My husband and I are from The States. We are in town visiting family. We visited the Royal BC museum and were very impressed! Senior discounts. The displays told a story from the dinosaurs all the way to modern Victoria. Everything was so thought out and interesting. The museum also had a limited time Egyptian display that was fascinating with tombs, everyday utensils and personal items and other artifacts. A lot of information of what was believed to be the afterlife. Highly recommended! read more

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Royal British Columbia Museum on 675 Belleville Street ,Victoria,BC. This is a great place to visit I We estimate that for us to visit each museum in detail, would take us at least two to three days with no doubt! read more

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This is one of the best museums ever with amazing exhibits on the history and diversity of Victoria and British Columbia as well as the best natural history exhibits I have seen. I have been to natural history museums in Washington DC, Chicago, New York, and London and never seen exhibits other than at a zoo where I felt like I was part of the habitat they were in. read more

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Give yourself plenty of time to get through this massive musium. Unfortunately we were on an organized tour and this was a short stop. I will have to come back to see all of their exhibits. read more

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First of all, go across the street to the Information Center for discounted tickets. I don't know if they're always available, but our shuttle bus driver mentioned it and we got 20% off. The museum also offers an IMAX theater an additional cost. Before you give your ticket to the guard who accepts them, go to the ticket person and ask for an upgrade to a combo ticket and pay a bit more but less than purchasing separately. We decided not to do this so we can't tell you how much. This is a clean museum with distinctly separate exhibits. While the exhibits were not our cup of tea, it was still interesting to view them. I'm sure that those who had particular interest in the exhibits would be able to spend hours going through the materials. read more

If you have extra time while in Victoria this is a fun experience. There are a lot of interactive elements and beautiful sets that put your right in the time period or historical element the museum is trying to represent. They do discounts for college students too. read more

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A must stop if you're in the area! I've been here about 4 times and the kids always love roaming around and exploring! Beautiful exhibits and lots of cool information! Check it out! read more

So fun! I spent a solid 2 hours here with my partner. I'm blown away by the dioramas - the sound and set designs are incredible! Not to mention, weirdly enough, the smell design too? In dioramas set near the ocean, it does smell fishy but when you move to the next set, it doesn't. I don't know how they do it. I was expecting more dinosaur fossils but alas, there is none. The recreation of BC through the eras was really cool and unexpected. I regret not having seen the iMAX movie but there's always next time. read more

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Wonderful museum with amazing exhibits on natural history, Canadian history, First Nations culture, and so much more. We also had a great experience watching the IMAX move "T. Rex" and eating too much popcorn. read more

This was a bit of a mixed review for me. The Royal British Columbia is a Natural History museum that offers a nice educational opportunity for all age groups, especially the children, to learn about the evolution of this region of the world over time. In particular, the displays which included life size recreations of the various time period animals and terrain tied in with the corresponding story boards paint an interesting and educational portrait of the the various historical time periods. From this educational aspect, I give this museum very high marks. However, having said the above, the entire second floor of this museum was being renovated/updated and was not available to the general public during my June 2023 visit. Even though this was well communicated up front when we bought our tickets, I was still disappointed in how limited the first floor exhibit area's were based on how huge the building looks from the outside. It really gave a deceiving perception at how much we were going to be able to see. I would think in an effort to promote public good will during this period of renovation that the museum would have lowered their entrance fee's or even possibly offered free admission. If they had done that I would have felt much better about this experience and definately would have given four stars, possibly 5 stars, based on how good the second floor exhibits were. read more

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The Royal BC Museum is seriously one of the coolest museums I've been to. It brings British Columbia's history to life - from natural wonders to human stories - with super immersive exhibits and authentic artifacts. The displays are incredibly realistic (you'll feel like you've time-traveled!), and there's always something new to see thanks to rotating exhibits from around the world. read more

Disappointing experience. People in the area were saying how great it is and how it's like a Smithsonian. I know the Smithsonian well and visited all of them. This place only has the natural exhibits open on one floor. All of the human anthropology, including native people, is closed for renovations. They don't have a date when that will be completed. The thing that irritated me the most was the website has no mention of the closure and renovations. It should be a pop up or right on the first page. I was in and out in 20 minutes. read more

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Pleasant museum experience. Exhibits on the Chinese immigration, nature of BC, IMAX of Shark World, music of protests in history. All interesting and presented well. Worth the visit. read more

The Royal BC Museum had a dinosaur exhibit and an exhibit on Angkor, The Lost Empire of Cambodia in August 2023 when we visited. We only had a few hours so we opted for the Angkor side. It was extremely well-done. The individual exhibits were intricate and visually detailed, thoughtfully presented, and the lighting showcase it all exquisitely. read more

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While this might be a good museum (had been 4 stars on our previous visit), I'll have to downgrade it simply cuz the value is poor. We paid about $100 CDN ($75 US) for 4 adults, which included some discounts (senior, student). Sadly, cuz about half of the museum was closed for renovation and/or changing exhibits, our visit took barely over an hour. Our favorite display from past visits ("Old town") was closed as were other areas. When so much of the museum is closed, they should either explicitly post this info (at the museum and online) or provide appropriate discounts since we barely got half an attraction. read more

Nicely curated museum. Meticulously maintained and well explained. Modest admission fees. read more

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I really really enjoyed this museum. The cost was around $21 USD which I thought was a little high but once you go inside you see why it's priced this way. There are soooo many exhibits that blew my mind. There were a ton real-life spots with like taxidermy deer and birds that was super cool but the best part, in my opinion, is the area of the museum where they recreated an entire old-timey town. Like, full buildings on a winding street that you can go into and see things. It was so absolutely amazing I loved it. I also visited during the Orca exhibit and I definitely teared up a few times. It was super interesting to read about and I was amazed to read about all the orca pods in the area. Definitely go visit if you are in the area. read more

Royal British Columbia Museum - Museums Near Me - Victoria, British Columbia

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This museum was ok. It had an exhibit of nature photography, that was kind of interesting to look at. They had the usual natural history. Apparently the whole 3rd floor was under construction. It would have been nice to know that up front and they could have charged less since there's less to see. read more

Royal British Columbia Museum - Museums Near Me - Victoria, British Columbia

Yes, it's a nice museum but certain areas were not accessible. There's no sections of art, maybe that's one of the areas that we could not see. The displays are well presented but I did not see anything that would make this museum stand out on its own merits. I was somewhat disappointed overall and really not worth the price of admission. read more

Royal British Columbia Museum - Museums Near Me - Victoria, British Columbia

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What a disappointment! I had visited once before, some years ago, and remembered what a great museum it was. (Not anymore.) I read that they had done some "renovation", and that the Old Town exhibit had been closed, but was now open again. It is open... after a fashion, but some the buildings are empty shells now. They put a "for lease" sign in the window of one former shop, which was actually pretty clever. It's not just Old Town, though. A lot of the museum building has been turned into non-exhibit space: Huge lobby, coffee shop, movie theater, etc. What's left is a pretty SMALL museum! I expected to spend half-a-day there, but I was done in an hour. Definitely, not worth the price of admission! read more

A large part of the appeal of the RBCM is the nostalgia I have from coming here as a child.... but I guess since we just bought an annual pass for our family - it is still a significant place to spend time. This museum looks little sleepy from years of minimal upkeep and has recently been the news for how it has handled its indigenous collection. Some artefacts (i.e. totems) have been returned to indigenous communities and the entire indigenous collection is currently being remodeled for present day relevance and sensitivity. The process is definitely humbling and educational as a white immigrant to Canada. The IMAX is the largest screen in BC with several showings each day. It is relatively easy to buy tickets - they can be ordered online or in person. The Natural history section has Mammoth which I remember visiting multiple times as a child - sometimes multiple times in the course of an hour. In recent years this museum has hosted numerous successful temporary exhibits that we have really enjoyed. A baby mammoth in 2016(?) where I learned more about mammoths than I ever thought possible and more recently, Sue the t-rex and an exhibit of the Ancient empire of Angkor (Cambodia). For a family of 5, if you go twice in a year you might as well buy an annual membership -- so I guess we'll be back! read more

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I love this museum! It's easy of access and had so many nice displays. When I visited the temporary exposition was wildlife photography and I enjoyed it so much I did the circuit twice. I also went to see two movies in their IMAX amphitheater. Sea lions and turtle odyssey. Both were great and it was a really enjoyable cinematic experience. I got a discount on admission thanks to the hostel I was staying out so it was very affordable and a great way to spend the afternoon! read more

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Amazing place to watch IMax movies, see exhibits, and purchase locally sourced gifts from the gift shop! We absolutely adored our time here and would definitely go again. What a great way to spend a rainy day! read more

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This is an impressive natural history museum in Victoria! Our family took the ferry from Port Angeles, WA in July 2019 for a day trip, but only had 2 hours available to see the museum (before closing time). But I think you need at least 3 hours to enjoy most of the exhibits (if you like to read things in detail). Also, the gift shop has some unique items, books, and calendars. Exhibit highlights from the Royal BC Museum included: (1) First Peoples where you could hear the wonderful variety of languages, (2) Totem Hall, which had an impressive collection in a darkened gallery and (3) a Mayan exhibit on artifacts from the Yucatan peninsula. Unfortunately, we did not have time to visit the other sections of the museum. If you're in Victoria for a day trip, it's well worth stopping by! read more

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Are you and adult? This is a one star. The whole top floor was closed and while this might have entertained children, it was a terrible museum for us- especially considering the rip off price we paid on the cruise ship. We didn't have time to watch Imax movies- no idea if they're any good, but if you are on a cruise ship being hustled through here you are not going to get your money's worth. I'm sure disappointed we chose this place. The gift shop is "ok"- it too is much better for kids. Very nice large kid section- if you've got a kid, this might be a great place for you. If you're looking for a museum along the lines of a great natural history museum- this isn't what you are looking for. read more

We spend a few hours here on Saturday morning. We purchased our tickets ahead of time and showed our vaccination cards and ID. We started with the orca exhibit and found it to be very interesting. Living in the PNW, and on the water, we have seen the orcas come into our bay. I never knew why they were called the Bigg's orcas, I knew them as only the transient orcas-great to learn that these orcas were named after the man who studied them. The rest of the museum was a showcase on the First Nations people and the different tribes that were represented. The use of native materials, cedar, barks, abalone inlay into their ceremonial masks were just a visual treat. I think this was my favorite part, visiting the reconstructed and authentic longhouse, various canoes and totem poles. The third floor is apparently open until January 3rd and then I was told that that display (colonial period pieces, fisheries, etc) were going to be dismantled, but beyond that, not sure what will be put in its place. There were many interactive things for children to do and felt (in the orca exhibit) they were strategically places to keep the children interested and engaged. Would definitely recommend! read more

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Walking by and happened to stop in , we did the iMax and that was pretty cool ! After we finished watching imax we walked through the rest of the museum and let me tell you for $5 it's totally worth it . We really enjoyed it and I love how they're showings look so real and live size !!! The staff was very nice and when we seemed lost they were kind about helping us out . Totally recommend it !!! read more

Royal British Columbia Museum - Museums Near Me - Victoria, British Columbia

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I hadn't been here in too long but the reason I came to Victoria was to revisit Totem Hall. This darkened gallery is an incredibly dramatic space. These hauntingly beautiful old poles flanked by the Jonathan Hunt Kwakiutl house from the 1970s make for a memorable experience. This museum does a great job with visual experiences. From Totem Hall to the argillite gallery to the recreation of a cave, the creative talents of First Nations cultures are admirably displayed. I've always enjoyed this area so much that I had forgotten that the rest of the museum is a spectacle, too. The dioramas featuring coastal forest and seashore scenes are as real as fakery can be. The wooly mammoth is so much greater than the sum of its ordinary parts: plywood, chicken wire, foam, nine muskox hides, and fiberglass tusks. Old Town and the HMS Discovery are quite convincing, too. If there is one aspect of the experience that is frustrating, it's the labeling of the items on display. Dates and materials are often not listed. Going to the museum's online search tool can be a chore resulting in futility. There are dates and materials missing there, too. Catalog items are sometimes the same for a host of unrelated items. Even the artist listed online may not match the actual label in a gallery. With that said, this museum gets so much right, no wonder it's one of Canada's favorite museums. The gift shop is great -- my wallet confirmed that for me -- and the few food trucks out back served some very good food. (I had a fresh salmon salad that was better than it deserved to be.) The current Egyptian exhibition has some amazing highlights. Check out the necklaces and the black coffin. Those alone are worth the visit. read more

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Removal of the mining, forestry, agriculture and fishing exhibitions. First Nations hunting canoe was replaced with a coffee shop. Very little representation of First Nations. read more

It was just okay for me. I have read and seen documentaries about this culture. It relates to the same stories I heard when I went to New Mexico about the same people - the Native American people - The Pueblo's and the Navajos... It made me sad to learn that they had many dialects which, are lost and can ever be learned by the younger generations. Only the true Natives will know and identify who really know what when they encounter one anothers presence. No one thought of writing a book or teach to preserve the past. Part of the language had some sort of chanting and whistling in the past. I think I was hoping for more visual or an actual person telling me more substantial stories that are unspoken. read more

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We spent there almost whole day!!! Amazing collection, rich history and interesting installations. I loved the imax movies so educating. I highly recommend this museum specially if it's your first time in Victoria island. read more

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Awesome museum & a must see for all ages. The animals of British Columbia were presented beautifully with lots of hand on opportunities. On 3 we loved traveling through thi history of BC people from the aboriginal to the twenty-first century. We got here when they opened at 10 to beat crowds & can come back again before they close at 10 pm read more

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This a good place to take my 11 year old daughter. The exhibits and activities held her interest and gave her some new ideas to think about. I wish I had taken her sooner. read more

The Royal BC Museum is located within steps of Victoria's Inner Harbour (between the Fairmont Empress and the Legislative Assembly Buildings) and was well worth the price of Gayle and my admission. The Museum anchors the Royal BC Museum Cultural Precinct, a surrounding area with historical sites and monuments, including Thunderbird Park and the The Netherlands Carillon (the largest in Canada with 62 bells that toll for thee). The Museum proper includes three permanent Galleries (Natural History, Modern History, and First Peoples) and an IMAX Theatre. It also hosts touring exhibitions from around the world. In recent years, these included exhibitions on the RMS Titanic, Leonardo da Vinci, Egyptian artifacts, and Genghis Khan. Elizabeth II opens on June 1st and I'm sorry we missed it. The Dinosaurs! exhibit is very Kid friendly (for all ages) and I was pleasantly surprised on how much I enjoyed seeing a bunch of old bones come to life in various multi-media ways. That includes of course their modern successors (birds, lizards, etc.). We then took a swing through the Natural History portion as of course we could not miss the big Woolly Mammoth! The newer Climate Change section was an added bonus. The only section we didn't spend a lot of time in was the Modern History area. It's not the exhibits here weren't interesting, rather in our ~2-3 hour visit (including Thunderbird Park and the other outside stuff), some things got prioritized away until another time. However, the "Rock Star" of our visit to the Royal BC Museum was the First Peoples Section. The exhibits are stunning in their depiction of what First Nations life was like before and after the Europeans arrived. Particularly notable was the full size supply canoe, various Totem Poles, a goose bumps inducing Spirit Cave, the various masks and a native long house. This exhibit is apparently not without controversy as the gallery has been criticized by indigenous scholars for its portrayal of First Nations people, and its use of controversial images and film from Edward Curtis. History is written by the Victor? Gayle and I both separately commented that this exhibit reminded us of the Museu À Descoberta do Novo Mundo in Belmonte Portugal. That museum depicts the colonization of the native peoples of Brazil by Portugal and the associated and controversial cultural consequences. We spent most of our time here, and I wasn't ready to leave until I'd seen a few things over again. And next time I'd love to share this place with my son. P.S. - The Gift Shop downstairs is impressive in it's size and selection. read more

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Our last stop on our two days in Victoria. Thoroughly enjoyed the current Egyptian exhibit and then moved on to the history of the native Canadians. Allow yourself a couple of hours to get through it all, more if you're a read every label kind of person. Museum is well maintained and I'd go back again to see new exhibits . read more

RBCM was on of the major attractions for our trip to Victoria. Since moving out west, I'd been a bit disappointed with the lack of good museums in Greater Vancouver. We went while there was a mayan exhibition going on, which was great considering we went to the Yucatan peninsula earlier this year and spent a lot of time seeing these things in person. The Mayan exhibition was a lot of fun and had some great interactive bits if you're coming with children. The main museum has two main focuses, the history of the current major cities in BC, and the history of the aboriginal peoples who live here. They have a great selection of artifacts that help to document aboriginal life in these communities even as the Europeans began settling the area that were really eye opening. Despite the somber setting in these sections, there are a lot of children running around which can feel a bit off at times. The section about the history of 20th century Vancouver and Victoria is great, they have a mockup of the town set up complete with movie theatre (showing Charlie Chaplin!), Chinatown, and a hotel that showcases various points of history. You can walk inside Capt. Vancouver's ship and see a gold panning operation in action. These sorts of activities are great for getting kids interested in history. read more

Royal British Columbia Museum - Ocean zone - Museums Near Me - Victoria, British Columbia

Growing up, I've always been fascinated with Egyptian culture. So when I heard that an exhibit of ancient Egyptian artifacts were on display in Victoria's own Royal BC Museum until Dec 31, 2018, I convinced my visiting British friend to take the ferry from Tsawwassen and visit Victoria for a day! We enjoyed the interactive displays and original priceless artifacts -some were even 4,500 years old. Exhibits that stood out for us were a coffin, a bust of Hatshepsut and Ptolemaic period ornaments. We also appreciated the First Nations section. The totem poles is an amazing IG worthy photo spot. The mammoth display also is another good photo opportunity. Staff is friendly and informative. Location of museum is walking distance to the other landmarks of Victoria (Parliament, Harbour, and the historic Empress hotel). A totally epic experience! One for the books! read more

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What a wonderful museum. I came here with my family on a snowy day to escape the weather and see some BC history and I'm so glad we did, this place was a blast. My son was a bit too young to enjoy it (6 months), but we moved through it at a pace that he was able to look at things and enjoy, but not get too bored. I can imagine this is a wonderful museum for older children and for adults that can go at a more leisurely pace. A lot of natural history is shown on the second level of the museum, with the highlight being a life size mammoth. They even have a spot on the floor to mark the perfect selfie. So cute. You wind your way through different scenes with taxidermy animals and well done plaques explaining which animals are which and some helpful information along the way. I did mention I had a 6 month old with me right? Yea, didn't get to read too much unfortunately. The third level houses a wonderful exhibit on native peoples and their languages. It was so neat to hear greetings in so many languages. It's amazing how different those greetings can be in such a small area. I think it's wonderful that B.C. invested so much in giving a spotlight on natives. You don't always see that in the USA. Following the native exhibit, the museum takes you on a journey through colonization and regional history. It was really interactive and great for kids. You walk through a portion of a tall ship, through a mine, and downtown (Victoria?) in around the 1800-1900s. Throughout the entire museum I never found myself thinking it was cheesy or outdated. As a side note, their family restroom is really nice as well. They have a changing station and even a chair if you don't want to breast feed in public. Very thoughtful. read more

Pretty cool museum in Downtown Victoria. Totally worth the visit if you are visiting the area. It had the following themed exhibits: 1) Ancient Egypt 2) Natural World History (wildlife) 3) Human Communications/Victoria Early Settlers The last being my favorite of the bunch with many recreations of 19th/20th century buildings, neighborhoods and ships. read more

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Special Egyptian exhibits were very interesting on this viewing.....It has been 26 years since my last visit and it is still my favorite museum of all time (including The Smithsonian. I may be a bit weird in that respect. But I did not like the way their exhibits were presented-rather messy in comparison) Woolly mammoth is even more stunning now that he stands without glass between you and him. Wonderful for pictures! All the exhibits are so well done. Visual, audible, olfactory, and tactile senses are all part of this experience in the main museum. Only taste is not apart of your adventure as you observe the exhibits. However, the kitchen exhibit was closed for renovation......maybe they will include samples of the apple pie they used to make ....... we can only hope :) !! read more

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