Educational
Heritage Attractions
Heritage Churches
& Synagogues
MAIN HERITAGE ATTRACTIONS
Quick Links: Art Gallery of Greater Victoria | Carr House | Craigdarroch Castle | Fort Rodd Hill and Fisgard Lighthouse | Helmcken House | Point Ellice House | Maritime Museum of British Columbia | Royal British Columbia Museum | St. Ann's Academy |
ART GALLERY OF GREATER VICTORIA
1040 Moss Street
250-384-4101
http://aggv.bc.ca
email: aggv@aggv.bc.ca
Monday - Sunday 10 am - 5 pm; Thursday 10 am - 9 pm;
Gallery is open 12 am - 5 pm on Good Friday. Remembrance Day and New Years Day; Closed on Christmas Day.
Adults: $12; Senior (65+): $10; Student (18+ with ID): $10; Children (6-17): $2; Children (5 and under): free. Admission is by donation the first Tuesday of each month.
Open daily in the historic neighbourhood of Rockland and just a short walk from town, the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria is home to B.C.'s largest public art collection. Its collections feature one of Canada's leading Asian collections, including an original Japanese Shinto Shrine located outside in their quaint Asian Garden, and extensive works by Emily Carr. Exhibitions range from Asian, historical and Canadian art, and engaging contemporary. Gallery Shop features an impressive array of art, pottery, scarves, jewelry and much more from local artists and artisans.
CARR HOUSE
207 Government Street
250-383-5843
emilycarr.com
email: ecarr@island.net
Open Daily:11 am to 4 pm, 1 May to 30 September. Closed Sunday and Monday in May and September.
For School Tours and Seasonal Tours see website or call Carr House.
Adults: $5; Youth: (6-18 years) $3.50; Under 6 years: free (prices include GST).
The birthplace and childhood home of Emily Carr, one of Canada's most famous artists and authors. Located in historic James Bay, the Emily Carr House (built in 1863) is just minutes away from downtown Victoria. The rooms in the house have been restored to accurately depict the Victorian lifestyle of the Carr family. The Gift Shop carries numerous books by and about Emily Carr, as well as an excellent selection of prints, posters and postcards. The "People's Gallery" alternately features works of art by local artists and original works by Emily Carr. In addition to the variety of special events held throughout the year, Carr House is available for facilities rentals. Please call for further information.
CRAIGDARROCH CASTLE HISTORIC HOUSE MUSEUM
1050 Joan Crescent
250-592-5323
www.thecastle.ca
email: info@thecastle.ca
Open daily: 10 am - 4:30 pm
Extended hours from June 15th to Labour day: 9 am - 7 pm
Adults: $12:00; Seniors: $11:00; Students: $8.00 (19+ with Valid ID)
Children - $4.00 (6-18); Children 5 and under are free when accompanied by an adult.
Built by coal baron Robert Dunsmuir, Craigdarroch Castle was completed in 1890 shortly after his death. His wife Joan lived in the Castle until 1908. Experience the lifestyles of the very wealthy surrounded by exquisite stained glass, woodwork and Victorian era furnishings. Climb 87 stairs to the tower for fabulous views of Victoria. (no elevators)
FORT RODD HILL AND FISGARD LIGHTHOUSE
National Historic Sites of Canada
603 Fort Rodd Hill Road (off Ocean Blvd.)
250-478-5849
www.pc.gc.ca/fortroddhill
Daily: February 15 - October 31: 10 am - 5:30 pm;
November 1 - February 14: 9 am - 4:30 pm with limited services.
Adults: $3.90; Seniors: $3.40; 6 -16 years: $1.90; Family: $9.80; Annual passes: two and a half times daily rate.
Former military site whose gun batteries were built to protect the Royal Navy base at Esquimalt Harbour. Lighthouse built 1860, Fort built 1895 - 1900 and in operation to 1956. 44 acre (18.7 hectare) site, self-guided with interpretive signs, audio stations, audio-visual programs. Fisgard Lighthouse exhibit area includes artifacts and display panels. Schedule of daily programs posted at entry.
HELMCKEN HOUSE (Beside Royal B.C. Museum)
Royal BC Museum, 675 Belleville Street
250-356-7226 or toll free 1-888-447-7977
email: reception@royalbcmuseum.bc.ca
Please check the Royal BC Museum on-line events calendar for the Helmcken House schedule.
Helmcken House was built by Dr. John Sebastian Helmcken and is the oldest house in British Columbia still on its original site that still opens for the public. Dr. Helmcken, a surgeon with the Hudson's Bay Company, set up house in Victoria when he married the daughter of Governor James Douglas in 1852. He went on to become a statesman and helped negotiate the entry of British Columbia into Canada, as a province. His original 19th century medical kit is among the interesting items on display.
POINT ELLICE HOUSE
2616 Pleasant Street near the Bay Street Bridge
250-380-6506 (site information and tea reservations)
www.pointellicehouse.ca/
Open mid May - mid September: Daily: 11 am - 5 pm
Last tea served at 4 pm (Reservations recommended)
Call 250-385-5578 from October to April to arrange tours on request.
Summer Season admission: Adults: $6; Students/Seniors: $4; 6-12 years: $3; Under 6 years: free; Season's Pass: $10:00. Afternoon Tea and Tour $23 including GST. Wheelchair accessible. Special events, weddings, children's birthday parties, call re: availability.
An oasis of Victorian charm on the edge of downtown Victoria. Contains original furnishings. Play croquet or stroll along the gravel pathways in restored gardens. High quality stereo tour is narrated by household servants who delight in good-humoured gossip. Tea served daily on the lawns with gift shop specializing in Victorian and garden treasures.
MARITIME MUSEUM OF BRITISH COLUMBIA
28 Bastion Square
250-385-4222
www.mmbc.bc.ca
email: info@mmbc.bc.ca
Open daily from 9:30 am
$10 Adult; $5 Children 6-11; $8 Senior 65 and over; $8 Student;
$25 Family
(+ G.S.T. on all prices.)
Come aboard and cruise three decks of dynamic exhibits set in one of Victoria's most architecturally significant buildings!
Visit the original 1889 Vice Admiralty Courtroom. Wander through the fascinating galleries that tell the story of our coast and its peoples. Check out the rotating exhibits in our special exhibition galleries. Take a ride in Canada's oldest operating birdcage elevator. Visit our nautical gift shop to find the perfect memento.
ROYAL BC MUSEUM
675 Belleville Street
250-356-7226
www.royalbcmuseum.bc.ca
email: reception@royalbcmuseum.bc.ca
Museum open daily 9 am - 5 pm
IMAX films hourly 10 am - 8 pm (9 pm in summer)
Closed Christmas Day and New Year's Day
Admission from October 1, 2009 to March 31, 2010: Adults: $15:00; Seniors, 65 and over: $9.50; Youth, age 6-18: $9.50; Family: $37.50; Children 5 and under free of charge. Museum Annual Pass, Adult $45; Youth $10, when purchased with an Adult Annual Pass. Admission and hours subject to change during special exhibits.
Discover the Royal British Columbia Museum and its famous First Peoples, Natural History and Modern History Galleries. Three-dimensional displays offer a feast of sights, smells and sounds of British Columbia. Walk through a rainforest, view animals on West Coast beaches and in tidal wetlands. The Natural History Gallery includes "Ocean Station", where visitors can explore British Columbia's vibrant undersea world via a Victorian-era 'submarine' exhibit. Sit among aboriginal ceremonial poles and masks, walk through a longhouse, and learn of native people's struggles after European settlement and the contemporary culture of the Nisga'a people. Enjoy an extensive display of Haida Argillite carving. Sail through the HMS Discovery, the ship that brought Captain Vancouver to these shores, "slosh" through a fish canning factory, explore the dark world of mining and the dangerous world of logging. Window shop in Old Town, visit the Grand Hotel, and see what's playing at the cinema before catching the train home. The 20th Century Hall holds an array of artifacts, reading stations and computer displays that evoke the past 100 years of BC history. The Museum also features a cafe and a fine gift shop with a well-stocked book section and exceptional art and jewelry.
On 1 April 2003, the new provincial Museum Act amalgamated the Royal BC Museum, the British Columbia Archives, Helmcken House and the Netherlands Carillon. On-site heritage attractions also include: Mungo Martin House, Thunderbird Park, and St. Ann's Schoolhouse.
ST. ANN'S ACADEMY NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE
2nd Floor 835 Humboldt Street,
250-953-8828
www.stannsacademy.com
email: stanns.academy@gov.bc.ca
Hours of Operation:
Summer hours: May 15 to Sept. 15 daily:10 am - 4 pm;
Winter hours: Sept. 16 - May 14 Thursday to Sunday 1 to 4 pm
Admission by donation.
Built as a school and convent by the Sisters of St. Ann between 1871 and 1910, this nationally designated and provincially owned historic site also features Victoria's first Catholic cathedral, built in 1858 and annexed to the school in 1886 to serve as the school's chapel. The building was renovated extensively between 1995 and 1997 and now features historic interiors around the beautifully restored chapel which are open for public viewing, as well as private renovated office space. The site also features 6.5 acres of restored park lands which are open to the public year round from dawn to dusk. In 2008 St. Ann's Academy is celebrating the 150th anniversary of the arrival of the Sisters of St. Ann in Victoria in 1858. St. Ann's Academy National Historic Site is managed by the Provincial Capital Commission.