Milner Gardens & Woodland
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Milner Gardens & Woodland

Milner Gardens & Woodland
4.5
Temporarily closedClosed until further notice
About
Vancouver Island University's Milner Gardens & Woodland is a magical seaside retreat once reserved for royalty. Sheltered on three sides by old-growth forest, this one-of-a kind woodland estate rejuvenates the soul with its gardens and magnificent coastal views. Enjoy the charming Camellia Tea Room after strolling the grounds and contemplate the history of the Gardens or fantasize about having them all to yourself.
Duration: 1-2 hours
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Popular mentions

4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles252 reviews
Excellent
137
Very good
83
Average
22
Poor
6
Terrible
4

William S
Liverpool, UK611 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2023
We visited on a Thursday (be aware the gardens are only open from Thursday to Sunday). Parking is free and entry to the gardens (includes house) is $14. You walk down one of two optional pathways through dense woods which have magnificent trees and plants to the gardens which are beautiful. The gift centre also serves excellent coffee and snacks and is by the entrance to the gardens. There are different gardens to view and the house is at the end by the ocean with amazing views. You can walk around the house which is very attractive and contains interesting displays from the visits of the Queen and members of the royal family. We thoroughly enjoyed our visit and would strongly recommend it.
Written 15 June 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

bibi569
Calgary, Canada77 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2021
This is a really pretty place to visit! Where Butchart Gardens is well-groomed, Milner Gardens is a bit more "wild." My husband liked it better for this reason! He really loved the beautiful cedar trees and ferns as you enter! The main house is really pretty, too. We didn't have tea there, but it looked lovely, and the soup smelled really good! It's such a pleasant surprise after you've walked in to see a view of the ocean from the house. We were surprised by the kiwi fruit and giant rhubarb that grows in these gardens! This is a lovely stop, and we enjoyed it very much.
Written 20 August 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Lynn H
Standard, Canada101 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2023
By the end of the day and getting towards closing time, we were ever so grateful for the cart rides.
We didn't feel rushed however and saw pretty much everything.
Highly recommend this place to all. Especially gardeners.
Written 11 August 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

SandK-Wellington
Wellington, Canada46 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2022
We were surprised that the actual gardens are fairly small. There is a pleasant walk to the gardens through the woods but there are lots of other places in the area for a free walk in the woods. Would be a good view out to the Strait on a nice day, but unfortunately ours was not.
Written 9 April 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

dorothy c
1 contribution
3.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2024 • Couples
Haven't been for 10yrs, if it wasn't for Rhododendrons, and mature trees...not worth thr price of admission.
We found since University took over,it's gone downhill. The food garden was disappointing...Not much to look at and learn from.We saw only 3 gardeners, one of them didn't have a clue about transplanting. We watcher them plant an azalea. Didn't dig big hole, didn't water well or breakup root ball. What do you bet it dies by next year? We saw no tulips, or spring bulbs. Was looking forward to purchasing some plants. So disappointing from 10yrs ago. Very little stock, prices high for the pot size.Won't go back, many other gardens to visit worth price of admission.
Written 9 May 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Meraki17
Regina, Canada18 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2024 • Family
Property is absolutely beautiful. An hour allowed us to see everything. Did not partake of the tea room, but the house looked beautiful from the exterior. Good parking, not too far of a walk from the entrance to the gardens. Glad we came, highly recommend.
Written 21 May 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Nora W
Courtenay, Canada87 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2024 • Friends
Well worth making time for a visit to this outstanding garden and woodland. This was a return visit for me after a gap of 22 years! I noticed improvements to the pathways and forest trails. Many rhodos were still in bloom on June 6, as were other plants and flowering trees. The identification labels were helpful to view also.
My friends and I loved the Tea Room experience with the kind, friendly volunteers and we appreciated the chance to tour the Milner House at our own pace. We purchased plants from the Nursery to take home to our own gardens.
Written 10 June 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

PacificFoodie
8 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
I am a local garden fanatic with an interest in ecology. I read the review comparing Milner Gardens with Butchert and had to write a review. Milner has many more interesting unusual plants (I find Buchert boring and repetitive). Milner hosts a georgeous location on the ocean with a backdrop of rare coastal Douglas fir forest. The history and character of the eccentric Victoria Milner and her home alone is worth the stop. If you enjoy a relaxed uncrowded walk in nature with an injection of local history stop here.
Written 24 July 2011
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Jane G
5 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Sept 2017 • Couples
We have just driven there today to find a big sign saying the gardens are only open from Thursdays to Sunday's. Think this should be on the website.
Written 12 September 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Prairieschooner2
Vancouver Island, Canada125 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2011
We were travelling with our 2 senior moms and stopped here thinking it was a flowery, Butchart Gardens type of place. While it's not a formal planted garden like Butchart in any way, we were pleasantly surprised to find this hidden gem.

We walked through a cool and quiet old growth forest path down to the main gardens. The path is in good shape and is a wooden boardwalk in some places, and the wooded walk on a hot summer afternoon gave us a welcome respite. It's quiet, peaceful and beautiful. The eagles nest area was enjoyed by us all. While the path is in good shape, its a long way to the main house - especially for someone with mobility issues.

When we arrived at the main house and the more formal gardens - the view is spectacular. Perennials abound....my favourites! The house has a tea in the afernoon and the 4 of us enjoyed tea and scones in that beautiful setting. We toured the house, viewed the pictures and letters from Princess Diana and enjoyed it alll.

We walked up to the small gift shop/pool house - which was a bit of a disappointment.

They have a trolley (golf cart) service to/from the giftshop to the main gate/parking area and we took that back up since our moms were tired from the forest walk. The woman dirving the cart was very friendly and pointed out many new things to us on the way up. She was very pleasant and kind, she's a volunteer at the gardens and has been for many years - wish I could remember her name.

We really enjoyed our afternoon there and would recommend it to others.
Written 26 July 2011
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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MILNER GARDENS & WOODLAND (2025) All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)

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