Museum of Anthropology

Overview

The Museum of Anthropology at the University of British Columbia is one of the world's finest collections of Pacific Northwest Coast Indigenous art and artifacts. Designed by Arthur Erickson in 1976, the striking post-and-beam concrete-and-glass building mirrors traditional Haida construction.

Highlights

• Great Hall: A soaring glass-walled gallery displaying monumental totem poles and carvings from the Haida, Kwakwaka'wakw, and Nisga'a nations.
• The Raven and the First Men: Bill Reid's iconic 1980 yellow cedar sculpture depicting a Haida creation myth.
• Multiversity Galleries: Over 10,000 objects from cultures worldwide displayed in visible-storage drawers.

History

Founded in 1949 in UBC's Main Library basement, the museum moved to Erickson's purpose-built masterpiece in 1976. A major 2010 expansion doubled gallery space. The collection includes over 50,000 ethnographic objects and 535,000 archaeological items.

Visitor Tips

• Tuesdays: Reduced admission after 5 PM (open until 9 PM May–October).
• Outdoor Sculptures: Don't miss the Haida houses and totem poles along the cliff walk behind the museum.
• Duration: 1.5–2.5 hours.