Mandate

Through the provincial Museum Act:

to secure, receive and preserve specimens, artifacts and archival and other materials that illustrate the natural or human history of British Columbia;
to hold and manage the archives of the government;
to increase and communicate knowledge of the natural and human history of British Columbia by research, exhibits, publications and other means;
to serve as an educational organization;
to develop exhibits that are of interest to the public;
to manage, conserve and provide access to the collection;
on the request of the government, to manage cultural and heritage facilities designated by the government;
and to perform functions usually performed by a museum and archives.

For more than 120 years, the Royal BC Museum has collected, cared for and shared with others, the history of British Columbia.

Approximately 1 million people visit our galleries every year and a million more explore the museum and archives through our interactive website while 7,000 use the historical resources available in our provincial archives.