Royal British Columbia Museum, Natural history museum in Victoria, Canada
The Royal British Columbia Museum is a natural history museum in Victoria with three permanent galleries covering natural history, modern history, and First Nations heritage. The collection spans several million objects distributed across different scientific disciplines.
The museum was founded in 1886 after a petition by citizens concerned that First Nations artifacts and natural specimens were being exported, often irreparably. It opened on October 25, 1886, in the former legislative buildings known as the Birdcages, with naturalist John Fannin as first curator. The Royal title was approved by Queen Elizabeth II and bestowed by Prince Philip in 1987 during a royal tour. The museum merged with the BC Provincial Archives in 2003.
The First Peoples gallery holds Haida and Kwakwaka'wakw pieces, including masks by Chief Nakap'ankam (Mungo Martin) and a longhouse made by the family of Chief Kwakwabalasami (Jonathan Hunt). Photography and filming are not allowed in this section. In 2010 many Nisga'a artifacts were returned to the Nisga'a Museum.
The museum is located between the Empress Hotel and the Legislative Buildings, making it easy to find. Visitors should allow plenty of time to explore the various galleries, as the collection is extensive.
The museum maintains a collection of insects and fossils that support scientists researching the biodiversity of western Canada. These scientific objects often go unnoticed by visitors but remain valuable for ongoing research projects.
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