Founded in 1886 in Victoria, the provincial museum grew from a small room in the former legislative Birdcages into British Columbia’s main museum and archives institution. Created to keep the province’s natural specimens and Indigenous artifacts from being dispersed elsewhere, it expanded through several homes before opening its present building in 1968, receiving the Royal title in 1987, and merging with the provincial archives in 2003. Its permanent galleries interpret British Columbia’s landscapes, peoples, and development, while its collections total about 7 million objects and records. The institution has also played an important role in debates over representation and in returning significant Indigenous cultural belongings.