What are the opening hours?

Monday 9:30am - 4:30pm Tuesday 9:30am - 4:30pm Wednesday 9:30am - 4:30pm Thursday 9:30am - 4:30pm Friday 9:30am - 4:30pm Saturday 9:30am - 4:30pm Sunday 9:30am - 4:30pm

Maritime Museum of British Columbia

Name: Maritime Museum of British Columbia
Address: 744 Douglas Street, Victoria, BC, V8W1A4, CA
Telephone: +1 250-385-4222
Price range: $

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Maritime Museum of British Columbia

Maritime experiences are boldly embraced, shared and lived from a cultural centre on the waterfront.

The Maritime Museum of BC first opened its doors to the public in 1955 on Signal Hill just outside the gates of the HMC Dockyard in Esquimalt. By 1965, the museum had outgrown its original location and found a new home in the former Supreme Court building in Bastion Square − the oldest surviving Courthouse in the province! The Museum closed at its Bastion Square location in 2014 and moved to Nootk

a Court on Humboldt Street in 2015. In August of 2021, we moved to city space at 744 Douglas Street, right next to the Victoria Conference Centre. The Maritime Museum of BC presents stories from the province's rich and vast nautical roots. The Museum also has a fleet of three very singular sailboats − Dorothy, Trekka and Tilikum − each with their own incredible story of adventure and enchantment. The Museum cares for over 35,000 unique artefacts, in excess of 40,000 historical photographs and an internationally recognized chart collection. Our interim exhibit space on Douglas Street will showcase the best of our collection and extensive library and archives. It is guaranteed to be exciting and educational to veteran sailors and landlubbers alike. To learn more about the Museum, visit our website at:
mmbc.bc.ca

05/25/2026

Did you know that you can browse (literally) thousands of historical photographs and artefacts from home using our online database?

To start exploring, visit our website and select the Collections tab. 🌊💻

Or click: https://mmbc.catalogaccess.com/

MMBC , P985.7.42

05/24/2026

Don't mind us, we're just here to add a little razzle dazzle to your day! ✨

In this photo, the RMS Empress of Russia and surrounding ships are painted in dazzle camouflage.

This type of ship camouflage was used during WWI, WWII, and beyond. It featured bold geometric shapes and contrasting colours designed not to hide ships, but to make it difficult to gauge their range, speed, and heading.

MMBC , P2204

The original copy of this photograph is held by the Canadian Pacific Railway. Contact the Canadian Pacific Railway for any reproduction and/or rights request.

05/23/2026

Royal Canadian Navy - Harbour craft YFP 306. A typical Pacific Command harbour craft.

In 1954, she was built for the RCN as YFM 306 and served as a harbour ferry boat. In 1960, she was re-designated as YFP 306 (Yard Ferry, Personnel). She was then transferred to reserve status due to defence budget cuts. Returning to service in the mid-1960s, She was re-designated as a YAG (Yard Auxiliary, General) and in 1976, she was assigned to HMCS Discovery Naval Reserve Division as a tender. YFP 306 served as a training vessel for regular and reserve forces until she was removed from service in 2007. She was sold in 2011 to private interests.

This photo was taken between 1960 - 1976 since she is displaying her "YFP 306" name.

MMBC 993.017.2119

The original copy of this photograph is held by the Department of National Defence. Contact the Department of National Defence for any reproduction and/or rights request.

05/22/2026

On this day in 1890, Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught, son of Queen Victoria, arrived in Vancouver with his wife, the Duchess of Connaught, and their daughter after crossing the Pacific from Yokohama, Japan aboard the Canadian Pacific steamship Abyssinia.

More than two decades later, Prince Arthur would Canada’s 10th Governor General, serving from 1911 to 1916, the only British prince to hold the position since Confederation.

In this image: Crowds gathered dockside to greet the royal visitors alongside horse-drawn carriages waiting. Vessels present are the SS Islander (left) and SS Abyssinia (right).

MMBC , P2173

05/17/2026

This event is free with museum admission!

Turmoil: The Life & Times of Philip Hankin is the latest work by award-winning author Michael Layland. Layland will give a talk on the many ships of Philip Hankin sailed on during his time on Vancouver Island, followed by a Q & A.

Signed copies of Turmoil will be available for purchase.

About the book: Hankin’s remarkable life brought abuse, hardship, and controversy, adventure, opportunity, and reward. It earned him a place in BC history as acting head of governments at a tumultuous time, and for recording parts of a 19th century Huu-ay-aht language. This list of common phrases and drawings lay misfiled in a British archive for more than a century until the author unearthed it during his research.

About the Author:

Born and educated in England, Michael Layland trained as an officer and mapmaker in the Royal Engineers of the British Army.

His extensive research of the cartographic and exploration history of Vancouver Island fuelled his first two books: The Land of Heart’s Delight: Early Maps and Charts of Vancouver Island, & A Perfect Eden: Encounters by Early Explorers of Vancouver Island . In the third, In Nature’s Realm, he combined his love of exploration history with a deep, life-long interest in the natural world.

05/16/2026

During the Second World War the Empress of Canada was converted to a troop carrier. In August 1940, the she travelled from Gourock, Scotland, toward Port Tewfik, Egypt. In this photo, you can see soldiers aboard in tropical dress with their sun helmets. These were also commonly called “pith” helmets because they were originally made from the fibres of the pith plant.

Want to get a closer look? Visit our new exhibit, Getting Tiddley: Navy Uniforms from Cap to Boot, to see an authentic pith helmet, on display now.

MMBC , P988.29.3

05/15/2026

The summer tour for SV Dorothy (1897) is about to begin!

Celebrate the start of her summer season with an Afternoon Tea at the Royal Victoria Yacht Club on June 18 from 3 –5 PM.

Hear tales of Dorothy’s historical and contemporary adventures in the Salish Sea, enjoy tea and classic nibbles, and support the continuing maintenance, restoration, and operation of the oldest Canadian sailboat still sailing.

Purchase single tickets for $27 each, or make it a Langley party and claim a table of 8 for $200.

Buy tickets now: https://secure.qgiv.com/for/dorothy/event/dorothytea/

Speakers Robert Lawson (boatwright and Dorothy historian) and Angus Matthews (volunteer skipper) will share Dorothy’s stories, past and present.

Dress in your yachting best or take us back to 1897 with your outfit!

Please note that Dorothy begins her summer tour from Ladysmith in June, and will not be onsite for this event. See her at RVYC during the National Youth Championships at the end of August or at the Victoria Classic Boat Festival September 4-6!

05/14/2026

Yo ho ho! We’re calling all mini pirates to follow their treasure maps straight to the MMBC this Saturday (May 16)! Join us for a special Pirate-Themed Mini Mariner Morning. 🏴‍☠️

This is a drop-in program from 10:00 – 11:00 AM and is FREE with museum admission!

Come sail the high seas, hunt for treasure, and perfect your best "Arrrrrgh!"

Eye patches are highly encouraged, as are pet parrots. ☠

05/13/2026

We recommend visiting our exhibit to do your research. 😉

Getting Tiddley: Navy Uniforms from Cap to Boot on display until November 14, 2026

05/12/2026

On this day in 1911, the Canadian Pacific tug SS Castlegar was launched to serve on Okanagan Lake.

Built to tow eight-car barges, the Castlegar was part of the rail-and-water transportation network that connected communities throughout the Okanagan.

On November 13, 1913, she was involved in a collision with the tug Skookum, owned by the Okanagan Lake Boat Co. At the time, Skookum was towing a scow loaded with cement pipe. The impact tore away the vessel’s entire cabin, and the master suffered a broken leg.

By 1925, the Castlegar was broken up, with her engine and boiler sent to Rosebery, BC.

MMBC , P3970

The original copy of this photograph is held by the Provincial Archives. Contact the Provincial Archives for any reproduction and/or rights request.

05/10/2026

Do you know what makes our day/week/month/year? Kind reviews!

Beyond giving our team the warm and fuzzies, your feedback is a huge help in supporting the museum and helping new visitors find us.

If you’ve had fun at the MMBC lately, would you consider leaving us a quick Google review? It’s free, fast, and one of the most impactful ways to support what we do! ❤️

Address

744 Douglas Street
Victoria, BC
V8W1A4

Opening Hours

Monday	9:30am - 4:30pm
Tuesday	9:30am - 4:30pm
Wednesday	9:30am - 4:30pm
Thursday	9:30am - 4:30pm
Friday	9:30am - 4:30pm
Saturday	9:30am - 4:30pm
Sunday	9:30am - 4:30pm

Telephone

+1 250-385-4222

Website

http://www.mmbc.bc.ca/

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