Burnaby, BC Filming Locations: A Day Trip Guide (By a Local)

Most people treat Burnaby as a pass-through between Vancouver and the rest of the Lower Mainland. That’s a mistake.

A Burnaby filming locations day trip covers more ground than you’d expect: a preserved 1920s heritage streetscape that has doubled as small towns across North America, a lakeside park with a long list of screen credits, a hotel interior that keeps appearing in major productions, and a bonus stop where She’s the Man was filmed.

I visited these spots as part of a Cineventure experience in partnership with Tourism Burnaby, and left with a good reason to plan a longer stay next time. All opinions are my own.

Here’s what to see, where to eat, how to get there, and what to know before you go.

Deer Lake Park

6450 Deer Lake Ave, Burnaby, BC

Deer Lake Park has appeared in more productions than most visitors realize. Its forest paths, boardwalks, and calm lake views have been used for outdoor and atmospheric scenes across film and television.

Productions filmed here:

• Virgin River
• The X-Files
• When Calls the Heart
• Yellowjackets
• Supernatural
• The Day the Earth Stood Still
• Final Destination franchise

Walk the boardwalk along the water’s edge, and you’ll understand why crews keep coming back. The lake is quiet, the tree cover is dense, and the whole setting photographs like somewhere much further from a city than it actually is. Allow at least 45 minutes to take it in properly.

Shadbolt Centre for the Arts

Adjacent to Deer Lake Park, 6450 Deer Lake Ave, Burnaby, BC

If you’ve watched She’s the Man and wondered where Amanda Bynes’ character went to high school, you’re looking at it. The Shadbolt Centre for the Arts sits right next to Deer Lake Park and is easy to fold into your walk without adding much time to the day.

Burnaby Village Museum

6501 Deer Lake Ave, Burnaby, BC

Burnaby Village Museum is one of British Columbia’s most-used heritage filming locations, and once you walk the main street, it’s obvious why. The preserved 1920s storefronts, hand-painted signage, and period streetscape can read as a small town almost anywhere in North America. Every detail has been maintained with enough care that it convinces on screen and in person.

Productions filmed here:

• Virgin River
• The X-Files
• When Calls the Heart
• Yellowjackets
• Supernatural
• IT (1990)

@nick_vanta Behind the scenes of IT 1990 at the Burnaby Village Museum. One of my all time favorites. I can’t believe I was there a few weeks ago! Looks exactly the same! As a film nerd I love movie locations. #it1990 #pennywise #bts #burnabyvillagemuseum #vancouver #britishcolumbia #movie #timcurry #stephenking #book #fyp ♬ origineel geluid – N I C K V Ʌ N T Ʌ 🇳🇱 𓅥 ✱

Walk the main street slowly. This is where most of the production work happens, and the storefronts repay a closer look. The apothecary, the general store, and the period shop windows are the kind of details that start to look familiar once you know which shows have filmed here.

The 1912 carousel is one of the museum’s most distinctive features. It’s a working antique carousel and is worth riding if you want to slow the afternoon down, or if you’re visiting with kids.

The Interurban 1223 is worth spending time with. This tram car moved people and goods throughout the Lower Mainland from 1913 to 1958. When the electric railway service shut down in the late 1950s, it was one of only ten B.C. Electric Railway cars saved from destruction.

We were guided through the museum by Erwin Rosales from Storyboard Experiences, who brought the filming history to life in a way that a self-guided walk simply wouldn’t. Standing on the main street while he pulled up production stills on his tablet and pointed out exactly where scenes were shot made the visit genuinely memorable.

Members of Cineventure joined us on the day and filmed the experience, which tells you something about how seriously Burnaby takes its film tourism offering.

If you want more than a self-guided walk, booking with Storyboard Experiences is worth it.

Burnaby Village Museum and Deer Lake Park are a short walk from each other, so it makes sense to combine them in the same part of the day.

Delta Hotels Burnaby Conference Centre

4331 Dominion Street, Burnaby, BC

The Delta Hotels Burnaby Conference Centre is connected to the Grand Villa Casino, and its contemporary interiors have made it a consistent choice for productions looking for a stylish hotel or upscale urban setting.

The lobby and casino floor have a polish that photographs well, which explains the repeat appearances.

Productions filmed here:

• Killing Gunther
• Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency
• Siren (Season 3)
• A Million Little Things
• Yellowjackets
• Hypnotic
• Supergirl

It’s less obvious as a filming location than the heritage sites, which is part of what makes it interesting to visit with that context in mind.

Where to Eat on a Burnaby Filming Locations Day Trip

Lunch: Wild Flour Pizza Co.

2900 Bainbridge Ave #104, Burnaby, BC

Wild Flour Pizza Co. is my recommendation for lunch, and not just because of the sourdough crust (though that alone is worth the stop). They use cashew cheese and offer plenty of vegan options that actually taste good. No reservations needed, which makes it easy to fit into a flexible day.

It’s a short drive from the Deer Lake area. Wild Flour also has locations in Langley, Port Coquitlam, and Abbotsford if you’re passing through those areas on a different trip.

Dinner: Atlas Steak + Fish

4331 Dominion Street, Burnaby, BC

If you’re extending your visit into an overnight stay, dinner at Atlas Steak + Fish is a good way to end the day. The restaurant sits inside the Delta Hotels Burnaby Conference Centre and has a modern, refined feel. It’s a short walk from your room, which makes the evening easy and unhurried.

Where to Stay in Burnaby

If one day isn’t enough (and it might not be), the Delta Hotels Burnaby Conference Centre is a comfortable and well-located base.

4331 Dominion Street, Burnaby, BC

I stayed here during my visit and found it practical for getting around Burnaby without spending too much time in transit.

The rooms are clean, the staff were helpful, and having Atlas Steak + Fish on site for dinner made the evening easy. It’s also worth noting that you’re sleeping somewhere with genuine screen credits, which adds a different kind of interest to the stay.

How to Get to Burnaby

We travelled between filming locations in a Star Chauffeured Services vehicle, which made the day straightforward and unhurried. If you’re planning a group visit or want a relaxed way to cover the route without worrying about parking, it’s worth looking into.

Burnaby is also easily accessible from Vancouver by SkyTrain on the Millennium Line. If you’re driving, parking is available at or near most of the locations on this list.

How to Get Around Burnaby

The Deer Lake area is walkable. Deer Lake Park, the Shadbolt Centre for the Arts, and Burnaby Village Museum are all within easy walking distance of each other, which makes that part of the day simple to manage on foot.

For the Delta Hotels Burnaby Conference Centre, you’ll want to drive, take transit, or arrange a chauffeured vehicle if you’re combining it with the Deer Lake stops on the same day.

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Frequently Asked Questions About Visiting the Filming Location in Burnaby

Is visiting Burnaby to view the filming locations worth it?

Burnaby is easy to underestimate if you’ve only ever driven through it. Spend a day paying attention to what’s actually there, and you’ll find a mix of heritage, nature, and film history that holds together well as a day trip from Vancouver.

If film tourism is something you want to keep going, the Fraser Valley filming locations are also worth a day of your time.