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Emily Carr House
A short stroll south of Inner Harbour leads to the lovely Emily Carr House, birthplace of BC's best-known painter. Restored to its original gingerbread exterior, the interior features period-furnished rooms and displays on the artist's life and work. As well as the limited number of original Carr works on display - the collection at the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria is superior - there are ever-changing exhibitions of local contemporary works.
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Parliament Buildings
If Fairyland had a legislature, this is what it would look like: wedding cake turrets, a grand entrance stairway and, at night, an exterior lit up like a Christmas tree. Surprisingly devoid of toy soldier guards, the Parliament Buildings keep a watchful eye on the waterfront, aided by a statue of Captain George Vancouver sitting atop the main dome. Built by Francis Rattenbury, who also designed the Empress Hotel, the elaborate complex is not just a pretty face.
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Point Ellis House and Gardens
The colonial elite used to hobnob at the beautiful 1860s-era mansion that is Point Ellis House and Gardens, which now houses one of Canada's finest collections of trinkety Victoriana. The house has 5000 artefacts, ranging from flowery teapots to intricate needlepoint artworks. Fascinating photos show how the upper-echelon O'Reilly family adapted to life on the fringes of the far-flung British Empire - apparently Mrs O'Reilly had a couple of affairs to salve her homesickness.
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Thunderbird Park
On your way out from the Royal British Columbia Museum, visit Thunderbird Park, the museum's oft-photographed clutch of brightly painted totem poles, then duck into the adjacent pioneer buildings, including Helmcken House. One of BC's oldest structures, this tidy 1852 doctor's residence is lined with the minutiae of everyday family life. Refreshingly little is roped off and wandering guides provide the stories behind the displays.
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