Best Arts and Culture Places in Victoria

"Emily Carr, the only female artist of the famed Canadian Group of Seven, was born here in Victoria BC in 1871 – the same year BC joined the confederation. Emily’s birth place and childhood home is both a National and Provincial Historic Site and represents a significant Victoria landmark. The house is an interpretive centre that is open to the public and comprises a selection of her paintings and literature."

"The birthplace of BC's best-known painter, this bright-yellow gingerbread-style house has plenty of period rooms, plus displays on the artist's life and career. There are changing displays of local contemporary..."

"The birthplace and home of renowned Victoria artist, Emily Carr. Still decorated as it would have been at Emily’s birth in 1871. Come and enjoy a tour of the house and a stroll through the impressive gardens."

"​Become inspired and visit the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria—British Columbia’s largest public collection of art. Located in the historic Rockland neighbourhood, and nearby the famous Craigdarroch Castle, the Gallery houses over 20,000 pieces of historical and contemporary art and contains a renowned collection of Asian art and artifacts. Just as stunning as the artwork is the 1889 Spencer Mansion that serves as an exhibition space and mini-museum for the Spencer family’s former home."

"One of Canada’s finest art galleries is home to nationally important Oriental, European, Canadian and Inuit art collectors. The Gallery has a permanent display of works by Victoria’s renowned artist, Emily Carr. Opened in 1951 as a result of Sara Spencer’s donation of the Spencer Mansion, the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria offers exhibits of all sorts, year round."

"Granted, it's not the Louvre, or even Vancouver Art Gallery for that matter, but this east-of-downtown art nook does harbor one of Canada's best Emily Carr collections. Aside from the Victoria-born painter's..."

"Colonizing part of the Inner Harbour's landmark Steamship Terminal building, this gallery showcases the photo-realistic work of Canada's most celebrated nature painter, the eponymous Bateman, along with a..."

"Opened in 2013 in a historic waterfront structure, this small but impressive gallery displays more than 100 works—from etchings to…"

"Fine art dealers of Canadian, American and international art. For over 35 years, Winchester Galleries has held important exhibitions and built private collections for clients in Canada and worldwide."

"Madrona Gallery is a contemporary and historic fine art gallery located in downtown Victoria. The gallery exhibits work from Canadian Masters such as Emily Carr, the Group of Seven, J.W. Morrice, E. J Hughes and their contemporaries; art from established and emerging Canadian artists. The gallery also exhibits a world-class collection of Inuit carvings, drawings and prints."

"West End Gallery is a family owned and operated art gallery, specializing in Canadian art since 1975, in Victoria BC."

"Alcheringa is an Aboriginal Australian word for the Dreamtime, the mythical time of creation, when the world and all living creatures were sung into existence. The mandate of the gallery is to create a following for the work of individual aboriginal artists in the fine art market in Canada and abroad."

"This is a hard restaurant to find (and talk about), but it’s worth the search. Hidden away inside the courtyard at Broughton and Douglas, Nowhere * A restaurant focuses on sustainable seafood and plant-forward dishes, using Victoria’s proximity to the ocean as a way to experiment with unique ingredients. But their meat dishes are sumptuous as well — just check out this photo of dry-aged beef with pecorino fiore sardo cheese-stuffed pasta and fresh greens!"

"Husband got the wrong order but it was still good - didn't say anything to server about mix up. Overall the food was really good. Julie was the only server…”more"

"Cora was established in 1987 and serves us daily breakfasts with a unique and delicious twist; and you’ll never leave there hungry. Cora’s featured dishes are the Paul Wants It All, which is two eggs, bacon and potatoes served with half a waffle garnished with fresh fruit and English cream Cora-style, as well as their signature lattes."

"Cora is an all-day breakfast chain that has been popular across Canada for over ten years. Their downtown location is, therefore, a fantastic choice for brunch in Victoria. They have a vast menu of delicious and healthy breakfast options."

"Vancouver skyline at sunset as seen from Stanley Park, British Columbia, Canada|© Canadastock / Shutterstock. Ithaka, a family-run restaurant serving up authentic Greek fare, is one of Victoria’s most famed eateries. Meals begin with bread, olive oil and balsamic vinegar on the table, and for a standard Greek appetiser, go for the saganaki opa — kefalograviera cheese flambéed at the table with metaxa brandy."

"The authentic food and atmosphere by Mama Maria makes you feel like you're part of the family and gone to Greece, and the staff absolutely charmed all the kids at our table. They sang and danced which made for one of the most entertaining and fun dinners out with the family in quite some time."

"This is an absolute MUST SEE. If there was only one park on this list that you're going to check out, this is the one. Filled with whimsical sea creatures including the "Cadborosaurus", they are so fun for the kids to climb on. But that's not all this playground has..."

"Even though they were really busy and seemed a couple hands short they got my food out quickly and worked with a smile!"

"Along the long shoreline of Sidney, this 2.5 km (1.5 mi) ‘Heart Smart Walk’ offers both locals and tourists a chance to explore the piers, jetties, parks, playgrounds, cafes, bars, restaurants, and distilleries around which offers panoramic views of the Gulf Islands and Salish Sea. This park is solely dedicated to the walkers and is where they can either walk their bike or opt for a faster activity through skating or skateboarding. As you stroll around this beautiful park, learn a bit of history regarding US and Canada territorial conflicts and their peaceful resolutions."

"Towards the back of the field along Montreal St is the Toddler Park (pictured above). This is completely gated in (have I mentioned that I love fenced in parks) and there is plenty of things to let the imagination run wild. I know lots of moms who consider this one of the best parks in Victoria."