Victoria Museums

(Victoria, British Columbia - BC, Canada)

Downtown Victoria contains a selection of quality museums, which showcase local history at its very best. The Royal British Columbia Museum is to be found within the Inner Harbour area of Victoria, close to the Legislature Buildings, as was founded as long ago as 1886.

One for all the family is the Royal London Wax Museum, which was founded in 1961 and remains popular with tourists staying in Victoria ever since, being home to a large collection of more than 300 Josephine Tussaud waxwork sculptures which originate from England.

Maritime Museum of British Columbia (BC)

Address: 28 Bastion Square, Victoria, V8W 1H9, British Columbia (BC), Canada, CA
Tel: +1 250 385 4222
Sited in Bastion Square and sandwiched between both Wharf Street and Government Street, the Maritime Museum of British Columbia is one of Victoria's finest, with exhibitions being spread over three floors. All aspects of maritime history are remembered here, ranging from the earliest pirates and explorers, to the past whaling and fishing industries off the Pacific Coast. Children will enjoy climbing to the very top of a replica crows nest and playing with the swivel cannons, as well as exploring the Engine Room and the famous Tilikum sailboat, which circumnavigated the globe more than 100 years ago. Also of interest at the Maritime Museum of British Columbia is the Shipwrecks gallery, where you will learn about the treacherous coastline of British Columbia and the Princess Sofia tragedy, a historic steamer that sank here in 1918, with the loss of more than 300 people.
Open hours: daily, June to September - 09:30 to 17:00, October to May - 09:30 to 16:30
Admission: charge, discounts for seniors, students, families and children under 11 years old, children six years old and under are free

Royal British Columbia Museum (RBCM)

Address: 675 Belleville Street, Victoria, V8W 9W2, British Columbia (BC), Canada, CA
Tel: +1 250 356 7226
The Royal British Columbia Museum became a 'royal' museum after being visited by Queen Elizabeth II during her 1986 trip to Canada, when she came to Victoria and other prominent Canadian cities. This attraction is one of the most visited in the city and comprises a number of separate gallery areas, devoted to First Nations and the initial contact with Europeans, Living Land and Living Sea, Modern History and also Natural History, which features a life-size model of a woolly mammoth. As well as a large permanent collection of exhibits, many displays change on a regular basis and over the past few years, themes have includes Egypt, the ill-fated Titanic, and Leonardo da Vinci. Also onsite are aquariums within the Ocean Station, the National Geographic IMAX Theatre, a gift shop and a cafe, while close by, the Thunderbird Park and its colourful totem poles may also be of interest.
Open hours: April to September, Sunday to Thursday - 09:00 to 17:00, Friday and Saturday - 09:00 to 22:00; October to March - 09:00 to 17:00
Admission: charge, discounts for seniors, students, families and children, children six years old and under are free

Victoria Police Department Station Museum

Address: 850 Caledonia Avenue, Victoria, V8T 5J8, British Columbia (BC), Canada, CA
Tel: +1 250 995 7654
The Victoria Police Department Station Museum is located at the city's Headquarters building on Caledonia Avenue and is filled will local police artefacts, dating from the middle of the 19th century to the present day. Interestingly, the city's police force actually came into being in 1858, before Victoria was officially incorporated in 1862. Expect to find history police weapons and uniforms, along with Tasers and an exhibits related to modern digital forensic science. A gift shop is situated onsite and sells a range of souvenirs, such as model cars, sweatshirts and caps.
Open hours: Tuesday to Friday - 10:00 to 14:00
Admission: free

Royal London Wax Museum (World of Wax)

Address: 470 Belleville, Victoria, V8V 1W9, British Columbia (BC), Canada, CA
Tel: +1 250 388 4461
The wax figures at the Royal London Wax Museum include many famous Hollywood celebrities, politician and US presidents, royalty, and characters from history, such as Albert Einstein, Alexander Bell, Babe Ruth, Henry Ford and Thomas Edison. Particularly notable is the state-of-the-art Frozen In Time attraction, a multi-media theatre celebrating a number of epic world voyages, such as the discovery of the New World by Columbus in the 15th century, and the doomed Franklin Expedition to the Canadian Arctic during the 19th century.
Open hours: daily - 09:00 to 19:30
Admission: charge, discounts for seniors, students, military and children