There are so many different places to visit and things to see on Vancouver Island that it is easy to put off going to any of them, thinking, I can go there any time. The Saanich Historical Artifacts Society / Heritage Acres Museum, is easily seen when driving on the main highway towards Victoria International Airport or the ferry to the mainland and has always been one of those places that I kept meaning to go to, so I finally decided to take a trip out there and see what they had to offer. I am glad that I did.
They have a couple of old train cars at one end of the site and a miniature railway track that runs around part of the property, used by the Vancouver Island Model Engineers.
There is a collection of very old gasoline pumps in various states of disrepair along side of one of the buildings. It would be nice to see them receive a little TLC and be put in a more prominent location, but I am sure there are a lot of expenses and things have to be prioritized when everything is run by donation and volunteers.
There are many different kinds of old steam powered engines and various vehicles spread around the grounds.I was there for a little under three hours and felt like I rushed through the site.
The property also contained a number of old wooden buildings, all of which appeared to be closed on the day I visited, although I understand that many of them are open when it is busier.
There is a large museum building with two floors of items from the last century and earlier on display. It was well worth a visit and someday I will have to return.
Wild Drake Photography 