There's so much to do in Vancouver that you may find yourself going back again and again. You've found your Vancouver hotel, bookmarked many of the awesome beaches, are ready to discover beer flights, and scoured the internet for great restaurants. But while there are plenty of tourist attractions, there are also some very cool things off the traditional tourist track. Here are 6 of my favorite off the beaten path discoveries in Vancouver:

Lynn Canyon Park

Just north of Vancouver is a 617 acre rainforest park with 100 year old trees, waterfalls, swimming holes, and a suspension bridge (!). But perhaps the coolest thing in Lynn Canyon is the Ecology Centre, where you can learn more about this area.

University of BC's Museum of Anthropology

Want to see the most extensive collection of Canada's West Coast First Nations art? This is "a place of world arts and cultures with a special emphasis on the First Nations peoples and other cultural communities of British Columbia, Canada. The Museum is built on traditional, ancestral, unceded land of the Musqueam people and it is fitting that the first artworks and words you encounter outside the Museum are a welcome from our generous First Nations hosts."

Haida House at the UBC Museum of Anthropology

Vancouver Police Museum 

With over 20,000 catalogued items, this is North America's oldest police museum. It's located in a 1932 building that was the home of Vancouver's Coroner services (including morgue and lab). Want to get a peek before you go? Check out their online collection. Then when you get there, plan time to see a movie in the morgue (check the calendar for dates) to further creep yourself out get into the spirit. Note: there is no elevator to get to the museum on the 2nd floor of the building.

Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden

Located next to the Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Park, this classical garden was made from materials imported from China - even the pebbles!  The Garden is "an authentic representation of an age – old garden tradition which reached its peak in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). The Garden is characteristic of the private spaces within a Ming scholar’s residence." The Garden was made in the mid-1980s with extraordinary craftsmanship - the halls and walkways were made without use of nails, screws, or glue. Want to know before you go? Take a virtual tour here.

Grouse Mountain

If you're not into climbing Grouse Grind, also known as Nature's Stairmaster (2.9km up the mountain - and 2,830 STAIRS!), then hitch a ride on the Skyride, a gondola that heads up Grouse Mountain. Either way you make it to the top, the views are unparalleled. Need more activities? Here, you can also go ziplining, paragliding, eat well, see bears in the wildlife refuge, play disc golf, and more. It's a nice break from the city, even for a few hours.

Gondola up Grouse Mountain

Grouse Grind - 2,830 stairs up the mountain!

Stop here on the way to the Capilano Suspension Bridge

Let's face it - you're probably going to visit the Capilano Suspension Bridge Park, just because it's so cool. But on your way to this popular attraction, stop to see the Cleveland Dam. It's free, and you can see a salmon hatchery, hike, walk across the dam, and look at the fish ladder. You might recognize this area from several tv shows and movies.

Cleveland Dam, looking down

Traveling to Vancouver with your family? Here's a great list of things to do in Vancouver, in the rain, with kids. 

What are your favorite things to see off the beaten path in Vancouver?

All photos Wikimedia Commons:

Vancouver from Grouse Mountain: Adam Lindsay, adapted by Wandering Educators
Lynn Canyon: Another Believer
Museum of Anthropology: Xicotencatl
Vancouver Police Museum: Bobanny
Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden: Jerzystrzelecki
Grouse Mountain gondola: Teles
Grouse Mountain Grind: Sword Fern
Cleveland Dam looking down: Arnold C