Mar
2011
Self Guided Tours
Tours of Craigdarroch Castle are self-guided, so you can spend as much time as you want enjoying Victoria’s legendary landmark.
On average, a tour of the Dunsmuir family home takes 45 minutes to an hour and there are volunteers throughout to assist you during your visit.
Flash photography is allowed and we even have I-Spy tours of the Castle for children so they will enjoy the attraction as much as you!
When you are finished take time to browse the Museum Gift Shop and relax in the Castle grounds before moving on to your next destination. If you need a taxi just ask, someone in the shop will be happy to call one for you.
For further information on your visit
Mar
2011
About Craigdarroch Castle…
Craigdarroch Castle is an example of a “bonanza castle”, massive houses built for men who became wealthy because of the industrial transformation of North America. Three of Dunsmuir’s American business associates were railroad entrepreneurs who had built their own bonanza castles: Collis P. Huntington, Leland Stanford, and Charles Crocker.
Dunsmuir’s American connections are reflected in the Castle itself. He commissioned architect Warren Heywood Williams of Portland, Oregon to design Craigdarroch. When Williams died, Arthur L. Smith (a member of the same firm) completed the project with assistance from Williams’ son, David L. Williams.
The interior oak panelling was fabricated by the A.H. Andrews Co. of Chicago from white oak probably felled on land owned by the subsidiary Andrews Lumber Company in Arkansas. These pre-fabricated
Mar
2011
Be a Tourist in your own town…
Save with Be A Tourist In Your Own Home Town!
Craigdarroch was built between 1887-1890 for Robert Dunsmuir, a Scottish immigrant who made his fortune from Vancouver Island coal.
This legendary Victorian mansion, built on a hill overlooking the City of Victoria (Craigdarroch means “rocky, oak place” in Gaelic) announced to the world that Robert Dunsmuir was the richest and most important man in Western Canada. He died in 1889 leaving his entire estate to his wife Joan who lived in the Castle until her death in 1908. The immense fortune of the Dunsmuir family is reflected in the four floors of exquisite stained glass windows, intricate woodwork and fabulous Victorian era furnishings.
Once you’ve entered the circular room at the main entrance and paid your