Start with CFB Esquimalt Naval & Military Museum - NAD20: the sights of Esquimalt
This is a list led by museums or galleries, 32 of its 42. The municipal boundary itself has 5 places on our list; 37 others are within 5 km of its edge. A total of 350K visitors went to Royal British Columbia Museum in 2012. Drive 33 km to reach Gulf Islands National Park Reserve.
The first to see in Esquimalt
MuseumRoyal British Columbia Museum1.9 km outside town, to the southeast · 350K visitors a year (2012)Each has a page of its own: what it is, who runs it, the weather month by month and what else is near it.
Where they are
The dashed line is Esquimalt’s municipal boundary; orange marks its middle (where most people live). Numbers match the list below. © OpenStreetMap contributors · Statistics Canada 2021 outline
What sort of places
Green: inside Esquimalt. Grey: within 5 km of its edge.
In Esquimalt first, then nearby
Royal British Columbia Museum
Museum in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.
7Craigdarroch
Historic house museum (victorian era) in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.
8St. Andrew's Roman Catholic Cathedral
Church building in British Columbia, Canada.
9Fort Rodd Hill
National historic Site of Canada located in British Columbia.
10Christ Church Cathedral
Cathedral church in Victoria, British Columbia.
11University of Victoria Legacy Art Galleries
At Legacy Art Galleries art activates research and learning through university and community collaborations. Their exhibitions and programs promote dialogue around issues that matter..
12Helmcken House
House museum in Victoria, British Columbia.
13Pacific Undersea Gardens
Aquarium in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.
15Art Gallery of Greater Victoria
Museum in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.
Maritime Museum of BC
Maritime museum in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.
17Beacon Hill Children's Farm
Educational farm in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.
19
The 5 inside Esquimalt come first, best known first; then the places within 5 km, close and well known first. Provincial and city parks are on the Outdoors page instead.
Historic places in Esquimalt → · Parks, footpaths and green space in Esquimalt →
A little further out
National park · Parks CanadaGulf Islands National Park Reserve33 km northeastPlaces well known beyond Esquimalt (Wikipedia articles in several languages, published visitor counts, or a Parks Canada property), close and famous first. Distances are straight lines from the middle of the town.
Esquimalt, answered
What are the main attractions in Esquimalt?
Top of the list inside Esquimalt’s municipal boundary: CFB Esquimalt Naval & Military Museum - NAD29, Gorge Waterway Nature House and Cfb Esquimalt Naval And Military Museum.
Does Esquimalt have a museum?
In or within 5 km of Esquimalt: Craigdarroch, Fort Rodd Hill and University of Victoria Legacy Art Galleries.
Is there a Parks Canada property near Esquimalt?
None within 5 km; the nearest, run by Parks Canada, is the one named above, 33 km northeast.
What are the best-known days out near Esquimalt?
The best known within 40 km are Sealand of the Pacific (7.9 km).
How is this list made?
Museums and galleries, national historic sites and forts, lighthouses, gardens, national parks, waterfalls, ski hills, zoos and theme parks: OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, ODCAF and the heritage registers each add some, merged into one list. A historic building is kept only with a sign of visitors (opening hours, a fee, a website, a heritage operator, a Wikipedia article), never hotels, restaurants or tour firms. The town’s 2021 outline, plus 5 km around it, decides what is listed here.
Places to visit: Canada publishes no open tourism list, so this one is assembled from OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), Wikidata (CC0), Statistics Canada’s ODCAF museums and galleries (2020, Open Government Licence – Canada), the federal and Québec heritage registers and CPCAD’s national parks, and it reflects what mappers and editors have recorded. Forts, houses, lighthouses and churches count only with a sign that visitors are welcome. Places sit in each town’s 2021 census outline; visitor counts are Wikidata’s latest, with their year.
Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (14)
- Royal British Columbia Museum: Michal Klajban, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Craigdarroch: Michal Klajban, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- St. Andrew's Roman Catholic Cathedral: Original uploader was Drhaggis at en.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Fort Rodd Hill: Storeswallah at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Christ Church Cathedral: This photo was taken by Ryan Bushby( HighInBC ) with his Canon PowerShot S3 IS . To see more of his photos see his galle, CC BY 2.5, Wikimedia Commons
- University of Victoria Legacy Art Galleries: Heather Stone, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Helmcken House: Hans-Jürgen Hübner / Hans-Jürgen Hübner, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Pacific Undersea Gardens: H at English Wikipedia, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Art Gallery of Greater Victoria: Joe Mabel (on Flickr as Joe Mabel from Seattle, US), CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Fort Victoria: Stevecudmore, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Pemberton Memorial Operating Room: Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Craigflower Manor House: euxneks, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Emily Carr House: Mattlapointe, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Gulf Islands National Park Reserve: Paul Gierszewski, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Adapted from Statistics Canada (Census of Population 2021, population estimates 2025, 2021 census boundaries) under the Statistics Canada Open Licence; this does not constitute an endorsement by Statistics Canada. Neighbourhood names in some cities © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).