Located right on Victoria’s Inner Harbour, the Royal BC Museum is the province’s greatest treasure trove, a place where you can explore British Columbia’s natural and human history in a fun and engaging way. But the museum is currently undergoing a massive transformation. So, what can you expect when you visit in 2025 or 2026? Here’s your guide to the new and exciting Royal BC Museum.

A Museum in Transformation

The Royal BC Museum is in the middle of a major, multi-year modernization project. This is a huge undertaking that will transform the museum and how it tells the story of British Columbia. The goal is to create more inclusive, modern, and engaging exhibits in collaboration with communities across the province, especially Indigenous communities. The museum has embedded Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (EDIA) principles throughout the organization, with all staff and volunteers receiving mandatory EDIA training. The museum is operating under a 2024-2027 strategic plan with a focus on modern and inclusive operations, accessible collections, and financial responsibility.

The New PARC Campus: A $270 Million Investment

The centerpiece of the modernization is the new PARC Campus (Provincial Archives, Research, and Collections), a brand-new, 15,200-square-metre facility in the Royal Bay part Colwood, a suburb of Victoria. This state-of-the-art, mass-timber building, built to LEED Gold standards, will house the province’s vast collections and archives. Construction began in summer 2023 with a public opening planned for 2026. The $270 million project will feature innovative public spaces, including labs with windows where you can watch researchers and conservators at work.

Are the Galleries Open?

Yes, but with some changes. The museum is taking a phased approach to reopening its galleries. The third-floor galleries, which include the popular First Peoples gallery, have been undergoing renovations and are reopening in stages throughout 2024 and 2025. This means that when you visit, you might see some new exhibits and some areas that are still being updated. The goal is to co-create these new galleries with community partners to ensure that the stories they tell are authentic and inclusive.

What New Exhibitions Can I See in 2025?

2025 is a huge year for new exhibitions at the Royal BC Museum. Here’s a look at the exciting lineup:

• Wildlife Photographer of the Year (Feb 14 – Apr 27): The 60th edition of this world-renowned photography exhibition, featuring the Adult Grand Title Winner by Shane Gross, captured on Vancouver Island.
• Global Threads: The Art and Fashion of Indian Chintz (Mar 28 – Sep 28): An exhibition from the Royal Ontario Museum that explores the history and art of this beautiful textile, featuring 80 objects spanning 10 centuries.
• Odysseys and Migration (Apr 18, 2025 – May 3, 2026): Developed by the Chinese Canadian Museum, this exhibition tells the stories of Chinese Canadian migration from the 18th century to today.
• Beyond the Beat: Music of Resistance and Change (May 30, 2025 – Jan 5, 2026): An exhibition from the Canadian Museum for Human Rights that features artifacts from artists like Neil Young, Snotty Nose Rez Kids, Public Enemy’s Chuck D, and Tegan & Sara.

Groundbreaking Research and Discoveries

The Royal BC Museum is a major research institution, and its paleontologists are making incredible discoveries.

• Spatsizi Plateau Dinosaur Discovery: Researchers have uncovered over 90 fossils from the late dinosaur era (66-68 million years ago) in the Skeena Mountains, Spatsizi Plateau Wilderness Provincial Park. This is a unique site in Canada because these dinosaurs lived in a mountainous environment. The fossils include teeth from a relative of T-Rex, teeth from a relative of Triceratops, bones from at least one large herbivore, and the foot of a small meat-eater.
• Armoured Dinosaur Footprints: Dr. Victoria Arbour, the museum’s curator of paleontology, led a team that identified the first-ever footprints of a tail-clubbed armoured dinosaur. They even named a new species: Ruopodosaurus clava, meaning “the tumbled-down lizard with a club/mace.”

A Commitment to Reconciliation and Community

A key part of the museum’s transformation is its commitment to working in partnership with Indigenous communities. The museum has a community-led repatriation program to return cultural belongings and ancestral remains, with a target of 116 repatriation visits in 2024/25. In May 2024, over 100 cultural artifacts, including stone bowls, a herring drying stick, and a beetle pendant carved from coal that was removed from a Gabriola Island dig in 1966-67, were returned to the Snuneymuxw First Nation. The museum also offers complimentary access to Indigenous visitors and is working to digitize its Indigenous collections, with a significant donation received in April 2024 for this purpose.

The museum’s “Creating Connections Initiative” includes programs like the MyMuseum Program, which provides complimentary tickets for low-income families, and the Canoo Program for new Canadians.

Don’t Forget the IMAX!

The IMAX Victoria theatre, located in the downtown museum, is a must-see. It offers an immersive movie experience on one of the largest screens in North America. On April 11, 2025, you can catch the new film “T. rex,” with updated CGI and the latest paleontological discoveries. The museum also offers sensory-sensitive IMAX screenings once a month, with lower volume and lighting.

Practical Information for Visitors

• Location: On Belleville Street, right by the Inner Harbour.
• Hours: Open daily. Check the website for hours and to see which galleries are open.
• Tickets: It’s a good idea to book your tickets online in advance.
• Accessibility: The museum is fully accessible, and participates in the Access 2 Entertainment Pass program.

The Royal BC Museum is a dynamic and evolving institution. A visit in 2025 or 2026 will give you a chance to see a museum in transformation, with exciting new exhibitions, groundbreaking research, and a renewed commitment to telling the stories of all British Columbians. It’s still a must-do for any visitor to Victoria.