Steam Clock
Steam Clock
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The area
Address
Neighborhood: Central
How to get there
- Waterfront • 4 min walk
- Granville • 7 min walk
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Best nearby
Restaurants
2,914 within 3 miles
Attractions
667 within 6 miles
See what travelers are saying
- tumbleweedchrisRichland, Washington1,018 contributionsBetter Than I ThoughtI didn't really think much of the Steam Clock as an attraction before visiting it, but it was a surprisingly neat stop around the downtown area. Most of the inner workings are on display for you to observe. The clock sounds every 15 minutes with the longest steam whistle showing on the hour. It is worth timing your visit to the hour if you can. If you can't, at least aim for a 15 minute mark. Overall, this is a very unique clock that exceeds expectations. Well worth the stop.Visited November 2023Traveled as a coupleWritten November 28, 2023
- Stewarts Vacation1,543 contributionsIntriguing steam powered, chiming clockThis is a must-visit in Gastown, Vancouver. It's the world’s first (maybe second?) steam powered clock which sounds the Westminster “chime” and hisses vapour every 15mins. (The clock's mechanism is actually driven by electricity; only the pipes on top are steam fuelled!) It's fun to time a visit to see and hear the hour strike with a toot from each brass steam whistle. The clock was built to cover a steam grate (over part of Vancouver’s steam-heating system) as a way to harness the steam and supposedly to prevent street people from sleeping on the spot in cold weather!Visited October 2023Traveled as a coupleWritten December 2, 2023
- Dimitris LSydney, Australia51,028 contributionsFantastic attractionBuilt in 1977 the Steam Clock is a fantastic attraction in Vancouver! Apparently it is thought to work on steam but in fact electricity moves the clock. The steam only comes out of the pipes at the top of the clock and they produce some lovely musical sounds every fifteen minutes. Every hour the sounds are much longer. This is such a curiosity that it is not always easy to get a good viewing spot when you need one in order to see the steam coming out of the clock pipes, as we discovered!Visited September 2023Traveled as a coupleWritten December 21, 2023
- Roberts69Northampton, United Kingdom18,928 contributionsNot something you see everyday... So go take a look.Steam clock's are not common things with only a few functioning steam clocks in existence. Most of these were designed and built by Canadian horologist Raymond Saunders. The steam clock in Vancouver's Gastown district was built in 1977 although it looks older. It was built to cover a steam grate, part of Vancouver's distributed steam heating system, as a way to harness the steam and a means of masking Central Heat's sidewalk steam vent at the corner of Water Street and Cambie Street. It is a good spectacle and interesting to watch as the steam powers the clock's whistles, which are used instead of bells, to produce the Westminster "chime" and to signal the time. It is certainly a 'must visit' sight when visiting Vancouver.Visited November 2023Traveled soloWritten December 23, 2023
- Jennifer R27 contributionsUnique Art PieceA unique piece of art in a busy city district. The clock goes off every 15 minutes so you’re never far away from seeing the show. A nice touch if you go to the area on Thursday in the summer evening for music nights.Visited June 2024Traveled as a coupleWritten June 20, 2024
- MistyFalcoBishops Stortford, United Kingdom20 contributionsUnusual steam clockI loved this. It has olde world charm. The steam clock plays a tune every 15 minutes and is beautifully constructed. I think Gastown generally is worth a visit and if you do, this is a must see.Visited July 2024Traveled as a coupleWritten July 5, 2024
- Christian MCopenhagen, Denmark6,223 contributionsFun Facts About the Famous ClockVancouver's Steam Clock is a distinctive and iconic attraction in the city's historic Gastown district, attracting visitors from around the world. Installed in 1977 as part of an effort to rejuvenate the Gastown area—Vancouver's oldest neighborhood—the clock was designed and constructed by Canadian clockmaker Raymond Saunders, who is renowned for his work on other steam-powered clocks. The primary purpose of the Steam Clock was to cover a steam vent from the city's district heating system, while also preventing homeless individuals from using the warm area as a place to sleep during cold weather. The clock operates using steam from the city's district heating system, which powers its internal mechanisms. It features a steam whistle that chimes the Westminster quarters every fifteen minutes and emits a puff of steam on the hour, delighting onlookers with its performance. The structure itself is approximately 16 feet tall and is crafted from brass and glass, with its internal workings visible to the public. The clock is designed with four faces, allowing it to be easily read from any direction. At the top, five steam whistles play melodies, enhancing the charm of this unique timepiece.Visited July 2024Traveled as a coupleWritten July 29, 2024
- Stephani A6 contributionsUnderwhelmingWe stopped by at 3:00 in the afternoon while we were in town because this is one of their local attractions and it's free. It's surrounded by tourist shops (but there is a cool Italian hat shop down the street it's actually on) and it's very crowded. The actual steam mechanism was replaced with an electric one years ago. That being said, you can still see all of the gears which is cool. The clock really did not do much and was very underwhelming. I hear it does more for the noon chiming, so may be go for that one, if you can. Overall, you could totally skip this. Do not make it a priority, but if you're nearby on the hour, sure. It's over in less than a minute.Visited July 2024Traveled with familyWritten July 31, 2024
- mushbigdogCamas, Washington309 contributionsNoisy steamKind of fun to see but I wouldn’t go far out of my way to see it. It toots and whistles on the hour and half hour. We saw it on the half hour and it was just a couple toots. It may be better on the hour. It was about a 15 second experience.Visited August 2024Traveled as a coupleWritten August 21, 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
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4.0
1,759 reviews
Excellent
642
Very good
692
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368
Poor
42
Terrible
15
Stephen D
Liverpool, UK293 contributions
Jul 2022
The Steam Clock "performs" on the quarter hour with a full performance on the hour. It is the last stop on the hop on- hop off tour and a short walk down from Canada Place.. It attracts a fair sized audience and is quite impressive, It should not be missed if you are visiting Vancouver.
Written August 2, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Chris D
New Westminster, Canada3,343 contributions
Jul 2021
For reasons many locals cannot fathom, tourists totally enjoy this quirky contraption which is billed as a steam clock, but may not be. In any event, it does have a steam and light show every fifteen minutes, and people MUST have a photo of themselves with the clock. So, if you are a tourist, you will want to come by and join the crowd. If you are local, do what I do: watch the tourists watch the clock; and ask myself if that's what I do when in San Francisco, London. Hong Kong, etc.
Written July 12, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
CDNTerry
Toronto, Canada488 contributions
Sep 2023 • Couples
The Gastown Steam Clock is a must see attraction when you are in Vancouver. Try to time your visit to hit the top of the hour so you can hear the steam whistles blow. It blows on the half hour too but hit it on one of the larger hours so you get the full effect.
Written September 9, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Christian M
Copenhagen, Denmark6,223 contributions
Jul 2024 • Couples
Vancouver's Steam Clock is a distinctive and iconic attraction in the city's historic Gastown district, attracting visitors from around the world.
Installed in 1977 as part of an effort to rejuvenate the Gastown area—Vancouver's oldest neighborhood—the clock was designed and constructed by Canadian clockmaker Raymond Saunders, who is renowned for his work on other steam-powered clocks.
The primary purpose of the Steam Clock was to cover a steam vent from the city's district heating system, while also preventing homeless individuals from using the warm area as a place to sleep during cold weather.
The clock operates using steam from the city's district heating system, which powers its internal mechanisms. It features a steam whistle that chimes the Westminster quarters every fifteen minutes and emits a puff of steam on the hour, delighting onlookers with its performance.
The structure itself is approximately 16 feet tall and is crafted from brass and glass, with its internal workings visible to the public. The clock is designed with four faces, allowing it to be easily read from any direction. At the top, five steam whistles play melodies, enhancing the charm of this unique timepiece.
Installed in 1977 as part of an effort to rejuvenate the Gastown area—Vancouver's oldest neighborhood—the clock was designed and constructed by Canadian clockmaker Raymond Saunders, who is renowned for his work on other steam-powered clocks.
The primary purpose of the Steam Clock was to cover a steam vent from the city's district heating system, while also preventing homeless individuals from using the warm area as a place to sleep during cold weather.
The clock operates using steam from the city's district heating system, which powers its internal mechanisms. It features a steam whistle that chimes the Westminster quarters every fifteen minutes and emits a puff of steam on the hour, delighting onlookers with its performance.
The structure itself is approximately 16 feet tall and is crafted from brass and glass, with its internal workings visible to the public. The clock is designed with four faces, allowing it to be easily read from any direction. At the top, five steam whistles play melodies, enhancing the charm of this unique timepiece.
Written July 29, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Stephani A
6 contributions
Jul 2024 • Family
We stopped by at 3:00 in the afternoon while we were in town because this is one of their local attractions and it's free. It's surrounded by tourist shops (but there is a cool Italian hat shop down the street it's actually on) and it's very crowded. The actual steam mechanism was replaced with an electric one years ago. That being said, you can still see all of the gears which is cool. The clock really did not do much and was very underwhelming. I hear it does more for the noon chiming, so may be go for that one, if you can. Overall, you could totally skip this. Do not make it a priority, but if you're nearby on the hour, sure. It's over in less than a minute.
Written July 31, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Roberts69
Northampton, UK18,928 contributions
Nov 2023 • Solo
Steam clock's are not common things with only a few functioning steam clocks in existence. Most of these were designed and built by Canadian horologist Raymond Saunders. The steam clock in Vancouver's Gastown district was built in 1977 although it looks older. It was built to cover a steam grate, part of Vancouver's distributed steam heating system, as a way to harness the steam and a means of masking Central Heat's sidewalk steam vent at the corner of Water Street and Cambie Street. It is a good spectacle and interesting to watch as the steam powers the clock's whistles, which are used instead of bells, to produce the Westminster "chime" and to signal the time. It is certainly a 'must visit' sight when visiting Vancouver.
Written December 24, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Rachel & Andy
393 contributions
Jun 2023 • Couples
Visited: 04/06/2023.
The steam clock was quite interesting, and has lots of information boards telling you how it came to be.
We might have found it more interesting if it was functioning properly, some of the mechanism balls were missing, and the clock was out of time with both our phones. It is meant to blow steam every 15 minutes but after 20minutes - still nothing. Likely requires some TLC.
Whilst it is a fascinating contraption and worth having a look at the marvel of invention from the time, you don't need to stick around for it too long.
The steam clock was quite interesting, and has lots of information boards telling you how it came to be.
We might have found it more interesting if it was functioning properly, some of the mechanism balls were missing, and the clock was out of time with both our phones. It is meant to blow steam every 15 minutes but after 20minutes - still nothing. Likely requires some TLC.
Whilst it is a fascinating contraption and worth having a look at the marvel of invention from the time, you don't need to stick around for it too long.
Written April 30, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Alison A
3 contributions
Jul 2023 • Family
This was such a unique experience that was walking distance from our hotel (Blue Horizon). We liked standing and watching the mechanism and really enjoyed the song it played. It is also a lovely neighborhood to walk around!
Written July 24, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dimitris L
Sydney, Australia51,028 contributions
Sep 2023 • Couples
Built in 1977 the Steam Clock is a fantastic attraction in Vancouver! Apparently it is thought to work on steam but in fact electricity moves the clock. The steam only comes out of the pipes at the top of the clock and they produce some lovely musical sounds every fifteen minutes. Every hour the sounds are much longer. This is such a curiosity that it is not always easy to get a good viewing spot when you need one in order to see the steam coming out of the clock pipes, as we discovered!
Written December 21, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Foxtail99
14 contributions
Jan 2020 • Couples
Don't miss the steam clock in Gastown when in Vancouver. We went on a wet & snowy evening & Water St was beautifully lit and reflective. A small crowd gathered as the time to ring approached. Steam whistles play the Westminster chimes & toot the time. Just awesome! The whole area is beautiful and interesting. Full marks!
Written January 11, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Which is the adress where thw stean clock is?
Written December 26, 2016
305 Water St, Vancouver, BC V6B 1B9, Canada
Written December 26, 2016
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