Hatley Castle, located in Greater Victoria, Colwood is a Classified Federal Heritage Building. The plot of the castle and its surrounding garden was purchased in 1906 by a Scottish descent, James Dunsmuir. The famous architect Samuel Maclure designed the mansion which comes with 40 rooms. The mansion was designed in a Scottish baronial style, which was extremely popular back then and the construction was completed in 1908. Now, the area consists of a museum, university building, known as Royal Roads University, and a magnificent park. The castle becomes a popular site in Victoria, used for wedding receptions, movie shootings, and events like these. Hatley Castle or Hatley Castle and Gardens is now a National Historic Site of Canada.
There are three gardens, called the Italian, the Japanese, and the Rose Garden. The gardens cost an admission fee and they remain open to the public from 10:00 a.m. in the morning to 4:00 p.m. However, the museum only opens between May and October, from late Spring to the Fall. Guided tours for a few minutes are conducted at various intervals during this time. Hatley Castle, or more specifically the Hatley Castle and Gardens, is more famous not for its museum, but for the beautiful gardens. The Japanese Garden has trees that date back to 1908. The landscape, including twisted paths and the humped bridge along with water bowls and stone lanterns, make this place more beautiful. The Rose Garden is home to a wide range of roses. Last but not the least, the Italian Garden has a symmetrical layout that remains the same throughout the years.
By Bus: Visitors can take a Line 50 bus from Victoria Downtown (Douglas at King’s) to Goldstream at Sooke from where Hatley Castle is around 2 kilometers. The bus service operates every 20 minutes.
Total distance including the walk from the last stop is 13 kilometers and it will take around 45 minutes to reach the spot.
The total cost will be CA$2.50.
By Car: People can also take a car from Victoria to reach the site.
Distance is around 12.8 kilometers and it will take 15 minutes to reach Hatley Castle.
The total cost will be between CA$32 and CA$42.
For Gardens:
Sunday: 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Monday: 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Tuesday: 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Wednesday: 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Thursday: 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Friday: 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Saturday: 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
For Castle: Castle timings keep changing frequently and may even be closed for private events. Check website for latest updates.
Waiting Time
Yes
30 minutes to an hour depending on the queue to enter
Entrance Fee
Gardens: Free
Guided Tours in the castle:
CA$ 19 for Adults
CA$ 16 for Seniors
CA$ 11 for Youths (Ages 6 to 17)
Time you can spend
45 minutes to 1 hour
Weather
Be the first one to start a thread.
