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Museum of Anthropology at UBC

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Museum of Anthropology at UBC
Photo: photo source

Arthur Erickson’s museum looks across water and mountains while presenting Northwest Coast First Nations art, global collections and visible storage shaped by ongoing community relationships.

Guide's tip. Let the Great Hall connect carved works with sky, water and the mountains beyond its glass. Read community and artist names carefully, then use Universal Gallery only as a research aid beside the museum’s own labels. MOA currently opens 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Thursday until 9 p.m., with seasonal Monday closure. This final stop is best treated as its own half day.

On a walking tour. Stop 9 of 9 on the walking tour Vancouver, harbour to the museum, every stop on a map in walking order.

Open till 17:00 · about 120 min for a visit

The story

The Museum of Anthropology at the University of British Columbia opened in its Arthur Erickson building in 1976. Concrete forms and a glass Great Hall frame sea, sky and mountains while holding monumental Northwest Coast works in a setting that deliberately connects objects with the landscape.

MOA cares for cultural belongings from many parts of the world, with especially significant relationships to First Nations communities in British Columbia. Visible storage shows the scale of the collection, while current labels and community partnerships shape how works are named, interpreted and accessed.

Begin with the Great Hall and read maker and Nation names before looking for a single universal style. Use Universal Gallery beside the museum’s evidence, never as a replacement for it. MOA currently lists 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Thursday to 9 p.m., and seasonal Monday closure from October 15 to May 15.

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