The Butchart Gardens
Website:	butchartgardens.com
About Us
The Butchart Gardens, located just north of Victoria on Vancouver Island, offers 22ha (55 acres) of wonderful floral display. The Gardens, one of the world's premier floral show gardens and a National Historic Site of Canada, is still privately owned and operated by the great granddaughter of The Butcharts. Jennie Butchart began to shape this magnificent landscape in 1904. She established, in the style of the grand estates of the period, several distinct gardens to evoke a range of aesthetic experiences. An abandoned limestone quarry was transformed into the dramatic Sunken Garden, a reflection of the early 20th-century beautification movement and an exceptional achievement in Canadian gardening history. Through successive generations, The Gardens has retained much of its original design, and continues the Victorian tradition of seasonally changing the outstanding floral displays. Open every day of the year, The Gardens offers something for visitors in all of it’s five seasons! Spring, Summer, Autumn, Christmas and Winter. Each has its own delights. Highlights of the summer include nightly entertainment, Night Illuminations, and a spectacular fireworks show on Saturday evenings in July and August. The Magic of Christmas display, December 1 – January 6 features tens of thousands of lights, traditional carolers and festive brass in the evenings. There is even an outdoor ice skating rink. The Children’s Pavilion and Rose Carousel operates year round. The menagerie includes thirty animals ranging from bears, to horses, to ostriches, to zebras and mirrors the world from which The Gardens draws its visitors. There are also two chariots able to accommodate disabled persons. The pavilion’s event room is designed for children’s birthday parties. A 45 minute tour on one of our eco–friendly electric boats, fondly named the Jennie B & the R.P. for Jennie & Robert Pim Butchart, explore the local waters during the summer months. From the early days of cups of tea served on the lawn, The Gardens has expanded its offerings to include simple, tasty fare to exquisitely prepared fine lunches and dinners. Afternoon Tea is served year round in the original residence. TripAdvisor’s Popularity Index ranks The Gardens as #1 of 93 Victoria attractions.