Hidden Gems of North Vancouver

by Laila Kasuri - December 23, 2022

Our family moved to North Vancouver from downtown Vancouver due to the pandemic, much like many other Lower Mainland families looking for space. This however, has required us to really search for entertainment which used to be at our fingertips. Still, it wasn't as terrible because Vancouver city life isn't the best to begin with, and secondly, North Vancouver made up for the multitude of kid friendly activities and outdoor hikes. With some searching, we also discovered some other entertainment gems. Here are some of my favorites.

Seymour Creek Mini-Golf

The name says it all. This underrated mini-golf is located right next to the Real Canadian Superstore, so on a weekend, you can get your fix of fun and chores at the same time. What's more is that it's not super crowded, nor is it difficult to get to. It is an 18-hole course, with some of the courses going over water and some are fairly tricky! However, it isn't too difficult to be disheartening for newbies, nor is it too easy to be boring! It is perfect for a fun family time and our 3 year old loved running around the course. Perfect for a nice warm day!

Edgemont Village

Edgemont Village is not just one place, but a neighbourhood that really takes you back in time. It's a quaint part of North Vancouver, with some really nice cafe's from BjornBar (with their delicious chocolate bars) to Delaney's. A number of cute stores and restaurants line in the road. However, the best way to spend time at Edgemont Village is to grab a treat from your cafe of choosing, and then take a nice walk through Murdo Frazer Park. You will also come across the iconic cottage of Melinda Monroe from Virgin River. You also have two playgrounds you can enjoy: the Dudley Place playground, suited for smaller kids and the Murdo Frazer playground, that is your traditional playground of slides.

Laserdome Plus

Most people are already aware of Go Banana's which has a branch in North Vancouver (and a few other branches in the Lower Mainland) but few have heard of Laserdome Plus on Dollarton Highway. Laserdome is a family-owned business which has very affordable entertainment for kids. For one, they have a large laser tag arena with fog, black light, strobe lights which is great for groups. Then, if you have toddlers, they have a play jungle which is lots of fun and not too crowded (usually). You have the option to play for 15 minutes, 30 minutes or one hour and more so its perfect for even a short amount of time. Outside of that, they also have a cool auto-belay indoor rock climbing, which is small but fun.

MONOVA - Museum of North Vancouver

The museum is a new addition to North Vancouver, and is lovely! It opened up only in 2021, and is located in the lower lonsdale area, close to the Shipyards. The museum is small but exhibits are interesting, interactive and engaging, especially for smaller kids. The museum focuses on life around the shipyars, local Inidgenous peoples and the lumber industry. They also have a number of artifacts including an original streetcar (train), from 1908. Inside the museum, kids can play with pretend food, as well as a pretend city set. Also, another thing they do a number of activities every week for kids, which makes for a great playtime. Our 3 year old enjoyed the museum much more than the community center play times.

Lynn Canyon

Lynn Canyon has a number of things to do for kids, from the Ecology Center, which regularly hosts events for kids, to the trails and the waterfalls. It also has a nice cafe that you can enjoy. I've written more about it on my blog here.

Maplewood Farm

There aren't many petting farms and zoos in close vicinity to Vancouver, so even when we lived downtown, we'd have to go to North Vancouver to go to the closest petting zoo: Maplewood Farm. It's a cute but small farm with a number of animals that you can see - horses, ducks, chickens and pigs. The bunnies can be petted. Most other hands are off limit. I've written about the Maplewood Farm here.

Kingpins

Kingpins is also a new addition to North Vancouver, a bowling alley with snooker tables as well. I was debating whether to put this here but a bowling alley in North Vancouver is a big deal. Kingpins is indeed a hidden gem. Not many know that there is a bowling alley in North Vancouver, which in itself is a big deal. This place isn't perfect though. It is a little overpriced, the food isn't the best, and the bowling lanes sometimes do not work. However, the fact that one can find this entertainment without driving over the bridge to Vancouver or Richmond is still pretty awesome.

Besides these few, there are a few 'not so hidden' gems which most people know about, such as the Capilano Suspension Bridge and the Shipyards. If you haven't ventured out to North Van, I definitely encourage you to try these spots out!