Government Parliament Buildings

Overlooking Victoria's majestic Inner Harbour, the Parliament Buildings are home to the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia and are where our elected representatives – called Members of the Legislative Assembly – meet to debate and pass the laws that govern British Columbia.

This 12.5 acre property has served as the site of government in British Columbia since 1864. The original government structures on this site, known as the Birdcages, were built to house the Assembly for the Colony of Vancouver Island. They continued to be used by the Legislative Assembly after British Columbia became a Province of Canada in 1871.

Construction of the current Parliament Buildings started in 1893 and they were officially opened on February 10, 1898. The architect, Francis Rattenbury, was just 25 years old when he won the competition to design the new buildings for the province.

Raw materials from throughout British Columbia were used for the construction of the buildings, including andesite for the 500-foot long façade and granite for the foundation and front stairs. On top of the central dome stands a gold-plated, two metre-tall statue of Captain George Vancouver. Each night, the buildings are illuminated by more than 3500 energy-efficient light bulbs.

The Parliament Buildings are open to the public from Monday to Friday between the hours of 8:30 am and 5:00 pm. Visitors are welcome to join one of the regularly-scheduled free guided tours or to explore the buildings on their own self-guided tour. During the busy summer season, the Parliament Buildings are open for tours seven days a week, including weekends and statutory holidays.

Visitors are welcome in the Public Galleries of the Legislative Chamber whenever the Legislative Assembly is sitting. The Legislative Gift Shop and the Legislative Dining Room are also open to the public year round.

The hotel near by the parliament buildings is the Days Inn Victoria on the Harbour.

For more information, please visit official website: http://www.leg.bc.ca