Magnolia Inn and Spa's Facebook Contest - what's your most favourite memory of Victoria?

Well, today we got wind of The Magnolia Hotel & Spa's amazing Facebook Contest that runs from now right up until November 23rd.  They're asking you to Like them on Facebook and contribute your most favourite thing to do in Victoria, or your most favourite Victoria memory.


So!  For a chance to win a luxury Victoria getaway at The Magnolia Inn and Spa, with incredible prizes from Harbour Air Seaplanes, Verbena Floral Design, the Royal BC Museum, IMAX Victoria, Prime Steahouse, and Spa Magnolia, check out their Facebook contest running until November 23rd. 

Don't forget to invite your friends!

Royal BC Museum offers admission by donation

Photo courtesy of the RBCM

VICTORIA, BC – As a gift to thank the community for its continued support, the Royal BC Museum (RBCM) is carrying on its New Year’s tradition by offering admission by donation. Visitors are asked to pay-what-they-can from Jan. 2 - 9.

“A measure of success for any museum is its community backing,” says RBCM CEO Pauline Rafferty. “And, despite our changing economy, support for the Royal BC Museum this year has been considerable. Offering admission by donation is our gift to the community, a way we can show our thanks.”

Those visiting the RBCM during admission by donation week will see two Canadian premiere exhibitions. S’abadeb – The Gifts: Pacific Coast Salish Art and Artists, a feature show organized by the Seattle Art Museum, brings together 165 ancient and contemporary works of art from the Coast Salish peoples of BC and Washington state. The Silver of the Stars collection showcases contemporary silver drinking vessels, created for some of the biggest names in film, music, fashion, theatre and literature.

In addition, the holiday festivities continue at the RBCM – the streets of Old Town are decked in the season’s finest and, until Jan. 3, historic Helmcken House is open, welcoming visitors to experience an old-fashioned Victorian Christmas.

As the provincial museum and archives, the Royal BC Museum preserves and shares the stories of British Columbia – on-site, off-site and online – through its research, collections, exhibitions and educational programs. Its two-hectare cultural precinct also includes a number of historically significant buildings and First Nations sites.

For more information on the latest activities, events and exhibitions at the Royal BC Museum, visit www.royalbcmuseum.bc.ca or call 1-888-447-7977.

DETAILS:

Admission by donation, Jan. 2 - 9, 2010, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.

For more information about Victoria attractions, click here.

Summer Fun in Victoria For Children

Photo courtesy of the Royal BC Museum All images © The Trustees of the British Museum.

Are you coming to Victoria this summer and bring the kids? Well if so, be sure to check out the summer camps at the Royal BC Museum. The camps are called Camp Treasures and are designed for children age 8-12. .

Every summer vacation should uncover at least one treasure. At the Royal BC Museum, you kids will discover many Treasures. As the youngest members of the human tribe, your children will connect with the history that makes us all so special. Plenty of room for inquiry – and plenty of space for activity – makes for a memorable vacation experience.

Three different dates to choose from: Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. ‐ 4 p.m. (July 13 ‐ 17, July 27 ‐ 31 and Aug. 10 ‐ 14).
COST: $200/week (regular)
$180/week (Annual Pass Holders)

Each camp includes:
*visits to the feature exhibition Treasures: The World’s Cultures from the British Museum, where amazing artifacts from around the world await discovery;
*explorations of the museum’s permanent galleries – Natural History, Modern History and First Peoples;
*behind‐the‐scenes tours of the museum, where campers will see hidden artifacts, meet curators and the Royal BC Museum’s special effects crew and discover how museums work;
*learn how to wrap a mummy (!);
*crack the hieroglyphic code – and write secret messages;
*play games that children around the world have played for thousands of years.

All supplies for arts and activities are provided. Your camper only needs to bring lunch and snacks for the day. Before‐ and After‐Camp Care is available at an extra cost. For more information click here and then click on Royal BC Museum

Victoria IMAX Theatre and National Geographic Store

Looking for something to do on a rainy day in Victoria? Look no further than the IMAX Theatre and National Geographic Store, located in the Royal BC Museum, downtown.

If you haven't seen an Imax film yet, now's your chance! The larger-than-life screen is six stories high and eighty feet wide, putting you in the centre of the action. The images are so vivid, you feel like you can reach out and touch them. The soundtrack wraps around you at 360 degrees, surrounding you in crystal clear digital sound. There are always a number of films to choose from, and most are as educational as they are entertaining. What an adventure - and all you have to do is sit back and relax!

Afterwards, you can visit the National Geographic store and investigate their wild and wonderful collection of educational children's toys, books, games, and DVDs. You'll also find very useful travel gadgets and tools, and lots of gift choices for your family and friends.

While you're there, be sure to get a big, free BEAR HUG from the friendly bear in the entrance, just like Lisa did - see photo, above!

For a list of more fun things to do in Victoria, visit the Attractions Page on the Vanisle Tourism Web Site.