Museum of Anthropology
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Museum of Anthropology

Museum of Anthropology
4.5
Art GalleriesSpeciality MuseumsArt Museums
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.
Duration: 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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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.

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MUSEUM OF ANTHROPOLOGY - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)

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