One of the largest children’s gardens in Ontario planned for Niagara Falls

Designs for a new children’s garden in Niagara Falls are now out.

The four-acre, nature-based garden will be built at the Niagara Parks Botanical Gardens in a joint project from Niagara Parks and Niagara Parks Foundation, Niagara Parks said.

The $15 million project is the first children’s garden of this scale in Ontario, Niagara Parks said.

MT Planners and +VG Architects were selected as the design firms for the project and have provided detailed designs.

The Hive area in the Children’s Garden.

The new park will include 12 interactive zones, which will help children discover Niagara’s rich history and the native plants and animals that live within its ecosystems.

Another view of The Hive.

Included in the 12 zones are a tree-top walk, a cabin, a water play area replicating Niagara rapids, a geological area, a fossil zone, a pollinator-themed area, wetlands and a bridge.

A map shows the planned layout of the new garden. Map: Niagara Parks

“Completing the detailed designs for the 12 interactive zones within the Children’s Garden will bring us significantly closer to achieving our vision to build this four-acre, interactive living classroom that will inspire children and their families to love and protect our planet today and well into the future,” said Deborah Whitehouse, chair of the Niagara Parks Foundation.

The Big Rock.

The park is designed to “inspire curiosity, invite play, enrich minds and nurture a connection to nature,” Tara McCarthy, principal in charge, MT Planners, said.

The Root Zone.

A fundraising council has been established to support the project. Construction is expected to begin this fall.

The Gorge area.

The garden will be in the Niagara Parks Botanical Gardens at 2565 Niagara River Parkway, Niagara Falls.

Learn more here.

Renderings courtesy of Niagara Parks