Royal BC Museum increases admission with new wildlife photography exhibition

The Royal BC Museum’s cheap admission rate that has been in place for everyone over much of the past year has come to an end.

As of today, entry into the provincial museum in downtown Victoria is now $18 for adults, and $11 for seniors, youth, and students.

Admission rates were previously set at just $5 for all of these groups since April 1, 2022.

In an email to Daily Hive, Sam Rich, a spokesperson for the museum, says the admission prices beginning today reflect the addition of a new feature exhibition.

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According to the museum’s website, the “Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2022” exhibition will run between December 16, 2022, and April 16, 2023, featuring natural world captures through the lenses of award-winning photographers.

This is the 58th year of the traveling exhibition highlighting the best photography for animal behaviours and natural landscapes, with each photo presented in a huge backlit display with a caption exploring the story of the image. This exhibition comes from London’s Natural History Museum.

This time last year, admission into the museum was $26.95 for adults, $18.95 for seniors and students, and $16.95 for youth.

The current admission rates return to the same rates that briefly lasted starting on January 2, 2022.

Rich says the museum’s practice is to adjust base admission prices depending on what is being offered to visitors at the time.

Admission rates were slashed in January 2022 and again in April 2022 following the museum’s controversial removal of the permanent galleries on the third floor featuring European settlement in BC, which had been in place for about half a century, and were by far the most and largest popular exhibits.

The museum previously stated the removal of the galleries was part of its strategy to prepare for the redevelopment of a new museum building at a cost of $800 million, but those plans were effectively cancelled this past summer.

With files from Lucas Aykroyd

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