Reviews of Craigdarroch Castle (Tourist Attraction)

Lori Smith

* Self Guided Tour * The Wife and I Spent 2 Hrs Touring This Historic Piece Of Victoria. A Mix Of Complete Restoration and Preservation Of The Changing Uses Of This Building. Make Sure U Take The Time 2 Watch The Video - - History Lesson.

Cyndi Markle

Very beautiful castle. All the wood work is amazing. You are able to go through each floor on a self guided tour. There is a handy map to give some explanation of all the rooms. If you prefer there is also an option for a recorded tour. We had teenagers with us and they were truly impressed as well.

Mary Nunaley

Loved this self-tour. The museum keepers are always a step away. They knew so much and shared the best stories ever!

Blaine McDonald

Built by coal baron Robert Dunsmuir during the reign of Queen Victoria and now a National Historic Site, Craigdarroch Castle has been meticulously restored, giving visitors a glimpse of privileged life in the 1890s.

Meghan Dailey

Not quite worth the expense, as so much of the home is unfinished. The history of the home is interesting, but there is so much lacking to make this the experience that it should be.

Jesus CG

Great museum. Fascinating to see the work done and the history of this building. A must see in Victoria

sarah-leanne deslippe

A fun little piece of history. The society did an excellent job recreating the rooms to resemble an early Victorian manner. They also did a good job researching the lives of the original occupants plus the history of the castle since the Dunsmuirs family resided there, including its time as a school and a military hospital. The restoration is an ongoing project so some of the family history sections are included in big flip books in the middle of the rooms, which are not always easy to read. However, they do ensure that the exhibits include a lot of detail if you're interested in hearing the stories behind the names of the occupants.

Samantha Bacchus McLeod

Rich walk through history in Victoria. If you just look at it as a visit to a castle with all it beautiful trimmings and quirks, and forget the colonial repercussions...then it is quite a lovely tourist thing to do. Beautifully preserved rooms, architecture, and dining services. Lovely view of the surrounding area. And I absolutely loved the GIFT SHOP! It is a well organised tour, with clear directions and helpful staff along the way.

Nixy Ramos

CraigDarroch Castle in lovely Victoria BC. This architectural beauty nestled in this pretty little city on Vancouver Island. A must see for visitors and locals.

Paul Cottrell

Wonderful visit. Very detailed info on all the rooms with period pictures that bring you back to that era

Babs Sheng

The highlight of our week visit to Victoria. Amazing step back in time with amazing woodwork and antiques throughout. Liked that it is self guided so you can take your time. Docents were knowledgeable. Must see!!

Connie Chau

Beautiful Castle. Our tour guide, Iya; (pardon spelling of her name) was lovely. Very informative, animated and can tell she truly enjoyed what she did. Learnt so much history on the castle. Grateful for the opportunity, to add this to my holiday memories. Definitely recommend.

Michael Stutz

Went on a trail in nanaimo where there is a sign that the builder of this homes coal mine had 77 people die in an accident at. The sign here says simply he had criticized labour practices. Beautiful actual castle. Too bad built due to not taking care for his employees

Jordan P

An amazing structure with tons of history! A good symbol of early colonial-capitalism within British Columbia. Very interesting seeing how the very wealthy lived back then. Also kind of creepy in spots, if you're into ghosts and hauntings, I have heard lots of stories regarding the castle. There is something eerie about the ball room and servants quarters in my experience but I am far from being a medium of any type. Would recommend the tour to anyone in the area interested in history or architecture!

Manuel Araujo

Great place for history lovers - beautiful house with amazing interiors and relaxing lawn.

Tanjid Hossain

You have to experience it to understand how magnificent the architecture is. Beautifully preserved, and lovely staff.

Anne Calder

Loved this visit! So rich in history and great place to see for yourself

Anush Prabhu Ramachandran

Wasn't so interested in the castle once told by the tour guide that the castle was built by a rich guy who had nothing better to do with his money.

Jamie Palliser

Visited the castle couple of years back before all this madness and it was amazing experience. Emily, our tour guide made the tour a special and unforgettable experience! The castle is big, it has 39 rooms and the tour was easy going so we got to visit everything in a timely manner. What I liked the most was the fact that the cleanness was on a very high level! You clean your shoes upon entry and everything was tidy and presentable. Definitely one of my best experiences, a place worth visiting and would visit again if the chance arises. Great job overall, keep up the great work!

911 Jason Moore

It's great place to visit, specially for the Christmas holidays. Beware for this place is old, has lots of stares and no elevators. It's a beautiful place, but if your not a fan of stares, this is not a place for you.

Candela Canseco

We visited the museum during a quick excursion, so we were probably too rushed to properly read through and appreciate all the information. But from our walk through, it just seemed like a giant self-dedicated memorial of a wealthy man to himself with arbitrary historical relevance. It was pretty and well maintained, but I just didn't see the significance.

Candice Peterson

Went here as a small child. Never get tired of its beauty. Fun place to visit once in a while and bring visitors. Beautiful grounds to sit and relax.

Qian Zhao

Really nice place, its arquitecture and design is incredible. Beutyfull

Krithik Dubey

I would say not bad at all but not really worth the money.

Marta Borowska

Really nice castle, don’t need to spend much time here. The grounds are under some work so it’s just grassy. The building architecture is quite nice. Some parking on the grounds and limited parking on the street as well. There are a few informational signs on Craigdarroch.

Jamie Matchullis

Well conserved, the interiors are amazing. The history of the house worth listening to.

Doug Cosenzo

Craigdarroch Castle A beautiful well preserved mansion/ castle. We were free to tour the building. Fabulous wood workmanship, stained glass, plenty of historical household furniture, housewares and clothing. Go and take a trip back in time. Highly recommended! There is parking at the back.

Andrey M

This castle has 4 floors. It's amazing and you will fall in love with it since you enter the main door. It's one of those castles you see in the movies. Rooms are originally recreated as they used to be, and in each room there are frames where you can read all the stories. There is also a piano on the 4th floor you can play. I wish I could live there.

Navneet Kaur

A beautiful historic place to visit in Victoria BC. Not much luck looking inside as it was closed over weekdays. Although we enjoyed this beauty from outside

Aom Hildebrand

Give 5 stars for the beautiful castle. Sad that they closed the day we visited but for sure we'll visit again.

Nick Xie

Beautiful historic castle.. easy to find

samiksha chopdekar

Small castle but quite good history. We spent 1.5hrs.

Philip Zein

We were sad that the castle was not opening due to covid. The outside and grounds we lovely

Ans Ast

Was too late when I visited but the building and grounds are definitely pretty!

Stacy Bruce (ブルース寿帝士)

Beautiful castle with an abundant history and grand decor

Victoria R

Great decorations for the Christmas season! I loved the love music playing in the staircase. Lots of interesting period furnishings, as well as signs with the castle's history. Some of the rooms are unfinished or lack the period details as the others, but overall it was a nice experience.

Susan G

Beautiful historic castle.. easy to find

Ana Gannon

It was closed when we were.there. But was able to take some pictures outside the castle.

James Locke

This place was awesome! The stone work and wood work was absolutely amazing. A hidden gem. And filled with histor to boot.. Well worth the stop.

Nick Tanner

Very nice castle!

Chris

We didn’t manage to enter the castle as we didn’t have a booking and there was no availability for walk ins. Regardless, I found the front desk guy a bit rude with a serious attitude. He seemed annoyed of dealing with people. Anyway, from outside the castle was nice. Also, parking is very limited around the area so you might want to consider taking a taxi to get here.

Clan MacLean

Very nice restoration happening. Good job with historical information and photos that are throughout castle.

R Broome

Was too late when I visited but the building and grounds are definitely pretty!

Zinat Hassan

Include this destination on a bike ride around Victoria. Awesome

ken rosadiuk

This is theist stunning piece of architecture with a history you wouldn't have expected. Night or day, it will take your breath away

Bold Daniel

Horrendous customer service from the guy behind the counter on July 30th. I called because I was unable to book tickets online. The guys said they couldn't support our 5 people and they only had 2 spots at 10:30. After trying multiple times to get through on the phone without success, we arrived. I stood in line and the guy said the only available spots they have is at 2:30. Ok, fine. I stayed in line to find out how many spots were available to book. After waiting in line for 10 minutes to fix his screw up with the customers in front of us, he seen us approaching the counter and turned away, instead of greeting us. Then he turns around and speaking over us, didn't even look at us, announces to everyone that he'll only be helping people with reservations. Zero acknowledgement of us, or if we had any questions. This guy needs serious customer service skills training. We'll not be returning.

Pushkar Pahare

Very beautiful castle. We did self guided tour.

Dil Begum

Beautiful castle.. Visit in the morning before 8am to avoid crowds.

Xan He (Pro Reviews)

“Craigdarroch Castle is a definitively Victorian experience. It is a shining example of a “bonanza castle” — massive houses built for entrepreneurs who became wealthy during the industrial age. In this case, the industrialist was Robert Dunsmuir, a Scottish immigrant who made his fortune from Vancouver Island coal.” — from their website This place truly shows what is possible if you set your mind to it.

Megan Christine Fisher DBA Ayragon

A really unique castle in Victoria. Must visit for all aged people. Located in downtown. It's pretty old but they have maintained it like a charm. Will definitely recommend to all of my friends and others.

Stewart Schellenberg

Amazing place to go check out history, the stained glass and style in this Castle are amazing, would love to come back in the summer, apparently you can see Mt. Baker from the tower, but unfortunately was a bit to cloudy out the day we went, something every adult should check out, absolutely intriguing, may be a bit dull for some younger audiences that are not into historical experiences. Love that you can go at your own pace, and can just go to the rooms that interest you if you're parculiar, took us 2 hours to go through, but says takes about 1 hr , so depending how much you like to read will be the real time cruncher here ????????

Shay Alde

The castle is AMAZING! Very intricate details and top notch craftsmanship. Interesting information about the family. if you run across a staff member as you take the self guided tour, be sure to ask them quslestions as they are more than happy to share.

Robert Wolf

Interesting partially restored mansion in a residential neighborhood in Victoria. Some rooms have been fully restored, while others are incomplete. Worth a visit, plan on an hour or so there.

T- na

Glorious and grand. Worth a visit! Christmas season decorations adds extra sparkle.

Sebastian Yavar (Seb)

Such an elegant display of architectural beauty, rich in history, and very friendly, knowledgeable staff. Thank you.

Sarah Bowen Hersh

This is a great Castle filled with a lot of history! I would definitely recommend visiting! And they have a new gift shop! It isn't that far from downtown Victoria. also it is Very well maintained and they are constantly ensuring that it is kept in the condition that it was built.

Arti

Beautiful castle and exhibition! Staff friendly and helpful!

Foreverblue

Amazing historic site. Loved learning the history and exploring all the rooms. I think the castle is haunted and have heard stories of people seeing a man walk up the stairs.

Danielle Davids

Absolutely beautiful museum to visit! Perfect to spend a few hours on an afternoon during your visit to Victoria. Well maintained and it was interesting to hear about the future renovations planned. The new cafe and gift shop were very nice, and all staff were helpful and friendly! I look forward to visiting again!!

Adi Kul

Stunning place but the gentleman who worked the reception on the weekends was very rude so we left. Came back another time and was greeted by someone with manners. Apart from the service the castle is impressive.

Jennifer Schilke

One of the better historical sites I’ve visited. The amount of attention to detail and effort put into restoring it to its former state is amazing. The layout makes it very easy to move through the rooms and keeps things from backing up. The amount of different things that the castle has been used for over the years is amazing by itself, and the inside is fantastic. 10/10 would recommend.

Jenni Merrifield

A lot of history from this building. Too much to go into detail. Huge and beautifully built home. It can definitely be a lot of work for people with limited mobility.

Sanj Sukerkar

Visiting here with family is priceless. The experience overall, paints a glorious time in Victoria's history when it was prospering and the social elite's lifestyle back then. Its a fairy tale of sorts. My wife and daughter enjoyed seeing how the bedrooms and kitchens looked like half a century ago. It was great. Strongly recommend for all families!

Ni N.

Perfectly done in an amazing way. The buildi g is pretty and unique in every angle.

Valerie Laub

It's a nice piece of history but nothing really interesting there. Can't go inside the rooms as they're all fenced off. If you're a history buff then it's nice otherwise you'll fall asleep

LEONARDO BLENGINI

Always amazing to see historic places. Amazes me how life was before... a must see for those who are interested with history. Also, great exercise.. lots of stairs! ????

H J Melnick

Really neat place. Very interesting history that goes along with the building. They are doing a great job restoring the building, tracking down original items that were auctioned off and purchasing them to put back in the "castle".

Michael Dionne

Definitely worth going if ya never been. The history is cool and seeing all the college graffiti is pretty amazing as well.

Evan Galbraith

Visited for Christmas, and the whole building was decorated accordingly. Inside and outside were both gorgeous and had lots of information. Staff and organization getting in the door left a little to be desired, but once you're in its a great experience.

Chen Bonnie

Very interesting history enjoyed approx 1 hour exploring the house. Good quality items in gift shop with friendly staff. Free parking a bonus.

Reed B

Very lovely "castle" that is really a mansion. This is a great look at a moment in time when Victoria was getting established. It's a beautifully maintained and restored mansion with lots of restored and time period accurate items throughout. The guides throughout the house are very informative and helpful. We spent about 45-60 minutes through the house and that felt about like the right amount. There is free parking and a nice gift shop and snack bar as well. While I wouldn't make this the focus of your trip to Victoria, it is a great thing to see if you have time.

Krianne Charell Villa

Visited on

Nissan Pow

Much better than expected. Great glimpse into the lives of the wealthy of olden days.

Kira Sun

Excellent tour. Also a great way to learn about local history. The house is very well kept and gives the visitors an idea of how some of the more wealthy lived.

S. B

The castle is a work if art and the history is fantastic. Nice to see it being saved and used now as a museum.

Dallas Howard

Great place to go and spend time with your friends and family. Great place to learn about the history. I really enjoyed that they just let you loose. You can just walk around and take as much pictures as possibly want

Patrick D

Visited recently on my trip to Vancouver. The castle is very nice. The history of the place is fascinating and explains the family that once lived there and how when it was then turned to a hospital to a place where students lived to a school board office and to its present state. Some of the exhibits are still under construction, otherwise it was a great visit!

Justine Soucy

Step back in time. It's more of a mansion but some cool history. The only downside was there's some stripped rooms waiting to be returned to their former glory. PS the Royal Family owns land a small way from here with a garden you can walk in!

Ksenia Obolenskaya

Nice place to take photos

Melissa Denise

My friend and I loved the castle. It has so much beauty and history, and the interior was restored in such a way that it looked like we were walking backwards in time. We opted to do our own independent walking tour because we like going at our own pace. It also allowed us to take some pretty cool pictures without worrying about holding up other people.

Pratik Khasbardar

A must visit to explore the architecture of Victorian era. Guided tours are available and recommended as the castle is really huge and has a long standing history from the time it was built till world war and afterwards. Photography and use of flash is permitted. Do not wear sharp heels, they might ask you to remove them before entering the castle. Please check their website for any concessional entry tickets, like for students etc.

Patrick D

Visited recently on my trip to Vancouver. The castle is very nice. The history of the place is fascinating and explains the family that once lived there and how when it was then turned to a hospital to a place where students lived to a school board office and to its present state. Some of the exhibits are still under construction, otherwise it was a great visit!

Sandy Baker

Omg this place is amazing from the moment you walk in there is beautiful stained glass and gorgeous woodwork.

Todd A. Whitworth

It's a beautiful place to see...more of a mansion really. Not the best for kids or old people because of all the valuables and many flights of stairs. Not wheelchair accessible.

Jennifer Fehr

Wonderful and historical experience! Very interesting to see how the castle is preserved and each room’s story.

farzod darzi

This is a must see in Victoria! The history of the Dunsmuir family and the continuing history of the Castle they built here is very interesting! The tour is well laid out and as it is self directed, you can go as quick or slow as you wish. This year we ended up going 3 times as we had guests several times. Each time we go, I see something I hadn't seen last time. Very nice gift shop and lovely grounds outside as well. Double check before you go, as they have had films shot here on occasion.

Said Mammadov

Interesting place to visit.

Kent Caballero

Full of history, culture and fascinating details into the history of this castle. Staff were friendly, knowledgeable and knew how to communicate clear precise instructions. We spent a good hour and half reading and reminiscing the history of this unique landmark.

Andrea F

Walked around the grounds one evening and we're impressed by the beautiful architecture! I remember touring the castle when I was a child and being very fascinated and captivated.

Narine Harut

The excellent detail and preservation of the historic features was complimented by the outstanding and knowledgeable staff. The woodwork was very impressive.

Halo (Maddi)

Wonderful visit. Very detailed info on all the rooms with period pictures that bring you back to that era

Dave Hager

I like how we can roam around the mansion ourselves and they do provide a map. All the staff were beyond knowledgeable if you ran into them, they have super cool stories about the house and the timeline of when the house was used. Loved it!

Ankit Mitra

Beautiful modern mansion / castle. Super interesting woodwork in furniture and decoration throughout. On a sunny day it is very cool, and it makes for an awesome walk around the neighborhood day or night.

connie leung

Once you’re done marvelling at the impressive and beautiful exterior architecture, you’ll be in for a treat on the inside too! Many interesting things to see, and you can read all about the past inhabitants and ongoings that took place on this historic site. We were greeted by a friendly team of staff, and felt really lucky to get a chance to chat to the curator, Bruce and learned some extra tidbits of Craigdarroch Castle. Lovely place to spend a morning or afternoon outing on!

Raphael

It was closed today but it's still a super interesting building. I bet the inside is amazing.

Andrew Argyle Garbutt

Beautiful castle, well preserved little Gem of History, from highest point you can see amazing view of the ocean and Island.

완쯔둔丸子囤

Went here twice. Once last week and once 8 years ago. Both were very good experience. This time due to covid, they provide free masks and separate visitors into groups to enter the castle. The group leader was knowledgeable and told us many history about the castle.

Cheryl Johnson

The actual self guided tour is great and well worth the visit. The only reason for the low stars is that we were told to book ahead of time, which we did for 3:00, but when we arrived there was a big line to get in and some groups in front of us hadn't even booked yet. We knew they hadn't booked yet because they had someone hold their spot while they ran over to the main office to buy tickets. I feel like they should have had two lines. One for those who pre-booked, and those who just showed up. It ended up being a bit of a wait, and we did have to rush through since we had another engagement to get to for 4:45.

Rob Malik

Include this destination on a bike ride around Victoria. Awesome

Marc Berube

Amazing old house. It’s not really a castle in my eyes as I’ve been to real castles in England. I think you need a dungeon and maybe a draw bridge to qualify as a castle. We received a discounted rate as there are some rooms undergoing restoration that we were unable to see into. The woodwork in this home is simply amazing. Especially when you consider it was built over 120 years ago. Long before power tools were available. Takes about an hour to walk through this home. Its very interesting.

Andrei Vyrypaev

Quite disappointed this is called a "castle". It is just a nice house from the era, but far from being a castle by definition. Good amount of content and artifacts in display, but they are missing information and they absolutely need an audio guide or equivalent

Tatenda E. S. Madziva

Beautiful old castle with amazing woodwork. Truly shows how the wealthy lived at the turn of the century. Great guided tour as well.

Kenneth Kasten

A nice historical look at the past lives of a rich coal baron and his family through this mansion which has had many purposes over the years.

Nicole Kingbird

Only open certain days so I just went there, parked in the back for free. Walked around the building and peeked inside. The outside architecture is very good and only need to pay if you want to go inside. For me just the outside free look was worth it. Allow 15 minutes for quick outside look.

THOMAS

Large beautiful house, self guided tours rich in local history.

Natalie Koncsol

Enjoyed the tour. Looking forward to our next visit.

James Mauga

Very cool to see this place. Not as "original" interior speaking as it must have been over 100 years ago. Exterior is really cool. I really enjoyed the art, and wood work. My fave room was the old washroom.

mona upreti

Loved the place. Such a dainty small castle in the heart of the city, was a welcome sight. The history came alive through the pictures, costumes, furniture etc. Some of the rooms are still not done renovating. The Christmas decorations made the place even more beautiful. Worth visiting !

PraetorianNUKE

Very interesting place to visit! They've done a good job preserving much of the original history and getting items back to the museum. Volunteers were knowledgeable and there is lots to read about the history of the castle and items throughout. As they are trying to preserve the castle, you must be very careful inside and not touch anything, including the walls! I would not recommend for those with mobility issues, as there are many stairs and walkers are not allowed inside.

K N

Ive been there 3 times and I would still go back to visit.

Elisha Ng

Restoration looks great. The panels throughout the castle are very informative and rather interesting. Took a bunch of photos :) Gift shop is pretty fun to browse through and I bought a few books.

Mya Soon

I came here with my family and this place was very pretty and detailed :))

Jean-Francois Bertrand

Beautiful castle with an interesting history. Reserve ahead to plan your visit. Would go only if you have extra time to visit Victoria.

Natalie Zavaglia

This castle is so amazing. I loved every moment of our tour here. All the original stained glass and furnishings are beautiful. The staff is exceptionally informed and their restorations are just fantastic. Highly recommend for anyone interested in Victorian era households and living, or if you're on a cruise like we were this is an awesome shore excursion.

Punam Rai

This is an impressive building, both inside and out, abs the efforts to restore to it's original glory are great. However to those outside of Canada & the USA, this isn't a castle as you'd expect, more of a reasonably sized private house built at the end of the Victorian era. The closest comparison would be like Cragside in the UK but smaller and without the gardens. Nonetheless it's still worth a visit and has a great story behind the different uses it went through, from house to hospital, to school and now as a preserved piece of history.

Girlynne Gascon

Not sure

Brandon Bell

You really need to go here. The volunteers are very knowledgeable, the history is rich, we easily spent an hour and a half here. We got lost in all the reading in the second floor bedroom. 100% worth the cost.

Xan He

“Craigdarroch Castle is a definitively Victorian experience. It is a shining example of a “bonanza castle” — massive houses built for entrepreneurs who became wealthy during the industrial age. In this case, the industrialist was Robert Dunsmuir, a Scottish immigrant who made his fortune from Vancouver Island coal.” — from their website This place truly shows what is possible if you set your mind to it.

Tremaine Kingbird

Absolutely gorgeous! Always a wonderful place to visit, especially around the holidays.

Shivram Bhardwaj

Beautiful castle-style mansion built by an early BC coal baron. Wonderful history of use over the years (as a military hospital in WWI, a university and a music conservatory).

Kevin Mullett

It's more of a mansion than a castle. But it is a beautiful house. There are 5 floors and a bunch of rooms to check out. It is a very neat house. I was surprised at the history and the size of the family that built it. Would definitely go again

cindy schmidt

$15 to go through as an adult, not worth it if you don’t have over an hour. Lots of history though and beautiful architecture!

Erica Herrera

Verry cool! If you like humsn hair wreaths this place is for you. Beautiful fairytale castle well worth checking out princess. Love it!

Mike Allen

If you want to see a beautiful house with history behind it, this is the place. I didn’t expect to spend more than 1 hour here, but upon arriving we were in awww! The house is full of historical memories, an staff willing to tell you more about this place and videos to watch, we spent over 2 hours here.

Leonard Erlandson

Craigdarroch Castle isn't exactly like a medieval castle that you would imagine but it still has the charm and the grandeur! It is unfortunate that Robert Dunsmir didn't get to truly enjoy the castle that he commissioned since it would have been spectacular at the time. What's now filled with development and roads would have been forest and open lands surrounding the castle. There's a terraced open lawn that's great for parties and photography. The Victorian architect still has it's charm even in the 21st century. Take a closer look at the chimneys, the roof tops, the window styling, and the overall feel of the place! Limited parking on site.

Misty

Reservation recommended

Ah-Yeong Jo

We missed the timing of buying tickets so we didn't end up going inside. The outside of the building looks just like picture except it was much smaller than I expected and there was no pretty gardens around there. It was still worth to check out.

Pat BARR

Sitting in amongst a neighbourhood street is this unusual beautiful house. Its worth a visit just to get a few Instgram photos. It tells you all about the history of the building and has shop/cafe.

Marie-Louise Turcotte

My first Castle visit! This was exciting. I was surprised to see it was in a neighborhood. Price is too low to pass up, if you want to kill some time, this is a great spot to explore before leaving Victoria.

Jose Moreno

I came here with my family and this place was very pretty and detailed :))

Stacy Lee Ferguson

A wonderful place I'd take my nana to. She'd tell them "oh I used to take your ice orders'

Veronica K

Nice place to visit and understand history of Victoria. It takes you about 60 minutes to go through the entirety of 3 floors. Also there are 2 sections that you encounter, one while you're ascending and the other while descending. It also has a seperate ticketing office with a souvenir section and a washroom.

Paul Nephi Lee

Go see this! Wonderful restoration, really captivating atmosphere. The guides inside are nice and very knowledgeable on the estate.

David Lewis

A very beautiful Victorian mansion offering self guided tours with very reasonable prices. Absolutely stunning woodwork and interior details from another time. Close to Downtown Victoria and a nice addition to the standard tour.

sayar samanta

Wow, truly preserved Victorian era castle. The historical value that it adds to the community is invaluable. We took a guided tour from a cruise ship, so it was busy but even with 125 people, it is so large that I found myself in places completely solo dolo.

Jack Peters

What a great old building and I would call it a mansion on top of a hill, built between 1887-1890. Craigdarroch Castle has a great story and the managing executive director greeted us on our self guided tour that day. This introduction to the castle made a huge difference and just knowing the story, the materials, the pre-fab component and some detailed design elements, made for an enjoyable time.

Ian Frazer

This mansion / castle has to be seen to be believed. Take the tour if you have the time as the inside has at least 10 X's more detail than seen on a walk around the outside.

m Rafi

It's a beautiful little castle that has finest amenities. But the visitor timing is only till 3:30..????

Andrew Edwards

Well preserved. Stunning wood and glasswork. Interesting historical info. Not of interest to little kids. $26 for two adults. Good for one visit, no need to visit again.

Pree Badrinath

You have to experience it to understand how magnificent the architecture is. Beautifully preserved, and lovely staff.

Frances Cebalo

Went here as a small child. Never get tired of its beauty. Fun place to visit once in a while and bring visitors. Beautiful grounds to sit and relax.

Michelle Yarbrough

It was a very informative tour. Was given a brief talk about the history of thr castle then we were free to look at things at our own pace. Deer were walking around the grounds.

Vishal M.R

Beautiful castle.. Visit in the morning before 8am to avoid crowds.

Local Contributor

A lot of work went into restoring this house. Impressive woodwork and craftsmanship. Also many historically correct antique items.

sandeep shah

There are several empty or nearly empty areas, and your tour experience will vary wildly depending on which guide you have near you. One gave only the most bare-bones of information while the other was full of interesting tidbits and stories. This isn't the sort of place that should be the main attraction of a trip, but is a good addition to a day out.

Zdeňka Karlíková

Nice from the outside, but we couldn't get in. When we got there, we were told that if we don't have a reservation, we would probably wait several hours. So if you plan to go there, make sure to make a reservation beforehand (we couldn't because we were leaving the city already).

Sara Naderi

A great way to spend an hour or so, beautiful buidling inside and out, with very interesting history into early BC

Gee

Interesting self guided tour. Loved reading about the history of the home and the family. Lots of friendly staff on hand with extra information.

Elise Barrie

A but further from Downtowm Victoria but a good place to visit. This castle is situated in the middle of a neighbourhood - which I found surprising. A beautiful piece of history to visit. Tours are only on the weekend unfortunately, so I was only able to see the outside.

Oscar

Craigdarroch was one of our stops on the hop-on-hop-off bus. We hopped off and spent close to two hours during this beautiful home which was later used as a military hospital and a college. They done a great job of representing all the different incarnations of the house since it was built by the dunsmure family is a primary residence in 1890. We had a wonderful docent who told us a lot about the family history and explain some of the artifacts in the home. It's self-guided five story, leisurely walk up a beautiful staircase with three to rooms to explore on each floor. Very worth the visit and it fascinating peek into American history and a family who made their money in the coal industry.

Jonathan Riel-Landry

Interesting example of a Victorian style mansion, built by a late 19th century mining magnate.

Barbie Hodge

The highlight of our week visit to Victoria. Amazing step back in time with amazing woodwork and antiques throughout. Liked that it is self guided so you can take your time. Docents were knowledgeable. Must see!!

Elizabeth Morris

A beautiful castle styled manor house. Bully in the 19th century, Craigdarroch castle is one of the landmarks in Victoria. From its astonishingly impressive architecture, to its lavish interior decoration, it is well worth a visit.

Lora Lonesberry

This is theist stunning piece of architecture with a history you wouldn't have expected. Night or day, it will take your breath away

Nisrine Banna

A wonderful place to visit! So much history in one place! The staff are kind and helpful. Take your time to go through the rooms and read about them. The room in the pic is one of my favourites

Craig Mckee

This was a pretty cool castle. I couldn’t help but imagine what things were like back then and kept getting carried away in my imagination! Good experience!

steve henderson

An amazing structure with tons of history! A good symbol of early colonial-capitalism within British Columbia. Very interesting seeing how the very wealthy lived back then. Also kind of creepy in spots, if you're into ghosts and hauntings, I have heard lots of stories regarding the castle. There is something eerie about the ball room and servants quarters in my experience but I am far from being a medium of any type. Would recommend the tour to anyone in the area interested in history or architecture!

Donna Van Isle Silver Fox

Amazing place to visit! Amazing view of the sunset and got to see the castle lit up at night!

Raine

Just beautiful. Every year they have restored more and more. I remember when it was the music school.

Jennifer Schilke

We took a quick site seeing trip to several castles in Victoria. Definitely worth the visit

Branko Smilkov

Visited the castle couple of years back before all this madness and it was amazing experience. Emily, our tour guide made the tour a special and unforgettable experience! The castle is big, it has 39 rooms and the tour was easy going so we got to visit everything in a timely manner. What I liked the most was the fact that the cleanness was on a very high level! You clean your shoes upon entry and everything was tidy and presentable. Definitely one of my best experiences, a place worth visiting and would visit again if the chance arises. Great job overall, keep up the great work!

Robert Hamilton

It's a beautiful place, I enjoyed seeing my wife having a blast, she was so interested and pleased, she was more exited than our daughter who had great time too.

Mark Wiseman

This mansion / castle has to be seen to be believed. Take the tour if you have the time as the inside has at least 10 X's more detail than seen on a walk around the outside.

Braydon Morris

Although it's a relatively small castle, it's beautiful inside out. It was built by the richest man in Victoria at that time. Unfortunately, most original stuff were gone over the time. After being a family home, it was a school and a clinic at a time. I was told only 5% original things left with the building, including the most stainglass windows. The restoration society did a good job to try to restore its original state. A new administration facility was built in recent years. The admission fees have tripled since. The money goes to the restoration efforts. There are still some restoration projects are going on or needed to be done at the moment.

Brenda Mercer

I loved my time here. I really wasn't expecting to but I figured why not. When will I ever be in Victoria again to see this castle? So I booked a tour last minute and I'm so glad I did. My tour guide, Emily, was lovely. She made the tour so fun and informative. The story behind this castle is so interesting and the tour gives you ample time to discover and explore each room. When you enter, you clean your shoes on this shoe cleaning machine that rotates bristles on your shoes and you come into the entrance with a lovely staircase and hallways. I was told during my visit that the 4th floor, which has the small tower and window area, was closed for renovation but I was lucky and they let us visit even though it wasn't completely done! The castle is big, 25000 square feet and 39 rooms. It's also been through so many different functions and it shows in certain rooms which I find fascinating. There's also a small salamander based on an old superstition that putting a salamander sculpture in your home would protect from fires. I could talk about this castle for quite a while but it's absolutely worth a visit!!

jenny bansal

Buy tickets online and not when you get there as it could get busy. They followed covid protocols. The castle was very interesting and beautiful. We learned a lot and would recommend it. It is not wheelchair friendly though as there are many steps within the castle.

fara samavi

Worth the tour fee! This amazing "Castle" sits atop a hill not far from the center of town. It's beautifully crafted and full of history.

AlisaK Moore

We took a quick site seeing trip to several castles in Victoria. Definitely worth the visit

James Ogden

It's way more cool on the outside than the inside. The inside is mostly recreated room "scenes" that get boring pretty quickly, unless you're realllllly into the dinnerware or bedspreads of the early 1900s.

Frank Hannig

Excellent historical museum. Beautiful inside and out! Needed to turn on the fan in the room with video going. Very warm inside. Lots to see and enjoy.

Marina Hogan

Interesting place to visit.

Grace Waeohongsa

Worth historical place to visit! Highly recommend to book your ticket on the website before going. (It’s in EvenBite, scrolling down the see date and time that you want to go) Go a bit earlier before your time to get the tickets. There is no washroom to use in the castle. $12.66 for student $18.48 for adult. If you don’t buy a ticket before, you can buy at front as well but you need to wait for 1-2 hours. ???????????? Historical place worth to visit in Victoria, BC, Canada Brief history The Dunsmuirs (1890–1908) * Military Hospital (1919–1921) * Victoria College (1921–1946) * Victoria School Board Office (1946–1968) * Victoria Conservatory of Music (1969–1979) * Craigdarroch Castle museum (1979–Present) +++++++++++

Bumblebee

More like a chateau or a mansion- but beautifully made. Some history of the Dunsmuirs who built the castle. The most modern castle built. Hot cold running water, electricity, etc. beautiful wood paneling- if you have a chance go for a nice walk and spend an hour or so to explore and learn the history of the family.

Michael Prins

Better than expected - had no idea the history represented in this location — much more than just a wealthy entrepreneur’s elaborate estate, but also home to a war hospital, school, music conservatory, etc. Exceptional staff - well informed and friendly. The “castle” itself is well curated with plenty of signage and photos and period displays. But not too too much reading ;) Walking through the house, feels very accessible. And great gift shop, too!

Renae Hoey

We loved our visit in this castle. The video that showed the history of the castle was really interesting. It's so nice that they tried to preserve history. Though they could have also added how it would have looked if it was a university and a ward aside from it being a home. It's worth visiting though when you're in Victoria.

Allison Beecher

Very lovely "castle" that is really a mansion. This is a great look at a moment in time when Victoria was getting established. It's a beautifully maintained and restored mansion with lots of restored and time period accurate items throughout. The guides throughout the house are very informative and helpful. We spent about 45-60 minutes through the house and that felt about like the right amount. There is free parking and a nice gift shop and snack bar as well. While I wouldn't make this the focus of your trip to Victoria, it is a great thing to see if you have time.

Rachel Jeffcoat

Such an amazing structure. We really enjoyed seeing all of the amazing woodwork, architecture, and furnishings. Well worth your time if any of this interests you.

Amie Mouneimne

Loved this self-tour. The museum keepers are always a step away. They knew so much and shared the best stories ever!

Sam Chao

I went to visit today with my kids. Giovanni, operational manager was at the ticket desk. Giovanni said " I already told you the next admission is at 12. You heard that. " Giovanni thought we were part of the other asian group and gave us attitude from the get go. Giovanni adds to this by saying " You need to adopt to our culture if you want to go into the castle." I askes for one adult ticket since my kids are free. Giovanni says, "You cannot go in if you have that kind of attitude and cannot adopt to this culture. You need to step aside. " Giovanni would not let us enter the castle and we had to leave. I realize racism exists anywhere we go but hopefully Giovanni realizes that this kind of bahviour is not tolerated anywhere he goes. Could you please return my call from Aug 1st 2021? I am trying to reach the executive director and left a voice mail. I have not heard back yet. I would like to address the hate incident I had experienced at the castle.

tyler lisk

This "castle" is a tourist trap. It's fine for what it is. $15/per person isn't going to blow out your bank account but the location leaves a bit to be desired. It's good the money goes back into the historical society and the building has significance in the annals of Victoria's history but there isn't a lot to it. Since many of the rooms are gutted because of past influences, or roped off entirely, it's not as immersive as one might expect. Considering it is advertised as a "must see" destination and has busses and tours for all the visitors to our city, it's really not that good considering all the hype.

Jason Yee

Nice from the outside, but we couldn't get in. When we got there, we were told that if we don't have a reservation, we would probably wait several hours. So if you plan to go there, make sure to make a reservation beforehand (we couldn't because we were leaving the city already).

Douglas Chen

Expensive for a location that was previously a hospital and school ..then reconstructed to look like a Victorian.mansion . Better than expected of questionable authenticity..none of the furniture is original . Very tight security. Come on!! Can't put a small purse on my back ..it may" damage something"

Mickala Keepence

Absolutely gorgeous! Always a wonderful place to visit, especially around the holidays.

Emily Brandt

Historic stone mansion would be a more accurate description. It's about a third the size of casa loma in Toronto. It's still nice to see and very picturesque. Worth a visit at least once.

M. Ali G.

It's a lovely place but the staff were way too talkative, both towards me and to each other. This was a distraction from the striking features of the castle. Great views from the top floors though!

Paul Onderwater

This was an incredible historical site, very well preserved and cared for. Be prepared to spend a couple of hours here if you are a reader and history but like me, as there are four floors and 20+ rooms open to visitors!

David Clark

Man just look at it, its lovely! Unfortunately they say they are in a constant battle of up keep to keep it pristine while also dealing with the damage constant tourism causes.

Barbara Bond

Gorgeous grounds and the castle was exquisite from the outside. Sadly we were just a wee bit too late to gain admission inside. What we did see whetted our appetite for a tour of the interior.

takdeer dhaliwal

You can book online or in person ticket. It was awesome experience to see royal life and stuff. Everything is well preserved. Its has many levels and easy to follow instructions with arrow. There is a gift shop too. Overall, amazing experince????

John Schneider

While in Victoria, we decided to take the hop on hop off bus and head to the Craigdarroch Castle. The history of the building is fascinating and the displays provide a glimpse of life in the 1800's and beyond. The grounds are we kept and the guides quite helpful.

oaksound studio

Very interesting little piece of history on Vancouver. Takes a casual 40 minutes to walk through. They don't let you take a tripod for photography so the darkness of the castle makes it quite challenging to expose proper photos. But the staff is very knowledgeable and the experience overall was good.

oaksound studio

Very interesting little piece of history on Vancouver. Takes a casual 40 minutes to walk through. They don't let you take a tripod for photography so the darkness of the castle makes it quite challenging to expose proper photos. But the staff is very knowledgeable and the experience overall was good.

Jamie Robertson

A gem of a stop!!! A fun and historical step back in time. And when the weather is nice the view from the tower goes all the way to the US. And did you know that ladies can only play billiards in..... to find out where, check out the answer on the 4th floor!!!

Lorraine Shepherd

Very cool old mansion with lots of history and information. Some of the rooms aren't done, as they are waiting for more donations. I will definitely go back to see it again as the rooms are finished.

Ashley Chen

A place to visit if you are a bored tourist. It might bore you even more if you don't like old castles that aren't even castles. I don't care and it will not change your life. The stage of a long time and a good time for the population to go with it and the more I can switch from the more I think about the better I am available to do it for a healthy lifestyle.if there is anything I need a good deal for the population or even a lot to see u in a couple weeks or more so you are a little bit of me.

levi s

Amazing place! Wish the tour encompassed the entire castle but loved what was available for viewing! A must see site for visitors to Victoria, BC.

L Nel

National Historic site maintained by a not-for-profit society. Self guided tours available for a donation to the society (membership also available). Well worth taking the time to go on the tour and experience History in living colour! Make sure you have enough time I thought is was less than an hour we were there for close to 3! Each room has artifacts true to original occupants and history of various uses the castle has had over the years. Amazing sights in every room and gorgeous Victoria views from the top floors. Highly recommended

M Thompson

Nice place. Interesting. Better not have a problem with stairs . . . there are LOTS of them & you can't see anything much without transversing hundreds of stairs.

Bobbi M

Over an hour spent exploring and learning about the history of the castle. Great view at the top.

Gabe Kegel

Worth the visit! great experience, you can really feel the history behind the castle

Tara Johnston

Had a great time on the self guided tour. Very interesting history. I highly recommend checking it out.

Artur Setyan

This is a beautiful building with an intriguing history. There is a lot of walking up the five flights of stairs so be prepared for that. The tour is self guided so you can spend as much or as little time at each room. The inside of the castle is beautiful and the views from the castle are great.

Jenny

On top of all the true amazing reviews here; the parking lot is good for a car photoshoot. XD *Hit like if you like the black mini cooper countryman in the photo :)

Steph memories

Absolutely amazing. The house is large on the outside yes, but it is still deceptively enormous on the inside. I thought it would be a fun stroll to see some Victorian architecture but by the end, I had become completely absorbed into the story of this family as well as the numerous tenants of the manor through the years. Absolutely fascinating and really is like stepping through history, can't recommend enough

Amy W

A but further from Downtowm Victoria but a good place to visit. This castle is situated in the middle of a neighbourhood - which I found surprising. A beautiful piece of history to visit. Tours are only on the weekend unfortunately, so I was only able to see the outside.

Helena Funny

We didn't have time to check out the inside but the outside is certainly fantastic. Great location for a few portrait shots

Cecilia MacLean

A great little Castle to visit. Don't go near Lunchtime, for there won't be a bathroom available. The only restroom is in the gift shop which closes for 1.5 Hours at Noon!

Patty Peterson

A beautiful and well kept property. Some of the rooms were not furnished and still in the process of restoration but filled with informative slides nonetheless. I highly reccomend visiting.

David Y

Very well preserved castle with professional and friendly staff. It can easily take 60 minutes to finish.

nelson guzzo

First in for most it is a beautiful castle and then you add all the friendly guides that work here. The experience is terrific if you enjoy the history, the architecture, or just the storied past of this building it is absolutely incredible. Well worth the price of admission and the stop on your vacation.

Cindy Jocksch

Gorgeous manor house, great place to spend a couple of hours, imagining the times that produced such a gorgeous building and times that produced such an amazing province and city. Beautiful.

Rory

What an amazing home and historical site. I really enjoyed visiting this castle and touring it's four floors. There is a self guided tour and lots to see.

David Phipps

Really interesting and great to be able to walk around the castle and see all of the history. Worth a visit

Yorkshire Way

I loved visiting Canada's castle. Its a worth visiting. This place is self guided tour. I'm amazed by the detailing of recreation. Thank you for restoring preserving history.

K B

This was a pretty cool castle. I couldn’t help but imagine what things were like back then and kept getting carried away in my imagination! Good experience!

sarah-leanne deslippe

A fun little piece of history. The society did an excellent job recreating the rooms to resemble an early Victorian manner. They also did a good job researching the lives of the original occupants plus the history of the castle since the Dunsmuirs family resided there, including its time as a school and a military hospital. The restoration is an ongoing project so some of the family history sections are included in big flip books in the middle of the rooms, which are not always easy to read. However, they do ensure that the exhibits include a lot of detail if you're interested in hearing the stories behind the names of the occupants.

Deborah Byrd

It’s really close to downtown and you can take transit and then little bit walk. Turn on google map and it will show the direction. Good place if you like to visit castles.

Steven Luft

What a beautiful place. They hold events here such as "A Christmas Carol" (highly recommended) and each room of the castle is kept like a mini walk-in museum. Parking can be annoying: don't assume you can park anywhere close. The surrounding streets are for residents only however there are some spots available. Street parking as always available along Fort Street between Wharf and Cook. If you park at Cook, you have at least 4 blocks to walk. Shoes must be cleaned before entering using their brushing machine. Women must remove sharp heels. Plan ahead for that. And the castle is not at all accommodating to mobility issues (lots of beautiful old creaking stairs, no elevator).

Crystal Land

Didn't get to go inside. Google said that it was open, but when we got there it was closed. Maybe a covid-19 thing. I would suggest calling ahead before you go. The exterior is beautiful though. Going inside would have been even better.

MayB

Simply amazing!!! The architecture is so beautiful. So glad we came!!!

Logan Saunders

We never went inside, but we came here at 4:30pm and it was perfect. My girlfriend and I got some stunning pictures all around the exterior of the castle. We only encountered two other families and a groundskeeper in the span of 30 minutes. The tour will likely bore you inside, but the pictures outside make the trip well worth it! You're also away from the tourists!

mokimoki k

Well I definitely wasn't expecting to see a castle like this in Canada but was truly stunned by the enormity inside and the overall beauty of the castle. Admission was not expensive and there was definitely lots to see inside. I would have preferred a more guided tour but the self-guided nature of this just did the same effect.

Hristina Kirilova

Craigdarroch Castle was built in 1890. As visitors we were able to go around the castle and enjoy the stained glass, the woodwork and the old time furnishings and clothes. Great restoration work with nice touches and attention to details. Our kids had also fun trying to find different artifacts from the provided I spy ????️‍♂️ game.

Christina Mason

Took pictures outside beautiful 0ld home Mansion 1889. Victoria B.C. Would like to have looked inside, no time have to catch ferry back to mainland.

Andrew Parker

Its really beautiful but its kinda boring after a certain period of time. Thought I believe everyone can enjoy for the first time. Its more interesting for the people who are interested in history and the old life style.