Royal British Columbia Museum
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The Royal British Columbia Museum is a historical museum located in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. Given "Royal" title upon visit by Queen Elizabeth II in 1987.
The museum is one of the centrepieces of Victoria's tourist industry as well as a favourite of many locals, both children and adults. It includes numerous native artifacts, such as totem poles, clothing, and masks; an IMAX theatre; life-sized models of local wildlife in their respective environments (such as a towering wooly mammoth); and a simulated journey to the depths of the ocean. In addition it also often hosts touring exhibits from around the world. In recent years these exhibits have included Leonardo da Vinci, Dinosaurs, Egyptian artifacts and Genghis Khan.
The third floor takes visitors on a journey backwards through time, beginning with paraphernalia from recent decades, then through a replica of a cobblestone early 20th-century town (complete with silent movie theatre, a hotel, and old automobiles), through a tour of early forestry, fishing, and mining industries (including a mine shaft and water wheel), and then a history of exploration (which includes a model of the original Fort Victoria and a model ship which you can walk through).
The journey back in time continues with a large First Nations exhibit, including a longhouse and descriptions of the experience of indigenous people when they encountered Europeans. Life-like visual displays complete with sounds give the impression visitors are walking through the various scenes as they existed; numerous films throughout the museum complement this experience. Visitors can walk through a town, typical of the early 20th century, complete with a movie theatre (where silent movies are shown), a train station, a hotel, an alley (based on Fan Tan Alley in Victoria's Chinatown) and more.
The museum is located in Victoria's Inner Harbour, between the Empress Hotel and the Legislature Buildings. The museum anchors the Royal BC Museum Cultural Precinct, a surrounding area that contains a number of historical sites and monuments including Thunderbird Park.
See also
External links
- [Royal BC Museum] URL accessed 2006-06-24
- [Royal BC Museum Cultural Precinct] URL accessed 2006-06-24
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