9 O'Clock Gun

Cover your ears - seriously - this one goes off daily at 9:00pm. No canon balls, but the bang is a once in a life time experience. Check it out on your way around Stanley Park.

The gun has been booming for over 100 years now in Stanley Park. The gun is believed to have been manufactured in 1816 by H & C King. It has been heard as far away as Mission (60 kilometers/40 miles away) - 3 minutes after it sounded in Stanley Park. Unfortunately the gun now sits in an unsightly cage to protect it from vandals (for the record: it has been stolen, spray painted, plugged, and more over the years). That said, do check it out as part of your Stanley Park curricular.

The best way to get to the gun is by cycling around Stanley Park in the evening in summer. Take a flask of coffee with you and sit on the grass waiting for the firing. The lighting on the city sky scrapers is fantastic from this view point - so you get more than what you bargained for. You can then continue on a ride around the park (remember, one direction on your bike only around Stanley Park).

A second option is to park at the nearby totem poles or Brockton Point Lighthouse (just a little further on). You can then walk over the the gun for the firing (less than 5 minutes from either location). The gun is also a 30 minute stroll from the closest downtown hotels (Coal Harbour area). For those truly on the move, a handful of cars pull up alongside the gun each evening as part of a “drive by” - just like a Contiki Tour!