Rated Things to Do in Hamilton

Running from Fort Erie and passing through Niagara Falls and ending at Niagara-on-the-Lake is the Niagara Parkway Scenic Drive. The entire length of the roadway is 55 kilometers, and the section from Niagara Falls to Niagara-on-the-Lake is particularly scenic.

What better way to really make the most of your visit to Niagara-on-the-Lake than by staying at the luxurious and historical Prince of Wales hotel? Located in the very heart of the town, the hotel occupies prime real estate at the corner of King and Queen Streets.

If you are looking for something romantic for you and your sweetie, climb aboard a horse-drawn carriage and tour the town. The carriages typically wait for customers outside the Prince of Wales hotel on King Street, or you can choose your own time and make a booking online at least 24 hours in advance.

A key battle raged and was lost at Niagara-on-the-Lake and Fort George in 1813, and although you may think the guns are quiet today, you'd be mistaken. Today's Fort George exists much as it did back at the turn of the 19th century. Soldiers walk around in historical uniforms, and other inhabitants of the fort go about their daily business much as they did in 1813.

The number one thing to do in Niagara-on-the-Lake is to stroll up and down Queen Street. Wide sidewalks and incredible floral displays make this a beguiling activity. This historical roadway is home to many significant buildings and tourist attractions, including the courthouse building dating from 1846, the cenotaph, and one of the Shaw Festival playhouses.

A visit to the Hamilton Museum of Steam and Technology offers a fascinating glimpse at what would have been a state-of-the-art waterworks in Victorian times. Housed in a building constructed in 1859 in the Hamilton Waterworks complex, the Steam Museum is a one-of-kind relic that has preserved the original steam engines that pumped water across the city until it closed in 1910.

Those with a penchant for art would do well to visit the Art Gallery of Hamilton (AGH). It was established in 1914 and later moved to its current location on King Street West, a modern-style building designed by Trevor P. Garwood-Jones, in 1977. There's more than 7,000 square meters of museum space to explore here.

Located in East Hamilton, a few minutes' drive from downtown, Gage Park is well worth including on your Hamilton travel itinerary. One of the city's most popular green spaces, the park was established in the 1920s and features numerous flowerbeds that blossom each spring, an historic fountain, as well as plenty of trees providing shade for those wanting to linger and enjoy a picnic.

Once considered something of an industrial wasteland — it was (and in some areas, still is) home to heavy industry — Hamilton's waterfront has been the subject of an ambitious regeneration scheme over the past decade or so.

Of the more than 100 waterfalls known to be located on the Niagara Escarpment, many of the most picturesque can be found within the city limits of Hamilton. The most popular of these is the spectacular Albion Falls, also known as "lover's leap."

Nicknamed Canada's "fightingest ship" for its record of sinking the most enemy tonnage while serving the country's navy in WW2, HMCS Haida National Historic Site is another waterfront tourist attraction to add to your Hamilton travel itinerary.

Home to one of Canada's largest historic military collections, the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum is a must-visit at any time of year. Located at Hamilton's international airport, its static displays include 47 military aircraft ranging from WWI-era prop jobs to more modern jet fighters.