Beaty Biodiversity Museum

The Beaty Biodiversity Museum opened on the UBC campus in October 2010 and is Vancouver's natural history museum. Its signature exhibit is a 25-metre skeleton of a female blue whale suspended in the glass Mowafaghian Atrium, the largest blue whale skeleton on display in Canada.

The museum draws on research collections of more than two million specimens, including the Cowan Tetrapod Collection, one of Canada's largest fish and insect collections, a herbarium of over 650,000 plants and a fossil collection. More than 500 permanent exhibits fill 1,900 square metres of gallery space in a Patkau Architects building.

Highlights at Beaty Biodiversity Museum

• 25-metre blue whale skeleton in the atrium
• 500+ permanent exhibits
• Fossils, insects, fish, birds and mammals on display
• Herbarium and research collections (2 million+ specimens)
• Green roof building by Patkau Architects

Location: where Beaty Biodiversity Museum is

Beaty Biodiversity Museum is at 2212 Main Mall, Vancouver, BC (UBC campus).

• Museum of Anthropology (about 15 min walk)
• UBC bus loop (about 5–10 min walk)
• Pacific Spirit Regional Park (short bus ride)

Getting there and parking

Take a bus to the UBC bus loop and walk a few minutes along Main Mall. Pay parking is available on campus.

Good for

• Rainy days
• Families
• Science lovers
• Students

Beaty Biodiversity Museum: frequently asked questions

What is the main attraction at the Beaty Biodiversity Museum?
A 25-metre blue whale skeleton, Canada's largest on display, hanging in the atrium.

Is the Beaty museum good for kids?
Yes. The whale, fossils and drawers of specimens appeal to school-age children and it pairs well with a visit to MOA.