{"id":7041953,"date":"2026-08-19T18:05:27","date_gmt":"2026-08-19T18:05:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/peraltafinancing.com\/uncategorized\/why-visit-beacon-hill-park-in-victoria-with-kids\/"},"modified":"2026-08-19T18:05:27","modified_gmt":"2026-08-19T18:05:27","slug":"why-visit-beacon-hill-park-in-victoria-with-kids","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=7041953","title":{"rendered":"Why Visit Beacon Hill Park in Victoria With Kids"},"content":{"rendered":"


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Playgrounds, beaches, wild birds, goats you can pet, and the best soft-serve ice cream in the city? That\u2019s probably enough to convince you to bring your kids to Beacon Hill Park in Victoria, BC. But there\u2019s more! <\/p>\n

At almost 200 acres, Beacon Hill Park is the largest park in the city of Victoria on Vancouver Island<\/strong>. Designated as a park in 1859, it\u2019s home to multiple playgrounds, lakes, monuments, gardens, and even a children\u2019s farm and petting zoo. <\/p>\n

Best of all, the park is free to enjoy and walking distance from Downtown Victoria! <\/strong><\/p>\n

We spent a morning at Beacon Hill Park when we visited Victoria this summer and it was a highlight for our whole family. Our toddler, Baby C, loved running around and meeting the animals at the Beacon Hill Children\u2019s Farm.<\/p>\n

And even for my husband, Colin, and I, it was nice to be able to sit back in nature, enjoy the views and admire the unique scenery that makes Beacon Hill Park so beloved, like the Moss Lady (more on her below!). <\/p>\n

So if you\u2019re visiting Victoria, BC with your family, I highly recommend putting Beacon Hill Park on your itinerary! <\/p>\n

Visiting parks like this are some of my favourite things to do as a family traveller; it\u2019s a great way to slow down, let your kids be kids, and experience a place like a local.<\/strong> <\/p>\n

Below I\u2019ll share four great reasons why you and your kids will want to visit Beacon Hill Park, plus give you my tips for what to see and how to make the most of your time at the park. <\/p>\n

1. Beacon Hill Petting Zoo & Children\u2019s Farm<\/h2>\n
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\"Alpacas<\/figure>\n
\"Baby<\/figure>\n
\"Guinea<\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n

Without a doubt, the highlight of a visit to Beacon Hill Park is the Beacon Hill Children\u2019s Farm and Petting Zoo! <\/strong><\/p>\n

Opened in 1985, the Children\u2019s Farm is all about teaching children a respect and love for wildlife through education and really cute interactions. It reminded me a lot of the city farms we visited when we lived in the Spitalfields neighbourhood of London. <\/p>\n

On our visit, we walked around the farm meeting the resident pigs, ducks, chickens, alpacas, donkeys, guinea pigs and room full of birds<\/strong>. Each enclosure had a sign that introduced you to the animals and gave you some of their history.<\/p>\n

I particularly enjoyed the hilarious names some of the animals had. Check out these chicken names \u2013 such good puns! <\/p>\n

\"Names<\/figure>\n

Then it was onto the main event, the Beacon Hill Petting Zoo<\/strong>. This is where children (and their adults) can interact with the farm\u2019s goats, who were very friendly. There are rules posted about how to interact with them and a hand-washing station. <\/p>\n

The petting zoo area was a little chaotic, as we were there with a school group of pre-teens who were being a bit loud. Some of the baby goats had only been born a couple of weeks ago, and so were quite rambunctious running around, jumping on people, etc. <\/p>\n

But even with the chaos, our daughter loved the experience!<\/strong> After a minute of taking it all in, she bravely pet the goats and even picked up one of the brushes to help with their grooming. <\/p>\n

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\"Baby<\/figure>\n
\"Baby<\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n

The farm also hosts a weekly Farm Friends Storytime and a weekly Animal Talks series<\/strong>. There are daily goat stampedes and lunchtime feedings you can also watch. Learn more about these special events here<\/a>. <\/p>\n

The farm is open seasonally (mid-May to mid-October) from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM seven days per week<\/strong>. Click here<\/a> for the most up to date opening days\/hours. <\/p>\n

Admission is by donation<\/strong>; you can also contribute more by sponsoring an animal<\/a>.<\/p>\n

2. Multiple playgrounds<\/h2>\n
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\"Colin<\/figure>\n
\"Colin<\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n

If you\u2019re anything like me when travelling with a small child, I\u2019m going to bet you\u2019re always on the lookout for playgrounds<\/strong>. And lucky for you, Beacon Hill Park has two great ones! <\/p>\n

There\u2019s the Beacon Hill Park Playground<\/a> and Beacon Hill Park North Playground<\/a><\/strong>, both of which are only a five minute walk from Beacon Hill Children\u2019s Farm. So within a 10-ish minute walk you could visit two playgrounds and a petting zoo! <\/p>\n

Both playgrounds have climbing equipment, slides, swings, benches and picnic tables, and bathroom facilities nearby<\/strong>. There are also sports fields and courts next to both. <\/p>\n

\"Baby<\/figure>\n

The biggest difference seems to be the North playground has a splash pad water area and the other playground has a small zip line. <\/p>\n

We played at the Beacon Hill Park North Playground<\/strong>, mostly because we entered the park from the northwest side so stumbled upon it first. <\/p>\n

Baby C had a great time playing on the slides, driving in the little car structure, and looking longingly at the splash pad (we forgot her swimsuit!). <\/p>\n

3. Trails, beaches and lots of space to run<\/h2>\n
\"Fountain<\/figure>\n

Besides the playgrounds and children\u2019s farm, you\u2019ll find lots of other space in Beacon Hill Park for your kids to let off some steam, run around and enjoy beautiful nature<\/strong>. <\/p>\n

As we were entering the park, I was struck by how pretty it was. Right away we saw lots of little ponds and lakes, fountains, and different types of flowers and greenery. <\/p>\n

Many of the trails we walked down were shaded and stroller-friendly, so perfect for families!<\/strong> And there are beautiful gardens to walk around too, like the Rose Garden<\/a> and Sun Clock<\/a>. <\/p>\n

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\"Trees,<\/figure>\n
\"A<\/figure>\n
\"Canopy<\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n

The park is home to tons of birds, especially ducks and peacocks<\/strong>. Baby C loved seeing huge flocks of birds gather on the fields, as did every other kid we saw at the park. (Just remember: Don\u2019t feed the wildlife!)<\/p>\n

There are a few art installations throughout the park too<\/strong>, like the Giant Watering Can<\/a> and Moss Lady<\/a>. These huge installations are very kid-friendly, since you\u2019re seeing giant art in nature rather than a quiet museum hallway. <\/p>\n

\"Baby
The Moss Lady<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

And perhaps the coolest part of Beacon Hill Park is its rugged ocean coastline<\/strong> \u2013 which I believe we may have seen when we flew into Victoria by seaplane<\/a>! <\/p>\n

The park even has its own beach<\/strong>, Finlayson Point Beach<\/a>, which locals say is often uncrowded. Some say that it can be an unofficial nudist beach, so keep that in mind if you\u2019re bringing your kids! <\/p>\n

And if you\u2019re travelling to Victoria with your dog, dogs are welcome in most areas of Beacon Hill Park<\/strong> (see more details here<\/a>). <\/p>\n

Dogs are not allowed in playgrounds, the petting zoo or a designated heron-nesting area by Goodacre Lake. Otherwise, they\u2019re allowed everywhere else in Beacon Hill Park on a leash (including the rest of the children\u2019s farm!) or in the designated leash-optional area south of Dallas Road.<\/p>\n

4. Great restaurants nearby<\/h2>\n
\"Colin<\/figure>\n

My friend, Jane, who visits family in Victoria regularly let me in on a local tip: the best soft-serve ice cream is served at Beacon Hill Drive In Restaurant<\/a>, right next to the park!<\/strong> <\/p>\n

Sadly, we visited the park in the morning and thought a 10:00 AM ice cream with a toddler would not be the best idea, so we skipped it. But that\u2019s just another reason to go back! <\/p>\n

We did find a delicious restaurant for brunch near the park though. Heron Rock Bistro<\/a>, a few blocks west of Beacon Hill Park, served one of our favourite meals in Victoria<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

The food was delicious! Colin and I shared two Eggs Benedicts \u2013 one with chicken and bacon on waffles and another with crab and shrimp. Both were huge servings and really tasty. <\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Eggs<\/figure>\n

Baby C got a kid\u2019s breakfast that was very flavourful<\/strong> (rare for kid\u2019s meals!) and also a great portion size. I was expecting a place like this to only serve drip coffee but they made me a vanilla latte that was perfectly strong and sweet! <\/p>\n

On top of that, our server was so sweet and there was lots of space to spread out. So all in all, I\u2019d highly recommend Heron Rock Bistro to families looking for a good meal by the park<\/strong>. <\/p>\n

Other highly-rated restaurants around Beacon Hill Park include<\/strong>:<\/p>\n