Oakes Garden Theatre

Oakes Garden Theatre is a free horticultural and architectural highlight of the Niagara Parks.

Formally opened in 1937, the architectural design is that of an amphitheatre which resembles those of ancients Greeks and Romans.

Fan-shaped, with the stage placed so that the panorama of the Falls forms a backdrop, it is built on varying levels, taking advantage of the contours of the ground and incorporating a foundation wall of the old Clifton Hotel. At the rear there is a curved pergola connecting two open pavilions, one aligned on the axis of the Horseshoe Falls, the other on that of the American Falls.

Sloping terraces, rock gardens, lily ponds, shrubbery and wide promenades adjoin the amphitheatre. Oakes Garden is popular with photographers especially on formal occasions such as Weddings. Recently Ryan & Kelly used the garden as a setting for their show.