| Membership | Price (+HST) |
|---|---|
| Single | $85/year |
| Single Plus | $120/year |
| Family | $130/year |
| Family Plus | $175/year |
| Contributing | $300/year |
| Supporting | $600/year |
| Sustaining | $1,000/year |
| Benefactor's Circle | $2,500/year |
| Director's Circle | $5,000/year |
| President's Circle | $10,000/year |
Rock Garden
David Braley & Nancy Gordon Rock Garden
Opened to visitors in 1932, the historic Rock Garden is considered the birthplace of Royal Botanical Gardens. Following a significant rejuvenation, the David Braley and Nancy Gordon Rock Garden reopened in 2016 to embrace sustainable trends in garden design and management while respecting the integrity of its heritage setting. Bold swaths of brilliant perennials provide sweeps of inspiring colour and texture throughout all seasons.
NOTE: Seasonal Hours in Effect
Rock Garden is currently open Thursdays to Sundays 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., CLOSED Mondays-Wednesdays. RBG Centre / Hendrie Park remain open.
Key Attractions
- Year-Round Perennial Display
- Water Features
- Historic Limestone Steps
- Rock Garden Bistro
Quick Facts
- 4 hectares (6 acres)
- Constructed began in 1929 and opened to visitors in 1932, Rock Garden is RBG’s oldest garden
- Showcases 1,645 types and 104,068 individual plants
Dining
Visiting Rock Garden
Garden Admission
- Garden Admission or Membership Applies
- Includes access to all four of RBG’s cultivated garden areas.
- NEW $10 ‘Single Garden’ admission available
- Does not include access to the other RBG’s cultivated garden areas.
Parking
Parking is available in the large lot across the street, with accessible parking available directly outside the Rock Garden Visitor Centre.
Rock Garden Hours
Hours reflect garden admission availability. Hours may differ for special events.
Today’s Hours
Seasonal Hours
- Mon to Wed: CLOSED, Thurs to Sun: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. (final entry 4 p.m.) (Oct 7 to Jan 5)
Exceptions
- Dec 25 Christmas Day: Closed
- Dec 26 Boxing Day: Closed
- Jan 1 New Year's Day: Closed
Getting to Rock Garden
- 1185 York Boulevard, Hamilton Ontario
- Now accessible via Hamilton Bike Share!
- Bus stop accessed by Burlington Transit and Hamilton Transit route 9 (seasonally)
Collections & Areas of Interest
- Visitor Centre
- Waterfall
- Water Features
- Season-long Perennial Display
- Conifer Display
- Dalglish Family Courtyard
- Garden House
Photo by McNeill Photography
Visitor Centre
Peak Interest: all year
The garden has an award-winning, state-of-the art facility to welcome its visitors. The centre operates as the main entrance to the garden and houses a fully operational restaurant and conference facility that accommodates up to 130 people for weddings, corporate and private functions. The centre also features a look-out deck and patio that provides guests with an optimal view of the garden’s lower bowl.
Water Features
Peak interest: May to October
Always a popular feature of the garden’s lower bowl, water features have been enhanced to create synergy with surrounding vegetation, meandering throughout the garden landscape and captivating the senses. In the summer months, lotus flowers grow within the winding waters.
Photo by McNeill Photography
Year-Round Perennial Display
Peak interest: all year
The garden, designed by Janet Rosenberg & Studio Inc., uses bold drifts of herbaceous perennials and grasses, chosen as much for their structure and texture as they are for their flower colour. This sustainable design style has environmental benefits, requiring less replanting and soil disturbance.
Conifer Display
Peak interest: all year
Look around you — conifers dominate the Rock Garden landscape with sculptural form, interesting textures, needle and bark colour, and resinous scent. The species and varieties you see here are a spectacular collection from around the world, varying from huge pines to dwarf spruce and ancient “living fossils.”
Rock Garden Bistro
Open year-round
Situated at the historic David Braley and Nancy Gordon Rock Garden, RBG’s newest restaurant features an eclectic menu that boasts fresh, locally sourced ingredients, many picked straight from our gardens! The Bistro’s outdoor patio provides an inspiring bird’s-eye view of the garden’s rejuvenated lower bowl, a perfect spot to relax.
Photo by McNeill Photography
Dalglish Family Foundation Courtyard
Peak interest: all year
Just outside the visitor centre, this elegant space serves as both a welcoming point for guests making their way outdoors and a venue for social occasions and gatherings. Alpine plants representing true rock garden vegetation grow from beautiful stone walls, and gentle waterfalls create an ideal atmosphere for cocktail receptions and special events. It is also home to Flora Hominis, the latest sculpture at this garden.
Flora Hominis, by Brandon Vickerd
Sculpture
Find a number of sculptural artworks throughout Rock Garden! Pieces include Whirlwind (artist: Reinhard Reitzenstein), Flora Hominis (artist: Brandon Vickerd), Work Ethic (artist: Marijan Kocković), and Girl with Dove (artist: Elizabeth Bradford).
Rock Garden Self Guided Activities
Available Year Round
Explore the Gardens at your own pace with our self-guided activities and tours! A variety of self-guided experiences are available year–round at the peaceful Rock Garden — find your inner Nature Guide with activities like the Tree Mindfulness Tour, Wish You Were Here: The Rock Garden’s History in Postcards, Rock Garden Favourites Tour, Be a TaleBlazer, and #ShareTheChair.
What’s in Bloom & Plants of Interest at Rock Garden
March
- Witch-Hazel
- Winter-interest plants
- Early-Spring Ephemerals
April
- Witch-Hazel
- Spring Ephemerals
- Redbud
- Flowering Cherry*
- Magnolia*
May
- Spring Ephemerals
- Redbud
- Flowering Cherry*
Bloom times can vary from year to year as they are influenced by many natural events including temperature and climate. please bear in mind that if we experience an early or late spring, bloom times could shift up to 10 days earlier or 10 days later.
*These plants have short bloom times and are very weather dependent. Check our social media feeds closer to bloom time for updates.
June
- Dogwood
- Daylily
- Sunflower Family
- Grasses
- Coral Bells
- Hydrangea
July
- Daylily
- Sunflower Family
- Coneflower
- Grasses
- Coral Bells
- Hydrangea
- Hosta
- Water Lilies
- Lotus*
August
- Sunflower Family
- Coneflower
- Grasses
- Coral Bells
- Hydrangea
- Hosta
- Water Lilies
- Lotus*
Bloom times can vary from year to year as they are influenced by many natural events including temperature and climate. please bear in mind that if we experience an early or late spring, bloom times could shift up to 10 days earlier or 10 days later.
*These plants have short bloom times and are very weather dependent. Check our social media feeds closer to bloom time for updates.
September
- Sunflower Family
- Grasses
- Coneflower
- Coral Bells
- Hydrangea
- Hosta
October
- Fall Colours
- Sunflower Family
- Coral Bells
November
- Witch-Hazel
- Conifers
Bloom times can vary from year to year as they are influenced by many natural events including temperature and climate. please bear in mind that if we experience an early or late spring, bloom times could shift up to 10 days earlier or 10 days later.
December
- Conifer Display
- Fruit-bearing shrubs
- Grasses
- Paperbark Maple
January
- Conifer Display
- Fruit-bearing shrubs
- Grasses
- Paperbark Maple
- Witch Hazel
February
- Conifer Display
- Fruit-bearing shrubs
- Grasses
- Paperbark Maple
- Witch Hazel
Upcoming Events, Activities & Tours at Rock Garden
Some events may require pre-registration, and may not be covered by your garden admission. For a full listing of events across all RBG’s gardens, visit the Events Calendar.
About the Rejuvenated Rock Garden
The David Braley and Nancy Gordon Rock Garden embraces environmentally friendly trends in garden design and management while respecting the integrity of its heritage setting. It incorporates principles of sustainability in its plant selection and layout including pollinator-friendly plants, species native to Ontario, and a palette of drought-tolerant perennials that provides broad sweeps of changing colour and texture through the seasons.
Inspired by the work of Dutch landscape designer Piet Oudolf, the garden evokes the idea of natural settings using ornamental species that grow together harmoniously. Visit it at different times of day and different times of year — you’ll always find something new! Read More
Royal Botanical Gardens’ mission is to dedicate our expertise in horticulture, conservation, science and education – together with our unique gardens, facilities and natural lands – to inspire and nurture society’s commitment to the environment. Like other public gardens around the world, we are embracing the changes needed to respond to the challenges of climate change.
The new Rock Garden reflects this forward-facing approach. It is truly a garden for the 21st century, one that embraces sustainable trends in garden design and management while respecting the integrity of its heritage setting. It incorporates a best practices approach to plant selection, design and management, including pollinator-friendly plants, species native to Ontario, and a broad representation of drought-tolerant perennials that provide wide sweeps of colour and texture through the seasons.
The new Rock Garden allows RBG to do more with less – less water, less upheaval of the soil, and less human power, plant waste and carbon emissions spent on seasonal change-outs of over 150,000 bulbs and annuals. It also allows us to do more, with new infrastructure that allows people to experience this much-loved garden in a new way with new events, year-round, day and night. And, it provides ideas and inspiration for gardeners to take home and incorporate into their own gardens, at a time when everyone’s garden can play a role in helping to make our communities more sustainable.
Rock Garden FAQ
Directions / Parking
Parking is available in the large lot across the street. Accessible spaces are available directly outside the building. There is no charge for parking at this location.
Bike racks are available outside the Rock Garden Visitor Centre, and in the parking lot across the street. This location is also accessible via Burlington Transit, with bus stops within easy walking distance.
Learn more about getting to RBG at rbg.ca/directions
Admission
Access to Rock Garden during regular operating hours is included in your General Admission or with your Membership.
General Admission also includes access to all the cultivated garden areas for the day, including: Hendrie Park, RBG Centre, Laking Garden, and the Rock Garden.
*NEW* $10 ‘Single Garden’ admission available. This provides access only to RBG’s Rock Garden and does not include access to all other RBG’s cultivated garden areas. Available for purchase in-person.
Special events or exhibits at this location may require separate tickets.
How Far is Rock Garden from RBG’s Other Garden Areas?
- Rock Garden to Laking Garden: 1.1 km / 0.7 miles
- Rock Garden to Hendrie Park / RBG Centre: 1.6 km / 1 mile
- Rock Garden to the Arboretum: 1.3 km / 0.8 miles (walking not recommended. Old Guelph Road does not include sidewalks)
Walking from garden to garden is possible, but please be aware that our property is spread out over 1,100 hectares of gardens and nature sanctuaries. Please consider driving or biking between locations.
Are there Washroom Facilities Available?
Washrooms are available in the Rock Garden Visitor Centre, or in the bottom level of the Garden House (in the lower bowl of the garden)
Are water fountains / bottle filling stations available?
Water Fountains and bottle filling stations are available at all RBG garden areas.
Indoor fountain / bottle refill station available by the washrooms in the Rock Garden visitor centre, with an outdoor fountain available by the washrooms in the lower bowl of the garden.
Food and Drink / Picnics
The Rock Garden Bistro features a French inspired menu with a garden flair that boasts fresh, locally sourced ingredients, many picked straight from our gardens!
Outside food is not permitted at RBG Centre, Hendrie Park, or Rock Garden. Outside food is only permitted at Laking Garden and the Arboretum (excluding special events). Please pack-out or properly dispose of any waste. Outdoor cooking is not permitted in any of RBG’s garden areas.
Is the Garden Accessible?
All garden paths indicated on the garden map are either paved or made of finely packed gravel.
Rock Garden includes many original limestone staircases, as well as newer staircases outfitted with handrails. Two paved and sloped pathways around the outer edge of the garden provide access to the lower bowl for those unable to take the stairs.
The lower bowl of the garden includes flat pathways with some arched bridges. Some original exploratory pathways along the inside of the bowl are not accessible for those unable to climb stairs, though much of the garden can be seen from accessible paths and lookout points.
Can I Bring My Dog?
Leashed pets are permitted in Rock Garden for a visit during regular operating hours. Please be responsible and clean up after your pet.
With the exception of service animals, pets are not permitted at special events.
Thank you for your understanding.
