[2] The museum was founded by the Art, Historical, and Scientific Association of Vancouver (AHSA), which formed on April 17, 1894, with the objective of cultivating "a taste for the beauties and refinements in life.

"[3] Shortly after its inaugural meeting the AHSA opened its first temporary exhibition ('Paintings and Curiosities') in rented premises on the top floor of the Dunn Building on Granville Street, Vancouver.

This project ultimately failed but it did result in the current display of totem poles in Stanley Park which remain one of the most photographed tourist attractions in Vancouver.

Federal and provincial money was made available for the 1967 Confederation Centennial celebrations and the current building was constructed which opened to the public in October 1968.

The building was constructed in 1967 to a design by the architect Gerald Hamilton who had studied at Leeds University before moving to Vancouver in 1950.

The distinctive roof was added as a pre-construction modification designed to reflect the shape of a woven basket hat made by Northwest Coast First Nations people, but because the roof also resembles a flying saucer there has been ongoing confusion over the identity of the building, with many people mistakenly assuming it houses only the planetarium when the majority of the building is occupied by the Museum of Vancouver.

Alex Bozikovic remarks that the building closesly resembles the John Nugent Studio designed by Saskatchewan architect Clifford Wiens built six years earlier.

[7] It was nicknamed 'the Taj Mahal on the creek' when first built and is characterised by its sweeping conical shape and reflecting pools crossed by curved pedestrian bridges.

The second exhibition, HAIDA NOW: A Visual Feast of Innovation and Tradition opened at the museum in March 2018, and will continue to be held there until June 2021.