Craigdarroch Castle

Where can I find a copy of the novel Dunsmuer saga?

Our tour guide Olivia took us throughout the Castle. She knew everything you could imagine, including fielding a tongue in cheek question I asked, «where did the wood trim come from?». She knew the answer. Going through the mansion with an excellent tour guide made our day! Thanks so much, Olivia! You must’ve done the tour a million times, but you made us feel like you loved having us as your guests!

What a really cool historic home… it’s a great blend between a castle and a mansion. Walking away I have to admit feeling completely charmed by all the stained glass windows and also feeling really sad about the Dunsmuir family.
Inside you can learn all about Scottish influences in the home’s architecture and also come to know the family as they emigrated to Canada and became rich. It’s crazy how mental issues and alcoholism follow the footsteps of the wealthy. As you will see, some of the Craigdarroch survivors really thrived and others probably could write novels of their struggles.
They do a great job explaining more about the family and other historical anecdotes in the ‘pink’ room near the resting area. (Handy if you have little ones or you just need a break from all the stairs). The castle is a bit like a maze and there’s a lot of vertical climb. (It’s not that bad, really).
Some of the rooms are rather dark. Others shine brightly with stained glass windows dancing off the wood paneling. Very luxurious for the time! I’m sad that the school kids tore this place up a bit when it was converted years ago. But they’ve done a great job restoring things. All the attendants are knowledgeable and let you look around at your own pace depending if you want to stand and listen more or just want to walk around.
Be sure to place your foot on the crazy cleaning machine at the entrance. I thought some sort of sole monster was going to reach out and snap at my feet or that I’d get eaten alive. But it’s totally harmless. Promise.

Beautiful inside and out! Very interesting to learn about the family and the history of the castle. I would highly recommend!

My husband and I took the time to read everything and found it quite interesting. Being it was not busy the volunteers were very good to come talk to you and tell you about the castle and the Dunsmiers. there was a grand piano you were slowed to play, and of course everything else was artifacts so not allowed to touch ! It was a decent walk from downtown, but certainly not a big deal. I believe it was 6 city blocks /​30 min walk?

We walked here from downtown Victoria… Not too far at all.
We did the self guided tour, you get a map and each room has displays for you to read. Each room is decorated perfectly to take you back in time and make you wonder what it would’ve been like to live in such a beautiful home.
Lots of history about the family that the castle was originally built for as well as multiple other uses the castle has served for.
Lots of stairs, I don’t think there’s any handicapped access. They requested that you not touch anything other than the handrails to help preserve the castle. Some of the rooms are still in the process of being restored to what they think the original looked like. If you bring a backpack, you have to check it at the front desk or wear it on your front – not sure what that was about. But it’s free to check your bag at the front desk, no biggie. No selfie sticks… I saw a girl get scolded. They said he because people might accidentally scratch things with it. Fair enough.
We visited in the winter and it was raining. I can only imagine how beautiful it would be in the summer! There’s a grassy area out side with benches and lots of space for picnics and just hanging out.

This is a well funded historic house. Beautiful. Can spend 1 hour to all day enjoying the restored property.

What a wonderful step back into the 1800’s! It’s fascinating walking through this enchanting castle knowing that you are in the same room that was once used as a maids quarters, a ballroom and a dining hall to one of the richest families in Canada!
The woodwork and stained glass is amazing and alone worth the trip!

If you’re into touring old homes and learning some history, this is a great place to visit. The Craigdarroch Castle tour is a self-​guided tour which, depending on how quickly you move & how much you want to learn, can last 30 minutes to over an hour. I took the time to read all the information plaques & because of time did not opt for the short film they show on the 2^nd floor & I got through the tour in about 45 minutes. The society has done a great job of preserving the history of the home & using both original & era-​themed items to stage the house. Along with the history of the original family that occupied this home, an interesting tidbit I learned was that the 1994 film «Little Women» filmed a few scenes in this home.

If you like beautiful «antiquey» rooms and super luxurious wood work and details, you will love this place. It really isn’t a castle but who would drive/​walk to see a house marketing as a house that a rich guy lived in…
The spiral staircases (there are two) are gorgeous. Make sure you take the smaller staircase down as there is a whole other side to the castle to see and you don’t want to miss it!
The second floor shows a movie all about the castle, watch it! It gives you really good info on the castle and you will better understand the placards.
The staging makes you feel like you can feel who lived in each room. They are done so well and I love experiencing things through the eyes of the people that were there. You feel like you are walking into each room and can see how each person lived.
There are no heels/​strollers/​pets allowed. There are no water fountains, but you can drink the bathroom water.
Ramble done. Enjoy!

Another stumble upon find. I saw this marker on a map that says castle. I love old architecture so had to check this out.
A four story large stone home built by coal baron Robert Dunsmuir in the late 1890’s. The gentleman had Irish ancestry so he modeled the home after some castles from Ireland. All stone exterior with incredible rich dark wood interior. You have to love how the old school millionaires had well built large estates that exude craftsmanship and luxury.
The castle has been used as a military hospital and a music college. And is in the midst of renovations. The first floor is complete and looks fabulous. Other floors are still being worked on. I hate it when beautiful wood is destroyed by graffiti and misuse. But this is still a great spot to take a couple of hours and enjoy a leisurely self guided tour. It’s a unique tour in that you always turn to your right and see the rooms in a counter clockwise pattern and then go up the stairs and do it again on all four floors. Now you have seen half of the house. Cross over at the top and stay on the right turn pattern and go down four different flights of stairs to see the other half of the castle. Ingenious because it kept the flow going and with a large tur group in front of us we were never crowded.
Pay with US dollars you will get Canadian change. Use credit and pay the exact amount.

Came here with a friend on a sunny day. Even though I forgot to bring my student ID I still received discount, which I’m grateful for. Had my boots cleaned and staff was very nice and welcoming.
There were many boards with historical information but it did not take away from the visuals of each room, and since the castle is so small it does not take much effort to go up to the top, visit the gift shop, and exit.
Spent leisurely hour and I especially liked the stained glass windows and wooden decorations. View outside from the top floor was most memorable. I’m surprised the castle had been utilized for military and educational purposes, it sure has created memory for many people and continue to do so.

It’s more of a big mansion house instead of a castle that was built for a family to live in. This museum is supposedly a tourist attraction which is located in the neighborhood. Yes, it is a nice piece of architecture and there are some nice historic furniture.
I don’t remember but there is an entrance fee I think about $ 15/​person. Depends on you if it’s worth it or not. Interior is very clean, lots of stairs to climb up but nothing special; pretty much like a house.
There is a lawn area in the back where i just relaxed and got a full view of the ‘castle’. Had a small break exploring so just stopped by on a whim. Not really worth it in my opinion but if you are the type who like old historic buildings, this might be for you. Maybe i’m just disappointed it wasn’t like those big castle to fulfill my childhood dreams.

Came up with the family and had a fun time exploring and climbing the different levels of the house. Though it’s technically not, its still an interesting place to learn about. The main spiral staircase is especially nice and makes for a great photo. The staff are nice and its definitely a spot worth checking out.

This was a very interesting stop and I’m glad we made the effort. The history, architecture and tour were so informative, I heartily recommend checking it out while in Victoria!

Take a walk through time in this beautiful castle. I would really call it more of a home then castle. It has two sides, one for the family and other the workers. It reminds me of a simpler time. The castle is 4 stories tall. Bedrooms scattered between floors, picturesque stairway, a bathroom that takes you back to elementary days. This home was at one point converted into a school. Along the hallways are carvings of students names in the wood. I loved the game room and the dance hall on the top floor.
When visiting, I would skip the big price tag associated with the cruise line (if that’s how you got here). Take a taxi or bus and the entrance fee is about $ 11 U.S. versus the cruise ships $ 50+. I walked here but I’m young and adventurous. Actually, I just didn’t want to hassle with exchanging money into Canadian (it was my last day.) The staff is very friendly and eager to answer any questions or provide more detail. You can’t bring in strollers/​wheel chairs, lg backpacks must be worn on the front, or leave items at front. We forgot a hat and they were kind enough to ship it back to us.

It’s a beautiful castle that was part of a tour we were on through CVS. It’s self guided and while the place is in great condition, I would certainly never go there if it hadn’t been part of the tour. It’s getting 3 stars because they had free wifi so folks from the US really appreciate that. Also, those on tours will have to walk a little distance as shuttle buses aren’t allowed to drive up to the castle because apparently it pisses off the neighbors according to our tour guide even though some people on the tour were disabled.

This was part of a shore excursion that we paid for through our cruise line and it certainly was not worth it for the money we spent! It was $ 55.95 which included a tour of Victoria’s expensive homes, overview of the city including driving by the Empress Hotel and a visit to the Craigdarroch Castle. The castle is not really a castle, more like an old mansion by the Dunsmuir Family (their son, built a house in Oakland, CA called the Dunsmuir House).
Part of the reason we chose this excursion was because it was at night when our cruise ship arrived but in hindsight, I would have liked to visit other parts of the city. The castle has gone through many lives, from being the house of the Dunsmuirs, to becoming a military hospital, to becoming a college, school board, conservatory of music and then a museum.
When you enter, they have you clean your shoes on a machine and have you wear your backpack and purses in front of you. There are no elevators so you must climb the many stairs to visit all the rooms and get to the top for a view. They do have restrooms for men and women. The place is very warm and stuffy so wear light clothing inside.

I’ve always wanted to visit Hatley Castle. But since I was coming off a cruise ship and had a limited amount of time, I figured we could check out Craigdarroch Castle instead. It’s actually a ways out, but since we were strolling through Victoria, we decided to walk there.
The castle itself is on the smaller side. If you’re looking for a huge grandiose castle, I’d say skip Craigdarroch. This will seem very modest in size. Admission was around $ 14 each. Since the castle was so small, we decided to skip the tour inside. But we spent a good amount of time walking the grounds and taking pictures.
On the way back from the castle, we decided to take the bus instead of a cab since we had a group of 5. The walk really is a little further than a leisurely stroll, so if you don’t like walking, just take a cab here and back.

I’ve visited Victoria about 5 times & never heard of this place. On my last visit, my bf wanted to see Craigdarroch Castle because it was listed as a top 10 must see in his guidebook. I didn’t look into any details bc this was his thing.
Well, upon arrival, I realized that this is NOT A CASTLE — meaning no royalty ever lived there — it’s a rich dude’s mansion with castle in the name. I’ve travelled throughout Europe & visited true castles which are magnificent so this was a total disappointment. Even another faux castle — Hearst «Castle» is more worthwhile if you’re in that area of California.
We both agreed that Craigdarroch Castle was not worth the time, effort to get there (by bus because a long walk from the Inner Harbor) or $ to visit. If you have loads of time to kill & $ to spend then give it a go, otherwise skip.
TIP: There are lots & lots of stairs so be prepared with the appropriate shoes & be able bodied. May not be good for kids or people with mobility issues. Definitely no baby strollers.