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We are officially open!

We are excited to announce that, after almost 3 months of public closure, Museum of Vancouver is officially reopened with new protocols and procedures to allow the public to safely enjoy the galleries and exhibitions currently on view.   Please be aware that the museum is now a cashless facility and visitors are required to purchase a ticket online prior to your visit for a designated entry time. Learn More.
Indigenous History Month is a time to reflect upon Canada’s colonial legacy and how we enact redress. Since 2006, the MOV collections policy has formally allowed for the return of indigenous belongings that have been acquired under circumstances that render the museum’s claim invalid. It also enables the return of belongings of spiritual significance or essential to cultural survival.⁠
Among the first belongings returned through the MOV Repatriation Program were the Sechelt Image to the shíshálh Nation in May 2010, a Korowai (Maori cloak) to the Wairoa Museum in August 2010, and a stone covered in petroglyphs to the Stswecem’c Xgat’tem First Nation (formerly Canoe Creek Indian Band) in 2012. ⁠
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Weighing nearly 6 tons, the petroglyph (QAA 2246), once displayed in Stanley Park, required special equipment for transport to the Churn Creek Protected Area. The community hosted a ceremony, on June 13, 2012, to celebrate its return.⁠ ⁠ Learn More.

Since then MOV has repatriated several more belongings to their communities of origin throughout BC. 
This sketch (AA 2821) by Haida Now Curator Kwiaahwah Jones, was commissioned by the Museum of Vancouver in 2018 for use in a Resilience and Reconciliation education program. Kwiaahwah initially created the design for a Day of the Dead art project on death and ancestors in 2015. The central design depicts a very old Haida ancestral masterpiece, "the Great Box".

Its design is shown breaking through a cracked surface. In the original project, the image was applied to a model skull. In Jones' words, "it honours and acknowledges the Haida Spirit - the light that continued in the great darkness." She felt the design was equally relevant for its application for programs of reconciliation.⁠ Learn More.
We’re celebrating Canada Day this year by offering discounted
admission all day long (10-4 pm)!
Cedar & Sealskin: First Nations Belonging Matching Activity
Recommended for Grades: 2 - 4

This resource is based on MOV’s school program, Cedar & Sealskin, designed for children in grades 2-4. The goal of the resource is to teach students about local First Nations culture, their traditional belongings, and the importance of natural resources. Using their critical thinking skills, students will examine photographs of First Nations belongings from the museum’s collection and match them with their corresponding definition.
Vancouver History Galleries Virtual Tour

MOV Learning Program Assistant, Rebecca Cron, introduces the 50's Gallery, the third of 4 permanent history galleries on display at the Museum of Vancouver .
View all 4 of the permanent history galleries intro videos here:

Share your stories of isolation and help us document this period in Vancouver’s history using the hashtag #IsolatingTogetherMOV or join our Facebook Group.⁠
1960s - 1970s: You Say You Want A Revolution
On view part of MOV's permanent Vancouver History Galleries

In the late 1960s, Vancouver was considered the “hippie capital of Canada.” Through peaceful protest, anti-fashion, illegal drug use, and their media mouthpiece, the Georgia Straight, hippies challenged mainstream ideas and caused Vancouverites to question the conservative conventions that governed their lives.
 
Visit the Vancouver History Galleries at MOV and learn more about how Vancouverites fought the freeway, saved their neighbourhoods, and changed the way city planning is done! Current Exhibitions.
Upcoming Exhibition...
A Seat at the Table: Chinese Immigration and B.C.
Satellite exhibition in the Hon Hsing Building - Opening Summer 2020

A Seat at the Table: Chinese Immigration and B.C. will propose a framework for understanding Chinese immigration to this province as a story that is local and global, historical and contemporary. Using food and restaurant culture as narrative entry point and visual platform, the exhibition will address themes of mobility, belonging, racism, agency, resilience and reparation. Learn More.
MOV just commissioned artists Stella Zheng and Elisa Yon to create artworks using woks as their canvas. Pictured: MOV Director of Collections & Exhibitions Viviane Gosselin with Stella Zheng holding a 48" custom-made wok.
What does radical intimacy mean to you?

Queer Asian Canadian youth (Dora Ng, Jen Sung, and Leroy Wan) redefine and radicalize the concept of intimacy. Various types of intimacy that defy heteronormative values suggest that seemingly "concrete" notions of closeness and identity are not so straightforward after all. How do you navigate the world with your intersecting identities?
On view part of MOV's permanent Vancouver History Galleries

One of Vancouver’s most renowned spots for a good time was the Smilin’ Buddha Cabaret, located at 109 East Hastings. In the 1950s the night club sign was a symbol of Vancouver’s post-war prosperity and bustle, as captured in the photographic works of Fred Herzog. During the psychedelic 1960’s, the club hosted acts such as Jefferson Airplane and Jimi Hendrix.⁠
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As the Downtown Eastside neighbourhood declined through the 1970s, however, so too did the club’s fortunes. In the late 1970s, as the punk and alternative music wave was taking hold in North America, the Smilin’ Buddha Cabaret got a new lease on life as ground zero for a thriving new independent music scene. ⁠ Learn More.
Deals for locals: B.C. tourist attractions pivot to survive COVID summer
CTV News

With few international tourists expected in B.C. this summer, attractions that normally rely on out-of-town visitors are having to pivot to locals. “We are really going to sell an amazing, British Columbian, come out into your backyard,” said Stacy Chala, of Capilano Suspension Bridge Park. While 75 per cent of the park’s summertime visitors are typically tourists, this year, it’s hoping to attract Metro Vancouverites with a $109 pass for families of four. Keep Reading.
Hard Rubber Brass Mob
Friday, June 19, 2020

A social-distance friendly outdoor performance. Eclectic original music performed by Vancouver's best brass players (and a very nice bass player who likes brass players) outside Museum of Vancouver . Learn More.
The H.R. MacMillan Space Centre presents...
Celebrating Solstice
Saturday, June 20, 2020

Summer solstice is a significant day for many cultures worldwide, and for the planet itself! Come celebrate with the Space Centre outside and learn about solstice with this family-friendly summer kick-off. In honour of the longest day of the year, renowned indigenous storytellers Dallas Yellowfly and Alysha Collie will present “How the Raven Stole the Sun” on the patio, plus sun craft stations, and some sun gazing with an astronomer at the solar scope in the observatory.  Learn More.
Family History From a Distance: Webinar with Henry Yu
Saturday, June 27, 2020

Join PCHC for this webinar on June 27th, hosted by PCHC Director Henry Yu, in partnership with ACAM & INSTRCC of UBC. Learn how to conduct interviews and beginner techniques for editing with accessible technology, including iMovie and Zoom. This webinar will be two hours long, starting at 2:00PM with an additional half hour for demonstrations and questions. Learn More.
We acknowledge we are on the unceded territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and səl̓ilwətaɁɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations.