The Royal BC Museum is the definitive destination for discovering the soul of British Columbia. As the provincial museum and archives, it offers an unparalleled journey through BC’s natural and human history. For 2025-2026, it stands as one of Victoria’s absolute best attractions, not just for its world-class permanent galleries, but for the exciting period of transformation it is currently undergoing. With a new $270 million state-of-the-art collections facility opening in 2026, a stunning lineup of four new international exhibitions for 2025, and groundbreaking paleontological discoveries being made, a visit to the Royal BC Museum offers a front-row seat to a museum in dynamic evolution. It is a place of discovery, reconciliation, and cutting-edge science.

Top 5 Reasons the Royal BC Museum is a “Best Of” Victoria Attraction

1. A Blockbuster Lineup of International Exhibitions for 2025: The museum is hosting an incredible and diverse lineup of temporary exhibitions, making 2025 a particularly exciting year to visit:
   • Wildlife Photographer of the Year (Feb 14 – Apr 27): See the world’s best nature photography, including a winning shot from Vancouver Island.
   • Global Threads: The Art and Fashion of Indian Chintz (Mar 28 – Sep 28): Explore 10 centuries of textile art in this stunning exhibition from the Royal Ontario Museum.
   • Odysseys and Migration (Apr 18, 2025 – May 3, 2026): Discover the history of Chinese Canadian migration in this powerful exhibition from the Chinese Canadian Museum.
   • Beyond the Beat: Music of Resistance and Change (May 30, 2025 – Jan 5, 2026): Rock out with artifacts from Neil Young, Public Enemy, and Tegan & Sara in this exhibition from the Canadian Museum for Human Rights.

1. Groundbreaking Paleontological Discoveries: The Royal BC Museum is at the forefront of dinosaur discovery in Canada. Your visit supports an institution making international headlines:
   • The Spatsizi Plateau Discovery: Museum paleontologists recently unearthed a treasure trove of 67-million-year-old fossils in northern BC, including teeth from a relative of T-Rex and the foot of a small meat-eating dinosaur. This is one of Canada’s most significant recent fossil finds.
   • First-Ever Armoured Dinosaur Footprints: Dr. Victoria Arbour, the museum’s curator of paleontology, led the team that identified the world’s first-ever fossilized footprints of a tail-clubbed armoured dinosaur.
   • New T-Rex IMAX Film: A new IMAX film, “T. rex,” launches in April 2025 with the latest scientific revelations.

1. A Leader in Reconciliation and Indigenous Partnerships: The Royal BC Museum is deeply committed to resetting its relationship with Indigenous peoples. A visit in 2025-2026 is a chance to see a museum actively engaged in the work of reconciliation:
   • Community-Led Repatriation: The museum has a robust program for returning cultural belongings and ancestral remains to their home communities. In May 2024, over 100 artifacts were returned to the Snuneymuxw First Nation.
   • Co-Created Galleries: The museum is working with Indigenous communities to co-create new narratives and exhibits for its permanent galleries.
   • Free Access for Indigenous Visitors: The museum offers complimentary access to all visitors who identify as Indigenous.

1. The Future of Museums: The PARC Campus: While the downtown museum remains the main visitor hub, the new PARC (Provincial Archives, Research, and Collections) campus in Colwood is a game-changer. Opening in 2026, this 15,200 sq. metre, mass-timber facility will house the province’s collections and archives. For visitors in 2025-2026, the buzz around this new facility and the modernization of the downtown galleries makes it a thrilling time to engage with the museum’s evolution.
2. Immersive and Beloved Permanent Galleries: The Royal BC Museum is famous for its immersive permanent galleries that transport you through time and place:
   • The Natural History Gallery: Walk through a coastal rainforest, see a life-sized woolly mammoth, and explore the diverse ecosystems of BC.
   • The First Peoples Gallery: A powerful and moving gallery showcasing the history and culture of BC’s Indigenous peoples, developed in partnership with communities.
   • Old Town: Step back in time to a life-sized recreation of a 19th-century BC town, complete with a hotel, a grand cinema, and the clip-clop of horse hooves.

Practical Visitor Information

• Location: 675 Belleville Street, Victoria, BC.
• Hours: Open daily. Check the official website for current hours.
• Admission: Paid admission is required. Tickets can be purchased online. IMAX tickets are separate.
• Accessibility: The museum and IMAX theatre are fully accessible.
• Website: https://www.royalbcmuseum.bc.ca/

The Royal BC Museum is more than a collection of artifacts; it’s a dynamic centre for research, learning, and cultural dialogue. Its world-class exhibitions, commitment to reconciliation, groundbreaking scientific discoveries, and exciting modernization projects make it one of the most compelling and important attractions in Victoria for 2025-2026. For anyone curious about the stories, science, and people that have shaped British Columbia, the Royal BC Museum is an essential and unforgettable experience.