Queenston Heights Park

Posted on June 1, 2011

About: 14184 Niagara Pkwy, Queenston, ON L2G 7K3 Description: QUEENSTON. Currently a beautifully manicured park frequented by picnickers and folks in pursuit of recreational pastimes, Queenston Heights is also regarded as Canada's birthplace. During the War of 1812, a decisive battle between the British and Yanks resulted in a British victory, halting an American attempt to annex Canada into US boundaries. Along with its leisure-time facilities, the park features monuments to significant historical figures (Major-General Isaac Brock and Laura Secord), a restaurant and a trailhead. The Brock monument is temporarily closed for refurbishment. Hours: Daily Sunrise-Sunset Website: Visit Queenston Heights Park Online  

Queen Victoria Park

Posted on June 1, 2011

About: Niagara Pkwy, Niagara Falls, ON L2E 6T2 905-371-0254 Description: FALLSVIEW. Favored for incredible views of the Falls and its seasonal sweeps of floral color, this park is beautiful any time of year. Its plants hail from across the globe, and amply stocked beds are interspersed with open lawns for visual relief. Magnolia trees, tea roses, a rock garden and carefully clipped shrubs and standards create focal points amid a sea of cultivated beauty. Even in winter, the spare landscape gets a high measure of interest, thanks to the frozen offspray from the Falls. Hours: Daily dawn-dusk Website: Visit Queen Victoria Park Online  

Oakes Garden Theatre

Posted on June 1, 2011

About: River Rd and Clifton Hill, Queen Victoria Park, Niagara Falls, ON Description: CLIFTON HILL. Built on the site of a destroyed hotel (and incorporating portions of the ruins), this garden was completed in 1937. Remaining faithful to the lay of the land, it takes the shape of an amphitheater, and the stage, engagingly, employs the Falls as a backdrop. Formal in nature, the garden features limestone hardscaping, iron gates, a curved pergola and geometric beds. Water features and rock gardens add character as well, a fact which is not lost on wedding planners and concert promoters. Hours: Daily Sunrise-Sunset Website: Visit Oakes Garden Theatre Online