Hatley Park National Historic Site

Hatley Park is a national historic site and campus of Royal Roads University in Colwood, featuring a castle in Scottish baronial style alongside Japanese, Italian, and rose gardens. The grounds extend across wooded areas with walking trails that connect to waterfront sections and historic buildings.

The Dunsmuir family commissioned the castle between 1906 and 1908 through architect Samuel Maclure, with landscape architects designing the gardens in the years that followed. The military took over the property in 1940 as a base for Royal Roads Military College, before it transitioned to a university in the 1990s.

Visitors walk through gardens that the Dunsmuir family commissioned in the early 1900s, each reflecting different traditions brought together on the same grounds. The Japanese garden holds a tea house, while the Italian garden shows formal terraces, and roses bloom in separate beds nearby.

The main gate sits on Sooke Road, and from there paths lead through woodland and gardens down to the waterfront. Some sections inside the castle remain reserved for university activities, but outdoor areas are accessible during daylight hours.

The castle served as a filming location for scenes showing Xavier's School in the X-Men films and the Luthor mansion in Smallville. Crew members used the exterior facades and some interior spaces for different productions while the campus maintained its regular university operations.

Location: Colwood

Architects: Samuel Maclure

Architectural style: Scottish baronial architecture

Website: http://hatleypark.ca

GPS coordinates: 48.43430,-123.47200

Latest update: December 5, 2025 16:35