VICTORIA, BC—It’s a new decade with new delights at the Royal BC Museum—including a 40th birthday party for Woolly, the world’s most-photographed mammoth replica. Resolve to keep having fun and learning in the new year with these January offerings:
A Mammoth Birthday Party
Since his arrival 40 years ago, Woolly the Mammoth has endeared himself to more than 12 million museum visitors from around the world. Come celebrate his passage out of the Ice Age and into middle age at a Mammoth-sized birthday party in the Natural History Gallery on Sunday, Jan. 26th from 12- 4 pm. This all-ages event includes music, crafts, an educational “animation station,” and an hourly chance to win one of five stuffed Woollies! Included with admission or membership.
Wonder Sundays: A Sleepy World
Feel like crawling into bed for a good long nap until spring? You’re not alone! Bring the family to the Natural History Gallery on Jan. 5, 12, 19, and 26 from 1-3 pm to explore the sleepy world of animal hibernation. Included with admission or membership.
Happy Hour: Mindfulness (with Parallel Play)
Centre mind and body in the Natural History Gallery during this month’s Happy Hour event from 5:30-7 pm on Jan. 9. Bring your yoga mat to the Forest Dome! 19+, $10 per person. Drinks and light fare available for purchase. And to help you slow down, breathe deeply and focus on the moment, Parallel Play childminding will also be available from 5-7 pm, $15 per child.
Letter Writing Week
With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, it’s an ideal time to settle in for a quiet session at our popular letter-writing station in the lobby area of the museum’s third floor. From Jan. 2 to Jan. 11, between 11 am and 2 pm, we’ll provide you with paper, pens, envelopes and even stamps—the poetry is up to you! Included with museum admission or membership.
Aging in the Wild: Unlocking the Science of Growing Older in the Animal Kingdom
Against a backdrop of some of the world’s most magnificent landscapes, this remarkable five-week film series by producer/director Ari A. Cohen explores the “golden years” in the animal kingdom. Open to all in Newcombe Conference Hall; $5 per film or $20 for the series.
- Episode 1: Longevity (Jan. 25, 2 pm)
- Episode 2: Reproduction (Jan. 28, 7 pm)
- Episode 3: Power and Dominance (Feb. 1, 2 pm)
- Episode 4: Wisdom (Feb. 4, 7 pm)
- Episode 5: Death (Feb. 8, 2 pm)
Pocket Gallery: BC’s Mountain Dinosaur
Baby, it’s cold outside! Warm up with a visit to meet “Buster”: an entirely new species of dinosaur—Ferrisaurus sustutensis—and the first dinosaur species unique to BC. He, and the work of paleontology curator Dr. Victoria Arbour, are the focus of the Helijet-sponsored Pocket Gallery (in Clifford Carl Hall) until Feb. 26, 2020. Free.
Fieldtrippers: Hidden History of Esquimalt Teahouse
From 11 am-12:30 pm on Jan. 18, join Dr. Yasmin Railton of the Landscapes of Injustice project, Tsugio Kurushima from the Victoria Nikkei Cultural Society, and Royal BC Museum Collections Manager (and military and homefront historian) Paul Ferguson, on Jan. 18 for a walk and talk about Japanese Canadians in BC during the time of Pearl Harbour, the effects of dispossession and internment, and the current campaign to restore the Esquimalt Japanese Teahouse. Meet at the Tillicum Road entrance parking lot of Esquimalt Gorge Park, just south of the Gorge Waterway. Gather at the edge of the parking lot, near the entrance to the Japanese Gardens. Dress warmly and be prepared for winter weather. Ages 10 and up; by donation.
It’s Complicated: Changing the World Through Photography (with Parallel Play)
This participatory series facilitates nuanced conversations around complex issues. On Jan. 22, the discussion will explore the impact of photography on shaping public opinion—for better or worse. Bring the kids along—Parallel Play childminding is available. From 5:15-7 pm in Newcombe Conference Hall; free.
Traditional Chinese Dance for Lunar New Year
Join us in Old Town in the Becoming BC Gallery on Jan. 25 from 1-2 pm to ring in the Year of the Rat with a traditional Chinese dance performance by Vancouver-based dance instructor Jessica Yue. Included with admission or membership.
Note:
The Royal BC Museum will be closed on Jan. 1, 2020, but will be open until 8 pm between Boxing Day and December 30. Please take advantage of our extended hours to catch the final week of Maya: The Great Jaguar Rises! For up-to-date event information, visit our online calendar and museum blog.
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About the Royal BC Museum: The Royal BC Museum explores the province’s human history and natural history, advances new knowledge and understanding of BC, and provides a dynamic forum for discussion and a place for reflection. The museum and archives celebrate culture and history, telling the stories of BC in ways that enlighten, stimulate and inspire. Located in Victoria on the traditional territory of the Lekwungen (Songhees and Xwsepsum Nations), we are a hub of community connections in BC–onsite, offsite and online–taking pride in our collective histories.
