Things to Do In Hamilton, Ontario, Canada

Hamilton is a port city located in Ontario, Canada. It is very close to another popular city in Ontario, Burlington. It is situated about 45 km southwest of Toronto, in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA). Hamilton is a very vibrant city with a lot of activities for both kids and adults alike. Here are a list of the best things to do in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.

The Best Things to Do In Hamilton

Royal Botanical Gardens

The Royal Botanical Gardens is an ecologically-concentrated area bragging the title as the largest botanical garden in Canada. Also, this garden has the largest collection of lilacs in the world, 100,000 spring bulbs and 3000 rose bushes. It is also home to a National Historic Site in Canada, which is the “Rock Garden”.

Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum

As Canada’s largest flying museum, the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum has more than 40 planes from both the present and past. The museum provides personalized tours and thrilling flight simulator programs. You can even purchase your very own flight on a vintage airplane. These vintage airplanes include the Avro Lancaster, which is the World War II bomber. Here is the only place in the world you can still fly in one.

African Lion Safari

The African Lion Safari is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Hamilton, Ontario. It is home to all kinds of animals like lions, rhinos, elephants, giraffes, kangaroos, various birds, and many more. You can go on 9 km-safari trail on your own vehicle or on a guided tour bus, to explore the area.

Dundurn Castle

Dundurn Castle is a 40-room Italian-style villa built in the 1830s. In 1813, this site was a fortified British military encampment. Today this castle hosts various programs and workshops for visitors. These include gardening and cooking workshops. The Dundurn Kitchen Garden demonstrators grow produce, for the villa’s historic kitchen, making use of tools and techniques dating back to the 1850’s.

HMCS Haida National Historic Site

HMCS Haida National Historic Site is where you would find the last Tribal Destroyer in the world, the HMCS Haida. It is one of Canada’s most famous warships. The warships draws a large number of visitors from Ontario and different parts of North America. This WWII Tribal Destroyer now stands as a memorial and naval museum.

Bayfront Park

Bayfront Park is a 40-acre park located in Harborfront Drive in the west end of Hamilton Harbor, Hamilton, Ontario. Some of the highlights of the park include fishing opportunities, a public boat launch, and bicycle trails and walking paths. It is a great place to have a picnic and relax with family.

Art Gallery of Hamilton

The Art Gallery of Hamilton is the largest and oldest art museum in Southern Ontario. It takes up 7000 square meters of area and has more than 10,000 works from Canadian artists. Apart from displaying exhibits of various artists, the art gallery also hosts a number of travel exhibitions, seasonally.

Albion Falls

Albion Falls is a 19-meter cascade waterfall located in Hamilton, Ontario. The waterfall is a popular hiking and picnic spot for both locals and tourists. The hike provides sweeping views of the surroundings vistas. Albion Falls belong to the Red Hill Creek Escarpment Valley. It is located at the top of Upper King’s Forest Park.

Tiffany Falls Conservation Area

Tiffany Falls Conservation Area is an important natural area in Hamilton, Ontario. The forest area consists of Eastern Hemlock, Red Oak, Sugar Maple, White Ash, American Beech, Black Walnut, Basswood, Hawthorn, Elm, and Butternut. Furthermore, there are various species of plants, reptiles, and insects.

Devil’s Punchbowl Conservation Area

The Devil’s Punchbowl Conservation Area, is part of the Niagara Escarpment. It was created towards the end of the last ice age by large melt-water rivers that flowed over the Stoney Creek Escarpment. It is the only place from where you can see a large vertical display of stratified rock. From this point, you can get spectacular views of Hamilton Harbor and Stoney Creek.

Westfield Heritage Village

Westfield Heritage Village is a historic museum and conservation area located in Ontario. It lets you explore the history of early life in Canada. This 204-hectares conservation area that has a collection of more than 35 restored historical buildings. The conservation area features everything from meadows to woodlands, trails, and many more.

Spencer George Conservation Area

The Spencer George Conservation Area is part of the Niagara Escarpment. This area with its panoramas and gorges below, is one of Ontario’s most stunning geological formations. The conservation area has two waterfalls; Tew Falls and Webster Falls.

Gage Park

Gage Park is a 30-hectare prominent multi-use park located in Hamilton, Ontario. It is where gay parades are usually held at this part of the city. The Hamilton Children’s Museum is also located at this park. Apart from this, the park has a fountain, greenhouse, and a bandshell. The Gage Park is popular for hosting “Movie in the Park” events.

Adventure Village Amusement Park

Adventure Village Amusement Park is a family-oriented amusement park located in Confederation Park, in Hamilton, Ontario. The amusement park spreads across an area of 3 acres and consists of 6 fish ponds, 5 waterfalls, shipwrecks, and lush vegetation. Some of the activities families can enjoy here are miniature golf, rock climbing, bumper cars, outdoor laser tag, gemstone mining, and bungee trampoline.

Whitehern Historic House & Garden

Whitehern Historic House & Garden is one of the greatest examples of an intact historic home in Canada. Altogether, three generations of the McQuesten family lived in this house from 1852 to 1968. Whitehern House has objects that belong to several different eras, such as Victorian, Georgian, and Edwardian.

Hamilton Museum of Steam & Technology

Hamilton Museum of Steam & Technology is a National Historic Site in Canada. It pays tribute to the working life of the early industrial revolution. The museum has the oldest surviving Canadian-built-7-ton stationary steam engines.

Mountsberg Conservation Area & Raptor Centre

Mountsberg Conservation Area & Raptor Centre is an educational facility that contains Ontario native and non-native prey birds. Some of these birds came for rehabilitation purposes where they were not able to survive in the wild due to injuries. The center gives visitors lots of information about all kids of birds living in it.

Final Thoughts

Hamilton, Ontario is the perfect place to spend a day out or vacation. There are so many things to do in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, and even locations nearby the city to visit. A vacation in Hamilton is something to remember forever.