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Stanley Park. Photo by Adam Jones Ph. D on

Top 10 Interesting Facts about Stanley Park, Vancouver

Stanley Park is a Vancouver’s beloved park and a top tourist attraction destination, a popular place to visit.

The park covers1,000 acres that make up the northwestern half of Vancouver’s downtown peninsula, surrounded by waters of Burrard inlet and English bay.

The park was established in 1887. It was named after Lord Stanley of Stanley cup fame.

The park features forest trails, a Vancouver aquarium, a lost lagoon, lighthouse on Brockton point, among many other attraction points.

Here are some interesting facts about Stanley Park in Vancouver to help you learn more about the park.

1. Stanley Park is larger than Central Park

Photo by Carlos Leiva on

Stanley Park is significantly larger than the central park in New York. Stanley park covers over 1,000 acres (450 hectares) to the central park, which seats 840 acres (340hecteras).

The park has seawalls on the outskirts of the park, which stretches 8.8 km with a beautiful view one can enjoy by walking or bike riding.

Stanley Park is larger than downtown cove, which is 914 acres(370 hectares), a spot larger than central park.

One can easily walk or ride on the downtown cove of Vancouver in no time and enjoy its scenic and take fantastic photographs.

2. Stanley Park has Canada’s largest aquarium

Vancouver Aquarium is Canada’s first aquarium and the largest aquarium in the country. It houses a collection of marine life, including dolphins, sea lions, harbour seals and sea otters.

The aquarium covers approximately 9,000 square metres (97,000 sq ft) and has a total 9,500,000 litres (2,100,000 imp gal; 2,500,000 US gal) of water in 166 aquatic displays. It has different numbers of galleries, several of which were built at different times throughout the aquarium’s history.

Stanley park operates several conservation and research programs whose aim is to understand and preserve animal species in the wild. 

Stanley park Ocean Wise Seafood program promotes sustainable seafood, and you will see this logo at numerous Vancouver restaurants.

A beluga whale inspired the song Baby Beluga Raffi saw during a visit to the Vancouver Aquarium; interesting.

3. The historic 9 o’clock gun is now illegal

Nine O’clock gun firing. Photo by Xenyx on

The gun was cast 200 years ago in 1816 in Woolwich, England and installed in the park in June 1894. they were making it an iconic part of both the park and history.

Prime Minister Trudeau’s latest firearm ban inadvertently made the historic 9 o’clock gun an illegal weapon.

The 9 o’clock gun still fires every night. Recently when two Vancouver Mom team members were enjoying a Theatre Under the Stars show, they were jarred by the sound of a gunshot. It took them a second to realize it was the Nine o’clock Gun.

4. You can see Canada’s national animals

One can see Beavers swimming in Beaver Lake, but Canada’s national animal disappeared for years and returned to the lake in 2008 after 60 years of hiatus.

Beavers can be seen in the lost lagoon and Beaver lake, mostly during dusk and dawn when they are most active.

Other animals seen are a raccoon, a squirrel and lovely ducks.

5. Stanley Park was named the world’s top park

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In 2014, Stanley park earned the title “top park in the entire world from Tripadvisor. This made the park more popular.

The travellers’ choice award was based on millions of opinions and reviews from Trip Advisor travellers.

This densely forested park has half a million trees, four restaurants, an aquarium, an outdoor swimming pool, a water park, totem poles, two beaches, a lagoon and a lake, a rose garden, and much more.

6. Stanley park hollow tree

The hollow tree is 700 to 800 years old, a western red cedar tree. The tree has an incredibly special place in the memories of the Vancouverites.

The hollow tree is the most photographed landmark in the park. This is evident in many historic photos showcasing people, caves and even an elephant posing inside trees’ large cavities.

Over the years, many plans had been put in place to remove the tree and even damaged in 2006 by a windstorm.

The locals stepped forward to stabilize the tree, making it continue with a new chapter in its long history in the park.

7. Stanley park lost lagoon

The lost lagoon was designed by Thomas Mawson, who also designed the lighthouse of Brockton point. After three years of construction, the lake was finally completed in 1916.

The fountain in the centre of the lost lagoon was installed thirty years later to commemorate the city’s golden jubilee.

8. Priority one

Stanley Park wasn’t opened until 1888 when the new city of Vancouver council met on 12th May 1886. The park was the first order of business.

The Dominion government passed a resolution to ask the council to give the Penisula, known as the government reserve, to the city to be used by the inhabitants of said city of Vancouver as a park.

9. So many lush towering trees

Photo by Blok 70 on

Stanley park used to be a logging area from 1860 to 1880 before it was a park. At the tip of Stanley Park is Brocton point. Here, there was to be a sawmill built. The land was cleared from the sawmill, but it was never built.

Today you will find the Brockton point lighthouse. Many trails in the park today were once the original logging skid roads.

10. Cannon Fire

Every evening at 9 pm sharp, cannon fire can be heard ringing through the air. The sound is produced by a Stanley park nine o’clock gun.

The installation of the nine o’clock gun took place in 1894 with the assistance of the department of marine and fisheries to warn fishers to close fishing.

The gun was fired for the first time on 15th October 1898 in the Stanley park at noon.

The 9 o’clock firing was later established as a time signal for the general population and to allow the clocks of the ships in the port to be accurately set.

The Brockton Lighthouse keeper, William D. Jones, originally detonated a stick of dynamite until the canon was installed