Museums and history

Object Based Learning Lab

Royal BC Museum13 min by bus · 1 km

✓ Fits your group

Exterior of the Royal BC Museum building against a blue sky. The main building has 3 stories, tall columns in the front and a large producing wing on the left. On the right is a 6-story wing on the right advertising an Orca exhibition and a turtle IMAX documentary. Leading up to the building are two sets of stairs and several trees.

Cost

$150 per class

$9.38 a child for 16

Fees are in Canadian funds and are tax exempt for BC schools. A 25% discounted rate can be requested in the notes section of the booking form.

Ages & size

Grades not published

Up to 30 children

Duration

1 hour

Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec

Tue, Wed, Fri

Book by

Not published

Plan this trip

Fieldy handles all communication and booking for you.

What it actually looks like

Photos from Royal BC Museum's website

Our note

This is the most hands on of the labs, with real collection objects rather than a display case. The site gives a lower grade limit but no upper one, so ask if you are near the top or bottom of the range.

What the children do

A 60 minute guided Learning Lab using objects from the museum's handling collection. The site lists it for grades 4 and up and for Theory of Knowledge learners. Small groups each get a mystery object to draw and describe, form a hypothesis about it, then spread out into the Old Town gallery to find where it might belong and report back. Runs September to May on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

Sit in a small group with a real museum object, draw it and describe it, then walk into the Old Town gallery to find the place it might have come from and explain the reasoning to the class.

Good to know

Indoors, step free, washrooms on every floor and indoor lunch space. Bring clipboards and pencils, as the museum asks groups to supply their own.

Sources disagree. Their online session page says up to 30 people, then says to email for a webinar version if your group is over 50. If your class sits between the two numbers it is not clear which applies, so ask when you book.

Sources disagree. Two of their pages describe the hardship discount differently. One just says a discounted rate, the other says 25 per cent. Ask for the exact figure when you request it, and note there are only a few each month.

Washrooms

Wheelchair-accessible washrooms are located on every floor.

Lunch space

Groups are welcome to bring their own snacks and lunches. Food and drink are only permitted in designated areas, including Carl Hall or the adjacent community room on the museum's main floor. You are also welcome to eat outside at our picnic tables. Water stations are available on the main and second floors.

Rain backup

Needs confirmation

Strollers

If you require assistance with your stroller, please let the box office staff know when you arrive and we would be happy to assist you.

Wheelchair access

There are six access ramps located outside the museum building. All floors of the museum can be reached by elevator, located in the lobby. Transport-style wheelchairs are available for use within the museum on a first-come, first-served basis.

Bus parking

The Royal BC Museum does not own or operate a parking lot, but there are several privately run lots nearby as well as parking on the surrounding streets. There is a short-term parking drop-off zone on Belleville Street in front of the museum's main entrance.

Nearby park

Thunderbird Park, next to the group entrance at the corner of Douglas Street and Belleville Street

Restrictions

Bags larger than 30 cm by 30 cm are not allowed in the exhibit areas, except for first aid and medical equipment bags.. We provide storage bins on a first come first serve basis should your group require storage. Please note these bins are located in a non-secure storage area and cannot be guaranteed during busy times.. Please note food, gum and drinks are not permitted in the museum galleries. We encourage photography, but please refrain from using flash, tripods or monopods. Photographs may not be permitted in special exhibitions.. Review the School Group Behaviour Agreement with your class and chaperones prior to your visit. A signed copy of the agreement is required upon arrival prior to receiving your tickets.. If you arrive onsite without a prior booking, you may be turned away due to capacity limitations.. Please use the group entrance doors located on the east side of the building, closest to Thunderbird Park, at the corner of Douglas St and Belleville St.

Getting there

675 Belleville Street, Victoria, BC V8W 9W2

On foot

13 min

By bus

13 min

includes a 9 min wait

Driving

6 min

The dark pin is Victoria.

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Details checked on 2026-09-03 against the venue’s own pages. Something wrong? , it takes one tap. · Venue page