Museum of Anthropology

The Museum of Anthropology at the University of British Columbia is one of Canada's most important cultural institutions — and one of its most beautiful buildings. Designed by architect Arthur Erickson and opened in 1976, the structure was inspired by the post-and-beam architecture of Pacific Northwest Indigenous peoples. It sits on the traditional unceded territory of the Musqueam people, who are deeply involved in the museum's programming and collections. This isn't a dusty repository of artifacts behind glass — it's a living institution that treats Indigenous cultures with genuine reverence and intellectual seriousness.

The centerpiece is the Great Hall, a soaring glass-and-concrete space flooded with natural light where monumental totem poles, carved house posts, and canoes stand as they were always meant to be seen — tall, commanding, and in conversation with the landscape outside. The Masterpiece Gallery holds intricately carved works by Haida artist Bill Reid, including his enormous cedar sculpture 'The Raven and the First Men,' which alone is worth the trip. Beyond these marquee spaces, the Multiversity Galleries allow visitors to browse more than 10,000 objects in visible storage — an unusual and genuinely fascinating approach that treats the collection as a living archive rather than a curated selection.

The museum is on the UBC campus, which means it's a bit of a journey from downtown Vancouver — about 30 to 40 minutes by bus — but the grounds themselves are lovely, and pairing the visit with a walk along the nearby cliffs or a meal at one of UBC's campus spots makes for an excellent half-day out. Thursday evenings the museum stays open until 9pm, which is a great option if you want to avoid weekend crowds. Admission is free on the first Sunday of each month.