Activities in Victoria and Vancouver Island
Butchart Gardens
Address 800 Benvenuto Avenue, Brentwood Bay, BC, Canada Map, Website
A trip to the Butchart Gardens is classic part of any Victoria trip. In summertime, the garden is a riot of colors, and though your kids might not appreciate the blooms, I'm betting that they'll love the opportunity to stretch their legs. For ideas about what to do here with kids after you've ridden the carousel, check out the gardens' kids guide. more
Miniature World
Address 649 Humboldt St. Victoria B.C. V8W 1A7 Map, Tel (250) 385-9731 Call, Location in the Fairmont Empress hotel through a separate entrance Website
It's true, unless you are an aficionado of miniatures, you'd probably never set foot in Miniature World without kids in tow. That said, my kids were so entranced by the obsessive details of the displays that they asked to visit twice, and I'll admit that I enjoyed the journey through history (in small scale) and the opportunity to explain different historical events to the kids. more
Pastry Apprentice Program at the Fairmont Empress
Address 721 Government Street, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, V8W1W5 Map, Tel 250 389 2727 Call, Website
Call ahead for dates and details about the Fairmont Empress Hotel's Pastry Apprentice Program for kids. With any luck, you'll be able to drop your child off for a few hours to make sweets (which they'll bring home to you) while you have free time with your spouse. more
Royal BC Museum
Address 675 Belleville Street, Victoria, BC Map, Tel 250-387-2101 Call, Website
This excellent museum was one of the highlights of our trip to Victoria. Start on the top floor with the First People's exhibit. Models and artifacts help make this part of the exhibit engaging for kids, and even if you're already familiar with the history of the native people living in BC, you'll find it interesting too. Continue on to the modern history exhibits, where displays show what Victoria life was like during the gold rush, and in the era when you were a kid. The hilight here, for my kids, was a chance to sit in a theatre and watch a Charlie Chaplin movie, and to pan for "gold." When your kids' attention span starts to wane, you'll want to head down to the ground floor and watch one the large selection of IMAX movies (check showtimes and buy tickets when you enter). more
Victoria Butterfly Gardens
Address 1461 Benvenuto Ave, Brentwood Bay, BC V8M 1R3 Map, Tel 250-652-3822 Call, Website
This butterfly garden makes a cozy escape from a wet or windy day. The 12,000 sq ft enclosure is home to approximately 3000 butterflies, meaning that even at kid-height there's lots to see! more
WildPlay West Shore Victoria
Address 1767 Island Highway, Victoria, BC V9B 1J1, Canada Map, Tel 250-590-7529 Call, Website
There's tons of evidence that today's uber safe playgrounds don't provide kids the mental and physical challenge they need. If you have a kid who really loves to move his or her body, WildPlay might be a great adventure. It is located about 15 minutes from downtown Victoria, in the midst of a natural setting. Kids are guided through challenging courses that can include ziplines, rope swings, bungy jumps and more. Picnic grounds and barbecues are available if you want to turn this in to a half day outing. (ages 7+) more
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Royal British Columbia Museum
Address Royal BC Museum 675 Belleville Street Victoria, BC Canada V8W 9W2 Map, Tel 250-356-7226 or 1-888-447-7977 Call, Website
Located in the center of downtown, the Museum is an excellent place to take kids, particularly if you happen to be in town on one of our grey and rainy days. It is a small museum compared to those you might find in larger cities, but it has great kid appeal. My 2.5 year old daughter LOVES the permanent exhibits that they have, but her favorite part about going to the museum is that she always meets a friend while she is there. We have a family season pass and we regularly meet many other families that do the same. more
Victoria Bug Zoo
Address 631 Courtney St, Victoria, BC V8W 1B8 Map, Tel (250) 384-BUGS Call, Website
This small "zoo" is located in the heart of Victoria, not far from the Empress Hotel. The zoo is toddler scale, just two rooms, but with such small creatures on display, there's plenty to see. Tour guides are especially helpful and will let you hold many of the insects. I never thought I'd say this about a Bug Zoo, but this was one of the kids' hilights of their trip to Victoria. more
