From The Fairmont Empress Best Nearby Family Friendly (Attractions & Activities) (10 Overall Closest) Metro: Victoria, BC Miniature World (Attractions & Activities - Family Friendly) 649 Humboldt St The Fairmont Empress Hotel, Victoria  BC  V8W 1A7 • 250-385-9731 Distance: ~151 m         Description: INNER HARBOUR. If you happen to be in Victoria during one of its rainy spells, this is the ideal attraction to visit. Spend a couple of hours examining dozens of tiny exhibits depicting scenes from all over the globe. You'll visit the Great Canadian Railway, European castles, Olde London Towne of 1670, outer space, the Canadian frontier, and the Swiss Family Robinson tree house. There's also an array of intricately decorated dollhouses, and the world's smallest operational sawmill. Imagine how much space these exhibits would require if they were life-size! Royal British Columbia Museum (Attractions & Activities - Family Friendly) 675 Belleville St, Victoria  BC  V8W 9W2 • 250-356-7226 • 888-447-7977 Distance: ~222 m User Rating: 7.6666 / 10         Description: DOWNTOWN. This is one of Victoria's premier attractions, and Canada's most visited museum, dedicated to teaching about the land and people of coastal British Columbia. The Natural History gallery presents BC's coastal and rainforest ecosystems from the ice age to the present, the Modern History gallery features a real frontier town and the excellent First People's gallery houses native art and artifacts including an authentic longhouse. The IMAX theatre shows National Geographic films. Victoria Bug Zoo (Attractions & Activities - Family Friendly) 631 Courtney St, Victoria  BC  V8W 1T7 • 250-384-2847 Distance: ~257 m User Rating: 9 / 10         Description: DOWNTOWN. Love bugs? This museum has over 30 species of insects and arachnids including live scorpions, tarantulas, beetles and grasshoppers. The tour guides will even let you hold some of the gentler insects on display. After your tour be sure to stop in the gift shop for some honey or, for the brave at heart, edible insect snacks. Craigflower Manor and Schoolhouse (Attractions & Activities - Family Friendly) 110 Island Hwy Craigflower Rd and Admirals Rd, Victoria  BC  V9B 1M5 • 250-383-4627 Distance: ~5.453 km         Description: VIEW ROYAL. This early farming community was organized by a subsidiary of the Hudson's Bay Company to transform the area into a permanent settlement and to reduce the need for imports from abroad. Established in 1853 along the Victoria Gorge Waterway on the lands of the Kosapsom Nation, ancient artifacts have been found dating back 2500 years. The Georgian manor house was built in 1856 and is decorated to teach about the life of its residents circa 1860. The adjacent school is the oldest standing school building in western Canada. Youngsters enjoy the reenactments of the educational process during the Victorian age. Fort Rodd Hill & Fisgard Lighthouse National Historic Site (Attractions & Activities - Family Friendly) 603 Fort Rodd Hill Rd, Victoria  BC  V9C 2W8 • 250-478-5849 Distance: ~6.330 km         Description: COLWOOD. Fisgard Lighthouse has been in operation since 1860, though the beacon is now automated. Several floors in the restored lighthouse recount the tales of its keepers, and the over 2000 shipwrecks that have given this area its nickname, "The Graveyard of the Pacific." Fort Rodd Hill is so close that the shock from the coastal artillery's guns once blew out all of the lighthouse's windows. The fort was constructed in the 1890s and historic film footage and artifacts bring its storied past back to life. Thanks to beautiful mountain views and tidal pools for the young ones to explore, this is a great place to have a picnic after a morning of sightseeing. Glendale Gardens and Woodland (Attractions & Activities - Family Friendly) 505 Quayle Rd Horticulture Centre of the Pacific, Victoria  BC  V9E 2J7 • 250-479-6162 Distance: ~9.966 km         Description: ELK LAKE / CORDOVA BAY. A registered non-profit organization, the HCP manages acres of demonstration gardens and greenspace in addition to an accredited university, the Pacific Horticulture College. The site is comprised of about 100 acres, but only about five acres are cultivated. Themed gardens include a Children's Garden, drought tolerant plants, a rose garden, a rhododendron and hosta plot, the well-known Takata Japanese Garden, and vegetable and fruit gardens. Many of the individual gardens are cared for by students and local gardening clubs. Hatley Park (Attractions & Activities - Family Friendly) 2005 Sooke Rd Royal Roads University, Victoria  BC  V8S 3L5 • 250-391-2666 • 866-241-0674 Distance: ~11.152 km         Description: COLWOOD. Hatley Park is Canada's largest National Historic Site. It originated as a 565-acre Edwardian estate built for local coal baron James Dunsmuir. Today the grounds encompass the original mansion, a 1914 Lord and Burnham greenhouse, carefully preserved old-growth forest, miles of trails, a university, and several acres of manicured gardens. Among the latter are spectacular Japanese, Rose and Italian gardens. Access to about 95% of the grounds is free, but guests must pay an admission fee to visit the gardens, museum, mansion and surrounding grounds. (Admission varies seasonally.) Royal Roads University is the tenant and maintains and oversees the daily workings of the estate. Heritage Acres (Attractions & Activities - Family Friendly) 7321 Lochside Dr (Saanich Historical Artifacts Society), Saanichton  BC  V8M 1W4 • 250-652-5522 Distance: ~13.129 km         Description: ELK LAKE / CORDOVA BAY. A 29-acre site devoted to the display of the Saanich Historical Artifacts Society's massive collection, Heritage Acres also includes numerous trails and picnic spots. Original and replica buildings (including a school house, log cabin, blacksmith, mercantile, chapel, boat house and sawmill) depict BC life circa 1900. Artifacts range from small household items to farm machinery; some are housed in the museum building, others are scattered around the property. Sharing the land is the Vancouver Island Model Engineers Club which occasionally offers rides on their scale model trains (call ahead to get the current schedule). Victoria Butterfly Gardens (Attractions & Activities - Family Friendly) 1461 Benvenuto Ave Brentwood Bay, Victoria  BC  V8M 1R3 • 250-652-3822 • 877-722-0272 Distance: ~16.975 km         Description: BRENTWOOD BAY. Hundreds of colorful butterflies and moths flutter freely through this tropical greenhouse. The Garden provides an identification chart, and then allows visitors to explore on their own. Naturalists are also available to explain butterfly biology, and a display area shows the butterflies emerging from their chrysalises. Here you can view the largest moth in the world; the Southeast Asian Giant Atlas moth may have a wingspan of nearly one foot! A restaurant and gift shop are available on-site. Quw'utsun' Cultural and Conference Centre (Attractions & Activities - Family Friendly) 200 Cowichan Wy, Duncan  BC  V9L 6P4 • 250-746-8119 • 877-746-8119 Distance: ~46.266 km         Description: DUNCAN. If you're interested in Native American art and culture, you'll definitely want to plan a trip up to Duncan to visit the Quw'utsun' Cultural Centre. On the premises is the Khenipsen Artisan Centre, the largest carving house in the world, where you can watch a totem being carved and even try your hand at creating your own. There are exhibits throughout the six-acre property, and guests are welcome to stroll the grounds. Be sure to visit the Riverwalk Café to sample traditional Native foods, and the gift shop. The Quw'utsun' people knit fabulously beautiful (and warm!) wool sweaters, and this is the perfect place to pick one up. Copyright ©2001 10Best Inc. All rights reserved.