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I thought it would be just another park. Instead, we found surprising gardens, city views, art, and hidden gems.

Looking for free things to do in Vancouver? Queen Elizabeth Park ended up being one of our favorite easy stops for city views, gardens, and a surprisingly fun mix of attractions.

Bill and I expected a quick visit, mostly for the viewpoint. Instead, we spent four hours wandering through the park, checking out the highlights, and realizing there was much more here than we expected.

In this post, I’ll show you what to see at Queen Elizabeth Park in Vancouver, what’s free, and how to make the most of your visit.

Quick Facts about Queen Elizabeth Park in Vancouver

Hours: 6:00 AM to 10:00 PM
Amount of Time: Minimum 1 hour – We spent 4 hours there!
Cost to Get In: FREE
Pets Allowed?: Leashed Dogs are allowed in most areas of the park, and there is a large unleashed area as well.

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The Map

I created a special map of the park for you below, showing the attractions covered in this blog post.

A colorful map shows the locations of the top attractions in Queen Elizabeth Park in Vancouver, highlighted with numbered red dots

Top 8 Attractions at Queen Elizabeth Park in Vancouver

#1 – The Viewpoint

Overlooking the City Skyline and the North Mountains, the Viewpoint next to the Conservatory should be your first stop at Queen Elizabeth Park. We found it at the end of our visit, but I recommend you stop here first if the weather is clear.

The views are outstanding! You can see all of the Vancouver City Skyline and the North Shore Mountains beyond that.

If you enter the park on Cambie Street (#9 on the map), follow the park road to the left as it climbs up to the highest point. The Viewpoint is to the left of the Seasons Restaurant.

Kari and Bill pose in front of a low stone wall with the city of Vancouver, trees and mountains in the background.

#2 – Bloedel Conservatory

This beautiful glass dome known as the Bloedel Conservatory offers guests an experience to explore over 500 exotic plants, birds and fish. There is a small admission fee, but it’s one of the least expensive things to do in the Vancouver area. Tickets purchased online save $1 each.

Hours vary throughout the year so check the website. When we visited on a Monday morning, it was not busy at all!

A metal and glass domed building is the Bloedel Conservatory at Queen Elizabeth Park in Vancouver, BC.

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#3 – The Seasons in the Park Restaurant

If you’re looking to combine fine dining with stunning views of the Vancouver Skyline, The Seasons at Queen Elizabeth Park is the place you want to come for lunch or come at dinnertime to watch the sunset.

They are well-known for their delicious Crab Cakes, Prime Rib and Smoked Salmon. The Sunburnt Lemon Pie is a favorite dessert for locals and visitors alike and the three-course lunch is a hit if you have time to relax and enjoy it. Check out their menu here and reservations are strongly recommended, especially for sunset dining.

A wooden structure with signage and lanterns is the entrance that welcomes guests to the Seasons in the Park restaurant, located at Queen Elizabeth Park in Vancouver, BC

Other Food Options

If the prices at The Seasons aren’t in your budget, there were also some food trucks available near the Viewpoint (#1) and a Concession stand at the Pitch & Putt Course (#5)

#4 – Rose Garden

Next we headed over to explore the beautiful Rose Gardens at Queen Elizabeth Park. Built in 1967 to commemorate Canada’s Centennial as a country, it features dozens of colorful rose bushes and other gorgeous plants.

There was a bench in the shade where we sat for quite awhile to cool off after all our exploring, enjoying the peacefulness of the garden and the birds that came to visit it.

A beautiful red rose is surrounded by lush green leaves in the Rose Garden at Queen Elizabeth Park in Vancouver.

Yellow, pink and lavender colored flowers fill the garden space.

White, pink, yellow and purple flower gardens are separated by grass pathways.

An empty bench in the shade with a tree hanging over it and flowers behind it.

#5 – Pitch & Putt Golf

This was the most fun thing I discovered in Queen Elizabeth Park! Right next to the Rose Garden, tons of people were busily coming and going down a sidewalk and they were all carrying long, narrow bags.

So I went off to see what it was all about! I came to a sign that said “Pitch & Putt” – what the heck is that? I asked the attendant who was selling tickets if it was regular golf or mini-golf. She said it’s as if those two had a baby!

You golf the entire course with just your pitching wedge and a putter. The course is 18 holes, par 3 with each hole measuring 50-110 meters, and it takes about 2-1/2 hours to complete.

So the long, skinny bags I saw everyone carrying was their pitching wedge and their putter. No need for a big golf bag on this course. There was a big line of people waiting to get started, even early on a Monday morning.

Fun to learn about a sport I’d never heard of before! Although we did find other Pitch and Putt courses around the area in Canada.

A sidewalk leaves the area with several blue and green signs in front of it.

A green and blue sign in a white plastic sign holder shows the pricing and rules for Pitch and Putt at Queen Elizabeth Park in Vancouver.

#6 – Off-Leash Dog Area

Dogs are welcome in all outdoor areas of Queen Elizabeth Park as long as they are leashed and picked up after. But near the tennis courts and the Pitch & Putt area is a large open space where dogs can be off-leash.

#7 – Pickleball

The Pickleball Craze has even reached Queen Elizabeth Park! The courts were jam packed on a Monday morning with dozens of people watching the matches. Besides Pickleball, there are other fields and spaces in the park for Lawn Bowling, Basketball, Baseball, Swimming and Skating.

Players in colorful shirts play pickleball on crowded tennis courts at Queen Elizabeth Park in Vancouver. They are really jammed in there!

# 8 – Quarry Gardens

Queen Elizabeth Park used to be part of a basalt quarry in the early 1900s with the stone used to build the roads in all of Vancouver. Now the area has been transformed into two beautiful garden areas, complete with paths and trails.

The Large Quarry Garden is located just below the Bloedel Conservatory and the Small Quarry Garden is below the Seasons restaurant. See the pink areas on the map below.

Map with the quarry gardens at Queen Elizabeth Park in Vancouver

Getting To Queen Elizabeth Park in Vancouver

Located at the geographic center of Vancouver, Queen Elizabeth Park is very easy to get to!

The main entrance to Queen Elizabeth Park is on Cambie Street in East Vancouver – shown as #9 on the Map. From here, you can take the Park Road right to reach the Rose Gardens, Pickleball Courts, Pitch & Putt Course and the Off-leash Dog area.

If you go left, the Park Road winds around and climbs to the top of the mountain where the Conservatory, Quarry Gardens, Celebration Pavilion, Seasons in the Park restaurant and the Amazing Viewpoint are located.

Additional entrances are on West 33rd Avenue & Kersland Drive, East 33rd Avenue & Ontario Street, plus from West 37th Avenue between Columbia and Mackie streets.

Drive

If you drive to the park like we did, know that all of the parking lots in Vancouver Parks are pay lots. Frequently, we saw patrol officers going around and checking all the cars to make sure they had paid. So don’t think you can get away without paying!!

The city offers multiple methods to pay via different apps. We usually did the option where we entered our license plate and paid by credit card at the kiosk.

For our day at Queen Elizabeth Park, we parked in the lot between the Pitch & Putt and the Off-Leash Dog Park and explored the park on foot from there. The parking lot near the Conservatory and the Restaurant is by far the largest lot in the park.

A blue sign with white letters boldly asks "Did you pay for parking?" and reminds you of the consequences if you don't. Pay Parking is required at Queen Elizabeth Park in Vancouver.

Take Transit

The closest transit stations to the park are the King Edward and Oakridge-41st stations on the Canada Line. Find the best route options on the TransLink app or at http://www.translink.ca/

Bike

Vancouver is such a bikeable city! The east-west Ridgeway Bikeway transverses the southern side of the park and the north-south Ontario Street Bike Route passes on the east side of the park. And the West 29th Ave Bikeway is on the north side.

There are bike racks located throughout Queen Elizabeth Park in Vancouver, just remember to bring a good quality lock.

Or if you want to get to the park on the Transit system, but bring your bike to ride there, all of the TransLink buses have bike racks. Bikes are allowed on the SkyTrain and SeaBus for free, and on the West Coast Express for a nominal fee.

Conclusion: Is Queen Elizabeth Park in Vancouver Worth a Visit?

For sure it is! It’s not as well known to visitors as Stanley Park and Granville Island are so it’s far less crowded. But it’s a terrific park with lots to see and do. Like I said, we intended to stop by for a quick peek and four hours later, we were still exploring it.

The views and the gardens are just outstanding, and it’s a great place to get some steps in while you explore the different areas!

More Info on Canada

Here are some more posts about Canada, British Columbia and Vancouver, including some that I’m still working on. If you’d like to receive emails when I’ve posted new content to the site, please complete the short form above.

Vancouver:

Vancouver Island:

Taking the Ferry to Vancouver Island? Learn from Our Experiences (and Our Mistakes)
Butchart Gardens: A Visual Tour of Canada’s Most Beautiful Garden
Coming Soon: Things to do in Campbell River, BC
Coming Soon: Things to do in Victoria