 Craigflower Manor
BC Heritage photo
Victoria was founded in 1843 as a Hudson's Bay Company trading post. Victoria's early history has been carefully preserved and can be seen in lovingly restored residential, commercial and public buildings.
Victoria is the most "British" of all cities in Canada and boasts prominent reminders of its colonial past: elegant Victorian and Edwardian-era mansions, stately hotels and impressive architecture around every corner.
Victoria's historic sites include National Heritage Sites, renowned architecture, historic neighbourhoods and First Nations displays.
The Victoria Visitor Centre has information and brochures that highlight local historic sites, tours and events.
Learn more about Victoria's Culture and History, Museums, and Aboriginal & Cultural experiences. Canada's Oldest Chinatown
One of Victoria's most popular attractions is its historic Chinatown, at one time the second-largest in North America. During the late 1800's it held the largest Chinese community in Canada, with many residents working in BC's gold fields, and then building the Canadian Pacific Railway.
Today visitors can enter this historic district through the Gates of Harmonious Interest, built to honour and recognize the contribution of Chinese heritage to the city of Victoria. Walk - or squeeze - through Fan Tan Alley, Canada's narrowest street; explore the vegetable markets and holistic health practitioners or enjoy a traditional dim sum feast at one of the many restaurants.
Historic Buildings and Structures Victoria's most famous buildings are the majestic Fairmont Empress Hotel (completed in 1908) and the BC Parliament Buildings (built in 1898), both designed by renowned architect Francis Rattenbury.
Relive the stately elegance of times past with high tea at the Empress, a famous Victoria tradition, or stroll the expansive green lawns of the Parliament Buildings, a popular meeting place and picnic spot on Victoria's inner harbour.
Emily Carr House Local history buffs can tour through other notable Victoria buildings including Craigdarroch Castle, a lavish Edwardian-era mansion built for coal baron Robert Dunsmuir in the 1890's; Hatley Castle, a 40-room Edwardian mansion located in scenic Hatley Park and a National Historic Site; and Carr House, home to painter Emily Carr, one of Canada's most important artists.
Historic Walking Tours
Walk through Victoria's streets and neighbourhoods and learn the town's early history, when miners, sailors and prospectors flocked to the city and turned it into an instant boomtown. Even the street names take their origins from historical figures, places and events.
Walking tours of Victoria can follow specific, pre-planned routes highlighting different aspects of the city's history or informal, casual strolls through the downtown core. Don't want to walk? Try a guided city tour on an British-style double-decker bus, or slow down and smell the roses on a horse-drawn carriage ride.
Historic Neighbourhood Tours Self-guided walking tours provide a fascinating look at some of Victoria's historic houses and architecture. These houses range from classic Colonial Bungalows to Gothic, Queene Anne, Georgian, Tudor, Edwardian and Craftsman style homes.
Victoria boasts over 600 houses on its heritage register. Take a leisurely stroll though scenic neighbourhoods and admire houses dating from the mid-1800's to the present, including Helmcken House, the oldest house in BC. There are five designated walking tours, each tour taking approximately 1-2 hours.
Victoria's Maritime History Victoria's rich marine heritage is celebrated at Fort Rodd Hill and Fisgard Lighthouse, an 1890's coast artillery fort designed to protect Victoria and the nearby Esquimalt Naval Base from sea bound invaders. Wander through underground passages, guardhouses and barracks, or stare down the barrel of an ancient gun battery at imaginary seaborne invaders.
Fisgard Lighthouse, built in 1860, was the first permanent lighthouse on Canada's west coast. Now part of the Fort Rodd Hill and Fisgard Lighthouse National Historic Site, the lightkeepers home is now a converted museum.
The grounds surrounding Fort Rodd Hill offer visitors excellent sightseeing, wildlife viewing and bird watching opportunities, or as an ideal spot for an afternoon picnic.
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