As a Seattle resident and RBCM member, I keep coming back because the museum is spectacular. While…read moreI was very disappointed to see the Old Town exhibit (one of the most incredible I've ever seen) removed during the museum's "decolonization" process, I believe that part of the region's history could have been thoughtfully presented alongside First Nations stories and culture rather than taken away entirely (like it or not, they are intertwined, warts and all). I just don't get it. That said, the RBCM continues to hit curatorial home runs. Its exhibits are consistently imaginative, engaging, and beautifully designed--whoever leads their creative direction is a bloody genius.

My husband and I are from The States. We are in town visiting family. We visited the Royal BC…read moremuseum and were very impressed! Senior discounts. The displays told a story from the dinosaurs all the way to modern Victoria. Everything was so thought out and interesting. The museum also had a limited time Egyptian display that was fascinating with tombs, everyday utensils and personal items and other artifacts. A lot of information of what was believed to be the afterlife. Highly recommended!

Small museum. Not sure if it's totally worth it to go through as it could have been done in 15…read moreminutes. The volunteers were nice.

I made a visit to The Maritime Museum of British Columbia which is housed in an old building (1889)…read moreand showcases the rich maritime heritage of the Pacific Northwest on three levels. Each level is accessed by the center stairway (quite a climb!) or birdcage elevator, one of the oldest in North America. Exhibits illustrate exploration, pirates, whaling, fishing, shipwrecks, Royal Navy, BC Ferries, Coast Guard, and others. Displays include artwork, a great collection ship models, tools, equipment, engines, machinery, Naval uniforms, and other artifacts. On the third floor, there's a library and the Vice-Admiralty Court Room which also served as the Supreme Court of BC. Overall, the exhibits were informative and interesting and complemented my other visit to the larger Maritime Museum of the Atlantic in Halifax.(http://www.yelp.ca/biz/maritime-museum-of-the-atlantic-halifax) Allow 1-2 hours. Admission $10 adults/$5 children, paid in the gift shop. Non-flash photography is allowed at the museum. WEBSITE: http://mmbc.bc.ca/ *3.5 STARS*

I love learning about local culture and history when I travel. I saw this museum on the way to the…read morehotel where I was going to stay. After grabbing a coffee at a local establishment the following morning, I decided to check out the museum. It appeared rather small from the outside, but I was pleasantly surprised as I ventured inside. The front area is a gift shop with information on local tourist attractions. It is actually the museum and visitors center. I was amazed at the amount of merchandise they offered from books, pottery, art, jewelry, kid's items, puzzles, postcards, and more. As you meander towards the back, it opens up to an impressive array of local artifacts. I loved seeing the clothing, doctor's bag and tools, and daily utensils from bygone days. I took several pictures because it was so interesting. I hope you enjoy them. Outside is the lighthouse, or top of what used to be located on Triage Island. The first order Fresnel lens was installed in 1909. It was moved to the Sooke museum in 2004. There are several displays and exhibits outside of the main museum, however, a few of the buildings were closed at this time. If you live in the area, or just passing through, I highly recommend supporting this wonderful museum.

Great gift shop for presents and souvenir! What an interesting museum, many thanks for working so…read morehard to preserve a slice of history!

We actually saw the outside of this mansion/castle 2 summers ago on a city tour excursion from our…read morecruise ship. This summer, we were on a road trip and took the ferry across from Port Angeles to Victoria for a few hours. This was a perfect stop before lunch, and this time we did a self guided tour of the interior. Super friendly people work here. The ticket seller was very nice, the greeter inside the castle set us on our way, and even the souvenir shop lady was exceptionally nice. Maybe its just that they're Canadian? Or maybe they're just...nice. lol Be advised that there's a lot of stairs to tackle on this tour. This is a perfect place to see if you only have a few hours in Victoria. We took a cab from the ferry dock and back later. It was a short ride so not too expensive. Crowd wasn't tooo bad at the time we went in July.

I was here for Upstairs Downstairs a production from a local improv theater company. It was lovely…read more A whole bunch of fun in a beautiful castle!! Wow! This place is cool! I recommend a visit here if you can swing it. So nice! Lots of history of course. When it was built, the tower was the highest place anyone could stand in Victoria.

Miniature World has some truly impressive displays, and there were several miniatures that were…read moreincredibly detailed and beautifully crafted. It was clear that a lot of time and talent went into many of the exhibits. That said, the experience felt a bit inconsistent. Some areas were much more engaging than others, and a few of the displays didn't have the same level of detail. At times, multiple audio narrations were playing at once, which made it difficult to focus and became a little overwhelming. We also noticed that several of the interactive buttons and TV displays weren't working during our visit. For $19, I don't regret stopping by, but it just wasn't quite what I was expecting. For me, it's more of a one-time attraction than somewhere I'd visit again. If you enjoy miniature art and displays, it may be worth checking out, but it ultimately wasn't the right fit for my interests.

We had scoped out this as a place to stop with our 4 yr old. We walked over and her entry was free…read more She enjoyed all the buttons to push and the displays, the beginning part through "space" and all the castles and trains. We appreciated the stop. In general, I'm not sure if I would go out of my way to come back but with kids who like small things, trains, dioramas, it was worth doing! I think we were in and out in about an hour. I bet some kids could zoom through in less time (then maybe not worth the price?) and some kids might take 1.5-2 hours, so maybe try to gauge if you think its something you/your family would enjoy. Some displays had buttons that didn't work but for the most part if you looked or read the placard you could figure out what was going on.

Nice museum! It's only 30 min away from Victoria. They have a ton of airplanes and WWII…read morememorabilia. Lots of look through. The volunteers were really friendly and helpful.

This museum and its staff are true gems. We spent several delightful hours viewing vintage aircraft…read moreand memorabilia and learning about the fascinating history of British Columbia in aviation. There was something for everyone in our mixed group of: private pilot, airplane geek, and layperson, and the personal tour was wonderful.

A lovely and peaceful spot, the sunroom was a beautiful place to sit and enjoy a coffee while…read moreenjoying the serenity of the space and gardens. Enjoyed visiting this historic house and watching a video they offered on site. It's a very nostalgic place, definitely gives you a glimpse into history. They have a small gift shop/area where I was able to find a poster I'd been wanting. Thankful that this place is preserved, hope it stays exactly how it is.

Wish it was open this march! My son would have loved to go in. Outside was charming and location…read morewas super close to other attractions

A beautiful place to take a leisurely stroll and enjoy the pleasant smell of flowers and beautiful…read morediverse color variations of flowers. We came on a beautiful day with no rain and sunshine. It was hot but luckily we brought a hat. Very relaxing garden. Came here on vacation and took the ferry from Vancouver. Ate snacks on the boat as well as at the gardens. Pro Tip-make a reservation and buy tickets for the ferry and gardens at the same time. We made the mistake of showing up to the ferry and it being sold out. So we had to pivot our trip. We booked tickets for the ferry and Gardens for the following day and it worked perfectly.

It was a 45 mins drive from the cruise port to the garden. Luckily my friends are smart enough to…read moreuse the public transit route which cost us $6 and it dropped us off right at the entrance to Butchart garden. A short walk and we paid for the entrance which was approximately $45 pp. I think price is a bit steep for a self tour garden. I think it should've been $25-$30 pp but that's my opinion. There's no rides, no shows or attraction whatsoever beside the theme gardens. We entered and saw several souvenir shops and eatery and information desk. Further is the trail towards the flowers garden that lead us to the sunken garden a little to the left. The sunken garden is a beautiful sight from above and below complete with water fountains and pond. The beauty doesn't stop there. Further walk to the right outside of the sunken garden is the rose and dahlia garden. The dahlia is something else! I've never seen so many in quantity and so many variety in one place! Just gorgeous and they're huge! I tried to take photos with my hands for comparison. A little walk further is the Japanese garden and this is what I call serenity, peace, tranquility. It was so quiet except for the trickle of water and the pond. I can imagine meditating in the Japanese garden. At the end we walked through the English garden and stop at the eatery for their huge bowl of chili and a hot dog and refreshment. They do offer complimentary water fyi so bring your water decanter if you have it. I bought a Coke Zero instead Near the exit I stopped by their window garden which is like a greenhouse packed full of flowers. My only disappointment was that I was expecting to see a greenhouse of exotic, tropical flowers and plants. They have an abundance of flowers and plants but they were all common variety. Roses, dahlia, vinca, marigold etc... I was hoping to see tropical orchids, hibiscus, tropical bird of paradise, torch ginger, monstera deliciosa, passion fruit flowers etc... I was also hoping they have a fruit orchard but the only fruit tree I saw was apple tree.