Victoria
Landmarks
There are many landmarks in Victoria British
Columbia you won't want to miss. Some of the more
popular Victoria landmarks include; The Inner-Harbour,
The Empress Hotel, British Columbia's Legislative
Parliament Buildings, Chinatown, Market Square
and much more.
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| Fort Street, between Blanshard and Cook streets,
is home to the largest selection of one of a kind
antique collectibles, china, silverware, furniture,
custom jewellery and great gift stores. |
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Bastion
Square |
| Along Wharf Street between Yates & Fort Streets,
overlooking the harbour, James Douglas established
Fort Victoria on this site in 1843. Restored and
preserved buildings from the 19th century surround
a courtyard plaza, galleries and sidewalk restaurants.
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Beacon
Hill Park & Petting Zoo |
Located just five minutes from downtown Victoria,
nature-seekers will enjoy the magnificent 74-hectare
(183-acre) park, featuring attractive flowerbeds,
small lakes, playing and sport fields, cricket
pitch, lawn bowling greens, wading pool, petting
zoo and lawns that slope to the sea.
Visitors enjoy spectacular views of the Olympic
Mountains. Located on the boarder of the park
is "Mile Zero", starting point of the
Trans-Canada Highway! Beacon Hill Park was the
site of a village that had been inhabited for
thousands of years prior to the arrival of the
colonial settlers in the 1840s.
Free outdoor concerts and events are presented
at Beacon Hill Park from May to September, phone:
1-(250) 361-0361 |
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Chinatown |
| Designated as Canada’s first national historic
district and Canada’s third largest Chinatown,
Victoria’s Chinatown is steeped in history.
Once a ghetto for newcomers, picturesque Chinatown
is now a heritage area and robust commercial community,
an intriguing part of Victoria's past and present.
Visit the tiny shops and studios on Fan Tan Alley.
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Craigflower
Manor & Schoolhouse |
| This was one of Vancouver Island's first farming
communities, established in 1853 along Victoria's
Gorge Waterway to meet the Hudson's Bay Company's
obligations to Britain to support colonization.
On lands purchased from chiefs of the indigenous
aboriginal people, Kenneth McKenzie oversaw construction
of a self-sufficient settlement. The Kosapsom people
still harvest shellfish, salmon and herring from
the tidal waters that separate the Manor from the
Schoolhouse. Phone: 1-(250) 479-8053 |
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Emily
Carr House |
| With an architecture described as both "San
Francisco Victorian" and "English Gingerbread,"
all agree that Emily Carr House is on the must-see
list of Victoria's attractions. Centrally located
only four blocks from the Inner Harbour and the
Provincial Legislature, the house offers its visitors
a chance to gain an insight into Canada's first
-- and best known -- independent artist and writer.
Phone: 1-(250) 383-5843 |
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Empress
Hotel |
| Rising regally on the banks of Victoria's Inner
Harbor and representing the center of British Columbia's
Capital City, The Fairmont Empress has been completely
restored to her turn-of-the-century beauty. The
Fairmont Empress displays the grandeur of a bygone
era, her facilities and services meet the needs
of today's traveler. Phone: 1-(250) 384-8111 |
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Fisgard
Lighthouse |
| Canada's oldest West Coast lighthouse, built in
1860. Step inside a working lighthouse where you'll
find colourful artefacts and display panels about
shipwrecks and the lives that were saved. Phone: |
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Government
Street |
| Running past the Legistlature and in front of
the Empress Hotel, Govenment Street is in the Heart
of Downtown. Many shops and restaurants can be found
on it. |
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Helmcken
House |
| Now the oldest house in British Columbia on its
original site, and surrounded by all the attractions
and activity around Victoria's Inner Harbour, Helmcken
House offers you a fascinating glimpse into the
way life was lived over a hundred years ago. One
of the most intriguing collections you'll be able
to examine at Helmcken is the good doctor's original
19th century medical kit. Phone: 1-(250) 361-0021 |
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Inner-Harbour |
| Located in the hear of Victoria, the first stop
for most visitors to Victoria is the world famous
Inner Harbour. Walk the causeway and enjoy the talented
street performers and artists – from jugglers
to mimers, sketch artists to landscape masterpieces.
Music is in the air – from folk to classical,
eclectic to jazz, the sounds of the street performers
add a carnival atmosphere to this magical part of
the city. |
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Market
Square |
Market Square features a three-level complex on
nine adjoining heritage buildings, many of them
former hotels built in the 1880’s is now home
to over 40 different shops and restaurants surrounding
an inner courtyard.
Phone: 1-(250) 386-2441 |
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Point
Ellice House |
| Gold Rush Magistrate and Commissioner Peter O'Reilly
acquired Point Ellice House in 1867, and many among
Victoria's social elite gathered there. The flowers
in the luxuriant heritage gardens surrounding this
rambling Italianate home accurately reflect the
family's own notes about their Victorian favourites.
The property is like a verdant jewel amid the industries
and businesses along the Victoria waterfront. Phone:
1-(250) 380-6506 |
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Ross
Bay Cemetery |
| Ross Bay Cemetery (RBC) is not the oldest or the
largest cemetery in the province of British Columbia,
but it is perhaps the best example of a Victorian-era
romantic cemetery. Lots of well-known people are
buried here. RBC also has many well-preserved gravestones
that show the monument styles of the late nineteenth
and the twentieth centuries. From RBC’s opening
in 1873 until now, almost 28,000 people have been
buried in its 35,000 plots. Phone: 1-(250) 598-8870 |
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Thunderbird
Park |
| Located adjacent to the Royal BC Museum displays
an impressive collection of totem poles of the First
Nations of coastal British Columbia. |
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Trounce
Alley |
| A neat little alley between Government and Broad
street home to shops and a Tapas bar. |
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Victoria
Legislative Parliament Buildings |
Overlooking the Inner Harbour is the seat of
British Columbia’s Legislative buildings.
This increasable building is the quintessential
image of Victoria etched in the memory of all
who visit the city.
At night, 3,333 light bulbs adorn the building.
Take a free tour of the Legislative Buildings
and learn about provincial history and government.
Surrounded by 5 hectares (12 acres) of lawns,
gardens, fountains and statues of dignitaries.
The rooms have mosaic tile floors, stained-glass
windows, woodcarvings and murals.
Phone: 1-(250) 387-3046
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Wharf
Street |
| Running along the water front and past historic
sites such as Bastion Square and Chinatown, Wharf
Street is home to many restaurants, bars and shops. |
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