This 22-ha (55-acre) garden in the center of Vancouver was opened in 1975. In 1960 the land was under threat from its original owners, the Canadian Pacific Railroad, who wanted to build high-rise apartments there. It took a campaign by local people and a donation from Mr W.J. VanDusen, a wealthy local businessman, to save the site for the gardens.

Today, visitors enjoy a spectacular display of over 7,500 families of plants from six continents, set among lakes and marble sculptures. In spring there are narcissi, crocuses, and thousands of flowering rhododendrons. The Perennial Garden is filled with roses in summer, while September heralds the blazing reds and oranges of fall.