Royal BC Museum

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Royal BC Museum

Inspiring curiosity through shared stories, nature, history and culture. BC’s provincial museum. The museum was founded in 1886; the archives in 1894.

The Royal BC Museum Corporation is one of the foremost cultural institutions in the world. In 2003 these two organizations integrated to become British Columbia's combined provincial museum and archives, collecting artifacts, documents and specimens of BC's natural and human history, safeguarding them for the future, and sharing them with the world. Through research and education, we strive to bro

aden understanding about our province and inspire curiosity and wonder. We are passionate about sharing British Columbia's story with the millions of visitors who walk through our doors and explore our web site each year. Our archives, exhibits and galleries change and grow as our understanding grows, and we endeavour to share our knowledge in original and exciting ways. Each exhibit and gallery tells important stories about British Columbia and provides an engaging and thought-provoking window on the province's past, present and future. Our archives provide a treasure trove of information for researchers and genealogists through the stories that are preserved here.

08/28/2026

There are only a few days left in August to join one of our Visitor Experience team members for a fascinating journey into the ancient Egyptian afterlife!

Step into Ancient Egypt: Obsessed with Life and uncover the beliefs, rituals, and traditions that shaped an enduring vision of eternity. From mummies and monumental tombs to stories of family, friendship, and love, discover how a civilization obsessed with life transformed immortality into an art form.

Meet just outside the Ancient Egypt: Obsessed with Life exhibition entrance at the start time of the tour.

Free with admission or membership.
Maximum 10 participants per tour.

08/26/2026

Last chance for a summer visit!

If you haven't had a chance to peek inside Helmcken House yet, there's still time. Open daily from 12 PM to 2 PM until August 31, this remarkable 1852 home offers a rare glimpse into life in nineteenth-century Victoria. Built for Dr. John Sebastian Helmcken, one of the colony's most influential physicians and political figures, the house is one of the oldest surviving homes in British Columbia still standing on its original site.

Located on the east side of the Royal BC Museum, just behind Thunderbird Park.

08/25/2026

Special Event: The Art of Adventure

Two friends, one Land Rover, and an epic journey around the world that would shape two extraordinary lives.

Join us on Tuesday, September 22 at 7:15 PM for a special screening of The Art of Adventure, the story of Robert Bateman and Bristol Foster's 1957 global expedition and the lifelong passion for nature, conservation and storytelling that followed.

Following the film, stay for a moderated Q&A featuring Robert Bateman, Dr. Bristol Foster, former CEO of the Royal BC Museum and a 2026 recipient of the Order of British Columbia, and director Alison Reid, moderated by John Bateman. Dr. Foster's contributions to environmental stewardship, conservation and public education have had a lasting impact in British Columbia and beyond.

📍 IMAX® Victoria at the Royal BC Museum
📆 Tuesday, September 22 | 7:15 PM

Get tickets > https://sales.royalbcmuseum.bc.ca/Selection.aspx?item=12778&sch=665194

08/21/2026

Join youth and community ambassadors James (Ma̱lidi), who is Kwakwaka’wakw, and Kingston (Wax̱ana’x̱a̱las), who is of Kwakwaka’wakw and W̱SÁNEĆ heritage, for a cultural sharing experience in the Jonathan Hunt House.

Through songs, stories, and conversation, visitors are invited to learn about local Indigenous cultures and traditions shared by the youth.

📍 Jonathan Hunt House, Third Floor, Royal BC Museum
🕚 11 AM to 4 PM
📅 August 21, 25, 27 & 28
🎟️Included with admission or membership.

Drop in and connect through culture, storytelling, and community.

Learn more > https://rbcm.ca/event/cultural-sharing/ -dates

08/20/2026

Step into the world of pharaohs, pyramids, and eternal life. ✨

Discover over 250 ancient treasures, immersive experiences, and the fascinating beliefs that shaped one of history's greatest civilizations.

Ancient Egypt: Obsessed with Life is on now at the Royal BC Museum.

🎟️ Admission is free for youth aged 17 and under and 50% off for young adults aged 18-24 through September 7 as part of the Canada Strong Pass program.

Plan your visit today and experience one of the world's most captivating civilizations.

08/14/2026

Ancient Egyptians had a guidebook for the afterlife. But where did it come from?

Most people have heard of the famous Book of the Dead, but its origins stretch back thousands of years. Join archaeologist Lisa Marie Wolff as she explores the evolution of ancient Egyptian funerary texts, from the earliest spells inscribed inside pyramids to the sacred writings that helped guide the dead through the afterlife.

Discover how beliefs about death, the afterlife, and the power of the written word changed over time, and gain new insight into one of the ancient world's most enduring traditions.

Participants will also have the opportunity to explore Ancient Egypt: Obsessed with Life.

Limited tickets available. Reserve yours now > https://bc.pulse.ly/cv18c68c36

08/10/2026

A century ago, sea otters had disappeared from BC's coast.

Prized for their exceptionally dense fur, sea otters were hunted extensively during the maritime fur trade, reshaping coastal economies and cultures while pushing the species to the brink. By the early 1900s, they were gone from British Columbia's waters.

Then, in 1969, sea otters returned. A small group relocated from Alaska to Vancouver Island became the foundation of a remarkable recovery story. Today, sea otters once again float, forage, and raise their pups along parts of the BC coast, helping to restore the kelp forest ecosystems they have shaped for millennia.

Learn more about the lives of this fascinating species in Sea Otters: A Wild Family Adventure, filmed off the west coast of Vancouver Island and now playing at IMAX® Victoria.

Image credits: BC Archives, I-07159 and I-07160, Releasing Sea Otters, Bunsby Island, Special Services Branch, 1969.

08/03/2026

British Columbia's story is preserved through collections and archives that continue to grow through active research, fieldwork and community partnerships.

Today, the Royal BC Museum cares for more than 7 million objects and specimens spanning disciplines, from archaeology and modern history to botany, entomology, paleontology and mammalogy. The BC Archives’ records include over 5 million textual records, photographs, documentary art, sound recordings, moving images and cartographic records such as maps. These include government, private, genealogical and Indigenous material.

These collections help us understand everything from how ecosystems and species have changed over millions of years through fossil research, to more than 10,000 years of human history documented through archaeological artifacts and archival records.

They are not static collections. They continue to grow as researchers and scientists uncover new discoveries, document biodiversity, and share the stories that shape British Columbia.

07/29/2026

Generations of Water and Women
A talk with artist Nadine Spence

Join artist Nadine Spence as she shares the story behind Generations of Water and Women, part of the Honouring Our Grandmothers Healing Journey, a multi-year Indigenous-led initiative connecting communities, waterways, salmon, and stories across the Fraser and Thompson River watersheds.

Honouring Our Grandmothers Healing Journey is created by Further We Rise Indigenous Arts Collective, supported by Sacred Rock Community Society.

Nadine will explore the significance of the travelling cedar bentwood message chest's first visit to Victoria and the Royal BC Museum, sharing its connection to family, nation, ancestry, Mother Earth, and the journey's closing ceremony in winter 2026. Guests will also be invited to contribute a letter to be placed in the chest.

📅 Friday, July 31 | 1:00 PM
📍 Conference Hall, Royal BC Museum
🎟️ Free to attend

Learn more > https://rbcm.ca/event/honouring-our-grandmothers/

Nadine Spence

07/24/2026

Join us for a Maker Saturday at the museum tomorrow and create your own “Day at the Museum” scrapbook, filled with memories, discoveries, and treasures created along the way.

Inspired by Victorian-era scrapbooks and junk journals, visitors will explore how people across cultures and throughout history have recorded important moments, commemorated events, and preserved history and memories.

Journey through the Natural History Galleries, Old Town, and Ancient Egypt: Obsessed with Life, collecting stamps, sketches, poems, rubbings, and other keepsakes along the way.

✨ Don't forget, as part of the Canada Strong Pass, admission is free for visitors aged 17 and under, and 50% off for those aged 18 to 24 through September 7.

We hope to see you there!

Address

675 Belleville Street
Victoria, BC
V8W9W2

Website

http://www.royalbcmuseum.bc.ca/

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