Gastown Steam Clock, Vancouver, BC, Visitor Guide & Things to Do Nearby

The Gastown Steam Clock is a steam-whistling street clock on Water Street at Cambie Street in Gastown, Vancouver. Built in 1977, it looks like a Victorian relic but is a much younger piece of showmanship, and it has become one of the most photographed spots in the city. Crowds gather beside it to hear the whistles sound on the quarter hour.

The story behind it

Despite appearances, the clock is not a survivor from the 19th century. It was put up in 1977 as part of an effort to rebuild and revive Gastown, the old waterfront quarter where Vancouver began. It was designed by the horologist Raymond Saunders, who later built similar clocks elsewhere in Canada, the United States and Japan, including one in Otaru.

The clock was first driven by steam drawn from a grate beneath it, which was linked to the downtown heating network. Complaints about the noise of the steam engine and its unreliable timekeeping led to a change in 1986, and since then the clock has run on an electric system. Steam now mainly provides the show and the sound, with the whistles playing the Westminster chime every fifteen minutes.

What to look for

• Watch the plumes of steam rising from the clock's top and sides, especially as the quarter hour approaches.
• Listen for the whistles, which play the Westminster chime rather than a simple bell strike.
• Look down at the sidewalk grate around the base, where the steam from the heating system collects and drifts.
• Notice the ornate cast-iron look of the clock, which borrows the style of a Victorian street clock to fit the historic streetscape.

Tips for your visit

• It stands on the street and costs nothing to see, so you can stop by at any time of day.
• Plan to be there a few minutes before a quarter hour, and expect a crowd of phones raised for the chime.
• Five to ten minutes is enough for the clock itself, but give yourself longer to wander the surrounding Gastown streets.
• Maple Tree Square, with its statue of Gassy Jack, is a short walk away, and the area is full of shops and cafes.

See it on a quest

Gastown’s Hidden Gold: The Oppenheimer Stash in Vancouver is a treasure-themed way to see the clock. You reach it on foot as one stop of a longer route through Gastown, the app tells you about each place as you arrive, and you solve a puzzle in what is in front of you. It is a paid quest, and one ticket covers the whole group.

Lucky Treasure Hunt: The Golden Shamrock in Vancouver is another self-guided route through the area. You walk from place to place at your own pace, hear the story of each stop on your phone and work out a puzzle on the spot, with no guide and no group to join. It is paid, and one ticket covers the whole group.