Royal BC Museum buys IMAX Victoria theatre

Victoria — The Royal BC Museum (RBCM) has purchased the IMAX Victoria theatre for approximately $3.8 million.

The museum acquired the theatre from Destination Cinema Inc., with funding from the provincial government.

The RBCM says the overall theatre experience “will remain unchanged” and that the IMAX will continue to show documentary films as well as popular Hollywood movies.

Any staff that were working for the theatre will transition into museum employees.

The RBCM says that purchasing the IMAX theatre is part of the museum’s modernization plan.

“This is an exciting step for the Royal BC Museum modernization,” said Professor Jack Lohman, CEO of the RBCM, in a release Monday.

“Bringing the IMAX Victoria into the museum operation opens up more educational opportunities as we work to update the museum,” he said.

The museum began working with the B.C. Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture to develop a modernization plan last year.

The RBCM says that acquiring the theatre ensures that there will be no potential redevelopment challenges due to a private lease agreement if changes are made to the museum property in the future.

The Royal BC Museum and IMAX theatre are currently open, with new safety policies in place due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The IMAX theatre first opened in Victoria in June 1998.