On a Vancouver museum trek you just might learn a thing or two

VANCOUVER, B.C. — Rain lashed the streets, and it was depressingly dark by midafternoon. I was tempted to scurry back to my hotel room and hide under the covers.

Instead, abandoning my Robson Street window-shopping, I scuttled, dripping wet, into the nearby Vancouver Art Gallery.

It was an oasis of warmth and culture, as are a half-dozen other museums scattered around Vancouver, which has even wetter, darker winter weather than Seattle. So if you're headed north for a winter weekend, put some of these museums on your itinerary. Some are high-brow, others are places for family fun. All are worth visiting, even if it's not pouring rain.

Here's a rundown:

VANCOUVER ART GALLERY

This downtown art museum is housed in a former courthouse, an elegant, century-old building imaginatively converted into a four-floor museum. There's something for everyone, from pop art to 17th-century Dutch painters.

The gallery has a strong collection of 20th-century Canadian art, including works by what's called the Group of Seven, Canadian wilderness landscape painters of the first half of the 20th century. (A special show runs until Jan. 20 of Group of Seven paintings from private collections.)

One of the gallery's most popular collections is devoted to British Columbian artist Emily Carr. Until her death in 1945, Carr traveled by boat on painting trips along the B.C. coast. She portrayed the lush forests, Indian villages and totem poles in swirling colors. (There's a major Carr exhibit at the Royal British Columbia Museum in Victoria; see related story.)

The details: Vancouver Art Gallery, 750 Hornby St. (in the heart of downtown between Robson and Georgia streets, next to the Hotel Vancouver). 604-662-4719. www.vanartgallery.bc.ca.

Tips:

• The museum shop sells artsy cards and stylish knick-knacks. The museum's cafe is a pleasant place for coffee or light meals.

• The Canadian Craft and Design Museum is a block away and showcases pottery, glass art and other crafts. 639 Hornby St., 604-687-8266.

VANCOUVER MUSEUM

H.R. MacMILLAN SPACE CENTRE

VANCOUVER MARITIME MUSEUM

American visitors don't often get to these three museums in the Kitsilano neighborhood, since they're off the downtown beaten track. But make the mini-excursion: They're worth it.

The Vancouver Museum and adjoining H.R. MacMillan Space Centre, with a distinctive conical roof, are 10 minutes by car or passenger mini-ferry from downtown Vancouver. (TOURISM VANCOUVER)

The three museums are in the waterfront Vanier Park, a 10-minute drive from downtown. Look for the distinctive, conical white roof of the building that houses both the Vancouver Museum and the H.R. MacMillan Space Centre. The Vancouver Maritime Museum is in an A-frame building a few hundred yards farther west.

Vancouver Museum: This civic museum is an eclectic mix of displays on Vancouver, from re-creations of an Edwardian parlor and kitchen of the early 1900s to displays on local conservation efforts. Some of the best exhibits are the temporary ones, including the current "Sherlock Holmes and the Clocktower Mystery," a series of Victorian-style rooms through which visitors walk, looking for clues to a gruesome murder. An employee dressed as Holmes, complete with deerstalker hat and pipe, reveals the answer at the end. The exhibit's last day is Jan. 2.

H.R. MacMillan Space Centre is in the same building as the Vancouver Museum. Go there for astronomy shows; a space-voyage simulator; and laser shows, from a Christmas fantasy to Led Zeppelin rock.

Vancouver Maritime Museum: The St. Roch, a pioneering 1928 supply ship for the Canadian Arctic, is the museum's centerpiece. (The A-frame museum was built around the permanently drydocked ship). Visitors can clamber around the 104-foot boat to see the wood-paneled officers' quarters, wheelhouse, and the tent and gear of an Inuit family that camped on the deck.

The museum does an especially good job catering to kids, with a display on pirates; computer games; a re-creation of a ship's pilot house; and more.

For nautical fans, there are dozens of intricate models of historic ships, and visitors can watch a professional ship-model maker whose workroom is within the museum.

The details:

• Vancouver Museum: 1100 Chestnut St., 604-736-4431. www.vanmuseum.bc.ca

• H.R. MacMillan Space Centre (formerly called the Pacific Space Centre and still informally called the planetarium): 1100 Chestnut St., 604-738-7827, www.hrmacmillanspacecentre.com

• Vancouver Maritime Museum: 1905 Ogden Avenue, 604-257-8300. www.vmm.bc.ca

Tips:

• Stroll along maritime museum's Heritage Dock (directly in front of the museum) where classic wood sailboats, a fishing boat and tug are moored.

• If you're visiting the shops and market stalls of Granville Island, the three museums are just a 10-minute walk away, west along a seafront path. Or take a passenger mini-ferry — it holds about a dozen people — from Granville Island or other small docks in the False Creek inlet to the museum (it's a five- to 10-minute ride). Mini-ferries run only weekends in winter (daily starting in spring): False Creek Ferries, 604-684-7781, www.granvilleislandferries.bc.ca.

SCIENCE WORLD

	Yo-yo Man Daniel Volk shows off some everyday physics at Science World, a noisy, cheerful refuge for families on a rainy day. (MARK VAN MANEN / VANCOUVER SUN)

This kid-oriented, hands-on science museum is a noisy, cheerful refuge for families on a rainy day. It's on the east edge of downtown on False Creek, housed in a landmark, five-story-tall, silver dome (you might remember it from Expo '86). It's easy to spend hours here; stop for lunch in the cafe or go to Vancouver's Chinatown, a five-minute drive away.

Inside, it's similar to Seattle's Pacific Science Center — packed with experiments and interactive displays; computer games; mind-twisting puzzles and more. There's also an Omnimax movie theater and regular displays/workshops by staff.

The details: 1455 Quebec St. 604-443-7443. www.scienceworld.bc.ca/

Tips:

• Get to Science World early on weekends; it can be jammed.

• Two mini-ferry companies offer 10-minute trips between Granville Island and Science World (weekends only in winter): False Creek Ferries, 604-684-7781, www.granvilleislandferries.bc.ca. Aquabus: 604-689-5858. www.aquabus.bc.ca/

UBC MUSEUM OF ANTHROPOLOGY

Haida sculptures are among the displays of Northwest Coast native art at the UBC Museum of Anthropology. The dome-like Science World building on False Creek, pictured on the cover, is packed with hands-on science displays for kids. (UBC MUSEUM OF ANTHROPOLOGY)

This museum on the University of British Columbia campus, a 20-minute drive from downtown, is worth visiting for its architecture alone. It's a spectacular glass-and-concrete building, based on the traditional post-and-beam construction of B.C. coast Indians (called First Nations in Canada). It sits on a bluff above English Bay, with views of the city and mountains.

Inside are extensive displays of Northwest Coast native art, including totem poles, feast dishes, masks and jewelry. One of the most compelling pieces is a contemporary, yellow-cedar sculpture by Bill Reid, called "Raven and the First Men," depicting the creation story of the Haida of B.C.'s Queen Charlotte Islands. There are also displays of artifacts from Pacific Rim cultures and beyond.

The details: Museum of Anthropology, 6393 N.W. Marine Drive. 604-822-3825. www.moa.ubc.ca

Tips:

• The gift shop sells high-quality silver jewelry made by First Nations artists as well as the more standard T-shirts and books.

• On the way to the Museum of Anthropology, stop at the Old Hastings Mill Store. The one-room, 19th-century wood building holds a collection of pioneer and First Nations items, from clothing to furnishings, maps and photos. (Closed in December and January; reopening in February.) 1575 Alma Road, 604-734-1212.

MORE INFORMATION:

Tourism Vancouver: 604-683-2000. www.tourismvancouver.org.

Accommodations: Vancouver hotels offer winter discounts, especially after the holidays. Rooms can be booked through the provincial government's Tourism B.C. reservations service — ask for the winter-discount rates: 800-435-5622..

Border crossings: Expect delays on weekends when returning to the U.S. because of increased security at border crossings stemming from the Sept. 11 attacks. Southbound lineups at the main Peace Arch crossing at Blaine have sometimes been two hours or more on Sunday afternoons, although wait times vary widely. Take proof of citizenship (birth certificate or passport) with you.

Boxing Day: Be aware that Dec. 26 is the Boxing Day holiday in Canada, and some businesses may be closed.

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