Reviews of Royal BC Museum (Tourist Attraction)

Charlie Ni

Fantastic museum detailing the history of British Columbia. Currently has the Egyptian exhibit until December 31, 2018. You can easily spend 3-4 hours here. Definitely recommend if you're in Victoria

Bruce Ward

A must to visit . We live here and anytime a new exhibit is on or if we have visitors this is one place we make sure to visit . Just seen the new Mayan exhibit and it was fabulous .

Bryce Kehoe

First time here and it was a very cool experience ! Just new to town so decided to go about an hour and a half before close which if you want the full experience was definatly not enough time. Their exhibits were super cool and a lot of interesting information if you like museums. Also if you have kids it would be a fantastic place ! To anyone in the area that has a spare few hours I highly recommend !

Laura Sturgeon

This museum has so many varied displays on several levels that I believe you get your money's worth. There is such detail and with the lighting it creates a welcoming and kind of cozy feel. The curators really did their research and made sure people get an education as well as are entertained here. When they have a feature display, it is so well done that I have been completely captivated. Saw the Egyptian one and just saw the Mayan one yesterday. The very only complaint was the Christmas in old town wasnt as advertised. There were some decorations but I thought they'd go all out. It could have been so enchanting but it wasnt. But it's okay. This is still a top notch museum that should not be missed by visitors and locals.

Michael Doughty

Take the day to visit... you'll need it. Start from the Exit and move toward the Entrance. The coolest part is at the end.

Robin Main

I have not been there for 45 years. The Orca exhibit was very informative. The rest was pretty much unchanged for many years, as expected.

Oliver Smith

Fantastic displays. Ran out of time to see it all. Will be back.

sarah-leanne deslippe

I loved this museum! The history section is like stepping on the set of a period piece, which is a refreshing break from other museums that take themselves *a bit* too seriously. The environmental section does a great job educating people about the risks of climate change in an easily digestible manner. Be sure to check out the IMAX theater when you're there for a short but engaging film :)

Samantha Bacchus McLeod

One of the best in Canada for Natural History! It is absolutely amazing how much work went into the Natural History of BC - current and historical records of animals, plants, fungi, ecosystems, geology, palaeontology, climatology, and more...just mind-boggling how amazing it all was. I expected more of our Indigenous history but was exceptionally disappointed by the lack of effort that goes into other BC cultures history. That is the reason why I can only give it 4 stars, plus the Black history exhibition was extremely lacklustre. Note...can you imagine living the life of an Orca:-) Relax, travel, socialise, forage, blissful.

Kerrie Shende

Had a great time, exhibits were a great mix of reading and interactive portions. Even the set-up of certain exhibits made you feel like you transported in time. Wouldn't recommend for children but highly recommend for all adults.

Robert George

Still one of the best museums in North America. I visited almost 40 years ago and the exhibit quality still amazes me and I've been to 100+ museums in that time including many of the Smithsonian.

BigTree

The orca exhibit is absolutely wonderful. A very cool technological display.

Jessica Fudge

Make sure you have time to take in and absorb all the great exhibits. So much amazing history of our province especially the current exhibit on orcas and our indigenous peoples. Learning languages was beautiful and quite special.

Christie Mitchell

Loved the travelling Egyptian exhibit. Very impressed with the beautiful First Nations exhibit. Nostalgia over the older exhibits. Also saw two IMAX shows during our day here. You'll get the 2nd show @ a discount. Friday was a good day to go as it is open till 10 pm...low crowds in the later half.

Casey Hodges

I have had a deep appreciation for going to the museum since I was a young kid. Even as an adult I still Enjoy going. There is always so much to see and to learn. I absolutely love your halloween party you have had for adults only. Getting dressed up and partying in the museum!? It’s so unique. It’s a total blast. There’s food and alcohol and education and many interactive things to do. I can’t wait until you bring that back.

Meri Simonyan

Amazing! They had exhibition about orcas (killer whales)when I went there. It was extremely interesting and informative. Also had huge installations about aboriginal people’s life style and culture. It was impressive overall

Sarah Paul

Absolutely loved the tour and all the displays. Learned a lot about First Nations and First Peoples and about their languages. The becoming BC galleries were so very impressive. The China town replica was impeccable. Loved it. 5 stars all the way!

Eric Leclair

Incredible learning experiences...would benefit from better audio or tour guides/help on the floor to educate.

Omar Tsai

Has some nice exhibitions and definitely things to learn there! I do wish there were more science related historical artifacts for people who are more interested in that kind of area.

Alan Zhao

You could spend the whole day here if you want to. And it'll be a great day. Really liked learning about orcas, a species with diverse cultures and biological prowess.

Jayme Robinson

My family loved visiting this museum! There were so many exhibits that we could have spent the entire day there if we had the time. The Mayan exhibit was interesting, but didn't hold the attention of a 6 and 9 year old for very long, but the rest of the museum was quite interactive.

Kayla Shaw

I adore this museum, great for kids and adults. Lots of interactive things to do, I loved being able to actually go into buildings and it looked immaculate like a little town. They did a fantastic job putting this museum together, I learned a lot about my country I never knew. Lots of surprises

David Yelligadu

Loved this museum. The orcas exhibit that was on was my favourite park. I learned so much about orcas, that just that was totally worth the visit. The rest of the museum is very very interesting as well. Very detailed, you learn to appreciate how much time went into creating these master pieces. Definitely take yourself and your kids there! Highly recommend the royal bc museum to everyone and i promise you'll learn at least a thing or two...

Christina Amy Morris

I have lived in BC all my life. Finally made it to the museum. It was 100% worth it. I wish I had more time to spend in all the exhibits but with young children they just wanted to run from room to room ! Would definitely visit again.

Kristina Noel

What a great day out! Spacious/clean, engaging, well laid out, and so much to learn about! Will be back again, soon!

Teenie P.

The kids loved it! Will be going back for the next experience and an IMAX too!

Marni Maltby

Great interactive museum. Amazing full scale set ups and very immersive. Would definitely go back!

Rye _

I loved the museum but the lady at the gift shop wasnt very nice at all. She wasn't anywhere near the register and when I asked if she worked there she was very short and snappy about it as I didn't see her nametag on her belt under her sweater. Next time I'll purchase my souvenirs on Government street as many other stores sell the same merchandise.

Claudia Zamora

Interactive, fun and educational. This museum got the attention of our active 6 year old, and our eye rolling teen. The exhibits are very engaging and you are taken into the time or place it is displaying. We even watched a Charlie Chaplin movie without hesitation. All the staff were extremely friendly and helpful. We were able to leave our luggage in the storage room for a while and, they were so helpful.

sheerin james

So much to see and learn. Vast amount of artifact some even brought back memories of my childhood even though I was born in the Caribbean.

david liu

best museum in bc handsdown

Sonya Haffner

Incredibly busy, but so worth the visit! It was so amazing to get a peek at history. The Egypt exhibit was worth it on its own, but the natural history and human evolution exhibits were pretty awesome too. It is expensive, but it is totally worth the cost, especially with kids. My daughter learned so much! There are little interactive sections throughout the museum as well, though they aren't very big or emphasized.

saptarshi mallick

A true experience of history. Really nice depiction of how the 1700s were in British Columbia. The orcas exhibition was also pretty good, it was a tad bit boring sometimes, but overall we enjoyed it. Watch out a couple of cool games that they have. The mock set up of Port Moody in the 1700s was pretty amazing. The entry tickets were a bit on the expensive side of $27 per person, but it was worth it. Give at least two hours for this experience

Michelle Wyman

Such a beautiful and interactive museum. One of the best ones I have had the pleasure of going to.

911 Jason Moore

Awesome stuff at this Museum. My favorite was the human history area that had a boat, talked about mining and had a town built in it. The kids were most entertained by the area that had animals like the woolly mammoth, tide pools and sea creatures. I could spend most of the day there but the kids were bored after 2 hours. 2 and 4 y/o.

Lauren Carr

This museum is quite impressive, they do such a fantastic job at their exhibits, displays, and dioramas. There's an entire town within this place and it's awesome. Perhaps my favorite exhibit, although the Mayan exhibit was also great. The staff were friendly and I love that this place is open until 10pm. How great is that?

Dan Melchior

Very sad that the 3rd floor exhibits are being removed for good. They have been a favorite of mine for more than 50 years. The Old Towne in particular with the movie theater and the Grand Hotel with the kitchen that had smellovision.

Valerie J

Absolutely loved the IMAX but museum displays all extensive writing, required heavy reading. Not kid or English as a second language friendly, or easy to get excited over exhibits plus some part or most interactive stations not working or clearly explained what you were looking at or doing. Looked kind of lazy in public outreach. Sorry to say. Gift shops were great. Online ticketing was smooth. Unclear why they need a bigger more modern building if these are there key exhibits. Seen better.

Alexander Christensen

Thank goodness I visited here in my youth to see actual Museum exhibits, as it appears with no notice they'll be closing half of everything historical shortly. A damned shame.

Devin Fennerty

My partner and I love going to the museum! The recent orca exhibit was really well done, we learned a lot of new and fascinating information. Also I was glad to see the inclusion of so many great indigenous artists featured in the exhibit.

Tiffany Lace Charleson (Tiffany lace)

My family and I love the museum. The sea exhibit that is there at the moment is beautiful, even though I have thalassophobia.

David Nicoll

I visited last weekend with my family (kids 6 and 4 years old), and we all really enjoyed the museum. The orca exhibition stood out, and the museum has done an exceptional job bringing them to life. The natural history section was also a highlight, the dioramas were incredible! I did have to wrestle my children before they put their hands in the rock pool though!! We'll definitely visit again next time we're in Victoria.

John Chik

One of my favorite museums! It is well sized so you don't feel overwhelmed. There is also an IMAX theatre here too. On this visit, the special exhibit was about the Mayans. I enjoyed that a lot. Their displays on First Nations and on the people history of BC is always great. It is a place to go on a rainy afternoon!

Ali

Beautiful museum, huge, lots to see and do. The exhibits were well done, interesting and some were even interactive. I would highly recomend going and spending an afternoon checking out this museum, helful staff, lots of parking and reasonable prices.

Paolo Fresnoza

Excellent array of authentic artifacts and all things B.C. great storytelling and curation of their displays, which we found quite interesting and not so boring. The First Peoples Gallery was awesome and was very good in telling the story of the ruthless, most disgusting, and racially charged abomination of colonialists.

kara ross

So beautiful can spend hours and hours at the museum. This pLace never disappoints.

ipak9

Just amazing! The set-up with all animation is perfectly made!! I recommend this place for everybody without hesitation! Loved the time I spend there

Deborah Jones

I live this museum. It's possibly the best museum I've ever been to. We took our 2 year old here and she really enjoyed it. It's very interactive.

Carlton Taylor

100% worth a few visits at least. If you spend time at each exhibit then you could easily spend an entire day here. On top of that the imax is great and the programs that they run are some of the best in the province.

THE CABBIE IN THE #YYJ (MAKE IT VIRAL)

This had ways been a great time to go and visit this museum. I've gone here since I was a child. Such a great place.

Rob Kwalheim

We always love the current feature exhibits regardless of what they are about. The old static displays however are very tired looking as you might expect being 30+ years old. Current exhibit is about whales; almost worth the price of admission.

Roxanne Greeson

We received free tickets to the museum via our Prince of Whales tour (for a corresponding exhibit on Orcas) and I'm glad we did! The life-sized Orcas models really help solidify these apex predators. The First Nation's exhibit was awe inducing, my favorite part was the log drum inside the recreated home. The drum and subsequent drumming (there were no signs prohibiting touching, sorry if we weren't supposed to) gave us an unprecedented glimpse into their culture and a sense of connectedness that none of us expected. Overall, wonderful "sets" and storytelling.

Brielle McKendry

a truly amazing museum! I loved how some of the exhibits are walk throughs and you feel like you're actually back in that time. there's tons of information if you're able to spend the time reading it! It was very unique and very well kept up. definitely something to set aside an entire day for.

Daxtin Cannell

Really fun and quick, only thing I don't like is the fact that sometimes you get kinda lost and get worried that you have missed things.

Kazi Mohiuddin Ahmed

My 8 yr ood son had a blast here. We had a small window tlof time as we had to catch a ferry, but we utilized our small window to watch all the artifacts and items. Lots of learning around Canadian history and workmanship. Keep at leaat 3/4 hrs in your hand if you want to throughly enjoy the museum.

Sheyma Alfak

Great place for kids and adults to see the first nations buetifull culture and old words .. Also it's nice to see Mammuts and fossils, worth the ticket price

Chris F

Really enjoyed the Egypt exhibit last Summer. Top notch. Always loved this museum. It’s a special place. Love the “old town” area. Authentic looks, sounds and feels and smells. The silent picture show too. Old train station. The old technology exhibit is pretty great too. First time my kids saw a record player or a Walkman. Lol. The IMAX is legit too. Always like to do the museum and a show. Never gets old. Wish we had an annual pass. One day.

Spencer Clapper-DuPont

Awesome museum, we went for the Egyptian displays and it was good. The original part of the museum was like stepping back in time. So many creative works of art. Great for all ages.

Otter

Don't bother. This was a great museum and could hold it's own with museum's across the country. Sadly they have decided to erase large parts of local history and destroyed one of the most immersive historical experiences to be had. The third floor was fondly known as 'old town' and allowed visitors to walk the street of a victorias era of the city complete with the smell of apple pie from kitchen windows.They also had a replica of Captain Vancouver's ship that you could walk through. It was, by far, the best part of the museum. They had an opportunity to update it but chose demolition instead. It's all gone. As of 2022 the museum board has no plan in place on what's next, they just destroyed the existing exhibit in spite of strong local opposition. I also have no idea what happened to the remarkable First Nations permanent exhibit which was equally immersive and impressive. Save your money, there isn't much to see here anymore. We are now imitating the worst kind of world leaders and tyrants by erasing history that doesn't fit the fashionable message of the day.

Valentin Frézouls

Amazing museum. Cool with children

Sam Dakduk

The RBCM provide you an effective way of learning and is a great place to spend time with friends and family.

Tiffany Marie

Best museum I have been to in Canada and I've been to quite a few. The traveling exhibits are always excellent but it's the permanent ones that really steal the show. Too bad they are replacing the whole top floor when so many people hold such fond memories and it was so well done.

Brian Kates (Big B)

Loved it. Natural history, BC's history, and the exhibit on Egypt was very cool. The kids thought it was pretty amazing, I don't know how much information they will retain, but it's all about learning new things.

Brian Kates (Big B)

Loved it. Natural history, BC's history, and the exhibit on Egypt was very cool. The kids thought it was pretty amazing, I don't know how much information they will retain, but it's all about learning new things.

Ans Ast

Delicious exhibitions, and a very interesting collection of natural and historical items. Worth visiting. Give yourself a minimum of 3 hours to check it out at a slowish pace.

Dan Yang

I have been to the museum before when I was growing up, I took my wife and a friend from the island, i forgot how awesome the museum is, the IMAX was stunning, seats were comfortable. Staff whether it was getting your tickets, going to the IMAX, through the museum and to the gift shop were extremely helpful and friendly. The Egypt exhibition was so cool. I recommend people to check out the museum if they visit the island or if they live on the island. You also learn about some cool history about BC as well. Parking is located at the back of the museum but the spots are limited, there is parking around so not to worry. Food trucks at the back as well for some good eats.

Willem van der Westhuizen

An amazing museum in downtown Victoria. During my visit they had the "Egyptian" exhibition. The museum includes three permanent galleries: natural history, modern history, and local First Nations’ history. The museum’s collections comprise approximately 7 million objects, including natural history specimens, artifacts, and archival records and have 750,000 records of specimens.

Michel Henri

Informative and well presented permanent exhibits. Depressing to learn just how much Europeans exploited the aboriginal peoples wildlife and natural resources of this beautiful part of the world in the 18th, 19th and early 20th centuries.

Clan MacLean

Get location and well operated right now with Covid restrictions. Went to IMAX for Ankor show. Even visiting ruins would never give you the full feeling of the site and its history.

Regina Akhankina

We visited Royal BC Museum today. It's a good one! We spent 2 hours and we were in hurry because we started pretty late. So, if you want to see it in comfort pace I suggest at least 2 hours. Exhibitions are very well done, smoothly changing from one to another. My husband loved dioramas, I'm a huge fan of vintage things! This museum has big beginning of XX century part of town build inside. Staff was very helpful and supernice too! I feel like everyone can find something interesting for himself in this museum. In my opinion, fair price!

Carla Accurso

MUST TO DO attraction! Make sure to give plenty of time to immerse yourself in all floors and exhibitions.The staff were extremely friendly and gave us great experience. The Natural exhibit and the becoming BC are fantastic. I also love learning about the native languages at the first people gallery. The IMAX is unmissable!

Alexis Born

This museum is so beautiful! The exhibits have so much detail. It feels like you have stepped into the history and are actually there. We already can't wait to come back!

Jennifer Lynn

Awesome museum to explore. Has 2 floors and levels within the floors. Mobility accessable with elevators (between floors and levels)and escalators. The orca exhibit was one not to miss with lots of interesting facts and videos.

Xepher

I liked the town of old things.

Christine Robertson

A wide variety of exhibits with great descriptions.

Arman

There is so much to explore. You could easily spend 5 hours here just going around exploring and reading. It really feels like you are going back in time decades even centuries with all the amazing artifacts and displays. Each area makes you feel like you are actually in that time era. Really amazing feeling. Definitely a place worth exploring. Don't know how busy it gets during week days and Saturday but I went there on Sunday and there was not much people which gives more room and freedom for yourself. The people in front desk are very friendly and nice. Really enjoyed that.

Helen D

This museum was so educational. I really enjoyed the section explaining evolution and prehistoric animals!

Mark Hack

Awesome exhibits. Great displays. Well detailed information. Great place views out to harbor

Foreverblue

One of the best museums I’ve ever been to. The displays are fantastic. You can tell a great deal of effort went into these. You can really get lost in it all. The third floor was my favourite part. So much to see. Take your time you don’t want to miss anything.

Jeremiah Anderson-Ferguson

Considering the times we're all facing, seeing a place like this large museum do their best to facilitate a decent experience in a friendly manner was nice to see during my first trip through Victoria. The First Nations Exhibition is fantastic, inspiring, and great for all who want to be more informed and aware of the people who have been here before the rest of us. I'd definitely come back again to experience the full museum under post pandemic circumstances.

Jennifer Lynn Bolster

Incredible customer service, amazing imax movies. This place is so magical

Phil Goulden

This is the best museum I have visited. So much to see , we loved it. Really don't miss this whilst you are in Victoria.

Sukhan Preet

Love this place So much information about first nations and 1700s B.C

Jennifer Schilke

Everything that you would ever want to know about British Columbia in one stop. The museum has an extensive collection of indigenous and settler artifacts.

Patrick Gremell

Great museum! Very informative exhibits.

C Stephenson

All I can really say is that I had an incredible experience here! I loved the displays and learning about each and everyone of them. I could have spent all day in here. I was blown away!!

Deborah Insook Kim

Me and my family love this museum. Learned a lot about Canada and helped to understand the history. All of floors were interesting and beautiful. Enjoyable place with kids. Most impressive part were Ocars and indigenous stories. It was amazing! Must go there. However IMAX was not opened yet.

Jay Schappert

Got about three hours? Remarkable exhibits and tons of information fo read and learn.

Marion Cabral

Visiting from Toronto. When I heard about the orcas exhibit I didn't think I'd make it to the RBCM before the exhibit ended (thanks to the pandemic). I was very happy to have made the trip out to the museum and experience it in person. What a fantastic exhibit for all orca and ocean lovers. I wish I had a bit more time to fully explore all exhibits . Definitely give yourself a full afternoon! The museum gift store closes at 5pm, but museum at 6 which was disappointing. After travelling from so far I wish I was able to pick up a few books or hard to find items after going through the exhibits.

Jehangir Syed

Very cool museum if you are into it. Especially enjoyed the exhibit on different era's within BC. Recommended to spend a few hours if in the city for a visit.

Trevor Richmond

Why a great museum, well done for nature history and the history of the BC people. IMAX is amazing and worth seeing a show. Great way to spend 4 hours if it’s a rainy day.

Aaron Krause

Such a beautiful and well thought out place to learn about the wildlife and indigenous cultures and peoples that surround this incredible area. An absolute must see when visiting Victoria

Meeka b

Unfortunately me and my family didn't have the best experience. There was no social distancing (People were crowding and pushing others), the staff were rude, and everything is way over priced. This museum is outdated (I seen the same stuff when I was a pre teen. I'm 32 now. Nothing has changed. Except the price that has gone up by alot lol.

Lucas Langstaff

Every time you go is like going on an adventure in history! Wether it's local to B.C. or walking through ancient Egypt, there is always something for the whole family to enjoy! And always something new to learn. I love going here, and will continue bringing my family here in hope that they will have the same joy in it as I do!

Kent Lewis

Most engaging, thoughtful and thorough exhibits I've seen. Makes similar parts of the Smothsonian seem quaint.

Judy Spencer

Learned alot about the history of the indigenous people. They had a thriving rich culture until settlers came along. Many indigenous languages spoken. Nice display so you could listen to them.

Lena Lev

Was there with my mom. Incredible Experience. I never heard such a lot of information about First Nation people, about their culture and traditions. Orcas exhibition was very educational, but more for children, some facts I already knew. What I enjoyed next was an exhibition with different people’s dialects. The most exciting for me was gold rush times hotel, bar, cinema and women boutique. I felt those emotions under my skin. Will definitely recommend Royal BC Museum to all my friends.

Margaret Bird

Really cool day trip. They are changing up the colonization section of the museum so I hope they keep the cool walk through “real” settings idea when they replace it.

Darcy Schiller

Even better then I thought it would be. My 2 year old and 5 year old loved it and stayed for 2 hours. Amazing.

Loren Wadstein

A very nice museum, with a lot of great exhibits and displays. It’s very well laid out, very informative and very interesting. The whole museum was very clean, and it had a nice atmosphere. I look forward to seeing their upcoming features.

Shreya

Totally In love with this place. I could never imagine going to Royal BC on my birthday and its worth it. Just took annual membership. There Egypt exhibition is marvellous.

Dallas Howard

This museum is awesome! I would definitely recommend visiting here! If you go to the visitor center across the street you can also get discounted tickets and you can skip the lines! This is great for children and adults!

Devin Fennerty

My partner and I love going to the museum! The recent orca exhibit was really well done, we learned a lot of new and fascinating information. Also I was glad to see the inclusion of so many great indigenous artists featured in the exhibit.

Justine Soucy

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!

James Kerr

Great museum. Good for kids. Can get very busy. Line up early for iMax.

Samaneh Rajabi

Absolutely worth a visit if you travel to Victoria. I also really enjoyed their current exhibit about Orcas, educational, thought-provoking, and almost brought tears to my eyes!

Kyle Church

This is an extremely good museum, especially for a smaller city. We got annual memberships before COVID and there were all kinds of neat perks. One of Victoria's real treasures.

Tord

One time I went here, and I love the old town, it's a nice place and my favourite part of it.

Suzan Petersen

My first visit here was as a youth. I have gone back every time I go to the Island. It has never disappointed me. My only wish was that they offered a 2 day pass to actually see all they offer without having to rush through in 1 visit. I love learning and have always felt I got my money's worth

Ken Lo

The Orca exhibition was amazing! Just that was worth the admission. The permanent exhibits were abundant and interesting. We kind of got lost inside and at some point we were against the direction I believe the exhibits would be chronological. I wish there would be better directional guidance. We bought the combined museum/IMAX tickets. At the end of the IMAX show, the hostess said if we liked to catch the next film, we can go back and get another ticket at a discount, although I didn't know how much it was.

B “Zzz”

Must visit to start/continue your journey learning about the First Nations and their lives intertwined with nature, and what they have endured...

Michael Y

The museum was great. Although small, it was well laid out with fascinating exhibits. The "Century Hall" was brilliant, and you can walk through recreations of streets of a hundred years ago, and you can go inside recreated hotels, train stations, movie theatres, etc. Very impressive overall.

David Ng

Quite the attraction that will gobble up hours of your time with so many interactive and immersive displays. The First Nations feature was top notch in terms of how much was on display and the information on the diversity within the culture in BC. The taxidermy in the natural history section will always impress, especially in the presentation of the vast dioramas on display.

Julia Russell

Always loved the museum ever since I was a child! Will never get tired of it and they always keep it interesting with new exhibitions and events. Love all the super realistic animals and historical attractions. Beautiful museum!

Callum Thomson

A very high quality museum experience with good rotating exhibits. Whatever it currently is it will be interesting. However I have to downgrade my rating because of the closure of the old town exhibit that was a permanent part of the human history gallery.

Petri Dish

I found it tiring and would have rather got there early and split up the Museum exhibits with the IMAX. Cafe closed at 3, I guess. I wanted to take a second break there. Some parts were too crowded to physically distance, but at least they check vaccine passports… although they don’t that carefully.

Damon Roth

Hopefully the changes on the board will help with some clearly outdated text on some displays, however the museum is a great place overall... Hopeful for great things ahead

April

I really enjoyed the museum, there was so much to see that I couldn't do it all in one day. I will definitely be going back to see more. I went to the Egyptian Exhibit which was quite disappointing. I guess I was expecting too much of ancient Egypt with lots of gold masks, large figurines, blue gold and mummies but that was not to happen.

Maya Kaller

The exhibits are amazingly well done and thoughtfully put together, I loved the way they had 3d printed models to touch and interact with because you can't touch the artifacts themselves (that would be bad).... Their First Nations exhibit/collection is breathtaking, the current rotating feature (the one about the Mayan people) is marvelous, and I felt it was well worth every cent of admission and then some.

Mark Hancheroff

We stopped into the museum in Victoria on a whim, and it was fantastic! We caught the last days of the Egyptian exhibit, and toured the main exhibits as well. The historical displays for the natural environment of BC are beautiful. We saw kids going crazy looking at the animal displays. The Native People's exhibit was wonderful, and the history of BC has a little historical town display that's fun to look through. Don't miss this museum if you are in Victoria.

Bruno Gruber

Absolutely amazing. If you enjoy museums, don't miss this one. We saw an Orca exhibit, First Nations, and quite a bit of history of early BC. Make sure you get there before 4pm. They close at 6pm sharp, and you need at least two hours to experience all of it, 3 hours if you want to read and take your time to go through all of it.

Ricky

Absolutely loved my visit to the Royal BC Museum. So many exceptional exhibits, the natural history collection was especially impressive. The attention to detail on their displays had me feeling like I was really there.

Lorraine Bevan

I was born in Victoria, my children and grandchildren. The old Victoria display was our favourite. The movie theatre, train. A museum is about the past. Good and bad ( for each to decide) we won’t be renewing our memberships

Jules Porter

Beautiful museum with extensive interactive displays on the history of the First Peoples and the settlement of the area. Great photo op with Wooley Mammoth

Truth

Two levels, one half of one floor of which is dedicated to a rotating exhibit. Took us about 2.5 hours to get through it all. Lots of objects and thus lots of small placards to read, although not too many longer information sources. Heavy focus on local history, which may be less interesting to foreign visitors, although also offers something you won't see elsewhere because of it. Lines were a bit long and slow for most of the second floor. Ground floor has a cafe and a coffee stand as well as ample seating.

William McKenzie III

This place is fantastic. Fun yet still serious and meaningful.

jake tsui

We had a nice visit to this museum. There are some amazing displays such as the top photographs of amazing scenes of nature. There was the First Nations section which gave us a more appreciation of this culture . It was a bit pricey but you only need to visit this place once and it’s worth it . There is a imax but the price is separate from regular admission.

Ashley Guenther

Was a great day out with the kids. My son had seen a picture of him here years ago and decided we needed to visit again. They loved it and had lots of fun. The only issue was we did the IMAX and according to online schedule our movie was playing at 1 but once we got there it was switched for a different movie so we ended up seeing Predators. Still really good. My son loved it.

Bee

Really Loved the Orca exhibit, beautifully laid out. The staff were diligent with the schedule and not allowing large groups. There were sanitizing stations everywhere and encouraged proper spacing. I really appreciated this experience.

Aleksander Trzebski

I've never, in my life, fact checked a museum so often. They often credited the wrong people for environmental accomplishments, or straight up made things up in regards to current social issues. If I wanted biased information I'd go to my Facebook feed not a museum. This was my first time going, and couldn't comment on "how it used to be" . The orca exhibit was unmemorable, the bc natural history portion was alright but a bit dated. Imax was Imax (good) . For the price paid I could not recommend it. I really had such high hopes. I usually love museums, but left this one disheartened. Add to that, the staff hovered near my toddler to make sure he didn't touch or climb on anything in the Orca exhibit (which he didn't, but I don't need volunteers making a no-no noise when my little one came close to any exhibit. Poorly placed exhibits means I had to pick him up so he could see much of it. Not small kid friendly. When the third floor opens maybe it'll be better.

Oscar Velez

Incredible museum, incredible work on the design as well of the time periods on one of the floors like the ship, the submarine, the log cabin. And learning about the history of BC and Vancouver island was so well done and entertaining and educational.

Melody Watkins

Was nice to go, I really liked the orca exhibit. It was busy. Hard to socially distance in the small areas with that many people.

Clayton R

Really enjoyed the last couple of exhibits! The staff was very nice and helpful when we had questions. Can't wait to go back next time!

Million Kidane

The Orcas exhibition was fun and educating

Aswathy Suresh

A must visit museum! Being in Victoria for 3 years I don't know how I missed it but every single minute spent in the museum was worth it. It would take approximately 2-3 hours to go through every single details but you can definitely sounds more time if you would like to indulge in some beautiful history! A great souvenir shop on the ground level as well. The mock up of different parts of the island was my favorite and also the wildlife history. Do take your kids here as they are going to have an amazing experience.

Jade

Such an amazing experience! I was there during the Orcas exhibit and it was truly beautiful. I loved the projection room and the end that focused on how climate change is impacting both humans and orcas futures. The rest of the exhibits were so beautiful and fun to learn about! Make sure to leave lots of time if you want to get everything in cause there’s so much to see. Definitely worth every penny! Would love to go back one day!

david Dossett

I visited this museum in 2010 when I flew out to visit my father who has since passed away. It was a good experience and I enjoyed it, especially the immersive BC history exhibit. But now, in the name of inclusiveness, that whole section will be demolished, with no plans to replace it. Moreover, native groups, which had been calling for better representation and consultation, are not in favour of this demolition. I cannot understand why the museum board had been permitted to carry out this demolition at lightning speed, and with with no one stopping them. I will not be visiting this museum again. If you are interested in reading about this gutting of the museum, you can read the article in the National Post: “Top Canadian museum to be imminently gutted in the name of 'decolonization' Tristin Hopper: With little notice and even less transparency, the Royal B.C. Museum is demolishing some of Canada's most iconic exhibits with no idea of what's going to replace them.” The museum director and board should be fired and the demolition work be halted.

melisa bigler

Great place to spend a few hours.

Mayooran

The experience here was just mind blowing! I was hesitant visit at first because of the price, but the experience and the things I learned here were priceless learnings that I’ll carry with me for the rest of my life. The effort put into each exhibit and setup was so amazing and everything was so interactive. Every second here was thrilling and I’ll definitely visit this place during my upcoming visits to Victoria. We spent about 4 hours but still was enough. I’d suggest to have 6 hours or a whole day to be spent here to enjoy the experience in full. Also, hats off to the kind and pleasant staff and everyone who had put so much effort into the work here. The Orca exhibit I learned changed every I know about whales and taught me things that I’ll cherish for the rest of my life. I’d highly recommend you visit this place at least once when you visit Victoria!!!

caperscm

The orca exhibit was fabulous

Tom

Really well built modern Museum. The exhibits are really immersive and very appropriate to there period. Super fun time. Highly recommend!

Àyọbamikale Olukoya

The RBCM was an interesting museum. The museum had an amazing Egypt exhibit when we went there full of many small trinket and even a full mummy. The natural history section was amazing with life like statues of many animal native to British Columbia. The first nations section was amazing I have never been to a museum with so much native art and history. In the native section they had native clothing, a cool area displaying native languages, masks, totem poles, and even more things. But right next to the section dedicated to the first nations is one showing the history of European colonization of what would be British Columbia. In the end the museum is an amazing museum with lots of objects and artifacts for you to see and it is an amazing place to go for your trips to Victoria.

Amanda Troupe

If you are in Victoria, go to this museum! It is worth your time and very well done. Maybe don't do it after a 10km run and then walking around the city all afternoon like we did (our feet hurt!!). The totum polls are amazing - a highlight! The exhibits are relevant, interesting and there are many artifacts.

Travis Greatrix

Great to day and bundled with whale watching tour made admission free. Multiple exibits inside.

Voyager [*]

Great place to learn about great province of British Columbia, nature, and other exhibitions. Tickets are reasonable ( by my opinion), especially if you buy annual family pass. Very impressive to learn about the First Nations, their culture, language, history.

Jen H

THE Orca exhibit was so much fun. Girls and I went in may. My girls and I had such a good time. The museum will be a place we make many memories for years to come. I recommend this exhibit to all ages. ????

Katie Finlayson

Interactive, detailed and interesting. This museum was probably the best I've ever been to. It has tons of interactive displays and info that people actually care about. I couldn't stop smiling while I was in there. It made me realize how much I still have to learn

Tre Keller

The new Orca exhibit is a great time and the gift shop had some really great souvenirs. Can't wait to go back for IMAX tonight.

Dario Passariello

Fantastic place, for culture with your family, friends or just for yourself.... incredibly well steuctured and modern. I love the quality of presentations and argouments are really interesting. Absolutly suggested

Allen Wyse

Brilliant museum. The Egypt exhibit was beyond imagination. The native Canadian exhibits we're insights into the basis for human culture. We didn't have time to do more than breeze through other exhibits. They looked great. We saw 2 Imax movies. Egypt was our main focus. They advertised 6.95 for a same day second Imax movie. That does not apply to "Hollywood" movies.

Shelby Arcay

What a great a experience! Made me wonder why I haven't been to a museum in such a long time. The orca exhibit was awesome, I really enjoyed that and learned a ton

Cindy Bai

A great place to learn about the history in B.C and nature. Lots of interactives in the museum.

Sandro Moiron

Simply an great museum if you are passing by the lovely city of Victoria, BC. You'll have the chance to learn in detail the history of the Mammoths, their origin/relationship with elephants, their path and evolution over the globe over time. On the upper floor you can also see the evolution of languages in the BC district and surroundings, as well as a lot of relevant culture. A fascinating museum to spend the day.

Calvin Ngan

Went on a date with my girlfriend, and we really enjoyed our time there (and we are grown adults lol)! Loved the orcas exhibition, and the natural history floor is pretty cool as well!

kingxl10

An amazing collection of Canadian history and culture in a wonderful building. The exhibits are simple but detailed and interesting for any level of intellect. The prices are high but according to the Museum, only cover 17% of their costs annually. The nature history, Maya and human history exhibits are all incredible and worth the time and money. Some main features of the natural history exhibits are the mammoths and marine animals. For the Human History section there is equal amounts settlers and indigenous people both of which are incredibly interesting. The current Mayan Exhibits are also fascinating to go through featuring mostly pottery and carvings.

Natalie Koncsol

Brilliant, definately worth a visit. Really interesting and was great walking back in time through the old town, looking through the shop windows and taking a seat outside the old saloon/hotel. Great to see the animals and lovely to read about Terry Fox what an inspiration.

Katie Petro

Very cool and informative exhibits. Would definitely suggest for something cool to do when looking for a well thought out museum.

Katie Petro

Very cool and informative exhibits. Would definitely suggest for something cool to do when looking for a well thought out museum.

Frederic Houle

What a masterpiece! Even for a 4 years old, it was very interesting, full of nice things to see. We really liked it!

Jason Murray

A wonderfully immersive museum - I can't believe I haven't gone before! A great mix of cultural and natural history with a dash of science. The whole family really enjoyed it.

Kushal Bhansali

Very detailed natural and human history of British Columbia showcased at the museum. The attention to detail in recreating various items are mind blowing, like the mammoth in the picture.

Alan Bennett

Always a pleasure to visit when in our favorite queens town.

Raman Dhaliwal

Came back here in November 2018, and it was so cool looking at all at the things there. It was during Christmas time and there was a Christmas village set up which made me really excited for Christmas and thought it was so pretty!

Kevin Gordon

Great rainy day afternoon spent here. The exhibits are so well done, they place you in the period by blending physical form with 3D painting as if you were there. All ages will enjoy the exhibits. During the COVID restrictions we did find the exiting a bit tricky.

Shiro-Oni fushiryuten

Great experience at this museum. Very well organized even at busy, crowded times. Glad we got to see the first nation people and the Egyptian exhibits.

Shil

This place gives so much insight about the history, you learn a lot and also the place is beautiful. I personally enjoy visiting such amazing places, and it was just besides the hotel where we stayed. We also visited the premises at night while returning from dinner and it feels lovely to see the totems with the lighting.

Shil

This place gives so much insight about the history, you learn a lot and also the place is beautiful. I personally enjoy visiting such amazing places, and it was just besides the hotel where we stayed. We also visited the premises at night while returning from dinner and it feels lovely to see the totems with the lighting.

Sacalamachia

Great place and great value! Learn so much from it

Edyn Dougall

Never gets old! I come here once every few months and I still love it just the same. The exhibits are always so well done and the quality and detail put into the visuals for this museum is exquisite. I personally live in Van and I still take the ferry over to show my friends this place. The indigenous culture displayed in this building are beautiful and the IMAX theater is always great fun!

Adam Searles

Pretty impressive museum. Saw the exhibit of the Orcas and was very impressed.

Thunderbird Woman

This is from a display in the First Peoples Gallery at the Royal BC Musuem. I don’t find this particular labeling of Indigenous art humorous. In fact, I don’t want to read the word “humerous” when I’m visiting Indigenous art unless it’s intended by a specific Nation when describing an item of art. More so, I don’t want to hear the insider jokes of anthropologists when unearthing Indigenous art. There are plenty of examples — at the museum — of lip plugs (labrets) and ear ornaments. So this display is un-necessary. Decolonization is not just about presence. It’s about language. It’s about sensitivity and, above all, a culturally appropriate and respectful approach to presenting Indigenous art, history and resistance. Imagine the British Museum ot any other major museum referring to their holdings as, “this may be…” a quote from mr Gregory Scofields Facebook. It hurts to see that the museum doesn’t take reconciliation and truth as a priority.

Gennifer Miller

I love this museum, but they're losing a star over their ticketing methods. I bought tickets online. Still had to stand in the miles long tickets lineup just for someone to scan them and wave me through. Empower your security guard with a scanner and let him do some of the work.

James White

Wonderful museum. Went when Orcas exhibit was displayed. Also has IMAX.

Leonard Erlandson

Good museum with a few caveats. The way-finding is terrible within the different areas and you wind up doubling back several times to see everything. They had a great area for the native Americans and a good area for the white settlers but didn't address how the two affected each other. There are some interesting exhibits in the natural history area but the best ones can only be used by one person at a time.

Kaylie Belcourt

Really lovely museum! Bigger than I thought and packed full of education exhibits. I really loved the indigenous exhibits!

Kathy Howes

Always worth the time to visit. Orcas exhibit is fabulous

Cheryl Wong Miklos

We managed to catch the Old Town exhibition before it was closed. Really informative and well laid out. We spent a few hours there and didn't finish all the exhibitions. Great rainy day activity.

Evan S

Haven't visited in at least 18 yrs, still pretty cool despite all the covid regulations

Kerri Kendall

We had an awesome time. Everything was up to date and informative. The exhibits got a bit confusing as we were led one direction by arrows but then ended up missing other parts of the exhibit so had to go back. Took about 3 hours to go through everything with photo ops and reading thoroughly.

Casey G

Lovely day, and most beautiful museum in Canada and very polite staff.

Veronica K

We enjoyed our experience there. Would recommend for families. The second floor has a beautiful view of Victoria.

Colby Jordan

This museum is a delight. I visit a lot of museums, and the level of immersion in the permanent collection here is incredible. We also loved the artifacts and kiosk architecture at the current special exhibition on Maya people and history.

Jack Chambless

One of the greatest natural and cultural history museums in North America. Great detail was put into this place. It rivals the Smithsonian in D.C. A great place to spend several hours. Many rooms make you feel like you have gone back in time.

Jack Peters

We spent five hours at the Royal BC Museum that day. Great displayed subjects and I never knew much about the west coastal history, but I do now. Definitely recommend this stop on the Victoria Tour. We will definitely return again to see the new exhibits.

Jason Newton

I've been to museums all around the world and this is one of my all time favourites next to Natural Britsh History Museum. Staff are friendly, the layout is great and the exhibits are world class.

Kiara Lofting

It was a great time spent with my husband! The orca exhibit was so cool with the projectors on the walls.

Local Contributor

Wonderful exhibits and a great experience with so much to see and do. Reasonably priced, so you won't be disappointed.

charles goodmanson

Understand why the are renovating the third floor, but sad, was a great display.

Bernie Kreiner

Well worth the visit...very educational displays and wonderful, beautifully-filmed IMAX films

Zdeňka Karlíková

This museum wasn't originally in our Victoria "must-see" itinerary, we went there more or less because we caught a very rainy day there. But I must say, it was a very good decision. As people who don't usually visit museums, we were pleasantly surprised. The museum is very informative but at the same time, you get the information in a nice, interactive and non-aggressive way. The exhibitions are extremely well made. We simply loved it and definitely recommend visiting it!

Melissa Arruda

This is such a great little museum! Loved the special exhibition on Orcas and the exhibit on indigenous west coast languages and cultures. Definitely check out the totem pole room; it's amazing!

Sophie Wu

This is a nice place to spend time if you’re visiting Victoria in a rainy or hot summer day. There are lots of exhibitions to go through. Kids love the animals and the totem poles, BC history and man-made old town are interesting to see. We easily spent 2 hours in the museum but if you look at each items carefully it could take half day. We ordered the tickets in advance and the tickets could be sold out easily in the weekend or holidays. So it’s better to order online and plan for you visit first.

Ravi Reetoo

Amazing orca exhibit. Always a fun place to visit.

Reg Flayer

(No stars preferred ) I love museums I love feeling like I’ve been transported, sadly I was to late to see what was once an amazing display “old town”, by getting rid of the display your not doing anything besides having people turn away from the establishment. This is simply about trying to forget and remove history for the public eyes, the past is the past we much learn and understand the mindsets ans the history of the past to be able to move forward with a better brighter future. If we keep removing historical displays then we’re bound to repeat history in some sort of way. I understand wanting to be inclusive and shine a light on other parts of history and I totally agree, but to do so we still need the other sad and bad parts of history. I hope whatever is to take place of the old display takes time to talk and show the history of what was once there. (Of what was once”old town”)

Morgan Labrecque

Very well done exhibits and reasonably priced for the value you get. Lots to see. Thank you we loved it.

De Qaf

It's hard to score the Royal BC Museum. For exhibits, it's lovely. The staff are friendly, the location is easy to access, and the facilities are well-kept and clean, however, the display corridors throughout the building from orcas to old-town are dimly lit, making access troublesome for those with even modest vision-impairment. Please turn up the lights!

Limin Guo

The human history area if amazing ????. Good place to knowledge the history. Also a wonderful place to take the kids. Broadened their horizon.

katherine soderstrom

The changing exhibits is the best part. Every feature exhibit I've seen has been brilliantly done with a neutral and informative standpoint. The consistent second floor is a great look at the regions history. The museum isn't really child oriented. There is alot of reading and minimal interactive exhibits. Best for older children and young teens. Beautiful gift shop but pricey as expected.

Luca Dell'Isola

I love coming back here, one of favorite places in Victoria, remember to book your tickets in advance and you won't be disappointed!

Jon Kilimnik

Incredible displays of BC indigenous art. I was blown away. Beautiful museum overall. Even the lobby café area was very inviting. Great gift shop too.

Aubrey Ramos - Beebe

Great visit

Andy Zadeh

A solid addition to any trip to Victoria! The Royal BC Museum is not a large museum when comparing to the likes of …

Carmen Szeto

Recently came here with my husband for his work trip. didn't really know where to go in victoria but was recommended this place. the 3rd floor was closed for renovations but it still took us about 2 hours to go through the other parts of the museum (and probably longer if we didn't had to leave for dinner). There was an orca exhibit that was the highlight of my trip. I was actually moved to tears when I watched some short docuseries they had playing. The exhibits were creative, informative, and beautifully displayed. The dioramas were breathtaking. I've been to NYC natural museum and I really think the dioramas here had them beat. The gift store closed earlier than the museum so make sure you check the times for that (I ended up not being to check it out). would definitely come again in the future for another exhibit and to check out the newly modernized 3rd floor! p.s. ample seating throughout exhibits for resting! p.s.s. they checked vaccine passports before entry (yay!)

Sara Chen

A must go at Victoria! I love there. Good to know things I never know before!

Sarah Pearce

Amazing museum in downtown Victoria. It is so well done with beautiful displays and artifacts arranged in an engaging way. Great to learn about the natural and cultural history of BC.

Tammy

This museum is AWESOME. The Egypt exhibit was the reason for going but we found so much more. They had living history, living peoples area and the mammoth area was great to. Kids were so excited about the mammoth and water mill.

Amanda Lim

I always love coming here and haven't been since I was a kid. It's just as fantastic as I remembered. Their current exhibit is wonderful (on orcas). We were lucky and went when it wasn't too busy. A must see in Victoria.

Aleksander Tsvetkov

This was a great family day to experience. We did the IMAX movie aswell which was great for the whole family (even our 6 year old) The museum (specifically the orcas exhibit) was top notch. Very informative but so interesting. Very self pace place.

Carl Miller

Very well done living history exhibits and overall a wonderful experience. I would highly recommend!

Elizabeth Armour

Wonderful experience. A must if you visit Victoria. I would suggest purchasing your tickets online prior to going. You will thank me when you see the waiting line for tickets at the museum. We breezed right through to the exhibits. You can purchase tickets to the IMAX theater at the same time.

Darren Dyck

Great permanent displays with well done dioramas of life in days of yore. Worth spending a few hours at.

Jacob Ralph

The first nation exhibits are like all the rest but the terry fox exhibit is amazing and so is the animal one that includes the woolly mammoth.

Tom Heeren

What a great museum! Their dioramas are a thing of beauty.

Essence of Events LLC

One of THE best museums with fun exciting exhibits. Loved the animals, old world/people exhibits and Egyptian exhibit. Definitely recommend going and don't miss the IMAX. Egypt was really informative and narrated well.

C Anderson

Grew up in Victoria so there is some nostalgia attached to my love of the BC Museum. Went in Dec 2021 to see the 3rd floor gallery before they close it down to redo everything. The Wooley Mammoth is always my favourite part.

Jaywant Subramaniam

The Museum offers very rich historical artefacts. Some of the exhibits are almost real. Entry fees was decent not too expensive. Tip: Use the self service kiosks ! Entry and exists in the exhibit with tall structures will keep you going in circles !

jonathan pizanti

The Royal BC Museum was a blast. First off, you can check your bag or coat at the front desk for a small donation so you can walk freely. This museum shares a rich history of BC, the first nations, and Egypt, which happens to be touring through here. I loved learning about the local people, animals and industry. Even if you're only here for a couple days you'll want to stop by and get to know Victoria and BC a little better.

Kate Kutzner

The orca exhibit was stunning, and the permanent collections are as fantastic as always. My little guy loved pushing all the buttons in the First People's Language area and hearing the different words. My favorite area was the historic BC displays with the replica shops and homes.

Gurv

Great museum that is very well curated. I really enjoyed the Maya exhibit and the indigenous artwork as well. All the staff were super friendly. The IMAX is amazing. The screen is the biggest in BC and the quality is second to none. You must watch a movie if you visit. We saw the Great Bear Rain Forest, which was exceptional.

Ander Gat

Instead of writing a negative review I emailed the museum my complaint. I visited with my 2 young daughters and had an issue that I wanted to discuss. No reply, disappointed in being ignored.

Ricky Lavoie

Wow! I have been to Victoria many times but have never gone into the museum. I was just assuming it was a small town museum with lame exhibits. Boy was I wrong! Huge exhibits, with fasniting subjects and displays. Would definitely go again.

Glenn Watson

Was fun to look around. At the time I went they have a Egyptian exhibition. Surprising the amount of stuff from movies that were real but also how things are quite a bit different. For example some of the burial device were made out of simple wood so looked quite a bit different to the pure stone you would expect. Other areas that are quite good to look through is a look at the native people from the BC area and their history, they have a language exhibit where you can get recordings from the many different local dialects and see the local maps. It's surprising how different the languages are for such a small area geographically. Worth going if you got some spare time.

Jon Sinclair

I make sure to go to the museum every Summer. They have world class exhibits every year, which are well worth the money and crowds. And, of course, you can't leave with out wandering through old town and saying hi to the wooly mammoth.

Chris Hippard

So many cool artifacts and places to explore. Way bigger and better than originally expected.

Michael Prins

Professional and exceptional exhibits! BC natural history, BC western history, and indigenous history. The indigenous exhibit was amazing - so many artifacts, so well displayed and respectfully described. I was overwhelmed and impressed. The indigenous language portion left an impression! The seasonal exhibit, Emily Carr exhibit, was excellent - a full array of art, organized by “era”, with just enough details and lots to enjoy, including her scrapbooks and comics.

Teresa McDonald

Wonderful place to visit but give yourself a couple of hours. It is extensive! Walk through an old village, climb aboard an old sailing ship, see totem poles, and learn about the history of British Columbia and it's first people. The kids will love the Whooly Mammoth on display.

Kelly Fullagar

Excellent exhibits, friendly staff who were all very helpful and informative. Had a wonderful day at the museum which is very easy to get to. There is lots to see do you will spend the majority of the day here bit it is worth it. If you are a fan of museums this the place for you.

Kelly Masson

I have been visiting this museum for 40 years, first when i was a student at Uvic. It was a fabulous place ( free to get in back then) and spent a lot of time there. Over the years i always go back as it is a wonderful place to wander around- however, i am very angry that they are destroying the old town exhibit so quickly and with no input from the public as to whether this is a good idea or not. This exhibit is my favorite and i will most likely not be returning to the museum in the future due to how this process was carried out. History is history, good and bad- it can't be hidden or removed to make people "feel better". In the past i would have given 5 stars, but due to the recent decision, one star is sufficient.

Diana Chambers

Always love going to this museum! Interesting displays, very educational. Love the old Town.

Mike M

Wow! I have been coming here for over 40 years and it never fails to disappoint. I brought my kid here for the first time today and he really enjoyed it as well. If you are ever in Victoria, this is a must see for young and old!

Sam Jeys

Fun for all the family

David Williams

One of the best places to go to when visiting Victoria. Lots to learn and explore.

Caz Newman

What a great little museum. The orca exhibit was well worth the money. We watched 4 Imax movies. Seal lions, Asteroids, turtles and humpback whales. They were all educational and beautifully filmed. My grandson 7 and I will be back as soon as new movies become available. Great day

Mr. Saskatoon Reviews

Loved the orca exhibit! Make sure you set aside enough time to fully enjoy this place.

Tina Ortiz

Very cool place! Loved it, if your a student just show your ID and it reduces the rate

Ellysha Garand

My son really enjoyed the museum today!

Colleen Magee

Visited specifically for Orca exhibit and was not disappointed. Well done and informative. So much to see and do. Great value. Would visit again.

paul rowe

I never get tired of spending time at the museum! The IMAX was fabulous as well.

Jack Y

Tons of exhibits, the dioramas are so life-like, and the staff are very helpful. Spending a couple hours is not enough to see, listen, and interactive with all the masterfully placed exhibits. Attached are some photos to elaborate my points.

Jennifer Souter

Went to spend an afternoon with the kids and had a great time. 3rd floor closed for modernization but still spent hours on the 2nd floor. Mammoth is always a hit!

Tuk Tuk

They can't even tell a recent carving to one that's actually an ancient relic and try to lie and cover it up. Makes me wonder what else is made up and shoved into our faces in there. Credibility is lost now, which is too bad. Also. Wiping away how things were and cover it up with made up garbage because the bleeding hearts don't want to see it isn't History.

Nish Rajah

I was very amazed with the history in this place. I learnt a lot and the way everything is put together it was great. I would like to go back when I go to BC again.

Manish Kumar

Very good museum with lots of artifacts and knowledge articles. But expected it to have much more fossils and history of BC given its the most famous museum in BC.

J C

The permanent exhibit (covering First Nations' and Canada's history) was pretty great: coherent ideas presented through real artifacts and very impressive (in scale and detail) recreations of real things. The temporary exhibit on orcas: not so much. 5/5 because the permanent's what matters

Kendall Larson

This museum is pretty nice. The prices weren’t too outrageous as far as museums go. The traveling exhibits stole the show for me. The rest of the museum was nice, but you need a specific taste for British Columbia specific history. It’s kind of self explanatory, but most of the permanent exhibits are specific to BC. That being said, the exhibits are very nice, well maintained, and they’re all very informative.

Jesse Brown

Absolutely amazing here. It is alot of info to take in so allow yourself several hours to take it all in. Seen the orca exhibit and learned so much. I think all ages would enjoy

Wade Veldhuyzen vanZanten

Going to miss the 3rd floor. I hear changes are coming.

Momo

Much delayed review, but I'd still like to share my appreciation for the thought, work, and effort put into this museum and its exhibits! I only got to see the orca exhibition and the natural history gallery, but that was more than enough to make the visit worth it. I found the displays really engaging and thought-provoking and enjoyed the interactive components throughout. And shout out to the guy who checked our tickets (sorry we never got a name), thanks for sharing with us your enthusiasm for the museum and your stellar Spanish, gracias!

Delaine Faulkner

We toured the display on Orcas - fascinating information- but I'm not sure we finished it in the time we allowed for it. We must return.

Ken Steward

Outstanding, informative and so enjoyable! Great use of different medias and up to date material.

Marla Wilson

Appreciate that its not over crowded! Staff are always welcoming! Orca exhibit is amazing and super educational

Central Park

It was a wonderful experience every time. The First Nations exhibitions are immersive and informative. It's just so shameful the Canadian heritage exhibitions met cancel culture and are being removed effective end of 2021. A disclaimer upon entry would have sufficed if not even for the interim period.

Kevin Martineau

Great museum with excellent exhibitions on the history of the province, and its nature.

Richard Hodge

A couple afternoons would be best to see the museum. You will see history unfolding.

Richard Moses (Rick)

A fantastic Museum. Very nicely laid out!! A must visit while in Victoria!!! I especially enjoyed the Mamoth display.

Sylvia Sommers

Great place to take adult visitors or your children. There are a number of permanent exhibits depicting earlier times in BC and lots of interesting artifacts. Recent additions paying respect to first nation communities are much appreciated.

Kristen

Awesome place to explore and learn. I loved the orca exhibit and the first people’s exhibit.

Jeff Kao

Highly recommended if you like to learn about nature. The first people display is also astonishing!

Jul Dickson

Love the IMAX. We try to see all the shows , the short features are usually so informative. Really enjoy the Hollywood movies here as well and with our membership are a portion of the cost. Their gift shop is surprisingly good, have found lots of little "gems" here for ages of all kinds.

Jose Rowley

This museum is awesome!!! To bad they are going to ruin it but removing my English heritage exhibits. They already have enough native stuff in there. Some of that stuff is awesome to see also.

RJ J

Just felt like a politically fueled place to appease some people. Some may not like our history, but burying it in the basement doesn't make it our history any less.

Kathy Otten

Very interesting information about the First Nations people and their languages. Enjoyed learning more about BC and the history and culture of the people here.

Codette Gerusanovka

Very interesting, a nice mix of topics, rounded views presented on each subject and a scattering of interactive exhibits which help to engage interest. Could spend many hours here.

Veronica Misko

Very nice museum without being too large. Would go back for another visit.

Amak Gytetla

I hear they keep all the good stuff in the basement. Watched the objects to look for patterns. One thing is clear.

Asiyah Aleem

Amazing place!!! For all ages... There's such a great experience of the orcas. It's just amazing, I went with young kids and they really enjoyed the experience and learn alot. There's live size orcas, live size skeletons and a whole story about a family of orcas... They also have some screens which show you videos on different things. They have also made an interactive board where u read and touch the pictures on the book and the picture would enlarge in the middle... They've also got live size elephant with huge tusks and other animals and birds, and the setting is such that u feel they are in the live open world.... Just amazing.... The other floor has the history of BC. It shows the oldest times hotel, the type of furniture that was used and the style what the oitch3n looked like... There's a whole walk-in ship, where u can see the rooms. There's mining equipment u can see. It's amazing The IMAX is currently closed but it would definitely be something I would be visiting, and if I could would visit this place again.

David Moffitt

ABSOLUTE WASTE OF TIME.. only one floor of exhibits ..took about 30 minutes. Not worth $18..a pity they are going to ruin it by removing any reference to the people who made BC what it is today.

Arun Kumar

Great learning experience. Fits in for all ages. Well maintained and artistic. Allocate minimum half a day for this beauteous place!

takdeer dhaliwal

Amazing experience. It has 3 levels. You can experience nature, wildlife, humans history and climate changes. Must go place and suitable for all ages. You can buy online or in person tickets.

Catherine Chapman

I have always enjoyed visiting this museum since me and my partner came to live in Victoria in 1979. Today I visited the museum with my partner and felt very sad that many of the exhibits will not be there the next time. I really like the aboriginal exhibits on the third floor which I understand, along with the brilliant replica of old town Victoria,will be no more after January 2 2022.Why this is happening is not clear. I agree that a more chronological histery of the all the West Coast aboriginal peoples would be a good idea but not along with the distruction of the history of the white settlers. This is all about history. What is the plan?

Amanda C

Great place to read up on the history of BC, the people and the current exhibit on orcas is very interesting. You can go in and out if needed. The IMAX is something that should be seen, we watched Turtle Odessy.

A M

I don't know if they have adult night but if they don't they should!!! This would be even more amazing without screaming kids everywhere!! It was such a good time

Sam

Come for the Orcas. Stay for the historically accurate fish gutting machine.

Nadia Islam

Very thoughtful presentation of Pacific orcas and human life. IMAX shows are really nice.

Dan Jaeger

Whale exhibit was great. Saw the Imax show about sea lions it was very good as well.

Alan Saunderson

Their new photography gallery is excellent, the other galleries they have are also well done. They currently have food trucks stationed I. The back if you get hungry.

Patrick

Annual pass is a great deal if you'll make it back even one more time. Loved the Orca exhibit.

Sandra Wood

Loved the museum. Hated the crowd. I cannot believe there are no limits on crowd size to the museum. Masks are required, but it is impossible to keep distances with the huge crowd size. If you have any concerns for your health, I recommend waiting in hopes the museum will have crowd limits again like they did before BC phase 3 opened a free for all.

Alexander Teh

One of the best museum experiences you can find. Even better now that COVID has thinned the crowds out. Orca exhibit and IMAX movie were very thought-provoking. I just heard that many exhibits will be removed in the name of decolonization. These exhibits were childhood favorites from the early1970s. The fact is British Columbia is a product of colonization. It is part of our past, both good and bad. We shouldn't seek to hide it from future generations. I think we should ask ourselves whether or not we want to celebrate it, denigrate it, or accept and learn from it.

Ross Lewis

Went to the Orca exhibit and the humpback whale IMAX show. Both were great.

Bill Cox

Until the end of 2021 I would have given you five stars. Because of your decolonization AKA erasure of European history from the third floor I will give you two stars at best because of what is on the second floor. Europeans have a right to their history just like everyone else. One of my favorite parts of the museum was old Town on the third floor along with the other exhibits around it but those are now gone. Absolutely disgraceful. I used to love the museum but I no longer care about it.

Peggy Wacko

Very well done exhibits,lots of native history.

Infinerdy

Always a good place to spend a leisurely afternoon. Among the permanent exhibits, my favorite is the recreation of a street in the early 1900's. The natural history section has many recreation of the diverse geographic scenes of the province as well as of the human endeavours throughout the province's history. It is an interesting way to give an education to younger children and curious adults alike. Much has been written about the First Nations but seeing and walking among the pieces of the museum's large collection makes tangible what was heard and read. Contemporary pieces are treated as art rather than artifacts and the artists' stories are told, reinforcing that the culture is alive.

Susan Jarvis

Very good Orca display there until January 2022. The rest of the museum holds plenty to keep anyone entertained.

Melody M

Great museum and exhibits! Very informative and very well curated. The highlight was the Orca Exhibit! Love it - everyone should come at least once!

Pat

The Orca display aas interesting.

Joleen Kane

This museum is wonderful. So much history about Canada. Hasn't changed much since last being here in 97 during my middle School field trip. It was great for my kids to see for their first time. Rates were good, under $60 for all 4 of us, and we could come back and see more with in the same day if we couldn't finish. Parking is limited around the back of the museum. I recommend leaving the car parked else where and seeing all that Victoria has around the area. Everything is super close in proximity to the coho ferry. Love love love the Woolley Mammoth!

Gerard ODonnell

A good experience. Jan 2 2022 the top floor is being rebuilt, so go now to see the most of the museum. There is an IMAX on site also and you can buy combo tickets.

Robert Monico

Loved the Orca Exhibit!!! It was educational, had interactive components and the entire museum was very family friendly. Staff were polite and friendly. Washrooms were conveniently located and the exhibits were relatively easy to find. If you enjoy learning about history (natural or cultural) I highly recommend visiting this museum.

Angeline Viesca

It's just amazing! A good way to learn about the history of BC in many areas (a bit of natural and social history, including obviously First Nations) The section about the first voyages to BC, with the ship, and then the Old town is just amazing! (They are in the last floor, so it's good to consider taking enough time to see and enjoy those sections)

Shauna Higgins

My family really enjoyed this museum! It gives a great overview of the area from many different perspectives: first nations, settlers, and natural history. The second floor is devoted to the area's natural history and climate change which we all found to be informative and very well presented. The fossils and dinosaur bones were a huge hit with the kids! The third floor has loads of history on the first nations as well as current information on languages and treaties. This is also where you will find exhibits on settlers such as travel, mining, farming, and a life-size old city replica.

Kenny T

A very well done exhibit. We were there for the killer whale exhibit. I enjoyed that. The whole museum was very well done and it is a great place to spend a few hours.

Ryan Pan

Great exhibition , tons of displays to see, lots of history, and it’s a family friendly place to visit, so take your kids, they will have a blast.

gurwinder singh

Great place to explore the history and learn facts about various things takes about 2 hours to explore.

Mirjana Vanderzee

Love the museum. Great place to take the family. ????????????????

A Grace

Very nice museum with a focus on Native People and Orcas.

Julie MacQuarrie

Informative and enjoyable. Signage directing you where to go could be improved. Lighting in some exhibits could be better. But a lovely way for my husband and I to spend an afternoon. We enjoyed ourselves.

Green Apple

This museum had a fantastic orca exhibit and lots of other great exhibits on the history of the area.

Guy Swain

Well worth the entrance fee. Some great exhibits that are very well presented.

Christian J

Lots of quality exhibits to see and experience here. I came on a Thursday after noon and I was comfortable with the amount of people and kids around. I imagine it would be hectic with loud crowds on a weekend. But otherwise I recommend checking out it out. You'll need about an hour and fifteen minutes to cover one floor.

G R

Excellent exhibits even some could use a little updating. Whale exhibit is creative and educational!

Sandra Karr

It’s a beautiful museum with so many great displays. There’s a lot to learn there. Some of the animal exhibits are very life-like! It’s certainly a must-visit at least once. There’s a nice gift shop in the museum.

David Hwang

Had a great outing here. Was surprised at the number of people inside (busier than I expected) but there was lots for us to see. Unfortunately the imax wasn’t running (they said it would be started up again in September) but the family got a nice educational update on the history of BC, the Orcas, and rich indigenous history.

Vasily Ilin

Great museum with lots of immersive exhibits.

Mirdula Babu

Amazing displays. Be prepared to spend a couple of hours at this museum as there's so much to see and read. I was lucky to visit the third floor of the museum, which will be closed starting January 1, 2022.

Gavin Doyle

Gives an experience of the history, culture, and environment of British Columbia. Covers people as well as the natural aspects of the province. Always a traveling exhibit that is housed in one section of the museum. The IMAX screen has documentaries in addition to feature films that are shown.

Catherine French

Such a great museum! We loved how immersive some of the exhibits were, and we appreciated the help from a security guard that showed us the real ice on the wooly mammoth exhibit that we could touch. Definitely go see the Orca exhibit before it leaves!

Sheryl Parkin

Fabulous exhibits of indigenous life both pre and post settlement. Orca exhibit was very good.

Andy Ware

What a great place. The Orca exhibit was amazing as are the rest of the exhibits. World class!

Mina

Such a wonderful museum! We spent over 4 hours there, still did not do justice to the details of the museum. I can tell you can spend over 5 hours there to watch all videos and read all notes there. It’s absolutely a recommended place for anyone visiting town and totally worths every penny!

Viktoria Mukhortov

Amazing experience, very informative exhibitions. Kids loved it. Highly recommend to visit ????

Nima E

A must see. There are exhibitions on old vancouver, life on earth, extinction, the traditions and life of indigenous people.

Shea McCormick

Excellent museum! Displays a wide variety of exhibits, with very engaging displays, and a plethora of artifacts to examine. We spent four hours inside, and even that was at a rushed speed due to our time constraints. Everything is in very good quality, and the staff is very courteous. I would love to return and spend more time here again!

sessa yu

Very sad that a small group of people have the power to erase BC history. No idea what's going to replace it because the people whose tax dollars fund this place haven't being consulted. I suggest they tell the real history of the so-called indigenous people(Siberian immigrants) . Before the Europeans arrived they were genociding and enslaving each other and they practiced torture and cannibalism. They also hunted 30 species of mammals to extinction.

sarah-leanne deslippe

I loved this museum! The history section is like stepping on the set of a period piece, which is a refreshing break from other museums that take themselves *a bit* too seriously. The environmental section does a great job educating people about the risks of climate change in an easily digestible manner. Be sure to check out the IMAX theater when you're there for a short but engaging film :)

Stripes Tiger

Wonderful exhibits that taught me a lot about the history and culture of BC. The staff were informative and kind as well.

MrChocheech

They are removing important displays to pander to people with no critical thinking

Jasdeep Singh

Absolutely must visit!! Great collection of artifacts and information from aboriginal cultures, marine life, lifestyle in BC century ago and whats to come in future with climate change.

Shelly Tinker

This place was a fabulous way to spend a day with the toddlers !

Kathleen Hinton

Loved the artifacts. Not too crowded.

James Ross

Have to book ahead to get tickets. Nice and quiet, like having the whole museum to yourself!

Nick Nelson

Or a exhibit was really compelling. This museum Is great for the whole family - not so big that you’re walking for hours but enough variety to suit all ages. Really helpful and friendly staff and plenty of them. Highly recommend.

Gaberielle Gonzalez

The Royal BC Museum was AMAZING. The exhibits were spectacular. Make sure you give yourself plenty of time to enjoy each floor, minimum of three hours would be good. Gift shop carries locally made jewelry and other things. They have a really good book selection too.

Blair Tweten

Wonderful experience. But sadly, they are removing all of the 3rd floor exhibits due to political correctness issues. The First Nation's people didn't ask for the removal. It was the new curator who decided such a dramatic move was in order. What a shame!

Richard Sarrazin

There is a lot of things to take in. Definitely worth the money and time.

Ben Trevor

Great museum. It's located right in the heart of the city, so it's near a lot of other cool attractions, which is a plus. I think my favorite part was the indigenous peoples exhibits--so many artifacts, and the area on linguistic diversity was of particular interest to me. The natural history section of the museum was also pretty good, although we moved through it relatively fast because we had a ferry to catch.

Allen Wickham

When you stay close to downtown, the BC museum is definitely a place you want to check out. It's easy to walk to, and it offers an enormous amount of things to look at and explore. When we went, they were hosting a Viking exposition, which overwhelmed us with all the history and detail. We also appreciated seeing the First Peoples gallery, which helped us see the history and culture of the people that inhabited the area before other peoples came along. Wheelchair accessibility is pretty good - the areas that I'd focus on would be adding family bathrooms and making sure that if you have to have doors, make them easily opened.

Taha Javaid

Really good experience. It has everything from BC's climate change over the years to tools and clothes that belong to the First Nation people from thousands of years ago. You will learn about early European settlers in the region and mammals that used to exist in this region many years ago. Very educating.

Logan Saunders

27 dollar entrance fee for 2 and a half hours of Vancouver Island's whale, orca, Indigenous, and industrial history ain't so bad. It's a museum so be in the mood for lots of reading. If you're in the right mood, you'll love this museum. We waited until our final day after we did the outdoor attractions. This is great for a rainy day. Highly recommend this for families, couples, and anyone in the mood for historical exhibits.

Lauryn Holte

The orca exhibit is okay but is really lacking in interactive portions. The First People's Gallery and Our Living Languages exhibits were impressive, engaging, and immersive. They were the highlights of our visit! The modern that showed the history of industry in British Columbia could use an update. Still very interesting but compared to the First People's exhibits, they have a lot of room for improvement. Overall our visit was excellent!

Aditya Sharma

If you enjoy history, this is a great place to visit. The artifact collection is a must see. Covid protocols in place. Friendly service. Bonus, they have a whole level dedicated to Orca & ecosystem. One less star as their IMAX theatre was closed.

Alfredo the Rescue Tuxedo Cat

Wonderful museum. The Egypt exhibit was really interesting. The natural history and First People culture exhibits are interactive and informative.

P M

They want to destroy the 3rd floor exhibit, this is a museum, they should be preserving history, not destroying it.

Kody Baum

The new Orca exhibit is amazing. The rest of the museum is really informative of the history of British Columbia. One of the better museum in Canada!

Nelson Grihalde

If you love native culture and art this is a must see, the other half is about the impact of western culture on the " First Nations" as the Native Americans are termed by Canucks. LOL moments as you sit in a 1970s era living room complete with a Betamax VCR. Not sure if that section needs to be updated, as it looks old and not in line with current interests. Oh did I forget Terry Fox, he is a national hero to Canadians, and he never even carried a rifle to combat, like Audie Murphy or Alvin York. Canada is a kinder gentler version of the USA.

Matt

Was a great museum, but the demolition of the Old Town is a big loss.

Jennifer K

Could spend the entire day here!! Start early! Tips: - explore top then down (First Nation's first, then history of bc, then orcas) - line up for IMAX movie at least 30 minutes early if you want good seats - definitely do the IMAX movie, worth it!!

Nick G

So disappointed the Old Town is being torn out for political correctness reasons. So destructive and sad for such a beautiful exhibit.....

T M

A museum that is removing historical exhibits because of pressure from the woke crowd. Once these exhibits are removed I'll never come back here again.

Kai Kai

Amazing Museum! I like all the info about orcas! :)

Paula Ferreira

So well done! This museum rivals anything I've experienced. Plan on taking your time and wear comfortable shoes because you don't want to miss a thing. Worth every penny of the admission. And the gift shop is lovely.