Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
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First Peoples Gallery
Historic photos, video, audio, and Native
artifacts are combined for a spellbinding
experience
(above)
. Superb ceremonial
masks and an unforgettable cedar Big House.
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Key to Plan
Ground floor
Second floor
Third floor
Modern History
Gallery
In the atmospheric
20th-Century Hall, it's
easy to step back into
the Victoria of the 1900s
(right)
. Re-created build-
ings include the Grand
Hotel, with its authentic
wooden sidewalk, a
salmon cannery,
a dressmaker's
studio, and
a Chinese
herbalist's
shop, all
displaying
authentic
period
objects. Soft
lighting sets
the mood.
Mungo Martin
House
Also called Wawadit'la,
this replica of a 19th-
century longhouse was
entrusted to the museum
in 1952 by the family of
Kwakw
a
k
a
'wakw Chief
Mungo Martin. A dynam-
ic green sea monster in
the form of a spiny scul-
pin (small fish) is painted
on the façade. The long-
house is closed to the
public as it is reserved
for traditional First
Nations ceremonies.
Thunderbird Park
Over a dozen poles
preside over this park. The
carved mythical figures
tell stories of traditional
Coast Salish cultures.
Included are Git
x
san
memorial poles, Nuxalk
grave figures, Haida mor-
tuary poles, a Cumshewa
pole, and Kwakw
a
k
a
'wakw
heraldic poles.
Helmcken House
The oldest house in
BC still on its original site
was built by Dr. John
Sebastian Helmcken in
1852. The three-room
log structure is made of
Douglas fir trees. Period
furnishings are a remind-
er of the Victorian era.
Museum Guide
The main exhibits are
located on the second
and third floors of the
museum. Natural His-
tory Gallery and Living
Land, Living Sea are on
the second floor, the
First Peoples and Mod-
ern History galleries on
the third. More exhibits
are located outside.
Carillon Tower
The Netherlands Caril-
lon Tower was gifted to
the museum in 1967 from
BC residents of Dutch
descent. It has a total
of 62 bells. Free recitals
are held at 3pm on
Sundays.
National
Geographic
IMAX Theatre
Subjects as diverse as
whales and outer space
are explored in the
rotating series of docu-
mentary films on the the-
ater's six-story screen.
Near the carillon tower, the entrance to the museum-operated
BC Archives has been beautified with plants native to the province
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