Museums and history

Outreach kit loan

Royal BC Museumthey come to you

✓ 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

$50 per class

$3.13 a child for 16

The $50 is per two-week loan and includes shipping. A 25% discounted rate can be requested in the notes section of the booking form. Late returns are invoiced at $50 per week overdue, and a kit that is not returned is invoiced at its full replacement cost of $500. Wilful damage is assessed and discussed with the school.

Ages & size

Grades K to 12

Capacity not published

Duration

Length not published

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

Days not published

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

The $50 is for the kit for a fortnight and includes shipping, so it is the cheapest way to get museum objects in front of children if you cannot travel. Watch the return date: it is $50 a week late and $500 if a kit goes missing, and an unpaid invoice blocks your school from booking anything else.

What the children do

A box of museum objects, stories and hands on activity plans, with a detailed educator guide, shipped out to your classroom for a two week loan. Kits currently listed are Bats of British Columbia, Building Community: Paldi and the Legacy of South Asian Canadians in BC, Great Bear Rainforest, Having a Voice: Voting Rights and Democracy in BC, Museum Mystery Suitcase for seniors, the Ocean, Freshwater and Us giant floor map, and The Writing on the Wall on Chinese Canadian historical wrongs. The audience is given as K to 12, varying by topic. Loans run September to June, one kit per two week period with no extensions, and are open to BC schools and organisations, with individuals considered case by case. Rural addresses may have to collect from the nearest Purolator or Canada Post depot.

Handle real museum objects and replicas in their own classroom, and work through the activities in the educator guide, which for the giant floor map means walking and sitting on a map of the coast spread across the floor.

Good to know

Nothing to arrange on site, but you need somewhere to store the kit and a plan for returning it on time. Check your nearest courier depot first if you are outside a town.

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.

No travel. They come to you — nothing to book, no ratio change on the road.

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