The Vancouver Art Gallery backed by the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver. Photo courtesy Tourism BC

Affectionately known to locals as the VAG, the architecturally striking Vancouver Art Gallery is housed in what was once the provincial courthouse, built in 1906 by famed architect Francis Rattenbury and renovated in 1983 by Vancouver’s own Arthur Erickson. The gallery boasts nearly 10,000 artworks, both contemporary and historical, including the world’s largest collection of works by BC painter Emily Carr. Internationally acclaimed exhibitions have made the VAG a must-see, including Leonardo da Vinci: The Mechanics of Man (Feb. 6 to May 2), which features the artist’s Anatomical Manuscript A drawings assembled for the first time in their entirety. During the Games (Feb. 12 to 28), the BC pavilion is on the fourth floor and admission to the gallery is free, so be sure to take advantage.—Kristina Urquhart