Discover Burlington

Burlington offers a variety of reasons to stay: swimming in Lake Ontario, botanical gardens and conservation, museums, or outdoor activities on trails. When planning your trip, consider which of these interests you want to shape your visit. This will help you put together an itinerary from the city’s offerings that suits the purpose of your trip.

On the Waterfront: Swimming, Events and Trails

At the natural lakeside beach in Beachway Park, you can swim and cool off in the water. If you’d also like to spend time in Lake Ontario during your stay, this is a concrete activity to include in your plans. The beach offers a different kind of outdoor experience from walking or cycling.

Spencer Smith Park is a hub for many of Burlington’s major festivals and events. If you’re travelling for a particular festival, check the event dates for your travel dates. On the Waterfront Trail, you can walk, cycle and inline skate along the water. The trail therefore offers different ways to get active by the water, while events provide a specific date around which to plan your trip.

Gardens, Conservation and Hiking

The Royal Botanical Gardens include gardens and a nature sanctuary and extend across Burlington and Hamilton, Ontario. They are Canada’s largest botanical garden. With gardens and a nature sanctuary, the site brings different nature-focused themes together in one place.

The Bruce Trail also runs through Burlington and offers opportunities for hiking. Burlington’s trails make it possible to cycle both for recreation and as a means of transportation. If you’re planning outdoor activities, you can distinguish between hiking on the Bruce Trail and cycling on the trails: cycling can be for both recreation and transportation.

History, Museums and Art

Ireland House on Oakridge Farm was built between 1835 and 1837 and was the home of Joseph Ireland, one of Burlington’s earliest settlers. Ireland House Museum offers tours, heritage interpretation demonstrations and interactive programs. Here, a specific historic building and different forms of interpretation come together.

Joseph Brant Museum is Burlington’s community museum. It has three galleries and spaces for temporary exhibitions. Art Gallery of Burlington is located downtown, on the shore of Lake Ontario and along the Waterfront Trail. If you’re looking for a cultural focus, these places offer different points of interest: the history of Joseph Ireland, galleries and changing exhibitions at the museum, or art downtown.

Choose Burlington to Suit Your Trip

If swimming or events are your main priorities, plan around Beachway Park or the dates of your chosen festival. If you’re interested in nature, add the Royal Botanical Gardens and hiking opportunities on the Bruce Trail; for culture, the museums and Art Gallery of Burlington offer different activities.

You don’t have to fit every theme into one stay. If you’d like to combine several interests, keep their different focuses in mind: for example, nature and hiking, cycling for recreation or transportation, and history, exhibitions or events.

Discover more destinations: Milton, Oakville, Halton Hills, Acton

Return to the regional travel overview: Regional Municipality of Halton.