This eminent institution focuses on the natural and human history of the province. Built in 1968, the museum today welcomes more than 850,000 visitors annually. A selection of First Nations totem poles is on display in the entrance hall. At the north end of the hall, an arcade called the Glass House contains a collection of totem poles from all over the province. British Columbia's natural history is featured on the second floor. A series of spectacular dioramas of the coastal forest and seashore regions includes animal, bird and fish life. An unusual Open Ocean exhibit is based on William Beebe's deep-sea dive in 1930. Visitors follow his adventure through a succession of theatres, dioramas, observation platforms and models that portray life in the open seas (30min, some in near darkness in small spaces).