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Point Ellice House Museum and Gardens

Point Ellice House Museum and Gardens is a house full of everything nostalgic to you. These objects could tell you stories about families, lives, and the community. As one of Victoria's oldest homes, Point Ellice House was built between 1861 and 1862 for Catherine and Charles Wallace. The house is located overlooking the scenic and historic Selkirk Water/Gorge Waterway, which gives it a good view.
The architects of the house, John Wright & George Sanders, chose an Italianate Villa-style design popular in the nineteenth century. The Point Ellice beautiful garden area is about two acres (0.8 hectares) with both vegetable and cut flowers in the southern portion of the gardens' property. There is also a small fruit orchard and a greenhouse. The south garden provided food and year-round flowers for the O'Reilly family; it was called the working garden for Point Ellice House.


Point Ellice House Museum and Gardens Location

Point Ellice House Museum and Gardens is located at 2616 Pleasant St, Victoria, Vancouver Island. There are three breweries around the house: Moon Under Water Brewpub, Ile Sauvage Brewing Co., and Distillery and Driftwood Brewery. It would be great visiting them and trying their products. You can find great restaurants in the area if you want to have a meal after visiting the house. Among them are Glo Restaurant + Lounge and Dairy Queen Grill & Chill. BoulderHouse Climbing is a climbing gym that is also close. Since the house is by Rock Bay, you can always walk along the water and relax.


How to Get to Point Ellice House Museum and Gardens by Car

From Victoria:
The fastest route from downtown Victoria to Point Ellice House Museum and Gardens is Government St and Bay St. It is 1.8 km (1.1 miles) and takes about 5 minutes.
Head west on Pandora Ave toward Government St and drive 99 m (324.8 ft). Turn right onto Government St, and after 800 m (2624.6 ft), turn left onto Bay St. Continue for 700 m (2296.5 ft) more and turn right onto Pleasant St. Destination will be on the left, and by going 180 m (590.5 ft), you will reach Point Ellice House Museum and Gardens.

From Nanaimo:
Getting to Point Ellice House Museum and Gardens from Nanaimo is via Trans-Canada Hwy/BC-1 S. It is 110 km (68.3 miles) and takes about an hour and 20 minutes.
Take Wallace St to Trans-Canada Hwy/BC-1 S for 550 m (1804.4 ft). Follow Trans-Canada Hwy/BC-1 S to Burnside Rd W in Saanich. Take the Burnside Rd exit from Trans-Canada Hwy/BC-1 S and drive 106 km (65.8 miles). Continue on Burnside Rd W and go to Pleasant St in Victoria. After 3.4 km (2.1 miles), you will reach Point Ellice House Museum and Gardens.


History of Point Ellice House Museum and Gardens

In 1863, Peter O'Reilly married Caroline Trutch, and a few years later, they moved into Point Ellice House in December 1867. In 1975, their descendant John and his wife Inez sold the house and its collections to the Province of British Columbia before that the house had been in the O'Reilly family's possession for 108 years.


Things to do around the Point Ellice House Museum and Gardens Area

Your best option is to head downtown; however if you decide to stick around, here are the activities that you can do. Go to one of the parks in the area, such as Selkirk Green Park and Topaz Park and have a picnic or a peaceful stroll. You can dine in many restaurants nearby, including some international ones like Szechuan City Restaurant & Buffet and Vietnam House Restaurant. A few grocery stores like Fairway Market, a department store, and Bed Bath & Beyond are close to the house, so browsing them would be a good way to spend time. You can visit The Canadian Scottish Regiment (Princess Mary's) Regimental Museum.

The Best Gardens Near Point Ellice House Museum and Gardens

Point Ellice House Museum and Gardens

Point Ellice House Museum and Gardens

Point Ellice House Museum and Gardens is a place for history enthusiasts and gardens and interior design lovers. It is a 19th-century Victorian home and garden full of everything nostalgic to you. As one of Victoria's oldest homes, it is located overlooking the scenic and historic Selkirk Water/Gorge Waterway. It includes vegetables, cut flowers, a small fruit orchard, and a greenhouse.

Abkhazi Garden

Abkhazi Garden

The exotic flora, Japanese Maples, native Garry oaks, splendid rhododendrons of Abkhazi Garden makes it a must to visit when you are in Victoria. Walking and frolicking through this peaceful garden is delightful, especially in the spring and summer, when the flowers are blooming. The pond is full of turtles and Koi, and there is a teahouse perfect for afternoon tea.

Finnerty Gardens

Finnerty Gardens

Finnerty Gardens is a woodland garden in Victoria. With more than 500 species, it has one of Canada's best and largest collections of rhododendrons. Finnerty Gardens has wide trails with lots of room for everyone, even on busy days. This botanical garden is open year-round, with paths, ponds, and benches but the best time to visit is May or April.

Victoria Butterfly Gardens

Victoria Butterfly Gardens

Did you get fascinated before by a beautiful place that makes you stand steel? The pleasure of watching colourful butterflies from various spices and other creatures in a beautiful garden, the smell which lifts your mood, and the fresh air all feel like you are in a dreamland. If you love walking through a tropical area and are tired of boring visits, don't skip Victoria Butterfly Gardens.

The Butchart Gardens

The Butchart Gardens

Visiting the Butchart Gardens is an outstanding experience that will be remembered for a lifetime. Being in a dreamy atmosphere where colours surround you would refresh your soul. This colourful display is a gem in Victoria, designated by the National Historic Sites of Canada, with a landscape of flowers, trees, grass, sculptures, and fountains.

Point Ellice House Museum and Gardens Activities

Hiking

The closest hiking area is Bridge Way, right on top of Beacon Hill Park. The park is 3.5 km (2.1 mi) to the southeast of the Point Ellice House Museum and Gardens.

Boating (motorized boat)

Hot Tub Boat Victoria is a boat rental service 1.9 km (1.1 mi) to the southeast of the Point Ellice House Museum and Gardens.

Fishing

Last Chance Fishing Adventures is 1.9 km (1.1 mi) away to the south. It is the closest spot for fishing.

Kayaking, Stand Up Paddling

Fairway Gorge Paddling Club is 1.1 km (0.68 mi) to the north and is the closest paddling spot.

Wildlife Viewing/ Bird Watching

Beacon Hill Park is a proper choice for wildlife viewing, or you can go whale watching.

Jetski

Sports Rent is a sports equipment rental service maybe you can find jet ski there. It is 1.4 km (0.8 mi) to the southeast.

Swimming

For swimming, the closest place is Crystal Pool & Fitness Centre, which is 1.8 km (1.9 mi) to the east at Central Park.

Sunbathing

One of the beautiful beaches for sunbathing is Esquimalt Lagoon, which is 12.6 km (7.8 mi) to the west.

Camping

Group campsites and Fort Victoria RV Park are some of the best campgrounds in the area.

What you Can Expect to Do Near Point Ellice House Museum and Gardens

Hiking on the Grass Lake Trail

Hiking on the Grass Lake Trail

Wear decent hiking boots for a moderate hiking trail near Sooke. It is not for the faint of heart, but it is an enjoyable trail that leads you to Grass Lake and featuring Monument Mountain makes it possible to have amazing views from the top. Doing the Grass Lake Trail overnight and camping by the lake turns it into a memorable trip. Enjoy the trail in warmer seasons and get a dip into the lake.

Hiking on Mount Manuel Quimper

Hiking on Mount Manuel Quimper

It is time to put your heart into hiking and step into a moderate multi-use trail with some great views along the way and on top. Mount Manuel Quimper has a beautiful summit worth the climb, which gives you excellent vistas of Sooke Harbour and a chance to visit one of the last fire lookouts left on the island.

Hiking on Mount Empress from Sooke Potholes via Mary Vine and Todd Creek Trails

Hiking on Mount Empress from Sooke Potholes via Mary Vine and Todd Creek Trails

Here is a highly recommended and well-marked trail for challenges enthusiasts. Hiking on Mount Empress from Sooke Potholes via Mary Vine and Todd Creek Trails offers you insane 360° views of the Sooke Basin, Victoria, and San Juan Islands.

Victoria Diving

Victoria Diving

Extraordinary opportunities to make your diving experience memorable in the heart of Greater Victoria, including high-ranked spots for diving. These spots provide you with inevitable diving opportunities which allow you to explore the alien underwater world of Victoria's waters saturated with magnificent creatures. Do not miss it for the world.

Sidney North Saanich Yacht Club Whale Watching

Sidney North Saanich Yacht Club Whale Watching

Looking for a reliable place to go whale watching for the first time on Vancouver Island? Why not starting with Sidney North Saanich Yacht Club, one of the famous Yacht Clubs on the island. You will have the opportunity to observe these gigantic creatures and probably other sea creatures in the waters of the Salish Sea.

Van Isle Marina Whale Watching

Van Isle Marina Whale Watching

Start your whale watching journey with Van Isle Marina, a critical marine zone on Vancouver Island, capable of serving 200 boats simultaneously, which has made it an ideal destination for the fans of whale watching. There is a high chance to observe other sea creatures other than whales.

West Coast Outdoor Adventure Whale Watching

West Coast Outdoor Adventure Whale Watching

As one of the best tourist attractions of Sooke and Vancouver Island, West Coast comprises many outdoor excitements that cannot be denied. You are provided with different wildlife to watch and various food to eat, not to mention that you observe a rare nature that is outstanding. So, chances are high to see different whales and other marine creatures.

Cabin Point Whale Watching

Cabin Point Whale Watching

You would better plan a visit to Cabin Point Coastline between April-September. It is the best time for those preparing for Sooke Whale Watching in one of the famous coastlines for it in the Salish sea. You are given adequate opportunity to gaze upon these marvellous sea creatures.

Beechey Head Whale Watching

Beechey Head Whale Watching

Beechey Head and its loop are two of the hot spots for whale watching in Sooke. In addition to fantastic opportunities for whale watching, Beechey Head is a hiking and nature trip location that offers you excellent activities, such as birdwatching.

Spirit Bay Visitor Centre Whale Watching

Spirit Bay Visitor Centre Whale Watching

Spirit Bay has a rich community offering settlings for whale watching lovers beside incredible wildlife; therefore, it would be an excellent point to start your Sooke Whale Watching. Plus, it has a cute beach. You cannot get over the beauty of it and its scenic views.

Creyke Point Whale Watching

Creyke Point Whale Watching

Featuring wildflowers and fantastic sceneries, Creyke Point Trail is a suitable spot for whale watching, bird watching, and nature trips with splendid beaches and forests. So if you are having a great time in Sooke, remember to stop by Creyke Point to have more fun.

Victoria Harbour Ferry Whale Watching

Victoria Harbour Ferry Whale Watching

Located in the heart of Victoria and adjacent to many whale watching operators, Victoria Harbour Ferry is a starting point for your whale watching tour. Many visitors come here to watch whales annually; not only whale watching but open waterways of Salish make Victoria Harbour Ferry a remarkable place for anglers, wildlife followers and daily tourists.

Fisherman's Wharf Park Whale Watching

Fisherman's Wharf Park Whale Watching

Due to certified whale watching agencies, Fisherman's Wharf Park is a significant place to visit for whale watching enthusiasts. As one of the most prodigious and phenomenal creators worldwide, whales are ample during specific whale watching seasons.

West Bay Esquimalt Whale Watching

West Bay Esquimalt Whale Watching

Featuring Victoria Harbour and West Bay, Esquimalt could be your starting point for whale watching in Victoria. You can also have the pleasure of watching sea lions, seals, porpoises, and a wide variety of marine birds are other stunning creators that may be highly admirable to wildlife watching fanatics.

Cattle Point Storm Watching

Cattle Point Storm Watching

Cattle Point is a part of Uplands Park in Victoria, runs along the coastline of Oak Bay. During falls and winters, especially November through March, the Cattle Point Storm Watching is an exhilarating experience. Watch storms smashing from spectacular vantage points as dark clouds blanket the sky, rains whipping, gusts of winds making barreling high waves.

Point Ellice House Museum and Gardens Outline

Specifications

Climate

Timing

1. The numbers are estimated on average for Victoria.

What you Can Expect to See Near Point Ellice House Museum and Gardens

Spiral Beach

Spiral Beach

Spiral Beach in Victoria is where the blue of the sea and sky and the Olympic Mountains at a distance is situated in a perfect picture. There are hills along the beach to stand on for a wide view. Walk on the sands and pebbles with the driftwoods around on the beach. Listen to the waves, walk on the shoreline, and have the storm watching pleasure in the fall and winter.

McNeill Bay

McNeill Bay

McNeill Bay has plenty of benches along the seawall to sit and enjoy the landscape of Trial Island, the Strait of Juan de Fuca, and Olympic Mountain. Do exciting water activities on McNeill Bay Beach and experience its wonderful esplanade and photogenic scenery. It is considered one of the fantastic off-leash dog beaches in Victoria.

Langford

Langford

Langford is a city on the south coast of Vancouver Island and heaven for golfers. You can stay at lodgings and play at challenging hillside courses and enjoy yourself at luxurious advantages like the Amatista Spa. Beautiful parks surround the city, so go hiking through scenic forests or have peaceful moments beside lakes. Langford offers shops, family activities, sheep farms, and a bike park.

Gonzales Bay

Gonzales Bay

Gonzales Bay is a small scenic bay with a crescent-shaped beach. Its sandy beach is often quiet and peaceful. Walking on the Gonzales Bay beach near the ocean can help to release the world's anxiety. Lie on the beach and see the peaks of Olympic Mountain and enjoy the Mediterrane climate. Dogs are allowed off-leash on the beach from September through May.

Fisgard Lighthouse National Historic Site

Fisgard Lighthouse National Historic Site

A trail leads you to Fisgard Lighthouse NHS, the first lighthouse on the west coast of Canada. This historic lighthouse is still operating, but the entrance is not allowed. The keeper's house is open to the public which comprises wonderful exhibitions. There you can see shipwrecks, far-flung lights, storms, and the working equipment the lightkeepers used about a century ago.

Sooke

Sooke

Sooke is known as the Tall Tree Capital of Canada. The area's popularity is mainly based on tourists visiting the wilderness parks, hiking the West Coast Trail and the extremely popular Juan de Fuca Marine Trail. Sooke is also famous for its beaches and is a destination for cycling and mountain biking. The arts community of Sooke is vibrant and hosts the annual Sooke Fine Arts Festival.

Point Ellice House Museum and Gardens

Point Ellice House Museum and Gardens

Point Ellice House Museum and Gardens is a place for history enthusiasts and gardens and interior design lovers. It is a 19th-century Victorian home and garden full of everything nostalgic to you. As one of Victoria's oldest homes, it is located overlooking the scenic and historic Selkirk Water/Gorge Waterway. It includes vegetables, cut flowers, a small fruit orchard, and a greenhouse.

The Art Gallery of Greater Victoria

The Art Gallery of Greater Victoria

The Art Gallery of Greater Victoria or AGGV is home to artworks from talented artists of Canada and Asia. The building complex of the gallery includes the Spencer Mansion and the exhibition galleries. It also has gardens with a Japanese Shinto shrine. The art gallery is kid-friendly, and the staff is knowledgeable and helpful. The gift shop has gorgeous merchandise.

The Royal BC Museum

The Royal BC Museum

Located in Victoria, the Royal BC Museum is one of Canada's most significant cultural and historical treasures. It showcases natural wonders and includes artifacts, documents, specimens, and everything slightly relevant to British Columbia's natural and human history. The museum also provides a dynamic forum and a safe space for discussion and reflection.

Miniature World

Miniature World

Miniature World is among the top ten attractions in Victoria. It is the World of Smallness, the World of Story Books, and the World of Fact, Fiction, and Fantasy. It presents villages with different themes such as Camelot or the World's Smallest Operational Sawmill or Space 2201 AD and Avian 1 Spaceship. Miniature World is so unique that you may want to visit it every time you're in Victoria.

Willows Beach

Willows Beach

If you are a fan of sun and beach, Victoria has the warmest weather in Canada to take a sunbath and swim, and Willows Beach is located in this area. This white sandy beach is south of Willows Park and has protected water suitable for a family vacation. Get the most out of your visit when you are at the park. Have a meal or drink in its cafe with a view of the sea.

Race Rocks Ecological Reserve

Race Rocks Ecological Reserve

Race Rocks Ecological Reserve was established to preserve intertidal and subtidal communities that became very rich due to strong tidal currents. It features marine mammals like whales, sea lions and seals, birds like ducks, cormorants, black oyster-catchers and bald eagles. Fish species, marine invertebrates, and animals like marine algae and seagrass are among other inhabitants.

Sitting Lady Falls

Sitting Lady Falls

Sitting Lady Falls or Witty's Lagoon Falls with a wonderful forest around, and the moss-covered rocks is a magical place, something out of a fairy tale but near Victoria. The waterfall with 100 m (328 ft) height is divided into two parts, like a fork, making a unique shape worth visiting. The good thing about Sitting Lady Falls is the variety of birds living in the area.

Gallery Merrick

Gallery Merrick

Gallery Merrick is home to many native artists. The purpose of the gallery is to appreciate beauty everywhere we look. The priority of the gallery is to help working artists who make their livings out of their art. Many artists from Vancouver Island, surrounding islands, and across the country exhibit their talents here.

Florence Lake Cave

Florence Lake Cave

You may have limitations for yourself, but if you are not a beginner at cave exploring, overcome your own limits. Find a hidden gem in Langford, somewhere that few people know. Florence Lake Cave is a mystery waiting to be discovered for professional cavers. Some believe that it is the largest cave in Greater Victoria. Don't waste your time hesitating and pack your bag for a challenge.

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