Craigdarroch Castle

There are beautiful sights throughout British Columbia, and one of the most unique is located in Victoria, on Vancouver Island. The Craigdarroch Castle, a Victorian-era mansion and National Historic Site of Canada, offers a full Victorian experience as a massive home built during the Industrial Age.

About Craigdarroch Castle

The Craigdarroch Castle was a “bonanza castle” from a unique era in Victoria’s history. As a status symbol for the wealthy elite, these types of mansions were custom-designed to showcase the fortune of the owner. While the Craigdarroch Castle has changed hands many times over the years, today it functions as a museum and historical landmark of Canada.

Visiting Craigdarroch Castle

Craigdarroch Castle is open to the public for self-guided tours that take about an hour. Open daily year-round, with extended hours in summer, the museum also features a 1913 fully-renovated home that functions as a visitor center and gift shop.

History

Built in Scottish Baronial style, the Craigdarroch Castle was designed to be the family home of coal baron Robert Dunsmuir in the late 1800s. Dunsmuir, and his wife Joan, were Scottish immigrants that made their fortune through coal found on Vancouver Island, and Craigdarroch Castle was built to showcase their extraordinary wealth.

Dunsmuir passed away before the construction on the home was complete, and the project was taken over by his two sons. When Joan Dunsmuir died, the estate was subdivided into lots by a man named Griffith Hughes, who held a raffle where the winner got ownership of the home. The winner of the raffle, Solomon Cameron, quickly fell into bankruptcy, and the Craigdarroch Castle was taken by his creditors.
Since that point, the estate has served a number of purposes as a school, hospital, conservatory, and more. In 1979, it was turned into a historical museum, and it’s now owned by the Craigdarroch Castle Historical Museum Society.

Interesting Facts

As an incredible example of wealth at the turn of the century, Craigdarroch Castle is a relic of a historic time in Victoria. The expansive mansion and estate are restored with lavish furnishings, art, and stained glass, making it a fascinating place to explore on your trip to Vancouver Island.

• The elaborate detail of the mansion came with a price tag of $500,000, and it featured granite, oak, and tile imported in from British Columbia, San Francisco, and Chicago.
• With 39 rooms and more than 25,000 square feet, Craigdarroch Castle is known for its incredible design details, including woodwork and stained-glass that has been documented by the Institute for Stained Glass in Canada.
• The original mansion estate consisted of 28 acres of formal gardens that was within the Rockland neighborhood of Victoria.
• Due it is landmark status, Craigdarroch Castle became a National Historic Site of Canada in 1992, and it attracts more than 150,000 visitors every year.
• James, the son of the original owner Robert Dunsmuir, was also responsible for the commissioning of Hatley Castle in Colwood, BC—called Victoria’s “second castle”.
• There have been six major occupants in the Craigdarroch Castle since 1890, including the Dunsmuirs, a military hospital, Victoria College, Victoria School Board Office, Victoria Conservatory of Music, and finally, the Craigdarroch Castle museum.

Points of Interest

Once a dream of one of the richest families in Victoria, Craigdarroch Castle is now an impressive example of the Victorian era and the influence of Scottish-inspired architecture in early British Columbia. With period exhibits, incredible stained-glass art, and stunning grounds to explore, this mansion museum is the perfect place to spend your afternoon.