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    Totem Poles

    4.3 (40 reviews)

    Totem Poles Photos

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    Totem Poles, Stanley Park, Vancouver
    Bruce K.

    This display of nine totem poles is a tribute to the First Nations people of Canada. They are impressive specimens especially when you consider the elements of British Columbia weather that they have endured. Some are recent. Some are 100 years old. All are amazing to view and appreciate. And you should keep in mind that as recently as 1935, there were indigenous people living in what is now Stanley park. The plaque reads, "INDIAN TOTEM POLES The totem was the British Columbia Indian's 'coat of arms.' Totem poles are unique to the North West coast of B.C. and lower Alaska. They were carved from western red cedar and each carving tells of a real or mythical event. They were not idols, nor were they worshipped. Each carving on each pole has a meaning. The eagle represents the kingdom of the air. The whale, the lordship of the sea. The wolf, the genius of the land. And the frog, the transitional link between land and sea." Each pole also has a caption with an explanation of its artwork and significance. The totems are easily photographable and thankfully, behind a low gate to keep people from touching or damaging them. And while we have the expression "low man on the totem pole" that typically means someone is junior or lowest rank, that's the opposite of reality. The lowest person on the pole is the most visible and most prestigious person on the pole because these are the representations that are seen at eye level. [Review 20877 overall - 54 in British Columbia - 1861 of 2023.]

    Dan R.

    "I've just seen a face I can't forget the time or place" (The Beatles) I just read that this Stanley Park collection of Totem Poles representing the indigenous nations, is the most visited tourist attraction in Vancouver. They are spread out in three Park locations - at the Welcome Gateways, by the Miniature Train entrance, and further along the Miniature train route. The park started buying up some of the totems in the 1920's. In 1962 they were moved here to Stanley Park. They poles were carved from western cedar, Each carving tells the story of a mythical or real life event. If you study the poles carefully, you'll see an eagle (representing the kingdom of the air, a whale (representing the power of the sea) a wolf, (representing the power of land), and a frog, representing the eternal link between land and sea. I like the way so many of Vancouver's public monuments honor the past of their indigenous peoples.

    Joyce T.

    Washroom, souvenir shops, snacks shops and of course the great totem poles. Parking is a bit tricky during summer. A great place to park and start the walk to seawall path along the waterfront.

    Sign
    James A.

    Not far off the path in Stanley Park in Vancouver, these 7 totems are protected by a small gulch. Each has a small sign explaining it's significance, though the signs are badly faded from sun damage. It has a constant flow of visitors as they walk the trails, exploring the park.

    Totem poles
    Chris P. B.

    Stanley Park's Totem Poles at Brockton Point are a mesmerizing tribute to BC's First Nations culture. Getting there is a breeze - by car (via Stanley Park Drive), a leisurely walk or bike ride along the Seawall, or a bus ride to Stanley Park Bus Loop. Excitingly, there's no admission fee! These lively totem poles, replicas from the 1980s, share tales of animals and mythical creatures. It is a cultural treasure in Vancouver that provides an enriching experience without any cost. For those eager to dive deeper into history, the UBC Museum of Anthropology offers more insights. Enjoy your visit! Getting to Brockton Point in Stanley Park Brockton Point is in the northeast of Stanley Park, between Coal Harbour and Burrard Inlet. By Car: Enter Stanley Park from Georgia Street. Take 1st right onto Stanley Park Drive. Drive 3-5 minutes, spot green fields on your left. Walking/Bicycling: Start at Vancouver Rowing Club. Walk east along Seawall for 15 min (walk) or 10 min (bike). By Bus: From Stanley Park Bus Loop, go east past Vancouver Aquarium. Trails behind the aquarium lead to Brockton Point. Walk north/south to Seawall, then east to Brockton Point. Parking: Available at Totem Poles, Brockton Point Lighthouse, and Brockton Oval. Parking details here.

    Totem Poles
    Shelby S.

    Stanley Park was one of the top free attractions to take advantage of while in Vancouver and we heard about the Totem Poles from a few different people! The park is really convenient to drive through and see a lot. The Totem Poles are a bit further into the park, but there is parking nearby so you can get out and take a look. I had to Google the history on them to understand their purpose, but they are pretty cool! Each one has their own design and it made for a great photo opportunity. Would be a fun place to bring kids to as well!

    Phil H.

    If you are into Native American culture and history and happen to be in Stanley Park then a quick visit here is a must. As we spent a day in Vancouver after our Alaskan cruise it was a beautiful sunny day to visit this massive park. On the web we saw there were totem poles here so we set out to explore. The park itself really needs more clear signage along the way to point out the directions here but we eventually found them. Just follow the sea wall. The totem poles were pretty cool. Not too many overall so you won't need to spend that much time here. Different in heights, meanings, colors, and carvings. Some plaques explaining what they mean. Of course, there is a gift shop in sight to spend your money at! Bonus perk is that there are public bathrooms here too!

    Drew B.

    If you haven't seen the Totem Poles in Stanley Park, you really haven't been to Stanley Park. Found on the Park's eastern peninsula (Brockton Point), overlooking the Burrard Inlet and North Vancouver, the Stanley Park Totem Poles are beautiful carvings from the BC First Nations people. If you are unaware of what Totem Poles are, they are essentially Coats of Arms for BCFNs and the Pacific Northwest Native Americans. As with most Totem Poles, these are carved from local red cedar trees. Each carving on each pole represents the natural world of the region: The eagle represents the kingdom of the air, the whale is the "lordship of the sea," the wolf is the "genius of the land," and the frog is the transitional link between land and sea. History aside, the are simply gorgeous carvings. Another great thing is it's an ever-changing place: From its original days at Lumberman's Arch almost 100 years ago to its move to Brockton Point in the 1960s, to more recent additions of the Skedans Mortuary Pole and another pole from Robert Yelton of the Squamish Nation. You never know ... more new carvings and I'll have to review it again. Yelp, can I borrow a sixth star?

    Justine S.

    A short pit stop if you're in Stanley Park! Beautiful totems nestled inside the park. The gift shop and I think cafe were closed due to covid but still worth stopping by to read the displays and take a quick picture!

    The totems
    Kristin U.

    I've been here twice now. The totems are definitely a sight, standing tall along the loop of Stanley Park. They're worth pausing your walk or ride and checking out! My friend loves the totems. I enjoyed them, but they're not my favorite thing in the park. In addition to the totems themselves, there's a gift shop with a lot of art and souvenirs related to them. There are also washrooms here, so it's a good pit stop on you way around the park. Definitely worth a visit if it's your first time!

    Karen H.

    I think everyone should just visit all of Stanley Park period. We heard so much about it but didn't have time to explore the entire park. Luckily our tour did include a stop at the Totem Poles. We were able to see the totem poles and a portion of Stanley Park. I kept wondering why all the travel sites and locals kept mentioning this park. Once you see it you'll understand why it's a must to put on your itinerary. Stanley Park from a distance looks like one giant lush green forest of trees. Once you are there though, you have a breath taking views of the city along the sea wall. Then you have these incredible totem poles carved by hand. Wish we had more time to explore here, but we were able to snap some great photos. These totem poles are just gigantic and beautiful. Of course there is a souvenir shop next to it as well. We only had about 20 minutes here, we took in as much as we could. If we had more time here, we would have spent the day exploring.

    Totem poles~
    Edward L.

    A must see for any Vancouver tourist. Parking is available in the nice long lot along the Seawall. However, it's not free. Best to just go in there and walk around while someone guards the car. There's also a gift store here and washrooms. The poles are neat to look at, and one can learn a thing or two if one reads the signs.

    Soleil S.

    This is one of BC's most visited tourist spots and it's quite a spectacular setting to showcase them. From my understanding, some where moved and not all are original here to create this visually beautiful collection. Now they're held on the eastern side of Stanley Park for all to admire. From reading the plaques, it seems some of the originals are from the 1800s! The site is quite majestic as it opens up to a clearing that proudly displays the totem. There seems to be a lot of bus tours coming through so it's quite hard to get a clear shot of everything or trying to easily maneuver but it isn't so bad when it is during the weekday. The totems themselves show such a great depth of respect of their history and nature around them. It's worthwhile to see it once ... not only admire it from an artistic point of view but also see it from the history of the first Canadians.

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    Review Highlights - Totem Poles

    And you should keep in mind that as recently as 1935, there were indigenous people living in what is now Stanley park.

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    Trans Am Totem

    Trans Am Totem

    5.0(2 reviews)
    3.1 kmDowntown

    The City of Vancouver, as part of its every-other-year Biennale, commissions artists to bring their…read morecreativity to the city. Installed in March 2015 in eastern Vancouver, the Trans-Am Totem has quickly become the great BC city's must-sees. I won't get into all the possible interpretations and grad-schooleque "merging of consumerism and nature" or "metaphor of recurring consumerism" or "throwaway consumer culture" talk and just give a run-down. Located near the Georgia Viaduct, Vancouver artist Marcus Bowcott has given us a 33-foot (10 m)-high, 25,000-pound (11,340 kg) sculpture. Simply put, it's a stump of an old-growth cedar tree topped with five cars. At the top is the car that gives this sculpture its name: a 1981 Pontiac Trans Am. Then there's a BMW 7 Series, a Honda Civic, a Volkswagen Golf Mk1 Cabriolet, and a Mercedes-Benz ... all donated by a local scrapyard. While the Trans Am Totem is perfectly viewable while driving down the road, I highly recommend parking and viewing it up close and personal ... it really accentuates the experience. Its location on a grassy median where Pacific Boulevard turns into Quebec Street does not make up-close viewing ideal, but well worth the extra effort. One of great things about modern art is the capability of grand scope ... it took gigantic moving trucks to get everything here and cranes with a construction crew to get it all in place. It's a real site to see!

    I pass this sculpture regularly and, like Seattle's "Freemont Troll" or "Gum Alley", this towering…read moretotem pole is definitely a whimsical oddity of sorts, one that people either love or detest. Personally, I love it. I think it funky and odd and comical. Until fairly recently, the headlights on the uppermost vehicle lit up at night. I'm not sure why they no longer do so, but I hope the City fixes this minor issue, as this feature truly enhances the novelty of the work when viewed at nighttime. I've read a few articles about this piece in the past year. I had no idea how controversial this totem pole was; many people take offense at the use of an indigenous people's symbol (the totem pole), used in a contemporary, artsy, funky way. I guess it's not PC to use indigenous symbols in art in this way. I guess this work is polarizing (emphasis on "pole" - get it? My weak attempt at humor here!). In my opinion, any artwork worth its weight in salt elicits dialogue and conversation and debate. In this way, I think this work is successful. Another note to pass on: I read that this totem pole is going to be moved this year to another location (as yet to be decided). So if you're interested in checking this eclectic piece out, I'd recommend doing so soon before it's moved to God-knows-where.

    Photos
    Trans Am Totem
    Trans Am Totem

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    Annual Chinese New Year Parade

    Annual Chinese New Year Parade

    4.4(5 reviews)
    2.7 kmChinatown

    Came here for the Chinese New Year Parade. I have to say the parade got bigger and bigger and to…read morethe point it takes like 3 hours to run down the whole thing. Well if you are at the end of the parade and its schedule to start at 11, you won't start until 12:30. Yes its that big. You also have the cadet and the Canadian army in it as well. If its on a rainy day the parade will still go on. Its interesting to see so many people supporting it. I don't recommend driving because there are road blockage and as well its hard to find a parking spot. Getting down by skytrain or bus is the best option. Interestingly City of Vancouver cleans the street about 1.5 hours after the parade finish. Very efficient!

    Amazing, impressive, fascinating event, it's been decades since I've gone…read more Cleverly, I parked near the 'finish line'' by Rogers arena, then walked towards the many different focus groups, this way, they walked towards me so great for pics. Wished there was more music and food. even the Sikh motorcycle group was represented. Many lion dance clubs, for which i'll review later, as I prefer to legitimately include full address and phone numbers (unlike someone). Seriously, I caught the tail end of it, arrived 45 min so by 1:30pm, wrapping up. Saw martial arts, last name associations societies which will even pump out more reviews if I feel like it, classical dance, kids groups.... Over 100,000 turnout. All the way from Main St and Quebec blocked off. Some action and magic show at Keefer Place too.

    Photos
    Annual Chinese New Year Parade
    Annual Chinese New Year Parade
    Annual Chinese New Year Parade

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    Ask For Luigi - rigatoni alla bolognese

    Ask For Luigi

    4.1(587 reviews)
    2.5 kmDowntown Eastside
    $$

    This might be one of the best Italian restaurants I have been to, and my first experience here was…read moreunforgettable. This was my first stop after having just landed in Vancouver. I had secured a weekday lunch reservation a few weeks prior in anticipation, which I highly recommend. The staff was incredibly friendly when we arrived, and we were seated moments later. The inside was quite full (a good sign), cozy, with all the tables in close proximity, but it provided a very inviting atmosphere. To start I ordered the Fried Cauliflower and Sourdough bread based on other recommendations I had seen, which both lived up to the hype. My wife and I had to stop ourselves before the main course, the rigatoni alla bolognese, arrived at our table. It was perfectly portioned, still steaming as we devoured the last few bites. Our waitress was even kind enough to provide us some other recommendations in the neighborhood to try during our trip, as it was our first time in the city. Prices were more than fair for quality of what we received. Though parking might not be the easiest, and reservations are in high demand, it's worth the wait. Whenever I find myself back in Vancouver, I'll always Ask For Luigi.

    Insane. Still thinking about the ravioli. My boyfriend has celiac and they had plenty of amazing…read moreoptions including homemade gluten free pasta. I'm from Boston and this place blows nearly every Italian spot out of the water. Cocktails are premade in bottles. I do wish they had a full service bar.

    Photos
    Ask For Luigi - Inside

    Inside

    Ask For Luigi - Radicchio Salad! IG - @bilalandjesseatfood

    Radicchio Salad! IG - @bilalandjesseatfood

    Ask For Luigi - Salad and foccacia bread.

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    Salad and foccacia bread.

    Totem Poles - localflavor - Updated May 2026

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