University Hill Museums and Galleries

The Arthur Erickson-designed Museum of Anthropology is structurally spectacular—built in 1976, mostly in concrete—the exterior echoes the jagged West Coast mountains, while the interior mimics a First Nations Longhouse. Erickson sought to respectfully capture and honor the evolving Canadian identity through the building, which looks out onto the sea. Crafting enthusiasts will love exhibits focused on blankets woven by the Salish people in the 1800's, Amazonian textiles and ceramics, as well as a permanent collection of ethnographic objects from First Nation communities. The museum’s mission is to promote discourse around the relationship between Vancouver and the people who settled there, while also highlighting communities and ways of life under threat.