Iconic Vancouver museum ranked among top 25 in new world ranking

Vancouver continues to rake in the global accolades when it comes to tourism, and we can now add an iconic museum located at the University of British Columbia to the list.

Quartz recently released its list of museums in the world that are worth planning a trip around, and the Museum of Anthropology (MOA) at UBC was included in the prestigious roundup.

According to the news platform, the MOA is an institution “with collections, architecture, and cultural weight that justify booking a flight.”

“A great museum is not just a building full of objects — it is a concentrated argument about what a civilization valued, what it feared, what it made, and what it lost,” said writer Chris Tolomia.

“Spending a full day, or even two, inside one is a fundamentally different experience from the dash-through most travelers manage.”

The MOA first opened in 1949 inside the university’s main library, and now holds what Quartz calls “the most important collection of Northwest Coast Indigenous art in the world” in a building designed by Arthur Erickson that opened in 1976.

The digital platform highlighted several works found at the MOA, as well as some important galleries to check out during your visit.

Highlights include Haida artist Bill Reid’s large bronze sculpture The Raven and the First Men, and the Multiversity Galleries, which display about 10,000 objects from the museum’s world cultures collection.

“The approach, making the breadth and density of a collection physically apparent, is an alternative to conventional gallery arrangement that several other institutions have since adopted,” added Tolomia.

The MOA reopened its doors in 2024 following a comprehensive seismic upgrade that saw it close for nearly a year and a half.

The Great Hall is now a brand new seismic-safe replica of the original 1976-built structure designed by Arthur Erickson, which was completely demolished in early 2022.

Work on the $40-million project first began in 2020, with the temporary recollection of the collections and the start of site preparation.

The full list of museums in the world that are worth planning a trip around can be found online.

The summer travel season is shaping up to be a busy one for Vancouver, and a recent global ranking has named Vancouver one of the best for globetrotters in their golden years.

United Kingdom-based AllClear Travel unveiled the most grandparent-friendly cities to visit in 2026, and Vancouver ranked 19th. It was also the only Canadian destination on the list.

CN Traveller also revealed its picks for the best family vacation spots in the world, and at the top of the list is British Columbia.

According to the luxury and lifestyle magazine, B.C.’s natural wonders and outdoor beauty were a key reason for its high ranking.

With files from Kenneth Chan