Designed for ages 4 to 8

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Some arthropods are equipped with wings and antennae, and the number and arrangement of these body parts can help you identify whether an animal is an insect, spider, millipede, or centipede. But did you know there are also reptiles that can glide through the air—without wings? How many reptiles from British Columbia can you name?

Freshly back From the Field, Join Dr. Victoria Arbour, curator of paleontology at the Royal BC Museum, for a look at what she and her team discovered this past summer in northern BC! This expedition was funded by the Royal Canadian Geographical Society’s Trebek Initiative Grants, supporting incredible Canadian storytelling coast to coast!

In celebration of its 5th Anniversary, the box office hit Fantastic Fungi, directed by Louie Schwartzberg, is returning to theaters with an enhanced experience in Fantastic Fungi Remastered, which offers audiences an unparalleled viewing experience with enhanced visuals and sound, allowing viewers to immerse themselves fully in the breathtaking beauty and awe-inspiring wonder of the fungal kingdom.

Much of life on Earth is connected by a vast, hidden network that we are only just beginning to understand. Out of sight, between the world of plants and animals, another world exists - the kingdom of fungi.

Runtime: 41 minutes

Rating: G

The South Vancouver Island Mycological Society Annual Mushroom Show.

A display of hundreds of identified macrofungi for your learning and viewing pleasure. Experts will be on site to answer all your questions. Bring your fungi and have the experts identify them for you!

Free presentations in the Conference Hall from local Mycologists and Biologists will occur throughout the day.

Did you know that there are more than 3,000 different mushroom species in British Columbia? That’s more fungus diversity than anywhere else in Canada! Join a CRD Regional Parks naturalist and the Royal BC Museum to hunt for mushrooms.  Mushroom expert and co-author of Royal BC Museum’s best-selling handbook, Mushrooms of British Columbia, Kem Luther, will lead us. This is not a harvesting expedition, but a fun, informal exploration of fungi from the trail. 

This event has been cancelled!

Eat. Drink. Explore

Have you ever wanted to create your own costume? Now’s your chance to stretch your imagination with the guidance from experts. Join talented staff members from The Makehouse Co-op and the Royal BC Museum and craft the costume of your dreams. Bring old garments, fabrics, and embellishments to this adult-only upcycling event, where creativity and sustainability come together.

Following the film, please join us for a talk and Q&A with Dr. Shannon Berch. Dr. Berch has a PhD from Université Laval in fungal taxonomy and ecology. She retired in 2019 from the BC Ministry of Environment and is an Associate Member of the UBC Department of Biology and Faculty of Land and Resource Science. Dr. Berch is a founding member of the South Vancouver Island Mycological Society and the Truffle Association of BC.

Mosses, lichens, and fungi play important roles in the stegnon, the layer of organic life just above and below the soil. This talk reviews some of the environmental services provided by several groups of organisms that inhabit the forest floor.

Speaker: Kem Luther, of the Southern Vancouver Island Mycological Society

Live at Lunch is a monthly series where you can hear directly from curators, archivists, staff and researchers at the Royal BC Museum as well as fascinating community members and guests.

Sensory-sensitive screening of Animal Kingdom intended for guests who find the immersive IMAX® experience prohibitive. In addition to low lighting and low volume throughout, doors will be left open and movement and discussion during the film will not be restricted. This film is in 2D, no special glasses required. Theatre capacity will be reduced to 80 seats.

Join the Greater Victoria Public Library for a StoryWalk®, where children of all ages follow a guided path outside the Royal BC Museum, experiencing a storybook page by page from beginning to end.

No registration required. Everyone is welcome to this drop-in event. Children must be accompanied by an adult. StoryWalks proceed rain or shine, so dress appropriately.

Visit the Royal BC Museum table at this special CRD Parks Event at East Sooke Park! Spend the day looking at raptor specimens and learn why hawks, vultures, owls and more are important. 

Main event will be held at the picnic shelter off the Aylard Farm parking lot. 600 m to picnic shelter and back to parking lot via a smooth gravel trail with a slight incline. Please visit CRD's Facebook event page for more info.

Celebrating Everything That Makes and Shapes the Earth

UNESCO International Geodiversity Day is a worldwide celebration, bringing people together each year to promote the many aspects of geodiversity.

On display at the Courtenay Museum from October 4, 2024 to February 1, 2025

Most people don’t think of British Columbia as a place where you can find dinosaurs. Yet new research by Royal BC Museum palaeontologists is slowly revealing the secrets of the dinosaurs that once inhabited these lands.

Musical Walking Tours with Yuxwelupton Qwal’qaxala and Pacific Opera Victoria

Join Pacific Opera Victoria and the Royal BC Museum for a powerful journey through the museum, where music and human voice will offer new perspectives on history and the truth of that history for Indigenous Peoples.

Join us for a 45-minute guided tour and discover the behind-the-scenes mystery of the Entomology collection.

Sign up at the information desk in the lobby starts at 10 AM on the day of the tour.

Join one of our educators on a guided walking tour of our Native Plant Garden! Learn about our plant neighbors here on the BC coast and Indigenous uses. About 8 different plants will be highlighted.

Meet at the bottom of the escalator in the main lobby. Note that this tour takes place outside rain or shine, please prepare for the weather accordingly.

This events has been cancelled!

Designed for ages 9-12 years

This exciting program invites young artists to embark on an artistic adventure within the creative environment of the museum. Starting in the Natural History gallery, participants will meet the Woolly Mammoth and begin their journey by sketching the mammoth and the background. After exploring, they will head to the classroom to bring their drawing to life by creating their own 3D Woolly Mammoth model to take home.

Eat. Drink. Explore.

As the sun sets, get ready to unwind and soak up the museum's evening vibes—just for the grown-ups! It’s your chance to see the museum in a whole new light while learning about relaxation and reflection. Reconnect with yourself, mingle with others, and revel in the power of mindfulness.

Come find our table at the In Sight festival!  In Sight is a community-based festival celebrating arts and culture in Colwood, filled with music, dance, children's activities, storytelling, visual arts and food. 

For more information on this festival, please visit Arts and Culture Colwood Society's page here.