Vancouver: The Dark Secrets of Stanley Park Tour

This walking tour explores the little-known history of Stanley Park. For decades the park has been celebrated as "untouched rainforest" next to a bustling metropolis, but the truth is much more murky!

You'll meet your guide -- a professional storyteller and Stanley Park expert -- outside the Vancouver Aquarium. Soon you'll be walking off the beaten path beneath huge trees. These are trails few tourists ever step foot on - a genuine Pacific Northwest forest experience.

On the way you'll discover how, for millennia, Coast Salish people lived on the land, only to be forcibly evicted by the government. Their decades-long struggle to stay, in the face of relentless pressure, is one of the most important stories in the park's history. You guide will show the sites of former Coast Salish villages, hiding in plain sight today.

At Deadman's Island, you'll hear the Squamish legend of an ancient war, and how the island was used as a pest house during smallpox outbreaks in the 1800s.

Other stops include the sites of secret cemeteries, the world-famous totem poles, the seawall, hidden trails, "ghost stumps," shocking crime scenes, and breath-taking views of Downtown and the Lions Gate Bridge.

After two hours of incredible storytelling, fascinating history, and beautiful views, you'll end right back at the Vancouver Aquarium!