Walk in the Steps of Superheroes in Vancouver
You don’t need tights and a cape to enjoy a memorable time in Vancouver, but the city certainly attracts superheroes. Whether Supergirl, The Flash, Arrow or Superman, on big and small screens alike these city streets are a (Hollywood) hotbed of crime-fighting, villain-thwarting men and women of steel.
Superhero movies and TV series abound in Vancouver, and you can visit some of the city’s top attractions that have played host to the genre’s film crews. Read on for itinerary suggestions that will take you to recognized and hidden destination hotspots alike – and learn about the city’s filming sites as you go!
Superheroes in the city.
Start your superhero exploration at the University of British Columbia, one of the city’s most popular spots for movie crews thanks to its futuristic architecture and ability to pull off a convincing impression of [insert just about any North American university campus]. Check out Buchanan Tower whose interior and exterior were immortalized in X-Men Origins: Wolverine as Wolverine’s dank prison. Book a ticket to see a performance at the Chan Centre for Performing Arts, a magnet for crime-fighters: its elegant interior serves as the perfect foil for action-packed fight scenes in dozens of productions, including Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer and The Bionic Woman.
Superheroes in the city.
While you’re on campus, take time to browse The Museum of Anthropology, home to the world’s most extensive collection of Pacific Northwest First Nations art; then, take part in a traditional tea ceremony at the reflective Nitobe Memorial Garden, considered one of the most authentic Japanese gardens in North America. If formal gardens aren’t your cup of tea (pun intended), explore the wilderness at Greenheart TreeWalk, a 310-metre-long walkway suspended 23 meters above a lush forest of Douglas firs, cedars and Grand firs, many of which are more than 100 years old.
Superheroes in the city.
From the hallowed halls of academia, drive 20 minutes to Vancouver’s highest peak in Queen Elizabeth Park (at the very top of Main Street) and head for the space-age Bloedel Conservatory, a tropical garden housed inside a massive dome. If the venue looks familiar, it’s because this city monument has acted as the setting for the Alien Amnesty Act signing in hit TV show Supergirl, and also plays the home of the Occulus Wellspring in DC’s Legends of Tomorrow…
Read the rest of this itinerary, and check out more information about film tourism in Vancouver, here.