Built in 1891 for the Lieutenant Governor of the North West Territories, the man in charge only lived in Regina until the 1960s when it was turned into a school for two decades and then a veterans’ rehabilitation centre for another decade before being bought back by the province for use as a museum in the 1990s. While the provincial viceregal’s office has been moved back, it is now in what used to be the servants quarters—fitting for a civil servant. It is one of the few remaining 19th century territorial-era government buildings in the province.
With its importance in running the whole of the Northwest Territories from Quebec to Alberta and all the way up to the Arctic islands, this was the first house in the prairies to have electric lights, indoor plumbing, and a telephone. There is a bronze bathtub, sleigh bed, and toilet sink taps made from 24K gold. Other luxuries include a conservatory that was added in the 1910s, a large dining room with seating for up to 18 still used for official meals, and two guest rooms that used to host visiting monarchs.
There is a small history gallery after as you exit the museum and a patio that is never open. If it opened, visitors would get a magnificent view of the gardens, if it were summer.
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