New Westminster is one of Metro Vancouver’s most underrated cultural destinations. BC’s oldest city sits right on the Fraser River, and within its walkable downtown core you’ll find contemporary galleries, working artist studios, public art installations, live performance venues, and heritage sites that span more than 150 years of history. If you’re searching for the best things to do in New Westminster, this guide covers six standout experiences that showcase what makes the Royal City worth the trip — whether you’re coming for a few hours or a full weekend.
In This Guide
- Visit Anvil Centre
- Experience Arts New West & the New West Cultural Crawl
- Discover The Gallery at Queen’s Park
- Explore Braid Studios
- Take a Public Art Walk Along the Waterfront
- Browse Fine Art at Van Dop Gallery
1. Visit Anvil Centre
Anvil Centre is the cultural heart of New Westminster — and a single visit here easily fills an afternoon with galleries, exhibitions, live performance, and Canadian sports history.
New Media Gallery
The New Media Gallery is one of Canada’s leading contemporary art spaces dedicated to new media and technology-driven work. Its exhibitions consistently push boundaries, exploring themes from human identity to digital transformation through immersive, interactive installations. Admission is free, and programming changes regularly — worth checking what’s on before you go.
Museum of New Westminster
The Museum of New Westminster tells the city’s story across 10,000 years — from the histories of the Qayqayt First Nation and other Indigenous peoples of the region, through New Westminster’s role as BC’s original capital, and into the city’s modern identity. The collection includes artifacts, photographs, and rotating exhibitions that bring local history to life in a genuinely engaging way.
Canadian Lacrosse Hall of Fame
The Canadian Lacrosse Hall of Fame chronicles Canada’s national summer sport from its deep Indigenous roots through to today’s professional game. Exhibits trace the evolution of equipment, celebrate championship teams, and honour the builders and players who shaped the sport. Lacrosse is one of the oldest team sports in North America, and this is the country’s definitive place to learn that story.
Anvil Theatre
The Anvil Theatre hosts professional touring productions and community performances throughout the year. Check the calendar and you may find live music, theatre, or cultural events happening on the same day as your gallery visit.
→ Anvil Centre is located at 777 Columbia Street, New Westminster.
2. Experience Arts New West & the New West Cultural Crawl
Arts New West is the driving force behind New Westminster’s creative community — and visiting during one of their signature events is one of the most rewarding things to do in New West for culture seekers.
The New West Cultural Crawl opens artist studios and creative spaces across the city, giving visitors direct access to working artists in their own environments. It’s the kind of experience where you can watch a painting in progress, talk to the person who made the work you’re admiring, and leave with a genuine connection to the local arts scene rather than a quick gallery walkthrough.
New West Craft brings together local makers through curated markets that spotlight contemporary craft and design — ceramics, textiles, jewellery, woodwork, and more. It’s an excellent way to shop locally while engaging directly with the creative community that gives New Westminster its character.
Even outside of specific events, Arts New West programming keeps the city’s cultural calendar active year-round. Follow their events listings to plan your visit around what’s happening.
3. Discover The Gallery at Queen’s Park
The Gallery at Queen’s Park presents curated contemporary exhibitions featuring regional BC artists. As a dedicated exhibition space, it offers an intimate, focused experience with new work — the kind of place where you can spend real time with a small number of pieces rather than rushing through a large collection.
Make the most of the location by pairing your gallery visit with a walk through Queen’s Park itself. One of New Westminster’s most scenic green spaces, the park offers sweeping views, mature trees, and a peaceful contrast to the urban energy of downtown. It’s a natural way to extend your visit and one of the best free things to do in New Westminster on a clear day.
Together, the gallery and the park make for an easy, unhurried half-day that balances cultural engagement with outdoor time — a combination that’s hard to find in most Metro Vancouver communities.
4. Explore Braid Studios
Braid Studios is New Westminster’s premier working artist hub — a creative complex where professional artists across painting, sculpture, photography, and mixed media have their studios. It’s a living, working space, not a finished showroom.
Open studio events are the highlight. During these events, studio doors open and visitors can move through the building, watching artists at work, seeing works in progress, and having conversations that go well beyond what a gallery wall placard can offer. If you want to understand how art actually gets made — and connect with the people making it — Braid Studios delivers that experience in a way few places can.
For visitors who want to go hands-on, Pottery Works offers ceramics classes and workshops for all skill levels — a memorable creative activity in New Westminster that lets you leave with something you actually made.
5. Take a Public Art Walk Along the Waterfront
Exploring New Westminster’s public art is one of the best free things to do in the Royal City — and it works as a self-guided walk connecting the downtown core to the Fraser River waterfront. The city has integrated sculptures, murals, and large-scale installations throughout its streets, parks, and pathways, with work that ranges from bold landmark pieces to quieter site-specific installations that reward a slower pace.
The most iconic stop is WOW Westminster — a striking sculpture spanning over 140 feet along the Fraser River. Comprising four 40-foot shipping containers arranged to form a “W,” the piece by Brazilian sculptor José Resende references New Westminster’s history as a transportation and trade hub while functioning as a genuine waterfront landmark.
The walk also passes through the Westminster Quay area, where the River Market offers a natural rest stop with local restaurants, shops, and views of the Fraser. It’s a satisfying endpoint for the waterfront route and a great place to eat before or after your cultural exploration.
The New Westminster public art map is available through the city’s website and Tourism New Westminster — download it before your visit and build your own route through the Royal City’s outdoor collection.
6. Browse Fine Art at Van Dop Gallery
Van Dop Gallery is one of New Westminster’s most established fine art destinations, exhibiting fine art prints and contemporary works by British Columbia artists alongside select representation from across Canada. Its curated exhibitions are well-considered and consistently highlight regional talent — the gallery has long been a cornerstone of the New Westminster arts scene.
Van Dop works particularly well as part of a longer gallery day combined with Anvil Centre’s New Media Gallery and The Gallery at Queen’s Park — three distinct spaces, three distinct approaches to contemporary and regional art, all within a compact, walkable part of the city.
Plan Your Visit to New Westminster
New Westminster rewards visitors who come looking for authentic cultural experiences rather than tourist-polished attractions. The city’s galleries, studios, and public art spaces are working parts of a real creative community — and that’s exactly what makes the Royal City worth the trip.
Most of the experiences in this guide are clustered in and around downtown New Westminster and the Quay, making it easy to combine several stops in a single day without a car. The SkyTrain’s Expo Line connects New Westminster directly to Vancouver, Burnaby, and Surrey, making it one of the most accessible cultural day trips in Metro Vancouver.
For the fullest experience, time your visit around an open studio event at Braid Studios or the New West Cultural Crawl — these events open spaces and conversations that don’t exist on ordinary days. Check the Arts New West and Art-BC event calendars before you book.
The Royal City has been BC’s home of arts, history, and community for over 150 years. These six experiences are a strong start — but New Westminster has more to offer the longer you look.
