A morbid and popular Vancouver attraction is moving after four decades in the same location.
The Vancouver Police Museum has been located at 240 East Cordova St., but it will be closing its doors this Halloween for the final time at that location.
“We feel Halloween is a fitting close for our presence here,” said Museum Director Christie Strauss in a release.
That also means saying goodbye to the iconic morgue.
“Whilst we adore operating out of the Coroner’s Court and the old Vancouver Morgue, the building and the area has its complications,” Strauss said.
One of the main concerns is accessibility. If you have been to the museum, you’d know that you’re greeted with stairs upon entry.
“Parents and teachers constantly let us know that they do not feel comfortable bringing young children through our city block to visit the museum and take part in our education program,” she said.
It’s also a rougher neighbourhood, located in the heart of the Downtown Eastside.
Strauss said that “people are reluctant to bring their families and friends to visit because of where we are currently located.”
So, the museum is moving. The new location will be the historic Woodward’s building, right about the Nesters. This location will include elevator access and a larger display area.
It’s also going to be close to VPD District 5 and the VPD Police Academy.
Strauss said she feels like this move will help to revitalize the space and keep it a community area.
A soft launch in November is the hope, but the museum will keep communicating with its followers with updates on social media pages.
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The current museum space offers lots of interesting programs and events, including the ability to rent the space for a movie night, called Movies in the Morgue. They’ll be playing several movies this October, including Silence of the Lambs on Oct. 1, Carrie on Oct. 8, The Conjuring on Oct. 15, and The Exorcist on Oct. 22.
The museum also carries some very interesting and morbid historical relics, like the axe used in the Kosberg axe murders. There’s still a piece of hair attached to it!