Art Gallery of Greater Victoria

William Ridgeway Wilson designed the original house, the Spencer Mansion was built in 1889. The property originally stretched from Fort Street to Rockland Avenue and had gardens, tennis courts, stables and a coach house. The belvedere of the house, commands spectacular ocean vistas. The Mansion was donated in 1951 by Miss Sarah Spencer for use as The Art Gallery of Greater Victoria.

Today the Mansion houses The Gallery Shop and Art Rental & Sales on the main floor and offices on the 2nd floor. The Gallery Shop features pottery, jewelry, scarves and other crafts by local artisans. Individuals or businesses can purchase art or rent it for a low monthly fee. This program represents and financially supports artists in the community, while helping to raise funds for the Gallery. The Mansion can also be rented for meetings, weddings or special occasions. In the summer of 2004, the heritage mansion was repainted to reflect the original Queen Anne style colours.

Exhibition gallery spaces were added on to the Spencer Mansion between 1955 and 1978. The seven galleries have been extensively renovated and outfitted with state-of-the-art climate controls giving the Art Gallery one of the best systems in Canada. This allows the Art Gallery to host exclusive exhibitions. It also protects the extensive local collections. There is an extensive collection of Carr and other local famous artists and an asian collection complements the Japanese gardens.

Regular Hours

Monday to Sunday: 10am - 5pm

Thursday: 10am - 9pm