Join us for an evening of personal community stories inspired by the powerful sounds and spaces that have shaped our lives. 

As part of The Story Collection series, storytellers will share stories of music venues that hold special meaning for them - from dive bars where unknown bands became legends, to concert halls where a single song changed everything, to basement clubs that became safe havens for entire communities. 

Join University of Victoria pre-service teachers as they share information, challenges and ideas about critical hope in climate education at animation stations throughout the core galleries.

Step through the doors of the oldest house in British Columbia still on its original site and experience what Christmas was like in Victoria more than 100 years ago. Decorations, music and first-hand accounts will take you back to Christmas past. 

Bundle up and gather under the Centennial Carillon with your fellow singers, family, friends and even your dog. Provincial Carillonneur Rosemary Laing will accompany the Newcombe Choir in a one of a kind caroling party. Hot chocolate and cookies help to make the season bright.

Mammals have different ways to survive the winter. Some save up food from the summer and have warm fuzzy coats to keep warm. Others migrate or hibernate. Join us as we investigate specimens in the Royal BC Museum collection and see what they do to stay safe and warm during the coldest time of the year. At the conclusion of the program, we will share a cozy winter story.

Grades K-3

Join us for our annual Winter Indigenous Market at the Royal BC Museum. Explore some skookum gifts and meet creators and vendors from across Turtle Island. Free admission for everyone.

The Pandora Chorus is a non-auditioned indie pop rock choir, founded in 2015 by director Glenna Garramone. The Pandora Chorus  makes music and harmony together in a fun and relaxed atmosphere. They will be singing songs from their Fall session, including songs by Beyoncé, ABBA, Crosby, Harry Styles, The Flaming Lips, and more! Accompanied on keyboard by Chris Van Sickle.

Learn how we depend on bats and how you can help these amazing flying mammals. Join a Royal BC Museum educator for this special online program with NatureKids BC. See bat specimens up close, learn what they do in the winter and practice using your bat wings in a fun activity. 

Watch the recorded program later from our video library on Youtube.

Learn about the Ice Age and the Woolly Mammoths who lived there. Using images, video and objects we will learn about how Woolly Mammoths adapted to survive in the Ice Age. There will be opportunities for questions and interaction.

Grades 1-4

Pre and post visit resources: https://learning.royalbcmuseum.bc.ca/playlist/meet-the-mammoth

Fabulous Plants and their Fungal Friends

Two Kingdoms - plants and fungi - from extraordinary partnerships that allow both partners to survive and thrive. This talk will feature BC's lichens, mycorrhizae, fungal endophytes and magnificent mycoheterotrophs. 

Speaker: Andy MacKinnon, co-author of Mushrooms of BC, a Royal BC Museum Handbook

Magic at the Museum brings close-up magic to the historic parlour of Helmcken House for an enchanting evening of wonder. 

Experience the rare delight of parlour magic performed in an actual Victoria parlour -- within one of British Columbia's oldest homes. Dave Morris, Andrew Brimstone, and special guests perform sleight-of-hand, mentalism, and more in an up-close, unforgettable setting. 

Discover the art of illusion where history and magic intertwine, creating moments of astonishment within walls that hold their own mysteries.

The process of archiving, protecting and making government records accessible is an important way that citizens of democracies keep governments accountable. Join an archivist for an investigation into the importance of primary sources containing but not limited to voter lists and other government records. Examine who was included in the democratic processes in the past and who was missing? There will be time for Q&A in this live interactive program. 

Grades 4-7

Join us for an intimate storytelling experience inside historic Helmcken House, one of British Columbia's oldest residences. 

As part of The Story Collection series, this site-specific event invites you to walk through the historic home while storytellers share personal tales inspired by themes of memory, place, belongs - and also love. Held on Valentine's Day, this evening reflects on the many ways love threads itself through our lives: in the people we cherish, the places that hold us, and the stories we carry.

Celebrate BC Heritage Week and Black history month! Join a digital access specialist at BC Archives, for a peek inside the scrapbook of Selena Smith, a Black Canadian 19^th-century musician and teacher. We will explore the calling cards, musical programs, and letters that document Selena’s many accomplishments and use these primary sources to pull together the details of her life. Hone your detective skills to gain insights through primary sources into the life of someone who lived and died over 100 years ago!

Celebrate BC Heritage Week and Black history month! Join a digital access specialist at BC Archives, for a peek inside the scrapbook of Selena Smith, a Black Canadian 19^th-century musician and teacher. We will explore the calling cards, musical programs, and letters that document Selena’s many accomplishments and use these primary sources to pull together the details of her life. Hone your detective skills to gain insights through primary sources into the life of someone who lived and died over 100 years ago!

Join a museum educator on an investigative journey through the natural history gallery as we explore some techniques that educators use to communicate science! Be prepared to use your observation skills and practice scientific illustration skills with one our talented exhibit designers!

Grades 4 to 7

Pre and post visit material: 

https://learning.royalbcmuseum.bc.ca/pathways/drawing-nature/?view=look

In 1858, when gold was discovered in the Fraser River, what is now known as British Columbia became a destination for hopeful miners from around the world. For every gold seeker who rushed here, there were factors that drove them from their homelands and dreams that enticed to a new and foreign place. The impacts of the gold rush on British Columbia were large, and lasting.

Grades 4 to 5

Pre and post visit resources: https://learning.royalbcmuseum.bc.ca/playlist/bcs-gold-rush/

Plants and animals have features (body parts) and behaviours that help them survive. These are called adaptations. Learn about some BC animals and the amazing ways they survive and thrive in our local environments through this visit to the natural history gallery.

Grades K to 3

Pre and post visit resources: https://learning.royalbcmuseum.bc.ca/playlist/amazing-adaptations/

Explore the different ways dinosaurs used their bodies to survive in their habitats millions of years ago. Through the inspection of plant and dinosaur fossils, students will discover how dinosaurs found food and interacted with their environment. They’ll even learn how animals on earth now give us clues about how dinosaurs looked and behaved.

Grades K to 2