The Royal BC Museum is gearing up for a summer of fun with family-friendly activities for kids of all ages.
Kicking things off is I See Seaweed by the Seashore, a free interactive drop-in session at the seashore diorama, held in partnership with Seaquarium Ocean Education. In celebration of Seaweed Days and Oceans Week Victoria, learn more about how barnacles live their entire lives upside down and why you can find seaweed in your toothpaste. Stop by I See Seaweed by the Seashore, June 4 from 11 am to 2 pm, to learn more about the seaweed and marine invertebrates that call our coastline home.
Have you ever wanted to see bats in their natural habitat? Join us for Fieldtripper: Evening Ha-BAT-itat Exploration, for a chance to see bat breakfast as they wake up and swoop through the air to feed. While we can’t guarantee we’ll see bats that evening, a CRD Regional Parks naturalist will be on hand to lead the exploration. This free event is set for June 24 from 7:30 to 9 pm at Elk/Beaver Lake Regional Park.
And if you haven’t already, make sure you visit BATS: Out of the Darkness, a temporary exhibition on loan from Kelowna Museums. Now on display at Clifford Carl Hall on the main level of the Royal BC Museum, BATS provides a chance to celebrate and learn more about these amazing creatures.
In July, the Langley Ukulele Association’s Senior A Ukulele Ensemble Recital will hit the stage for an afternoon of music. This talented crew features 17 musicians ranging in age from 13 to 18. Join us for Music at the Museum, Saturday, July 16, from 2 to 2:45 pm.
Exploring the biodiversity of BC can be as easy as visiting your own backyard. RBCM@Home (Summer) Backyard Biodiversity is a free digital program that encourages everyone to look a little closer at the bugs, plants, and animals creeping, crawling, slithering, and blooming right outside your door. Come read a book, do a craft, and look at weird and wonderful specimens. Brought to you in partnership with the Greater Victoria Public Library, Backyard Biodiversity is available online through Zoom, July 27 from 11–11:30 am.
We also have lots to offer at IMAX® Victoria this summer, including the return of Hollywood feature films with The Batman and Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore. Learn more about the magical places and creatures that make our world so wonderful with a great summer lineup featuring Dinosaurs of Antarctica, Into America’s Wild, Carbon: The Unauthorized Biography and Serengeti. Visit imaxvictoria.com or call 250-356-7226 ext. 2 for schedules and showtimes.
And don’t forget about the Royal BC Museum’s year-round food truck festival! Stay hydrated and fueled up all summer long with a visit the museum’s back courtyard to enjoy some of Victoria’s favourite food trucks, including DeadBeetz, Puerto Vallarta Amigos, the Love Perogy and Yummy Truck.
As you may have heard by now, the Province of BC recently announced funding to build a new state-of-the-art museum. The current Royal BC Museum building in downtown Victoria will close to visitors on September 6, 2022, though IMAX® Victoria and the museum gift shop will remain open through to January 2023. While this work takes place, the museum will expand programs and exhibitions beyond the museum walls and into all corners of the province with travelling exhibitions, satellite exhibits, community events and innovative digital learning opportunities.
To see more great offerings at the museum, visit royalbcmuseum.bc.ca for virtual experiences, enhanced collections and behind-the-scenes access.
