Museums near Victoria BC (33 Result(s))

Welcome We welcome you to come and learn more about this famous Canadian artist and writer by touring the beautifully appointed and restored rooms of her childhood home. Our gift shop is stocked with all of Emily's beautifully vivid narratives, including her Governor award winning book, Klee Wyck.

Craigdarroch was built between 1887-1890 for Robert Dunsmuir, a Scottish immigrant who made his fortune from Vancouver Island coal. This legendary Victorian mansion, built on a hill overlooking the City of Victoria (Craigdarroch means rocky, oak place in Gaelic) announced to the world that Robert Dunsmuir was the richest and most important man in Western Canada. He died in 1889 leaving his entire estate to his wife Joan who lived in the Castle until her death in 1908. The immense fortune of the Dunsmuir family is reflected in the four floors of exquisite stained glass windows, intricate woodwork and fabulous Victorian era furnishings. Once you've entered the circular room at the main entrance and paid your admission fee, your self guided tour begins. You will be treated to 39 rooms, most of which are furnished lavishly in the 1890s-1900s period, so enjoy the ambiance as you climb the 87 stairs to the tower. There you'll see fabulous views of Victoria, the Straight of Juan de Fuca, and the Olympic Mountains. With over 20,000 square feet of interior space, the house and gardens are being restored exactly as they were originally built offering a great vacation experience for individuals and families alike. If you have fifteen or more people you can make a group tour reservation and receive a discount on admission. We also offer facility rental to individuals or businesses interested in putting on private functions. Craigdarroch was built for entertaining and when you rent the Castle you rent the whole Castle with space for up to 200 people. Now privately owned and operated by the Craigdarroch Castle Historical Museum Society, Victoria's legendary landmark is almost totally funded by its 140,000 annual visitors. We also receive support from businesses and individuals who generously sponsor some of our special events.

The Cowichan Bay Wooden Boat Society was originally conceived in the 1970's and started off as a boat building school. The first location was a small building at the Bluenose Marina. The present buildings were built on site and designed by Tim Richardson, a member of the Society, and were placed along an old Chevron Oil facility extending approx 82 meters into Cowichan Bay This is probably the longest dock in the area. These buildings are called Galleries and now house many maritime artifacts which reflect the history of the Cowichan Valley. The first three Galleries are open at each end which allows the public to walk through and view the displays. The end Gallery is a two level enclosed unit which contains many of the more environmentally sensitive artifacts such as model boats, pictures and a marine library. In addition to the historic displays, the Center conducts several wooden boat building classes annually which are available to the public for a fee. These classes are conducted in a large workshop which includes many fine woodworking tools and equipment. There is a marine ways which caters to the hauling and cleaning of wooden boats. It is well patronized especially during the summer months. The Society is committed to the restoration and repair of wooden craft, along with preserving the history and heritage of BC's maritime past. Boats are often up to 40 feet in length. Unfortunately, simultaneous restorations are often restricted by the limited amount of outdoor covered space. We organize and participate in many community events such as the Celebration of BC's 150th Birthday, Fast and Furious Boat Building Festival, the Christmas Sail Past and a Pirates Festival, to name just a few. We also travel to many local communities to support their events-Tall Ships Victoria in 2005 and 2008, Ladysmith coming events, Maple Bay Boat Show, Duncan Home Show are all examples of our involvement in other communities.