PatrimoineEntrée gratuite

Gastown and the Steam Clock

#3sur 10 lieux à visiter à VancouverVancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Aussi appelé Gastown Steam Clock · Gastown Historic District

L'essentiel

Horaires d'ouverture : 10:00–18:00. L'entrée est gratuite. Comptez 1.5 hrs. Meilleure période : Mid-morning on a weekday for quiet streets.

Mis à jour le 18 septembre 2026 · Rédigé par Traveliac, avec assistance IA · 4 min de lecture

ItinéraireSite officiel

Photo: Dietmar Rabich / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Horaires d'ouverture: 10:00–18:00; The streets are open 24 hours, and the Steam Clock sounds its whistles every 15 minutes; most shops open about 10:00-18:00 and restaurants stay open into the evening.
Prix d'entrée: Gratuit
Durée nécessaire: 1.5 hrs
Meilleur moment de la journée: Mid-morning on a weekday for quiet streets
Meilleurs mois: May – Sep
Adresse: 305 Water Street (Water Street at Cambie Street), Vancouver, BC V6B 1B9, Canada

À propos de Gastown and the Steam Clock

Gastown and the Steam Clock cost nothing to visit, as of 2026, and the Steam Clock at Water and Cambie streets sounds a Westminster chime on steam whistles every 15 minutes. The clock was built in 1977 by horologist Raymond Saunders, and its hands run on an electric motor while steam powers the whistles. Gastown itself is Vancouver's oldest commercial district, a set of blocks of Victorian brick warehouses along Water Street, and it was designated a National Historic Site of Canada in 2009.

Meilleur moment de la journée : Mid-morning on a weekday for quiet streets. With the Steam Clock at the top of an hour.

Horaires de Gastown and the Steam Clock

Gastown and the Steam Clock ouvre à 10:00 et ferme à 18:00. Les horaires sont les mêmes le samedi et le dimanche.

Horaires d'ouverture: 10:00–18:00; Mon–Sun 10:00–18:00; The streets are open 24 hours, and the Steam Clock sounds its whistles every 15 minutes; most shops open about 10:00-18:00 and restaurants stay open into the evening.
Fermé le: Ouvert tous les jours

Mon–Sun	10:00–18:00

Bon à savoir : Shop and restaurant hours vary by season and by business.

Horaires d'ouverture établis à partir de destinationvancouver.com et de sources publiques, mis à jour le 18 septembre 2026. Ils peuvent changer sans préavis — vérifiez avant de partir. Comment nous rédigeons ces guides

Prix d'entrée de Gastown and the Steam Clock

Entry fees for Gastown and the Steam Clock
Billet	Prix
Billet standard	Gratuit
Tarif réduit (étudiant / senior)	Gratuit
Enfants	Gratuit

Gastown and the Steam Clock are free to visit at any hour, as of 2026. Shops, restaurants and guided walking tours charge separately, so verify tour prices with the operator.

Tarifs établis à partir de destinationvancouver.com et de sources publiques, mis à jour le 18 septembre 2026. Ils peuvent changer sans préavis — vérifiez avant de partir. Comment nous rédigeons ces guides

Meilleure période pour visiter Gastown and the Steam Clock

Quiet
Moderate
Busy

09:00 - 11:00
MorningBest time to go
Gastown's streets are quiet before shops open, and the Steam Clock has few spectators.
Quiet
11:00 - 15:00
Steam Clock Crowds
Tour groups and cruise passengers cluster at Water and Cambie streets on each quarter hour.
Busy
15:00 - 18:00
Afternoon
Gastown stays busy with shoppers, and restaurants begin to fill by 17:00.
Moderate
Fri - Sat evenings
Dinner and Bars
Gastown restaurants and bars fill, so reserve ahead and expect queues at popular addresses.
Busy

Histoire de Gastown and the Steam Clock

Gastown takes its name from John "Gassy" Deighton, a Yorkshire seaman who opened a saloon here in 1867 to serve workers at the Hastings Mill sawmill on Burrard Inlet. A townsite grew around the saloon, and the area became the first downtown of what would be Vancouver.

Gastown was largely destroyed in the Great Vancouver Fire of 1886, and the brick and timber warehouses that replaced it now form the district's character. In the 1960s and 1970s, citizens campaigned to save the area from a planned freeway, and it was later protected as a heritage district. A statue of Deighton in Maple Tree Square was toppled on 14 February 2022 during a march for missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls, so verify its current status before you plan around it.

Gastown's Steam Clock, at Water and Cambie streets, was installed in 1977 by Raymond Saunders with metalworker Doug Smith to cover a steam grate from the district's underground steam heating system. Saunders later built four more steam clocks, and the Gastown clock is one of only a handful still working worldwide.

Règles et étiquette à Gastown and the Steam Clock

Gastown's Steam Clock draws a crowd on every quarter hour, and the pavement around the clock fills at the top of the hour. Step away from the kerb on Water Street and do not block the sidewalk for photographs, since delivery vehicles and cyclists still use the road.

Gastown's shops sell many souvenirs, so check labels for Canadian or local manufacture if that matters to you, and expect tipping of 15-20 percent at sit-down restaurants and no tip at retail counters. Pickpocketing occurs in crowded sections around Maple Tree Square, so keep phones and wallets in front pockets.

Gastown sits beside the Downtown Eastside, and blocks east of Carrall Street, along Hastings Street, have visible poverty and open drug use. Do not photograph people without their consent, and take a taxi or ride-hail after dark instead of walking east. Stay on Water Street and its cross streets for a low-friction visit.

Conseils pour visiter Gastown and the Steam Clock

1
Gastown is a 400 m walk from Waterfront Station, so arrive by Canada Line, Expo Line or SeaBus for a TransLink adult 1-zone fare of CAD 2.85 with Compass from 1 July 2026. Drive only if you have to, since street parking is metered and lots downtown are expensive.
2
Gastown's Steam Clock whistles every 15 minutes, so you rarely wait long. Stand close to the clock to see the pipes vent steam, then walk one block east to Maple Tree Square for the historic streetscape.
3
Gastown rewards a slow walk along Water Street for the brick facades, the independent design shops and the restaurants in converted warehouses. Book dinner ahead on Friday and Saturday, and avoid restaurants with touts on the pavement, which tend toward tourist-priced menus. Allow 60-90 minutes, or add a guided heritage walk if you want detail.

Comment se rendre à Gastown and the Steam Clock

L'étoile rouge indique Gastown and the Steam Clock ; les repères numérotés sont les 8 lieux les plus proches de nos guides, chacun avec son classement dans sa ville. Touchez un repère pour plus de détails.

305 Water Street (Water Street at Cambie Street), Vancouver, BC V6B 1B9, CanadaItinéraire sur Google Maps

Depuis Waterfront Station
0.4 km · 5-8 min
Free on foot
Depuis Vancouver International Airport (YVR)
15 km · 26-30 min
CAD 6.50 YVR AddFare plus the zone fare, from 1 July 2026 (verify current total at translink.ca)
Depuis Stadium-Chinatown Station (Expo Line)
1 km · 15 min
CAD 2.85 (TransLink adult 1-zone Compass stored value, from 1 July 2026; 2-zone CAD 4.20)

Aéroport le plus proche

Depuis Vancouver International Airport (YVR), about 15 km via the Canada Line.

Gare la plus proche

Depuis Waterfront Station (Canada Line, Expo Line, SeaBus, West Coast Express), about 400 m.

FAQ — Gastown and the Steam Clock

Is Gastown free to visit?

Yes, Gastown and the Steam Clock are free to visit at any hour, as of 2026. Shops, restaurants and guided walking tours charge separately.

How often does the Gastown Steam Clock whistle?

The Gastown Steam Clock sounds its steam whistles every 15 minutes, playing a Westminster chime. The hands run on an electric motor, and steam from the district's heating system powers the whistles.

When was the Gastown Steam Clock built?

The Gastown Steam Clock was built in 1977 by horologist Raymond Saunders, with metalworker Doug Smith, at Water and Cambie streets. It covers a steam grate from Vancouver's downtown steam heating system.

How do I get to Gastown from Waterfront Station?

Walk about 400 m south-east on Water Street to Cambie Street, roughly 5-8 minutes. Waterfront Station is served by the Canada Line, Expo Line and SeaBus.

Rédigé avec l'assistance de l'IA à partir de sources officielles et de registres publics, et publié seulement après les vérifications décrites dans Comment nous rédigeons ces guides. Personne chez Traveliac ne s'est rendu sur place. Mis à jour le 18 septembre 2026. Comment nous classons et vérifions les lieux