Craigdarroch Castle

Located a short drive or a leisurely walk from the downtown Victoria, off Fort Street at 1050 Joan Crescent, Craigdarroch Castle is a historic Victorian mansion, built in the 1890s by coal baron Robert Dunsmuir. It is now owned by the Craigdarroch Castle Historical Museum Society and almost totally funded by over 150,000 annual visitors. The 20,000 square feet of space is constantly being restored to its original grandeur.

To tour the Castle, you enter through the old coach entrance, you are then provided with a floor map, family history and introduction as to how to proceed on your self-guided. It should take you 45 minutes to an hour to tour through the Castle. It is an easy climb up the 87 stairs, stopping on all of the four floors to tour the various rooms and then to the Tower for a panoramic view of Victoria, the Strait of Juan de Fuca and the snow capped Olympic Mountains.

There are volunteer available throughout the Castle to provide answers to your questions. There is no wheel chair access. There is a gift shop and refreshments are available. Free tour maps are available in the following languages: English, French, Japanese, Mandarin, German, Spanish, and Korean.

Open daily for self-guided tours:

First admission 10:00 a.m., last admission 4:30 p.m. Castle closes at 5:00 p.m.

Extended hours June 15 through Labour Day:

First admission 9:00 a.m., last admission 7:00 p.m. Castle closes at 7:30 p.m.