Maritime Museum of British Columbia

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

Catch the "Rainbow Row" in the Inner Harbour this Friday, September 4 at 2:00 PM!A team of volunteers will take to the w...
09/03/2026

Catch the "Rainbow Row" in the Inner Harbour this Friday, September 4 at 2:00 PM!

A team of volunteers will take to the water in a restored 16-foot Royal Navy skiff-gig. Built locally in the late 1800s, the vessel likely served alongside HMCS Rainbow (the Royal Canadian Navy’s first Pacific Command warship) until the ship was scrapped in 1920.

Rescued through decades of community effort, the skiff-gig was maintained by historian and boatwright Robert Lawson before being donated to the Ladysmith Maritime Society (LMS) and then later to the Maritime Museum of BC (MMBC). LMS volunteers and the MMBC Dorothy refit crew brought it back to life using salvaged 1930s steamer teak, Afromosia wood from West Wind Hardwood, and custom bronze hardware.

This is the third vessel restored through the ongoing LMS and MMBC partnership.

Head down to the harbour this Friday to see maritime history in action!

Know before you go! The Classic Boat Festival officially opens TOMORROW (Sept. 4)!Swipe through to check out a few key t...
09/03/2026

Know before you go! The Classic Boat Festival officially opens TOMORROW (Sept. 4)!

Swipe through to check out a few key things to know before you make your way down to the docks.

Have more questions? Drop them in the comments below or send us a DM.

**For clarification: The Sail Past and Race is on Sunday, September 6.**

From pop-culture standouts to major discoveries, swipe through to see what was making history in the years some of our a...
09/02/2026

From pop-culture standouts to major discoveries, swipe through to see what was making history in the years some of our attending Classic Boat Festival vessels were built!

Then, come see these vessels in person down on the docks, Sept. 4–6.

Check out which other vessels will be joining us here:
https://mmbc.bc.ca/classic-boat-festival/current-participants/

It's that time of year! Our 744 Douglas St. location will be closed September 3–8 while our team is down at the Inner Ha...
09/02/2026

It's that time of year! Our 744 Douglas St. location will be closed September 3–8 while our team is down at the Inner Harbour running the 47th Annual Classic Boat Festival.

Want to explore our current exhibit, Getting Tiddley: Navy Uniforms from Cap to Boot? Pop in today before we close (at 4:30 PM), or catch us when we reopen on September 9.

In the meantime, come say hey down at the docks September 4–6!

The 2026 Classic Boat Festival Silent Auction is officially LIVE!We are thrilled to bring back our annual auction, featu...
08/31/2026

The 2026 Classic Boat Festival Silent Auction is officially LIVE!

We are thrilled to bring back our annual auction, featuring an array of items and experiences generously donated by our local community partners, including:

- A 2-night stay in an upgraded Seaview Room at The Sidney Pier Hotel & Spa
- Two Single Entry Passes to HAVN Saunas
- A Luhr-Jensen Fishing Rod
- A Whale Watching Tour for Two with Eagle Wing Tours
..plus many more!

Each winning bid directly supports the continuation of the Classic Boat Festival in Victoria’s Inner Harbour and goes towards the year-round maritime heritage preservation work of the Maritime Museum of BC.

Bidding Closes: Sunday, September 6 at 7:00 PM PST

Check out the auction and place your bids here: hibid.ca/events/2026-victoria-classic-boat-festival

SV Dorothy (1897) had a beautiful journey this morning to Victoria after being exhibited for the summer at Cowichan Bay ...
08/28/2026

SV Dorothy (1897) had a beautiful journey this morning to Victoria after being exhibited for the summer at Cowichan Bay Maritime Centre. Thanks for the tow, Messenger III!

Dorothy is now at Royal Victoria Yacht Club during the Sail Canada Youth Championship before heading to the Victoria Classic Boat Festival for Labour Day weekend.

Thanks to her supporters and our tour sponsors Country Grocer, Pacific Industrial & Marine, and the Royal Victoria Yacht Club!

She’s back!The Maritime Museum of BC’s very own SV Dorothy is returning to the Classic Boat Festival this year, and you ...
08/28/2026

She’s back!

The Maritime Museum of BC’s very own SV Dorothy is returning to the Classic Boat Festival this year, and you definitely don't want to miss her.

Built right here in Victoria in 1897, Dorothy is a 30′ gaff-rigged sloop designed by Linton Hope and crafted by J.J. Robinson. She is quite possibly the oldest Canadian sailboat still sailing.

Thanks to the community of donors and volunteers, her major mid-life refit wrapped up in 2024, getting her out on the water. Now serving as the Museum's official sailing ambassador, Dorothy brings maritime history to life, giving everyone from seasoned sailors to local youth a chance to step aboard a piece of history.

Come down to the docks September 4-6 during the Classic Boat Festival and say hi!

Ever find yourself wishing for a sturdy, zipped canvas tote that actually holds all your stuff with a little maritime fl...
08/26/2026

Ever find yourself wishing for a sturdy, zipped canvas tote that actually holds all your stuff with a little maritime flair?

We’ve got you covered! Our brand-new canvas totes just arrived, and they’re coming with us to the Classic Boat Festival in Victoria's Inner Harbour.

You can grab one at the festival gift shop, Sept. 4–6.

See you down by the water!

What is Robert Flack capturing on his Bell & Howell Filmo 70 series 16mm movie camera? That's right. He is capturing our...
08/22/2026

What is Robert Flack capturing on his Bell & Howell Filmo 70 series 16mm movie camera?

That's right. He is capturing our very own SV Dorothy in 1898, just one year after she was built in Victoria's Inner Harbour.

Fun Fact: Dorothy will be back in that exact spot for the Classic Boat Festival taking place in the harbour Sept. 4 - 6. Just 128 short years later!

---

Disclaimer: For legal and historical reasons, we must clarify that Robert Flack did not take the second photo. Not only because of the decades long time gap, but also because he is holding the wrong type of camera. Obviously.

MMBC , 006.032.0007

We couldn't do what we do without our amazing volunteers! Here’s a look at what a few of our Collections volunteers are ...
08/21/2026

We couldn't do what we do without our amazing volunteers! Here’s a look at what a few of our Collections volunteers are working on behind the scenes:

Dave: Working on inventorying and cataloguing the ship plans. He is going through the folders of ship plans writing down their accession numbers/titles, measuring the dimensions, and making notes on condition. The ship plans have never been fully catalogued or inventoried, so this is a very valuable project. Eventually this will help us more easily share with the public what plans we have, how big they are, where they are physically located, and what condition they're in. Another important step to having our collection well documented!

Mike (and our Curator, Rosemary!): Working on reviewing the ship plan scanning project. The scanning/digitization project has been going on for about three years, and we're probably around 40% of the way through, which is a huge accomplishment considering how many plans we have! Mike and Rosemary are reviewing which folders have been completely scanned, and making sure we're tracking that information correctly.

William: Currently working on updating our catalogue records for objects missing information like dimensions, condition reports, and photographs. We have another team of volunteers who have been photographing the objects that William is adding to the records. The project is going to really improve the information we have on each object, help us track any changes in condition over time, and have that visual identification.

Are you interested in Volunteering with us? Visit our website to learn more: https://mmbc.bc.ca/support/volunteer/

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

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