Heritage Discovery Day offers a chance to take a peek inside a selection of heritage properties to learn about their diverse history, architecture, and design. Running as a fundraiser since 2003, it is a wonderful way to explore Vancouver’s diverse neighbourhoods, discover the stories of each site, past and present, as well as connect with local businesses and community organizations.
Heritage Discovery Day 2025 will be on Saturday June 7!
Tickets go on sale April 1st at 10am PST.
This year will feature the rich cultural and built history of the Kitsilano neighbourhood.
Saturday, June 7th, 10am - 5pm
Kitsilano
$50/40+tax
From a 1912 Craftsman, a 1908 Early Vernacular Style home, to a beloved community site, the oldest non-Indigenous building still standing in Vancouver, join us for Vancouver Heritage Foundation's Heritage Discovery Day where you can peek inside a selection of nine unique heritage properties and learn about the diverse history, architecture and culture that has shaped Kitsilano over the years.
Participants will also have the opportunity to explore other lesser-known places and spaces that have shaped the Kitsilano neighbourhood, as well as connect with local businesses and community organizations.
The tour is self-guided and ticket holders can choose which stops to visit and in which order. Volunteers and your guidebook will offer historical information about each site, as well as additional neighbourhood insights. The tour will be well enjoyed by bike or by transit, although some sites are walkable and parking information will be provided. Please be aware that ticket holders are responsible for finding and covering costs associated with vehicle parking. We will also provide information on local transit routes with your ticket.
Please read the following information before purchasing your ticket:
Please note that the ticket is a detailed guidebook, therefore they cannot be sent via email. You will need your ticket guidebook to access the tour stops. All attendees (ages 6 and up) require a ticket. No children under 6 are permitted (infants in front carriers are allowed).
There are a limited number of tickets available for this year’s tour! Tickets will not be available for purchase on the day of the event. All ticket sales will end at 5:00 pm on Thursday, June 5th. If you are waitlisted, you will be contacted by June 5th and notified if there are any tickets available for purchase.
Tickets can be mailed (if purchased before Thursday, May 29), picked up at VHF’s Main St. office on the dates listed below or picked up between 9:30 am and 2:30 pm on the tour day at the Info Booth in Kitsilano (address will be provided to ticketholders 2 weeks prior to the event). All guidebooks will be printed in early May and ticketholders will be notified when the guidebooks have been mailed.
Dates/Times Available for Ticket Pick-Up at VHF Office (3102 Main St)*
Tuesday, May 13, 9:30am – 4:30pm
Wednesday, May 14, 9:30am – 4:30pm
Thursday, May 15, 9:30am – 4:30pm
Friday, May 16, 9:30am – 4:30pm
Wednesday, May 21, 9:30am – 4:30pm
Thursday, May 22, 9:30am – 4:30pm
Friday, May 23, 9:30am – 4:30pm
Monday, May 26, 9:30am – 4:30pm
Tuesday, May 27, 9:30am – 4:30pm
Wednesday, May 28, 9:30am – 4:30pm
Thursday, May 29, 9:30am – 4:30pm
Monday, June 2, 9:30am – 4:30pm
Tuesday, June 3, 9:30am – 4:30pm
Wednesday June 4, 9:30- 4:30pm
*Additional dates and times may be added as necessary. As majority VHF staff work remotely, please do not come to the office to pick up your ticket outside of these times without confirmation. Please contact mail@vancouverheritagefoundation.org with any questions regarding ticket pick-up.
VHF’s Cancellation Policy applies to this event as follows:
We are unable to provide refunds or credits for cancellations received less than four (4) weeks prior to the event – therefore the refund cut off for this event is May 10th.
We cannot provide refunds or credits for non-attendance, including for illness. We appreciate your cooperation to keep our staff and community safe by not attending an in-person event if you are feeling unwell.
We cannot assist in reselling tickets.
Please consider sponsoring a student to attend Heritage Discovery Day this year. There are two sponsorship options: 100% or 50%. To learn more about the Student Access Program and how your donation will be used, please visit our website.
Please note our Student Sponsorship options are not the same as purchasing a student priced ticket.
Please review our full cancellation and refund policy here before registering.
If you would like to make a donation in addition to your registration, the amount will be tax deductible and you will receive an official tax receipt for donations of $20 or more. Our Registered Charity number is 891765968.
Heritage Discovery Day 2024
On Saturday, June 1st, we welcomed over 700 visitors to the neighbourhoods of Arbutus Ridge, Kerrisdale and Marpole.
Eight heritage sites were featured during the Heritage Discovery Day & House Tour, representing a wide range of housing styles and adaptive re-use – from a 1913 Arts and Crafts church in Arbutus Ridge and a Dutch Colonial Revival home in Marpole to a stunning 1925 Tudor Revival Style house and Mid-Century Modern home in Kerrisdale. Two of the sites on the tour were featured on Global TV – O’Brien House and Tite House. A number of additional sites of interest in the neighbourhoods were featured in the guidebook.
Over 150 dedicated volunteers were on hand to guide visitors through each home and showcase the unique features, answer questions, take photos and help visitors navigate between the tour stops. We are so appreciative of their support and dedication, as well as the generosity of our owners, who allow us to step inside so many incredible properties every year.
In addition to our presenting sponsor, Equitable Real Estate Investment Corp Ltd., we would also like to thank our house sponsors – Buntain Insurance, Engel & Volkers, Hills of Kerrisdale, Kerrisdale Business Association and Odlum Brown – as well as our friend sponsor – Extraordinary League Contracting.
Volunteers at Entrance of Tite House during the Heritage Discovery Day and House Tour in Kerrisdale in 2024. Credit: Kamran Safari
Volunteer helping a visitor using the tour map at the Info Table during Heritage Discovery Day in 2024. Credit: Kamran Safari
Line-Up at Butterfield House during the Heritage Discovery Day and House Tour in Arbutus Ridge in 2024. Credit: Kamran Safari
Kitchen skylights at O'Brien House during the Heritage Discovery Day and House Tour in Kerrisdale in 2024. Credit: Martin Knowles Photo/Media
Interior of St. Mary's Church during the Heritage Discovery Day and House Tour in Arbutus Ridge in 2024. Credit: Martin Knowles Photo/Media
Volunteer inside Butterfield House during the Heritage Discovery Day and House Tour in Arbutus Ridge in 2024. Credit: Kamran Safari
Behind the scenes at the filming of a Global TV Open House at Tite House with local historian, John Atkin in 2024. Credit: S Carlson
Visitors inside Crofton House during the Heritage Discovery Day and House Tour in Kerrisdale in 2024. Credit: Kamran Safari
Volunteer and visitors at O'Brien House during the Heritage Discovery Day and House Tour in Kerrisdale in 2024. Credit: Martin Knowles Photo/Media
Volunteer and Visitor at Colbourne House during the Heritage Discovery Day and House Tour in Marpole in 2024. Credit: Martin Knowles Photo/Media
Crofton House Archivist and VHF volunteer at Crofton House during the Heritage Discovery Day and House Tour in Kerrisdale in 2024. Credit: Martin Knowles Photo/Media
Detail of original wood flooring in living room and dining room of O'Brien House. Credit: S Carlson
Dining room of O'Brien House during the Heritage Discovery Day and House Tour in Kerrisdale in 2024. Credit: Martin Knowles Photo/Media
Entrance to C.S. Arnold House during the Heritage Discovery Day and House Tour in Kerrisdale in 2024. Credit: Kamran Safari
Volunteers taking tickets at Tite House during HDD 2024. Credit: Kamran Safari
Visitors lining up to enter Fountain Chapel during the Heritage Discovery Day and House Tour in Strathcona in 2023. Credit: Kamran Safari
Volunteer at Fountain Chapel during the Heritage House Tour and Discovery Day in Strathcona in 2023. Credit: Martin Knowles Photo/Media
Visitors at the Places that Matter Info Table during Heritage Discovery Day in 2023. Credit: Kamran Safari
Visitors walking to Fountain Chapel in Strathcona during Heritage Discovery Day & House Tour in 2023. Credit: Kamran Safari
Volunteer Team at Lovegrove House during the Heritage Discovery Day & House Tour in 2023. Credit Kamran Safari
Visitors at the Lovegrove House during the Heritage House Tour and Discovery Day in Strathcona in 2023. Credit: Martin Knowles Photo/Media
Lineup at Koo's Corner during the Heritage House Tour and Discovery Day in Strathcona in 2023. Credit: Martin Knowles Photo/Media
Visitors inside Koo's Corner during the Heritage Discovery Day and House Tour in Strathcona in 2023. Credit: Martin Knowles Photo/Media
Visitors inside the MacPherson House during the Heritage Discovery Day and House Tour in Strathcona in 2023. Credit: Martin Knowles Photo/Media
Visitors waiting in line to visit the Baldasso House at the Heritage House Tour in Strathcona in 2023. Credit: Kamran Safari
Third floor loft at the Baldasso House during the Heritage House Tour and Discovery Day in 2023. Credit: Martin Knowles Photo/Media
Volunteer with her sketch of the Baldasso House during the Heritage House Tour and Discovery Day in 2023. Credit: Martin Knowles Photo/Media
Volunteers at Montreal Bakery during the Heritage House Tour and Discovery Day in 2023. Credit: Martin Knowles Photo/Media
Visitors at the Lovegrove House during the Heritage House Tour and Discovery Day in Strathcona in 2023. Credit: Martin Knowles Photo/Media
Visitors reading Walter & Mary Chan House Plaque during the Heritage Discovery Day & House Tour in 2023. Credit Kamran Safari
Volunteer at The Factory during the Heritage House Tour and Discovery Day in 2023. Credit: Martin Knowles Photo/Media
Visitor taking photo of house exterior during the Heritage Discovery Day and House Tour in Strathcona in 2023. Credit: Kamran Safari
Close-up of the Heritage Discovery Day and House Tour Guidebook from 2023, featuring the neighbourhood of Strathcona. Credit: Kamran Safari
Interior of C.S. Arnold House during HDD 2024. Credit: Martin Knowles Photo/Media
Visitor outside Tite House during Heritage Discovery Day 2024. Credit: Kamran Safari
Volunteers at Entrance of Tite House during the Heritage Discovery Day and House Tour in Kerrisdale in 2024. Credit: Kamran Safari
Volunteer helping a visitor using the tour map at the Info Table during Heritage Discovery Day in 2024. Credit: Kamran Safari
Line-Up at Butterfield House during the Heritage Discovery Day and House Tour in Arbutus Ridge in 2024. Credit: Kamran Safari
Kitchen skylights at O'Brien House during the Heritage Discovery Day and House Tour in Kerrisdale in 2024. Credit: Martin Knowles Photo/Media
Interior of St. Mary's Church during the Heritage Discovery Day and House Tour in Arbutus Ridge in 2024. Credit: Martin Knowles Photo/Media
Volunteer inside Butterfield House during the Heritage Discovery Day and House Tour in Arbutus Ridge in 2024. Credit: Kamran Safari
Behind the scenes at the filming of a Global TV Open House at Tite House with local historian, John Atkin in 2024. Credit: S Carlson
Visitors inside Crofton House during the Heritage Discovery Day and House Tour in Kerrisdale in 2024. Credit: Kamran Safari
Volunteer and visitors at O'Brien House during the Heritage Discovery Day and House Tour in Kerrisdale in 2024. Credit: Martin Knowles Photo/Media
Volunteer and Visitor at Colbourne House during the Heritage Discovery Day and House Tour in Marpole in 2024. Credit: Martin Knowles Photo/Media
Crofton House Archivist and VHF volunteer at Crofton House during the Heritage Discovery Day and House Tour in Kerrisdale in 2024. Credit: Martin Knowles Photo/Media
Detail of original wood flooring in living room and dining room of O'Brien House. Credit: S Carlson
Dining room of O'Brien House during the Heritage Discovery Day and House Tour in Kerrisdale in 2024. Credit: Martin Knowles Photo/Media
Entrance to C.S. Arnold House during the Heritage Discovery Day and House Tour in Kerrisdale in 2024. Credit: Kamran Safari
Volunteers taking tickets at Tite House during HDD 2024. Credit: Kamran Safari
Visitors lining up to enter Fountain Chapel during the Heritage Discovery Day and House Tour in Strathcona in 2023. Credit: Kamran Safari
Volunteer at Fountain Chapel during the Heritage House Tour and Discovery Day in Strathcona in 2023. Credit: Martin Knowles Photo/Media
Visitors at the Places that Matter Info Table during Heritage Discovery Day in 2023. Credit: Kamran Safari
Visitors walking to Fountain Chapel in Strathcona during Heritage Discovery Day & House Tour in 2023. Credit: Kamran Safari
Volunteer Team at Lovegrove House during the Heritage Discovery Day & House Tour in 2023. Credit Kamran Safari
Visitors at the Lovegrove House during the Heritage House Tour and Discovery Day in Strathcona in 2023. Credit: Martin Knowles Photo/Media
Lineup at Koo's Corner during the Heritage House Tour and Discovery Day in Strathcona in 2023. Credit: Martin Knowles Photo/Media
Visitors inside Koo's Corner during the Heritage Discovery Day and House Tour in Strathcona in 2023. Credit: Martin Knowles Photo/Media
Visitors inside the MacPherson House during the Heritage Discovery Day and House Tour in Strathcona in 2023. Credit: Martin Knowles Photo/Media
Visitors waiting in line to visit the Baldasso House at the Heritage House Tour in Strathcona in 2023. Credit: Kamran Safari
Third floor loft at the Baldasso House during the Heritage House Tour and Discovery Day in 2023. Credit: Martin Knowles Photo/Media
Volunteer with her sketch of the Baldasso House during the Heritage House Tour and Discovery Day in 2023. Credit: Martin Knowles Photo/Media
Volunteers at Montreal Bakery during the Heritage House Tour and Discovery Day in 2023. Credit: Martin Knowles Photo/Media
Visitors at the Lovegrove House during the Heritage House Tour and Discovery Day in Strathcona in 2023. Credit: Martin Knowles Photo/Media
Visitors reading Walter & Mary Chan House Plaque during the Heritage Discovery Day & House Tour in 2023. Credit Kamran Safari
Volunteer at The Factory during the Heritage House Tour and Discovery Day in 2023. Credit: Martin Knowles Photo/Media
Visitor taking photo of house exterior during the Heritage Discovery Day and House Tour in Strathcona in 2023. Credit: Kamran Safari
Close-up of the Heritage Discovery Day and House Tour Guidebook from 2023, featuring the neighbourhood of Strathcona. Credit: Kamran Safari
Interior of C.S. Arnold House during HDD 2024. Credit: Martin Knowles Photo/Media
Visitor outside Tite House during Heritage Discovery Day 2024. Credit: Kamran Safari
Heritage Discovery Day & House Tour 2023
On Sunday, June 4th, we welcomed over 500 visitors to one of Vancouver’s oldest neighbourhoods, Strathcona in a re-imagined version of the Heritage House Tour.
Eight properties were featured during the Heritage Discovery Day & House Tour, representing a wide range of housing styles – from an institutional Arts & Craft chapel turned artist studio and residence to a Victorian-era cottage and a garlic factory that was converted into loft-style condos. A number of additional sites of interest in the neighbourhood were featured through 3 self-guided discovery routes.
Over 120 dedicated volunteers were on hand to guide visitors through each home and showcase the unique features, answer questions, take photos and help visitors navigate the neighbourhood of Strathcona.
In addition to our presenting sponsor, Equitable Real Estate Investment Corp Ltd., we would also like to thank our house sponsors – Buntain Insurance, Disher Construction Ltd., and Solus Trust Company Ltd. – as well as our friend sponsors – Penfolds Roofing & Solar, Quinton Construction, and Stonehouse Team.
I just wanted to say how much my daughter and I enjoyed the tour this year – we love wandering the streets of Strathcona – and loved touring just one area of the city rather than driving from neighbourhood to neighbourhood.
We took transit to Science World and walked to the start of the tour, so better from an environmental perspective too.
I hope you will be able to do something similar next year!
Shannon Estates during the 2017 Heritage House Tour. Credit: Martin Knowles Photo/Media
2017 Heritage House Tour at Shannon Estates. Credit Martin Knowles Photo/Media
From Heritage House Tour 2019: "This Edwardian-style house was built in 1911 by John Bell along with its two neighbours facing Willow Street. "
From Heritage House Tour 2019: "This large Edwardian home was built by John and Edith Beaton."
The Downs Residence was designed by renowned architect Barry Downs for his own family and is an especially fine example of a West Coast Modern home.
From Heritage House Tour 2019: "A Swiss chalet style Craftsman bungalow of 1910 designed by Gamble and Knapp, features river stone in the garden, leaded-glass windows, half-timbered gables, big brackets and eaves. "
This large half-timbered home, sheltered within its lush street-side garden, started out as a revenue property for a well-known local boat builder. It was built as three units in the former garden of the 1912 house next door, which was later demolished for an apartment building.
From Heritage House Tour 2019: "This large Victorian home was built by George Weeks for his family when the West End was the young city’s fashionable residential neighbourhood. It is now the Diamond Centre for Living and part of Barclay Heritage Square. "
From Heritage House Tour 2019: "This house, built in 1929 by self-employed contractor William Earland, reflects more prosperous times and the taste beginning to form in the late 1920s for Storybookstyle architecture, supplanting the popular Craftsman Style and earlier boxy house forms."
One of the more remote early estates in Vancouver is now Crofton House School in the southwestern corner of the city.
From Heritage House Tour 2019: "As the Dunbar neighbourhood developed in the 1930s with a distinctly modest flavour compared with adjoining Kerrisdale, building contractor Mikkel Nielsen built a one-storey bungalow using the typical five-room floor plan of living room, dining room and kitchen across from two bedrooms and a bathroom."
Shannon Estates during the 2017 Heritage House Tour. Credit: Martin Knowles Photo/Media
2017 Heritage House Tour at Shannon Estates. Credit Martin Knowles Photo/Media
From Heritage House Tour 2019: "This Edwardian-style house was built in 1911 by John Bell along with its two neighbours facing Willow Street. "
From Heritage House Tour 2019: "This large Edwardian home was built by John and Edith Beaton."
The Downs Residence was designed by renowned architect Barry Downs for his own family and is an especially fine example of a West Coast Modern home.
From Heritage House Tour 2019: "A Swiss chalet style Craftsman bungalow of 1910 designed by Gamble and Knapp, features river stone in the garden, leaded-glass windows, half-timbered gables, big brackets and eaves. "
This large half-timbered home, sheltered within its lush street-side garden, started out as a revenue property for a well-known local boat builder. It was built as three units in the former garden of the 1912 house next door, which was later demolished for an apartment building.
From Heritage House Tour 2019: "This large Victorian home was built by George Weeks for his family when the West End was the young city’s fashionable residential neighbourhood. It is now the Diamond Centre for Living and part of Barclay Heritage Square. "
From Heritage House Tour 2019: "This house, built in 1929 by self-employed contractor William Earland, reflects more prosperous times and the taste beginning to form in the late 1920s for Storybookstyle architecture, supplanting the popular Craftsman Style and earlier boxy house forms."
One of the more remote early estates in Vancouver is now Crofton House School in the southwestern corner of the city.
From Heritage House Tour 2019: "As the Dunbar neighbourhood developed in the 1930s with a distinctly modest flavour compared with adjoining Kerrisdale, building contractor Mikkel Nielsen built a one-storey bungalow using the typical five-room floor plan of living room, dining room and kitchen across from two bedrooms and a bathroom."
Past Heritage House Tours
The Heritage House Tour has taken place on the first weekend in June since 2003. Enjoy highlights of some of the great spaces we’ve featured in recent years and what makes the tour special with our ‘Celebrating the Heritage House Tour’ video below.
Do you or someone you know live in a house that may be a good fit for a future tour? We are always searching for great examples of heritage or character homes to open on our tours. If you’d like to know more, or have your home considered for inclusion on a future tour, contact us 604 264 9642 or by email.
VHF’s popular Heritage House Tour returned in virtual format again in 2022! Through a series of curated video tours, two live events (May 31 and June 2) and our exclusive Heritage House Tour web portal, we explored the stories of six unique properties around the city. We visited a Mission Revival building in Hastings-Sunrise that has been converted to residential townhouses, a 1928 award-winning Tudor-Revival style cottage, a grand Edwardian commercial building, a 1912 Craftsman home in Kitsilano lovingly restored by its current owner, an early passive solar home in Dunbar Southlands, and a Dutch Colonial Revival home in Marpole that has been transformed into a community museum. We will enjoy original interior features, craftsmanship, and unique designs. We explored the history and heritage significance of each building and learned about how they have been restored and adapted for modern living.
In 2021, the Heritage House Tour was offered virtually for the first time. Through a series of curated video tours, an exclusive web portal, and two live events, we explored six properties spread across Vancouver. The 2021 tour featured a 1958 award-winning Mid-Century Modern home in Southlands, an 1890s Strathcona home, a grand Shaughnessy estate home, and a 1928 apartment. Participants were able to experience the compelling stories, past and present, of early architects, builders and residents as well as recent restorations and how these distinct spaces have been adapted for modern living.
In 2019, we explored the evolution of Vancouver’s heritage and character homes. The traditional self-guided tour offered a look inside homes across Vancouver, varying in age and style, each with a unique story to tell. The houses dated back to 1895 including the A-listed 1910 Arts & Crafts beauty Hirschfeld House and the 1895 home built for George Weeks that is now a calming wellness centre in a historic square. The homes spanned six decades of architectural design including handsome Victorian detailing, sturdy Craftsman construction and even influential Mid-Century Modern design. The tour also featured the Downs Residence, a 1959 masterpiece designed by Downs for his own family, is a strong example of West Coast Modernism and has been featured in many design and architecture publications as well as exhibitions.
The future of a site is often found in adaptive reuse, which is a key concept in heritage conservation and the retention of historic buildings. Finding compatible new uses for early structures preserves historic materials and maintains a sense of community. It is also a consistent theme throughout Vancouver’s housing history. Through the decades and adaptations, the history of each home connects to the people who built them, designed them, and lived in them, and helps illuminate the development of the city, its industries, neighbourhoods and communities over the decades.
