The Royal B.C. Museum exhibit showcasing the age of the Vikings is exceeding attendance projections after two months.
Vikings: Lives Beyond the Legends, which has about 500 artifacts, began May 16 and continues until Nov. 11. Museum officials are hoping it attracts a paid attendance of about 185,000.
“We are seeing some pretty positive trends,” said Sandy Pratt, the museum’s vice-president of business development and executive financial officer.
“We had some pretty high expectations for Vikings, so they’re certainly being met.
“Since it’s opened, we’re running about five per cent ahead of our targets, which is great news for us.”
The exhibit’s souvenir shop is also doing well and is about 25 per cent over of its revenue objectives.
Movies and television have helped maintain a mystique about Vikings, even if the portrayals are not always accurate.
“It only takes the one word — ‘Vikings’ — to generate a lot of interest,” Pratt said.
She said the rest of July and the month of August will be crucial to the exhibit’s performance. The target for visitors in August is 45,000 to 50,000.
“August tends to be our biggest-volume month,” Pratt said.
Comments from visitors have been positive, she said, and people appreciate having their misconceptions about the Vikings dispelled.
The exhibit topples the notion that the Vikings were nothing but marauding warriors during their heyday from about 750 to 1100.
“I do think people really are learning a lot about the way the Vikings lived.”
The Royal B.C. Museum is the first stop for the Vikings exhibit in North America.
Tourism Victoria CEO Paul Nursey said such attractions are good for the region.
“It’s a great exhibit and we’re really pleased it’s here,” he said. “We certainly are strong partners with the Royal B.C. Museum.”
Pratt said the museum is also doing well with the Our Living Languages exhibit, which opened in June.
That exhibit delves into First Nations languages in B.C.
