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Royal BC Museum
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Royal BC Museum

See all things to do
See all things to do
Royal BC Museum
4.5
7,157 reviews
#18 of 161 things to do in Victoria
Speciality Museums
Read more
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Monday
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Tuesday
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 10:00 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 10:00 PM
Sunday
10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
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About
See all of British Columbia at the Royal BC Museum, a world-class museum of natural and human history. Explore our core galleries and immerse yourself in tales of where we've been and where we are going. Marvel at the totems, masks and cultural treasures featured in the world-class First Peoples Gallery. Walk through the colourful "language forest" in Our Living Languages and hear greetings in one of 34 Indigenous BC languages. Experience authentic artifacts and highly realistic settings -- from the Woolly Mammoth in his rocky, icy world to a tar-scented trip on the HMS Discovery.
Suggested duration
1-2 hours
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See what other travelers are saying
  • David P
    Calgary, Canada219 contributions
    Excellently Curated. Great for the Whole Family
    We absolutely love coming to this museum. We tend to be in Victoria 3-4 times a year and this it makes sense to buy an annual pass. Our kids 7 and 9 never bore of the experience. They love museum stalwarts like the natural history section including the wooley mammoth and the old town section and first Nations exhibits. One of our favorite activities is Letter Writing Week, held during the first week of January. During this time you can write letter to anyone in the world on Museum stationary and they pay the postage. Our kids love doing this and we do too. It's a highlight of the year. It should be added that many of the travelling exhibits that come through the museum are amazing, like Titanic's, The Aztecs and The Mayans. Very cool a MUST visit when in Victoria.
    Visited January 2020
    Traveled with family
    Written January 3, 2020
  • RobertMJThompson
    Victoria, Canada736 contributions
    something for everyone
    I recently enjoyed the museum's open house in honour of Family Day here in BC. Looked like many others also enjoyed the experience. I think the high admission fee for a family keeps many away. A half price ticket at 3:30 would be a good idea for management to consider. I took in the Photographer of the Year exhibit and then had a bit of a wander before watching an IMAX feature. For those interested in museum quality gifts the in house shops have a great selection on sale until the end of February.
    Royal BC Museum
    Hi Robert and thanks for your feedback! We find that folks who really enjoy visiting the Royal BC Museum find value in a family membership. Sadly, the museum (and IMAX) are closed at the moment due to the pandemic, but we hope you'll stay engaged with us via our digital offerings, which are listed on our social channels and web site. Take care!
    Written April 8, 2020
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
    Visited February 2020
    Written February 17, 2020
  • diesel1129
    Kelowna, Canada46 contributions
    Orca Wow!
    The new orca exhibit is amazing! It’s hard to plan with young kids, but we booked a time slot (covid restrictions) and made it work! Security was good with checking times and limiting capacity in certain exhibits. The museum has arrows on the ground indicating travel direction through exhibits, but if followed, much will be missed. We had to backtrack or double around a lot of rooms/areas to see everything. We spent 2hrs in the museum with small kids and they managed to west masks the entire time with complaints. Security is very present which is slightly annoying and irritating, but we understood their reasoning. Overall, the museum is adapting to Covid restrictions as best they can well still allowing guests to visit. It’s pricey for small kids, but adult admission is worth it.
    Visited April 2021
    Traveled with family
    Written April 19, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
7,157 reviews
Excellent
5,137
Very good
1,590
Average
338
Poor
50
Terrible
42
Ray M
Bellows Falls, VT74 contributions
One of the highlights of our visit to Victoria
Feb 2020
One of the first things I do when I visit a new city, is scope out the museums. Any type of museum is fine, but I prioritize ones that showcase the local / regional / national culture. The Royal BC Museum does that in spades.

The exhibit of First Nations Language was a highlight of my first visit there. We were staying next door at the Empress Hotel, so it was very convenient to visit. It turns out the museum was free on Family Day, which was a bonus, but I'd have gladly paid the price of admission.

One surprise was finding John Lennon's yellow Rolls Royce that was on the album sleeve of "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" in the lobby entrance. Lots of selfies being taken there. I got a nice shot of the roof from the stair landing.

Do not miss this if you have any interest in Canadian culture.
Written February 22, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Royal BC Museum
Hi Ray, Thanks for the kind review--and so glad you got to grab a selfie with the yellow Rolls before we had to close our doors temporarily due to the pandemic. If you'd like to stay connected until your next in-person visit, please check out our digital offerings--you'll find details via our social channels or web site. Stay well!
Written April 8, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
BrynnyH
Victoria, Canada30 contributions
A Priority for Visitors to Victoria BC
Dec 2019
As local residents we always schedule a day for our out of province visitors to go to the Royal BC Museum. It has interesting exhibits that are well displayed. On rainy days it is a particularly good destination for visitors with children aged 6 to 12 years old. The Museum has some very good "hands-on" exhibits that children enjoy.
Written January 5, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
patthetraveller0
Vancouver, Canada58 contributions
Excellent photographic exhibit.
Jul 2020
I really enjoyed the Royal BC Museum exhibit on Wildlife photography. The pictures were excellent and featured photographs taken by people around the world which had received awards.

Because of COVID-19 restrictions, this was the only exhibit and entrance was half price.
Written July 26, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
tim4022018
Market Harborough, UK61 contributions
So good I wanted to return
Oct 2021
What splendid museum! Great exhibit on Orcas and the rest of the museum was interestingly laid out - not stuffy but absorbing. We had 2.5 hrs and would have happily returned for a little more if we had had the time. Your ticket allows you to return later the same day but our whale watching tour lasted beyond the museum closing time!
Written October 27, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
BCWendy
Vancouver, BC57 contributions
Excellent museum, loved the Orca and Indigenous sections!
Jul 2021 • Couples
The Orca exhibit is very well done. We learned a lot and really enjoyed it!
The Indigenous section is also well done... especially at this time it's great to learn more about the culture. Especially liked the audio interactive display where we could hear how some of the letters are pronounced!
We ran out of time so missed everything else unfortunately as the museum closed 😔 We spent 1.5 hours, I recommend you give yourself more time!
Written July 3, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Sandra W
Canada136 contributions
Wonderful exhibit but crowded
Aug 2021
The Orcas exhibit is definitely worth visiting the museum. Lots to see and learn. It was particularly interesting since we had taken a whale-watching tour the day before. There were many more exhibits to see as well. Unfortunately the popularity of the exhibit means the museum was extremely crowded. We went when the exhibit opened in the morning. Masks were required, but there was no limit in capacity so the crowds made it difficult to keep a distance but fortunately most people made an effort to do so. Previously when there were stricter covid measures, capacity was controlled by having an entry time reserved. Anyone with health concerns should keep this in mind.
Written September 1, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
operalover939
Toronto, Canada2,938 contributions
Don’t miss the wildlife photography
Feb 2020
We’re well acquainted with the museum’s permanent exhibitions, so that the special exhibition of the day is usually our chief reason for visiting it. This time “wildlife photography” is the main attraction (it opened today) and what an attraction it is. One hundred gorgeous photographs, displayed in such a way that viewers don’t feel crowded, which is often the drawback of seeing this exhibition at the ROM in Toronto. You should not miss this!
Written February 15, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Kate in Leesburg
Leesburg, VA82 contributions
DO NOT GO!
Sep 2022
Save your time and dollars, the staff does not inform you that 90% of the museum is closed and has been under cover for a year with the intentions of renovating it. The only exhibit open was for 7 years olds, the taxidermy animals.....and not the reason I went to visit, to be honest I was pretty disgusted that there was no mention that the museum was shut down we were in and out in two minutes and if the museum was shut down for visitors they should have offered it for free in the state and condition it was in. I heard it was wonderful in the 1970s and 1980s but have waited far to long to update....everyone looked crestfallen exiting the museum.
Written September 12, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
CruisinJ
Vancouver, Canada111 contributions
Wonderful experience
Nov 2021
Spent over 5 hours here including a Humpback Whale IMAX show. This is a very extensive museum with incredible lifelike dioramas of nature, extinct and extant animals, representations of historical scenes, and interesting educational films.
Unfortunately, the historical re-creations on the upper floor depicting the European and Asian settlers’ early life in BC will be removed because of the societal pressure to erase history that doesn’t conform to today’s values. We enjoyed this journey back in time so if you want to see it, I’d recommend making plans before it’s gone.
Written November 7, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Chuck52
Toronto, Canada4 contributions
Well worth the visit
Aug 2020 • Couples
3rd floor, native people was the best part. 1st floor photography exhibition was very good. 2nd floor natural history comes last only because the others were so good.

If you enjoy museums, 1.5 hours is not enough. We took 3 hours and didn’t see everything.

Prebook your visit to avoid disappointment.

Staff and museum tried to follow Covid seperation, but visitors didn’t always behave. Wear your mask. Sanitizer is available in numerous locations.

Well worth the visit.
Written August 23, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Royal BC Museum - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)

Frequently Asked Questions about Royal BC Museum
Royal BC Museum is open:
  • Sun - Thu 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
  • Fri - Sat 10:00 AM - 10:00 PM
Buy tickets in advance on Tripadvisor. If you book with Tripadvisor, you can cancel at least 24 hours before the start date of your tour for a full refund.
We recommend booking Royal BC Museum tours ahead of time to secure your spot. If you book with Tripadvisor, you can cancel up to 24 hours before your tour starts for a full refund. See all 8 Royal BC Museum tours on Tripadvisor

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