Cheap date ideas in Burnaby: four plans for two

For a cheap date in Burnaby, choose the activity first and keep the food budget separate. Bowling gives you something playful to do together; a gallery gives you something to talk about; a driving range adds a little competition; tennis works when you already have the gear and a dry court.

These four plans are for two adults. Prices below cover the stated activity or admission, not dinner, transport or a complete night out. Paid bowling and golf examples are before applicable tax because the operators do not publish a final tax-inclusive total. A cheap date is allowed to finish before you buy a second activity.

Choose by weather and budget

• Indoors, free admission: Burnaby Art Gallery. Donations are optional; the City suggests $10. Choose this for a daytime art visit and conversation.
• Indoors, $18 before tax for two: the REVS weekday promotion buys two games each and adult shoe rentals, during the specified hours. At a normal Mon–Thu 4–9 p.m. arrival, the same example is $34 before tax.
• Covered, open-air, $20.36 before tax for two: each person gets 50 range balls and one rental iron at Riverway or Burnaby Mountain. This is not an indoor simulator.
• Outdoors, bring your own equipment: Central Park tennis. The City lists casual first-come use without a court fee on its page; racquets, balls and a suitable partner are your responsibility.

1. Burnaby Art Gallery: an indoor afternoon with something to discuss

Our pick for a low-cost rainy afternoon. Burnaby Art Gallery says admission is free, with donations welcomed and $10 suggested. If you each choose to donate $10, set aside $20 for the pair; that is a voluntary donation budget.

At 6344 Deer Lake Avenue, published visitor hours are Tuesday–Friday 10 a.m.–4:30 p.m. and Saturday–Sunday noon–5 p.m. The gallery lists a September 30 closure. Check the current exhibition and holiday notice before leaving; it is not an evening backup for bowling.

RESIST! runs September 11–November 15, 2026, exploring art's role in social change. Our suggested approach is to choose a work each and talk about what caught your attention. You do not need matching opinions or an art-history performance.

Allow around 45–60 minutes as a planning suggestion, not a venue promise. An outdoor stroll is an optional extension if the weather cooperates. The gallery's main floor has lift access, but the second floor is not wheelchair accessible; parking is limited. Workshops and events have their own arrangements.

2. REVS bowling: an indoor date whose price depends on the clock

Our pick for shared play when the promotional hours fit. REVS advertises $2 player-games and $5 adult shoe rentals, Monday–Thursday 10 a.m.–4 p.m. and 9 p.m.–midnight. Two adults playing two games each is 4 × $2 + 2 × $5 = $18 before tax.

The promotion is walk-in only and excludes statutory holidays. Special events can replace it: September 29's evening event and September 30's holiday have separately advertised rates. Check your date rather than carrying the cheapest price into every time slot.

At the regular Mon–Thu 4–9 p.m. rate, the same games and shoes total $34 before tax. Friday/Saturday after 5 p.m., an hour of lane time and two adult shoe rentals total $50 before tax, so that is not an under-$50 final outing.

Use the first game to settle in, then try beating your combined first score. This is our suggestion for keeping uneven skill levels fun. Bring socks, ask about the wait before paying and keep the finish flexible; walk-in access is not a lane reservation.

The venue is at 5502 Lougheed Highway, beside Holdom Station. Customer parking requires a front-desk ticket displayed on the dashboard. Our full REVS guide covers arrival, deal exceptions and dated visitor reports about the venue's rough edges.

3. Riverway or Burnaby Mountain: a covered range, not an indoor room

Our pick when you want an inexpensive activity and can dress for the weather. Golf Burnaby's rates list 50 balls at $7.50 and one rental iron at $2.68. Buying one of each per person gives 2 × ($7.50 + $2.68) = $20.36 before tax for two.

TrackMan Range is included with a bucket and offers guest mode without an account. It does not include instruction, and the City does not guarantee the technology or offer a discount if it is unavailable.

Riverway officially lists covered stalls; Burnaby Mountain has heated lower stalls. Treat both as open-air golf practice, with a layer and comfortable shoes. If staying entirely indoors is essential, choose the gallery during its hours or bowling at a rate that fits your budget.

Our suggested first visit is 45–60 minutes plus any wait. Ask for suitable rental irons, check availability and start with easy targets. Confirm how you may take turns; software multiplayer capacity is not permission for a group to crowd one swing area.

Riverway is 9001 Bill Fox Way; Burnaby Mountain is 7600 Halifax Street. Check current operating conditions and the last-ball cutoff before leaving. Our range guide compares the locations, smaller buckets and the separately priced reserved-stall option.

4. Central Park tennis: the dry-day choice if you already have gear

Our pick for a short hit followed by a walk. The City's outdoor-court page lists casual first-come use with no booking and no casual court fee shown. This budget assumes you already own or can borrow racquets and balls; we have not confirmed an equipment-loan service.

Central Park has 12 tennis courts. Bring a willing partner and non-marking court shoes, check posted priority use and aim for enjoyable rallies rather than a full match. Lessons and City allotments take priority; if others are waiting, the limit is 30 minutes including warm-up.

This is outdoors and weather-dependent. Wet surfaces can be slippery, so choose a dry court and use an indoor plan if conditions do not suit. Do not assume all Burnaby courts have recently been resurfaced.

Our Metrotown-area tennis guide explains Central Park, Bonsor and Maywood alternatives. The gallery is a possible daytime rain alternative only during its opening hours; these places are not presented as one short walking itinerary.

Can the whole date stay under $25 or $50?

The activity subtotal and the whole date are different budgets. The gallery can have no admission charge. The $18 bowling promotion and $20.36 golf example are both under $25 before tax, with conditions above. That does not establish a tax-inclusive outing for two under $25.

If your total cap is $50, choose one activity, check its final charge and decide what remains for travel and food before adding either. Bring water and eat at home if those extras would stretch the plan. We have not priced a restaurant meal into these examples.

For an indoor evening, compare the $18 promotional bowling subtotal against the $34 early-evening one. For a rainy daytime visit, the gallery is the simplest admission budget. For dry weather, tennis rewards having gear already. Choose the plan you will both enjoy rather than upgrading merely to fill the evening.