Vancouver's most recognisable building is getting into the Halloween spirit. Science World's geodesic dome on False Creek — only recently stripped panel by panel for maintenance — will be lit up in orange, green and purple from Saturday, Oct. 24, glowing like an enormous jack-o'-lantern over the water through Halloweekend.
The timing works nicely, because there are two new reasons to go inside. First up is Game Changers, presented by TD Bank Group, a touring exhibition from the Canadian Science and Technology Museum and Science North that traces video games from Pong's beeps to today's photo-real titles. It packs in more than 140 iconic games, 16 of them fully playable — so you can actually work through arcade staples like Pac-Man and Donkey Kong and console landmarks like Super Mario 64, while seeing how graphics, motion sensing, music and storytelling have evolved along the way.
The second exhibition, The Robot Zoo (presented by White Spot Restaurants), runs much longer — through April 4, 2027 — so even if you miss the Halloween window, it's worth a visit on any trip. The 5,000-square-foot space features eight enormous robotic animals: a squid with 18-foot tentacles, a house fly with a 10-foot wingspan, and a giraffe whose head and neck alone stand 9 feet. More than a dozen hands-on activities explain how real animals move, hunt and adapt.
Then there's the main event for anyone who left the kids at home: a spooky edition of Science World After Dark, the 19+ evening series. The Halloween version is one of the venue's top-selling nights of the year, and this one promises a haunted dome, unsettling installations, live performances and genuinely gruesome science. Drag King Vincent Rice hosts the main stage, introducing sword swallower and stunt performer Neil E. Dee — described as Canada's wildest one-man extreme stunt act. It runs Friday, Oct. 30 from 6 to 10 p.m., and tickets cost $44.99 online.
If you're in Vancouver in late October, this is an easy evening to build a trip around: the dome sits right on the False Creek seawall, a short walk from BC Place and the Craft Beer Market stretch of/stadium-district, and the light-up makes for a great photo before or after. Families with kids should aim for the daytime exhibitions instead — the Robot Zoo in particular has real staying power into 2027, and Game Changers will pull in anyone who grew up holding a controller. Adults chasing something weirder should book the After Dark night early; it sells well for a reason.
Story first reported by Curiocity.
