The Royal B.C. Museum has captured TripAdvisor’s award as the best museum in Canada for the second consecutive year.
“I’m happy to see them get well-deserved recognition.” said Paul Nursey, Tourism Victoria’s chief executive. “The Royal B.C. Museum reliably puts on great events year after year, which is an anchor to tourism in Victoria.”
The museum won special attention from TripAdvisor reviewers for its natural history displays, First Nations galleries, customer service and temporary exhibitions such as Gold Rush! El Dorado in B.C., which runs to Nov. 1.
Special temporary exhibitions play a major role in the region’s tourism industry, attracting local residents and out-of-town visitors. Our Living Languages, First Peoples’ Voices in B.C., started in June 2014 and runs to June 2017. From Dec. 5 to April 4, the Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibit is on display.
The TripAdvisor award is based on 12 months of reviews.
“To be declared the best museum in Canada for the second year in a row is a huge honour for us and we’re truly delighted,” said the museum’s Scott Cooper, vice-president of collections, knowledge and engagement. “And to know the accolade really comes from our visitors, and not by jury, makes it all the more meaningful.”
Every year, nearly a million visitors walk through its doors. Another two million visit online.
An August visitors survey found 56 per cent consider the museum a factor in their decision to come to Victoria. About 47 per cent of summer visitors were from outside B.C.
A Sept. 13 review on TripAdvisor from a visitor from Washington, D.C., said the Victoria museum rivals the Smithsonian. “We were blown away with the detail,” the review said. “It was a walk through of B.C. history from the First Nations to present. Each area was beautifully designed and every time you stepped into a new time period, you felt transported back in time.”
