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Museum of Anthropology
Museum of Anthropology
4.5
Temporarily closedClosed until further notice
About
Explore traditional and contemporary art from Northwest Coast First Nations and other cultures across the world. See magnificent Indigenous carvings, weavings and contemporary artworks in a spectacular building overlooking mountains and sea. Admire the world’s largest collection of works by acclaimed Haida artist Bill Reid, including his famous cedar sculpture The Raven and the First Men. Explore the Museum’s Multiversity Galleries where more than 10,000 objects from around the world are displayed. Stroll the Museum Grounds, where monumental Haida houses, poles and Musqueam house posts capture the dramatic beauty of traditional Northwest Coast architecture and design. Enjoy a wide range of special exhibitions and public programs, including free guided gallery walks, and visit the MOA Shop. MOA is situated on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territory of the Musqueam people.
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2-3 hours
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The area
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Neighbourhood: University Land Endowments
An area as rich in history as it is in natural beauty, the expansive parkland of the University Land Endowments is protected by the city in cooperation with the University of British Columbia. A large green space studded by rose gardens, Japanese rock gardens, botanic gardens, canopy walks, regional parkland, and hiking trails, the University Land Endowments are a breath of fresh air. Combining a commitment to preserving nature with a similar promise to preserve culture, its valleys are also home to the First Nations heritage museum, the biodiversity museum, and anthropological and memorial exhibitions. From its highest canopies to the sandy shorelines of Wreck Beach, its serenity is preserved by the University buildings that dot it, combining Mother Nature and scholarship.
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
3,823 reviews
Excellent
2,726
Very good
824
Average
213
Poor
49
Terrible
11
Alih
Vancouver, Canada20 contributions
Apr. 2022
I have been here many times over the years and always enjoy it. I highly recommend a visit for anyone, local or tourist.
Written March 25, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Philip Tattsbridge
30 contributions
Dec. 2022 • Solo
This is SUPERB.
It’s DEAD EASY to get out to… tons of buses going from central ‘couver. An impressive walk across the Uni campus, and there you are at a crazily overstuffed dramatic subterranean museum.
The displays are pretty overwhelming as a few photos will attest to.
The antidote are the free guided tours, that cut through the exuberance and focus down on one or two themes.
The weirdness of a room of faience ceramics, Mexican tree of life, and modern art works stimulated me. Others might find it chaotic.
The Bill Rodger’s centrepiece portraying a fantasy origin story.. the Raven discovering terrified mankind in a clam shell - housed in a WWII gun emplacement epitomised the richness of humanity’s creations.
The chest of nearly 2000 antique feast spoons will stay with me a long time too.
But finally - open as many drawers as you can.. revealing their treasures, elegantly displayed, sliding into your lap on heavy castors, their weight, its momentum and classy engineering felt in your arms, the brass handles aaesthetically pleasing. I’ve never come across this great idea before.. a fresh reveal every time as there is no clue what lies within.
It’s DEAD EASY to get out to… tons of buses going from central ‘couver. An impressive walk across the Uni campus, and there you are at a crazily overstuffed dramatic subterranean museum.
The displays are pretty overwhelming as a few photos will attest to.
The antidote are the free guided tours, that cut through the exuberance and focus down on one or two themes.
The weirdness of a room of faience ceramics, Mexican tree of life, and modern art works stimulated me. Others might find it chaotic.
The Bill Rodger’s centrepiece portraying a fantasy origin story.. the Raven discovering terrified mankind in a clam shell - housed in a WWII gun emplacement epitomised the richness of humanity’s creations.
The chest of nearly 2000 antique feast spoons will stay with me a long time too.
But finally - open as many drawers as you can.. revealing their treasures, elegantly displayed, sliding into your lap on heavy castors, their weight, its momentum and classy engineering felt in your arms, the brass handles aaesthetically pleasing. I’ve never come across this great idea before.. a fresh reveal every time as there is no clue what lies within.
Written December 20, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Unelma333
Karlsruhe, Germany1,228 contributions
Oct. 2022 • Couples
The museum is quite far from the central parts of Vancouver, so you either need a car or take the bus to the university campus. But if you have the slightest interest in the culture of First Nations, it is absolutely worth it.
They have fascinating exhibits, including totem poles and different artefacts. There is plenty of information provided in order to understand the history and cultural significance behind each item. The Bill Reid rotunda is impressive and showcases the work of this well-known Haida artist.
There is also a colourful selection of cultural exhibits from all over the world, which were interesting to see as well. The only part I skipped was European ceramics. I'm sure that is interesting as well, though a bit less if you come from Europe.
The gift shop was excellent, too, and a good source of souvenirs if you want to make sure that the artists who created them were treated fairly.
They have fascinating exhibits, including totem poles and different artefacts. There is plenty of information provided in order to understand the history and cultural significance behind each item. The Bill Reid rotunda is impressive and showcases the work of this well-known Haida artist.
There is also a colourful selection of cultural exhibits from all over the world, which were interesting to see as well. The only part I skipped was European ceramics. I'm sure that is interesting as well, though a bit less if you come from Europe.
The gift shop was excellent, too, and a good source of souvenirs if you want to make sure that the artists who created them were treated fairly.
Written November 17, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Michael S
Ruther Glen, VA48 contributions
Sep. 2022
We didn't really expect such a terrific museum experience. It's on the edge of the city, transportation certainly needed. Once you get inside the museum the scale of their holdings across many cultures is breathtaking. The permanent collection of First Nation art and artifacts is great, but there is also a massive collection from other cultures and a very interesting temporary exhibit on Chicano art.
Written October 17, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
julijoyeux
Bordeaux, France154 contributions
Sep. 2022
This is a special place and we could have spent days looking at and through all the exhibits of indigenous peoples around the world. We still spent hours and learned a great deal about the First Nations communities. There are exceptional large items displayed and the signage is excellent. Currently the totem poles are observed in their reclining state as the museum is remodeling for earthquake structure improvements. Fascinating cultures, craftsmanship, and celebration traditions.
Unique items in the gift store too.
Unique items in the gift store too.
Written October 7, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
fiamma11
Vienna, VA4,906 contributions
Jul. 2022
I thoroughly enjoyed this museum, even more than the art gallery. Interested in Pacific indigenous arts, this is the perfect place to visit. Nice gift shop also.
Written September 30, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Parrot434
Vernon Hills, IL306 contributions
Sep. 2022
There is too much here for one day, especially if you want to read and learn about the amazing collections from various first nations. Very impressive.
Written September 30, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
MyTravel3
Purcellville, VA40 contributions
Sep. 2022 • Family
The Museum of Anthropology was thoroughly enjoyable. You could definitely spend hours viewing all of the exhibits on display. Totem Poles, masks, porcelain and so many objects from around the world. Definitely a museum you will need to take your time to go through. The cost isn’t bad and the parking was easy. Would recommend this museum!
Written September 23, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Mike H
Homewood, AL10 contributions
Sep. 2022
When we visited Vancouver from the U.S. deep south, this was a must-see stop during our vacation. We were not disappointed. An amazing collection of Indigenous art and objects from the Pacific Northwest, both historical and modern, with helpful descriptions of installations. If I have any negative observation, it is that the volume of fascinating items can become simply overwhelming. Noteworthy, too, is the vast collection of things from cultures other than Indigenous peoples and the travelling exhibits. We loved this place.
𝗪𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗽 𝗮𝗯𝘀𝗼𝗹𝘂𝘁𝗲𝗹𝘆 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗵 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝘁 𝗵𝗶𝗴𝗵𝗹𝘆 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮 "𝗱𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝗱𝗶𝘃𝗲" 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝗰𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲𝘀.
𝘕𝘰𝘵𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘭𝘰𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘥𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭, 𝘶𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘥𝘦𝘥, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘤𝘤𝘶𝘱𝘪𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘬̱𝘸𝘹̱𝘸𝘶́7𝘮𝘦𝘴𝘩 (𝘚𝘲𝘶𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘩), 𝘴ə̓𝘭𝘪́𝘭𝘸ə𝘵𝘢ʔɬ (𝘛𝘴𝘭𝘦𝘪𝘭-𝘞𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘶𝘵𝘩), 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘹ʷ𝘮əθ𝘬ʷə𝘺̓ə𝘮 (𝘔𝘶𝘴𝘲𝘶𝘦𝘢𝘮) 𝘕𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴.
𝗪𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗽 𝗮𝗯𝘀𝗼𝗹𝘂𝘁𝗲𝗹𝘆 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗵 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝘁 𝗵𝗶𝗴𝗵𝗹𝘆 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮 "𝗱𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝗱𝗶𝘃𝗲" 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝗰𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲𝘀.
𝘕𝘰𝘵𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘭𝘰𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘥𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭, 𝘶𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘥𝘦𝘥, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘤𝘤𝘶𝘱𝘪𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘬̱𝘸𝘹̱𝘸𝘶́7𝘮𝘦𝘴𝘩 (𝘚𝘲𝘶𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘩), 𝘴ə̓𝘭𝘪́𝘭𝘸ə𝘵𝘢ʔɬ (𝘛𝘴𝘭𝘦𝘪𝘭-𝘞𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘶𝘵𝘩), 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘹ʷ𝘮əθ𝘬ʷə𝘺̓ə𝘮 (𝘔𝘶𝘴𝘲𝘶𝘦𝘢𝘮) 𝘕𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴.
Written September 23, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
dmaccallum63
London, UK592 contributions
Peculiar display not really offering any insight into the true story of indigenous peoples struggles
Sep. 2022 • Couples
I have been lucky enough to visit the MOA in Mexico City. 100 x better than this. No attempt to make sense of past history. No displays by First Nations in groupings to explain their differences ie nomadic in the Northern territories and static in BC. No/ little admission of the terrible way the First Nations people had been treated just a display of their totem poles and clothing/ tools much of which was probably plundered o the first place.
Main display room offered 8000 + artefacts from around the World but with little to no commentary leaving you to interpret it as ‘look at the strange masks and costumes worn by other indigenous peoples’. Overall having really looked forward to this we were underwhelmed. In most cases ‘less is more’ is a good approach. Displaying all of your artefacts in this manner was a poor call by the team at MOA.
Main display room offered 8000 + artefacts from around the World but with little to no commentary leaving you to interpret it as ‘look at the strange masks and costumes worn by other indigenous peoples’. Overall having really looked forward to this we were underwhelmed. In most cases ‘less is more’ is a good approach. Displaying all of your artefacts in this manner was a poor call by the team at MOA.
Written September 22, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
antoniobB3504GR
Ocala, FL80 contributions
How to get there, are there buses, metro nearby?
Jacqueline C
Kyoto, Japan5 contributions
There are express buses to UBC, use the Translink app to plan your journey. You simply type in your location and destination and desired time, and it gives you all the information. Avoid rush hour on the buses, though, if you want a seat. Alternatively, if you are s group, take a taxi or limo service and ask the driver to take the scenic route. on the way back, stop at Kits beach. There is a nice restaurant with stunning views. Enjoy!
antoniobB3504GR
Ocala, FL80 contributions
What modes of transportation to the museum
jamescT9787VF
Chicago, IL191 contributions
We took the 44 bus from waterfront station, took about 30 minutes and a 10 minute walk.
BizTraveller10
Tipperary, Ireland5 contributions
Do we need to make an advance booking for the free tour (for a group of five adults) ?
Nathan and Kare... M
Nantucket231 contributions
We did not. We just had to wait 30 minutes for the tour to begin. No problem as that gave us a little time to explore.
MB G
Chicago, IL49 contributions
How does this museum compare to the Royal British Museum in Victoria? We may not have time to do both on our trip. Travelers in our family range in age from 10-80!
Thank you for your help!
travelnotebook
Canada97 contributions
Both museums are wonderful, but if I had to choose, based on your 10-80 age group, I would select the Museum of Vancouver - It has an outdoor area that children would enjoy as much as the adults.
How much time should I spend here to make a worthwhile trip?
Hi Matthew,
We encourage you to explore MOA at your own pace! To familiarize yourself with the different spaces and collections at MOA, we recommend checking out one of our daily free guided tours. These tours range from 30 minutes to one hour depending on the theme.
We look forward to seeing you soon!
Ladyslipper1
Halifax, Canada11 contributions
Does the hop on hop off come near the Museum?
retep42
Christchurch, New Zealand348 contributions
Best way is to catch the No 2 bus from Thurlow Street in the city !! Then a 10 minute walk to the MOA.
MarySoderstrom
Montreal, Canada13 contributions
Would you recommend this museum for children 5-7? Are there any special activities for them?
Anna R
Vancouver, Canada108 contributions
There are some child friendly activities, such as trying out hammocks and being able to go out the back of the Museum where there is a little trail, a pond and two long houses..an area where there is ample room for kids to let off steam safely if they get restless. Many of the exhibits are really interesting for kids, such as bird specimens and First Nations carvings. I'm not sure I'd say the museum is a destination for young children, but if you are bringing them along, you should be fine.
Proceso of the tickets
Hi Silvia! Admission is as follows:
$18 — Adults
$16 — Students & Seniors (65+)
$47 — Family (2 adults + 1-4 children 18 & under)
$10 — Thursday Evenings (5–9 pm)
Free — MOA Members
Free — Children 6 & Under
Free — UBC Students, Staff & Faculty
We hope to see you at the museum sometime soon!
vizslafan
Northbrook, IL33 contributions
Once you are at the Museum of Anthropology, how do you get back downtown?
Hi there! If you walk to Chancellor Boulevard you can catch the #44 bus which will take you downtown across the Burrard Street Bridge. Otherwise, on University Boulevard you can catch the #4 bus and the #14 bus which both go down downtown via the Granville Street Bridge. Hope this helps!
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Claim your listingMUSEUM OF ANTHROPOLOGY - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)
Frequently Asked Questions about Museum of Anthropology
- Hotels near Museum of Anthropology:
- (0.73 km) Gage Suites at UBC
- (0.78 km) West Coast Suites at UBC
- (0.54 km) Pacific Spirit Hostel at UBC
- (0.83 km) Carey Centre at University of British Columbia
- (10.02 km) Loden Hotel
- Restaurants near Museum of Anthropology:
- (0.14 km) Koerner's Pub
- (0.17 km) Seedlings
- (0.18 km) Ideas Lunch & Wine Bar
- (0.63 km) Great Dane Coffee
- (0.53 km) Triple O's
- Attractions near Museum of Anthropology:
- (0.21 km) UBC Rose Garden
- (0.35 km) Nitobe Memorial Garden
- (0.22 km) Frederic Wood Theatre
- (0.27 km) Morris and Helen Belkin Art Gallery
- (0.31 km) Chan Centre for the Performing Arts