Situated in Rockland, Victoria, the museum occupies a 2,474.5 square metres (26,635 sq ft) building complex; made up of the Spencer Mansion, and the Exhibition Galleries.

[6] In 2015, the municipal government approved the expansion, which included an additional 1,000 square metres (11,000 sq ft) of exhibition space, as well as the construction of a new cafe, and lecture hall.

[7] The museum plans to close its building during construction, and exhibit its collection at off-site locations throughout Victoria.

[9] The Spencer Mansion was once a part of a larger property, originally stretching from Fort Street to Rockland Avenue; incorporating a garden, two tennis courts, stables and a coach house.

[10] When Cary Castle, the original Government House, was destroyed by fire in 1903, Gyppeswyck served briefly as the residence of the Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia.

[12] The loss of the porte-cochère, and the installation of a north-side glass-enclosed staircase during the construction of the Exhibition Galleries makes Spencer Mansion inadmissible for designation as a heritage building.

[11] The first floor of the Spencer Mansion houses the museum's gift shop, and art rental and sales office.

[19] The museum's collection of Chinese works is believed to have increased significantly in value in the first decades of the 21st century, due to China's economic growth, and renewed interests for art from that region.

[19] The museum's collection of Asian art features old and new works, including bronze objects, ceramics, textiles, and amber and ivory carvings.

[19] Other works from the exhibit includes a Chinese painting valued at C$6 million in 2016, and a Japanese byōbu created by Kanō Sanraku.

[19] The byōbu features a depiction of a peacock displaying its plumage next to a pine tree, painted on a gold leaf.

[19] The museum's outdoor Asian garden includes the only Meiji era Shinto shrine in North America.