Vancouver Police Museum & Archives

11/01/2026

Thank you everyone
We will see you at the Woodwards Building starting November 6th

10/31/2026

In just a few short hours we close to the doors to 240 East Cordova street one last time. But what doors are we opening?

In our current location, if we were to stay it’s estimated the VPMA would likely need an angel investor or we would need to consider closing for good. This move to the amazing historic Woodwards building gives us another opportunity to reinvent, reimagine and reconnect with what makes us The Vancouver Police Museum & Archives.

We are looking to update all displays, focusing on not just the past of policing in Vancouver but the present and future. We wish to work more closely with specialty units, to delve deeper into forensics and reexamine what ‘true crime’ means in our city.

We will be introducing old and new technologies.
Showing cutting edge digital displays with beautiful old artifacts that have never been displayed before.

A beautiful research and library room, encouraging students and researchers to delve deeper with better access to our archives and a chance to uncover those hidden mysteries.

Our new location offers us the opportunity to work with the new VPD training academy, the Hastings Crossing CPC and hopefully with SFU, expanding our education and community reach.

An elevator ensures all community members access to our displays for the first time! And a beautiful theatre room the possibility of showing off old unseen reels.

We are sad to leave the Old City Morgue and Coroners Courtroom but we strongly believe this is the right move and the best way to ensure the museums future.

Thank you to everyone who has made our last month so special. But here’s to those that will continue with us, who will visit the new location come November 6th and beyond.

The work ahead is mammoth and our goals are lofty but we strongly believe this is how we make a bigger and better Vancouver Police Museum & Archives.

10/31/2026

Today is your very last day to visit The Police Museum & Archives at 240 E Cordova street, the Old Coroners Court and City Morgue.
We will be reopening November 6 at the new locations at the Woodwards Building!
Before we leave though we are having a Halloween party.
Come dressed ready for trick or treating and enjoy this beautiful space one, last, time 👻
The museum will be open 10am-5pm, admission applies, we will have behind the scenes tours with only a few spaces for a few walk ins at 10:30, 12:00, 1:30 & 3:00 (pre purchase tickets have sold out) Tickets $20 & include entry.
🎃

10/31/2026

A huge thank you to NPI and CBC for coming to play at the old Vancouver Police Museum & Archives one last time.
Tomorrow is your last day to see the building and see if any ghosts still walk these halls. A perfect way to spend Halloween day 👻

What's lurking inside three of Vancouver's most historic buildings?...

10/30/2026

With only two days left open at 240 East Cordova current staff wanted to thank everyone who put their hearts into making the VPMA what it is today. What started as a question from Chief Bob Stewart, ‘how would VPD members like to honour 100 years of service’, turned into a passion project, a society and an obsession for then current and retired officers.
A wonderful group of VPD history enthusiasts came together encouraged by Staff Sergeant Joe Swan to open the Vancouver Police Centennial Museum in 1986.
Over the years the faces have changed but the passion has remained.
The museum acquired the Morgue and Autopsy Suite, and in 1996 the City Analysts Lab left the ground floor.
The museum remodelled, opening and brightening the Coroners Court with help from people like Linda Malcolm, Chico Newell and Chuck Standish. A scholarship was created by the Cannuel Family to help support and encourage cadets and students start their university careers.
Our programming evolved and morphed from CSI camps, NightCourt, Movies in the Morgue and our Mortuary Market.

We are so grateful that through all the current changes many of the past guard have come back to touch base with the building and to reconnect with current staff.

To the past Museum staff, thank you, for your hard work, your blood, sweat, and tears have made this place the wonder that it is. A loud shout out to Kristin Hardie, Rozzlyn Shipp & Dr Elizabeth Peterson. Thank you for your hand holding and compassion.

To the past VPD personnel, so many of you put so much time and effort into making this place special. We honour you, but you honoured us first. A loud thank you to Lawrie Stewart for never giving up on us.

To the volunteers and countless Cadets. You rock! A museum is nothing without the help of incredible people!

For the past staff of the City Analysts Lab, the Coroners Court and City Morgue, I hope we have preserved many of your stories. Please never hesitate to reach out and share more. Whilst we are leaving this building we will always remember where we came from.

To our past visitors, community is why we exist. To connect, and to share.
This is not the end, just the next chapter.
Thank you to everyone for getting us here ❤️

10/30/2026

We’ve had a last minute cancellation for this evenings 8pm tour.
No holds. Purchase online through our website;
Www.vancouverpolicemuseum.ca/halloweentours

10/29/2026

Today, tomorrow and Saturday are your last days to visit the Vancouver Police Museum & Archives at 240 East Cordova.
Don’t panic, we are reopening on November 6th at the Woodwards Building, but we are saying goodbye to the beautifully macabre morgue, autopsy suite and coroners court.
The move comes due to multiple reasons; lack of accessibility with no elevator, lack of climate and humidity control for people and objects, lack of parking, no earth quake proofing, and the list continues.
We are excited to be moving so close to the new VPD Training Academy and the Gastown Hastings Crossing Community Policing Centre 💖
But will miss our ghostly little building 👻

10/25/2026

There are only 4 days left to visit the Vancouver Police Museum & Archives in the old Coroners Court.
Today, Thursday 29th, Friday 30th & Saturday 31st are the final days we will be open to the public in this incredible heritage listed building.
We are excited to open at the historic Woodwards building as of November 5th, but we wish to give this space the send off it deserves.
If you’ve been meaning to visit for the past 40 years, now is your last chance.

10/25/2026

We have had a last minute cancellation for our Halloween tours tonight.
If you would like up to 3 tickets for our 8pm tour please call 604-665-3346 before 6:45pm to join us. Tickets are $45 each.
Every tour is sold out so this is your last chance 👻

10/20/2026

Museum director Christie Strauss is excited to join Museum of Vancouver tomorrow night to discuss Austerity in the arts, culture and heritage sector. This panel discussion is based on the Museum of Vancouver’s boundary breaking Austerity tours and helps to contextualize the wider community in this same discussion. We are excited to join PoCo Heritage Museum & Archive & VIVO Media Arts Centre in this necessary conversation. Tickets are available on a sliding scale through the Museum of Vancouvers website. We are excited to share our story and include our voices in this important discussion.