VISITOR INFORMATION
Schedule / hours: 2017: The outdoor garden areas are open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. (closing at dusk in fall and winter). The Nature Interpretive Centre opens from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The RBG Centre and the Mediterranean Gardens (its indoor greenhouse) are open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Hendrie park, Laking Garden and Rock Garden are closed from Thanksgiving to early May.
Admission price: 2017: $10/adults, $7.75/seniors and students, $5.75/5-12 years old, $25/family of 4, FREE under 5 years old
Address: 680 Plains Road West
BurlingtonPhone: 905-527-1158
Website: www.rbg.caNearby restaurants: • I really liked the Rock Garden Tea House with its elevated terrace overlooking the Rock Garden. We also enjoyed locally famous Easterbrook’s Foot Long Hot Dog snack bar near the parking lot of RBG (694 Spring garden Road).
While you are there: • The nearby Fishway seems quite interesting. It was created to prevent non-native carp from entering into Cootes Paradise in order to bring back other native species. It operates mostly on weekdays at 8:30 a.m. and 3 p.m. (ask at the Royal Botanical Gardens how to get there).
Age group: 2 - 16 years old
Attraction suitable for:
Toddlers
Preschoolers
School
Preteen
Teen
Royal treat
The Lilac Celebration is my favourite time of the year to visit the Royal Botanical Gardens (RBG). The spring weather is mild and the event takes us to the Arboretum, a large section 3 km from the RBG Centre and home to lilacs and magnolias. It is surrounded by fun trails to explore with the kids. One has to see the Arboretum to grasp how vast and wild the RBG really is. It is comprised of 30 kms of natural trails, five separate gardens and four nature sanctuaries. In different gardens throughout the year, the RBG displays interactive discovery carts filled with things to touch. During the Lilac Celebration, kids could compare the colour and odour of several varieties of lilac (some really stank!). They could "invent" a lilac flower based of specific characteristics and see if it already existed (it usually did), and where it could be found in the lilac dell. The Rock Gardens are much appreciated by kids, with rock stairs leading to secret corners, rocks becoming small bridges over the pond, huge rocks to climb on. A great spot for little explorers! Included with the admission cost is a double-decker service hopping from one garden to the next.
