memory as child from the school field trip. Great staffs/friendly!

This place is too small and uninteresting when we had an hour to talk around, the movie was a disappointment, won't take this trip again for a long time. Definitely miss the simulator

I have fond memories of this place from when I was a kid and we came here on school trips, though back then, they had laser shows!
My husband loves this place because one of the narrators has "the most relaxing voice" he's heard and honestly, that is the main reason we go here at least once a year. I think one time, we were in the same elevator with the narrator because we saw him at the podium once we went in. Our son really likes this place, too, but I think for all the learning and hands-on stuff because I think he's a little too young to really understand the presentations. Have to say though, I love the mini-shows because the presenters have little to work with in terms of audience participation/enthusiasm, but they're still super into it! We have the Entertainment book and they have a coupon in there if you need discounts.

We have been coming here for years as kids and now we are taking our kids here. We still love it and our kids love it.

Small and expensive. Space exhibition is outdated and bland. The vancouver museum is better but too expensive. The best attraction is actually the building itself. There are some stunningly framed views of downtown vancouver. Best viewed in winter when the trees have lost their leafs. Entry should be free and would save them the cost of the 4 people sitting at the entry doing very little.

I went here with my grade 3 class in 2016. The show was amazing and it felt like I was in space. We also made puppets and learned a lot about space. We saw how astronauts ate and drink in space and this is what lead me to become an astronaut (not yet, but future)

Outdated, small, useless things to see. The presentations are interesting and exciting. The main movie experience was a big let down it is dated also the projector broke mid way through the movie.

This is small and mostly for kids but they staff was really great and helpful. They were very engaged and helpful and the whole day is filled with either a presentation or a movie. I saw presentations about science and fire as well as a really informative movie about dark matter. They also have a moon rock you can touch and a meteorite that you can lift.

Came here for the planetarium, which was interesting. A mind-blowing and fascinating experience to be able to visualize how vast the universe really is. Planetarium was great, but other than that there just isn't really a lot to do here. The observatory was opened when we came, but because it was cloudy we couldn't look through any telescopes. Paid $15 for evening admission. Staff is friendly and knowledgeable.

In need of a upgrade but still provides an enjoyable day out for anyone who loves space exploration.

I went with my school and it was absolutely amazing! It was really fun, although could you guys add a few more exhibits?

This is a place with duo museum (space center and museum of vancouver), not a place you would go just for space museum. The space museum is really small, you are expected to go to planetarium first and then explore small space museum if you want. The space museum is great for kids i'd say, a lot of models are toy like they don't really look like a real thing. Museum of Flight in Seattle would be a much better place to go for space museum. However, the Museum of Vancouver is really interesting and has so much to explore.

Conclusion: Don't come here just for space museum, it isn't worth it. Planetarium is worth it though. If you are a space nerd and know a lot about space, you will not learn much anything new because everything they talk about in planetarium is very basic space knowledge. Something kids and regular non space fans would most likely not know.

The planetarium is small, but you can see parts of a rocket, things of the space and specific expositions, like a Korean Vase exposition when I been here.
Also here have a cinema to watch about space or something like that.
I loved this place.

Planetarium and Ground Station Canada are always fun. The Pacific Space Centre exhibit space is very small and outdated; no mention of Chris Hadfield, the most famous Canadian astronaut. The space centre exhibit area needs to be expanded. Gift shop doesn’t carry anything space-related. I’ll be back, but every visit makes me sad thinking of how great this place could be.

It is a great place to visit. Some exhibits are not working but it doesn't matter that much, content is good

The highlight is the hourly presentation, whole the rest can be covered in a relatively short period of time. Probably best paired with a trip to the Museum of Vancouver in the same trip. Made more worthwhile with the Discover pass, which includes the MoV as well as the nearby Maritime Museum.

Way (way) overpriced.

Had we paid full price, I would have asked for a refund. With coupons, it's still not worth it.

You only get to see one of the various shows in the theater now; it's an additional charge for additional shows. The show we watched had great effects, but that was about it.

The "Cosmic Courtyard" hasn't changed in years, other than more things being broken than the last time we went. I'm not sure it's changed all that much since elementary school field trips 30 years ago.

It's sad that this is the best we have. My preteen loves space and discovery, but was frustrated that everything seemed old/didn't work.

Pretty small, but there's a ride you can go on and science experiments.get a chance to touch a moon rock

This place fills my heart, soul, and imagination. It and the people there are wonderful. I just wish it was bigger. Can't wait to go again, love the huge spectrum of things they do there, concerts too!

My son and I spend so much time here. The exhibits are a little dated but the live shows in the Ground Station make up for it. The presenters are very enthusiastic and of course the planetarium shows are amazing. If you go Saturday night, you can also visit the observatory and do some space gazing. One of my favorite ways to spend a clear Saturday night.

We're going there my whole life. That building is very unique made in a Precast somewhere and then assembled there. The grounds everything's great

Only 10 or so interactive stations, 2 didn’t work. Informative but small. The planetarium show in “the universe” was great. Teenage kids bored after 15 min reading the displays. No cafe. Junk Snack food &drinks available from a vending machine

They did a very good job of replicating what time travel would be like. I felt like I was right back in the 80s!

Loved the shows at the planetarium. Very knowledgeable staff and 180º projections of the universe.

The observatory is free (by donation) on Saturday nights

Out if this world. The exhibits are definately for younger kids but the talks are fun and great for everyone.