Niagara-on-the-lake Information

Located about half an hour north of Niagara Falls, the quaint town of Niagara-on-the-Lake (NOTL) offers a vacation spot full of modern-day amenities, but with the service and grace of years gone by. Nicknamed the "loveliest town in Canada," it’s obvious after just one visit that this alternate moniker is well deserved. Niagara-on-the-Lake is packed with charm and stateliness, and a large part of that is inspired by the town’s long history as a British military town. Many of the tourist attractions in NOTL exist because of this history, and visitors leave all the better for experiencing not only the region’s amazing wineries, but also for broadening their horizons and learning about this unique part of Ontario’s history.

One of the more well-known military forts to visit in the area and that’s open from April to October each year is the Fort George National Historic Site, which was the scene of quite a few battles during the War of 1812. The original stone magazine building, where gunpowder was stored, still stands today, and the staff at Fort George do their best to give tourists an authentic experience by dressing up in early 19th-century clothing. The Niagara Historical Society Museum also features displays and exhibits that tell the interesting stories of Niagara-on-the-Lake’s days as the capital of Upper Canada, how NOTL used to provide a safe haven for refugees from the U.S., and how the town was also an important stop on the Underground Railroad.

Located beside the Niagara River Recreation Trail, McFarland House, built in 1800, is another way to take in the local history. The oldest property owned by the Niagara Parks Commission, McFarland House has survived the years to become a home that tourists can visit to gain exposure to the traditional and gracious living that represent the spirit of Niagara-on-the-Lake. Costumed guides provide historic tours of McFarland House, and a tearoom where the home’s famous scones, baked goods, and premium teas are served provides a quiet respite where travellers will find themselves minding their 19th-century manners.

Heading into town, tourists can see, to an even greater extent, just how important the little town of Niagara-on-the-Lake is to Ontario’s, and indeed, Canada’s history. The province’s first newspaper, lending library, parliament, and historical museum were founded in NOTL, and the town’s assortment of Regency– and Classical Revival-style buildings are considered the best in the country from the post-war period of 1812. Because of their significance, parts of NOTL’s town centre have been declared National Historic Districts by the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada. NOTL is the only town centre to have this distinction in the entire province of Ontario, and among the fascinating structures you can enjoy are the Niagara Apothecary Museum, built circa 1820, the oldest pharmacy in Ontario, and St. Mark’s Church, constructed in 1791, the oldest Anglican church in the province.

However, if the curious find themselves lacking in direction, there are plenty of guided historical tours around Niagara-on-the-Lake that provide entertainment as well as a learning experience. The Great Lakes Pyrate Lore & Harbour Walks lead their tour groups along a waterfront amble that highlights tales of Canadian and international pirates who used Canada as a base of operations, stories of pirate fleets, merchant ships and sunken wrecks that can be found at the bottom of Lake Ontario, and a narrative about NOTL’s Fort Mississauga and its role in the area’s history.

If you like this kind of thing and sticking with the baddies is more tempting than sipping Earl Grey in a dainty tearoom, Lanternlit Ghost Walks of Niagara-on-the-Lake is also ready to take you on a spooky stroll through 200 years of haunted pubs, inns, and homes where restless spirits are believed to lurk. Violent deaths, exorcisms, and headless ghosts are all waiting for you to say boo, and the costumed actors who lead these walks do a fantastic job of keeping everyone in the mood.

And, speaking in being in the mood—albeit a different kind—couples can try their hand at old-fashioned courting with Sentineal Carriages, which allow guests to explore Niagara-on-the-Lake by horse-drawn carriage in the summer months, and by sleigh ride in the wintertime. These rides don’t extend to the wineries, though, so in order to drink in the infamous Niagara-on-the-Lake wine country, it’s suggested that you rent a bike or a car, or sign up for a guided bus tour. There are many tour options available for those wanting to simply sample some wine and cheese to those who prefer to learn about the viticulture behind some of Canada’s finest reds and whites. Tourists, of course, can also make a weekend of NOTL wine country with not only their partners, but with their friends, family, or business associates. A special draw to the area, in particular, is NOTL’s ice wines, and some of the wineries in the region are the makers of world’s largest volumes of this beverage, able to be cultivated here because of the unique climate.

Some hotels in NOTL offer free shuttle services to wineries in the area, which is even more of a reason to experience, especially, the amazing chardonnays and Rieslings that are made here. It’s these wines and more that serve up the inspiration for the many fine-dining experiences to be had in Niagara-on-the-Lake. The tree-lined Queen Street is the main hub for restaurants, as well as shopping and accommodations, but there are many quaint bed-and-breakfasts in and around the town, if visitors are so inclined.

Besides wine-making and museums, the arts in NOTL are well-represented as well. Located on the banks of the Niagara River, the Niagara Pumphouse Visual Art Centre is housed inside a beautiful Victorian brick building that was built in 1891 and was used to contain pumps and filter tanks that supplied water to the residents of NOTL until 1983. The Pumphouse now features exhibits that showcase various forms of art media. The Angie Strauss Gallery, Niagara Regional Native Centre, and Romance Collection Gallery are also necessary stops on any tour of Niagara-on-the-Lake’s visual arts scene.

Additionally, the Niagara Symphony is literally music to the ears as it presents a regular concert series from October through May each year, and the popular Music Niagara, a large summer festival that puts on instrumental, classical, baroque, and jazz music performances at both indoor and outdoor venues, is just further testament to the unforgettable experiences that can be found in Niagara-on-the-Lake.

And last, but certainly not least, is Niagara-on-the-Lake’s most famous arts attraction, the Shaw Festival. Named after the legendary playwright George Bernard Shaw, this festival attracts tourists from all over the world. Running from April to October every year, the current mandate behind the festival that began in 1962 is to promote the works of Shaw and other playwrights who have written anywhere in the world about or during the era of Shaw’s lifetime (1856–1950). Started by Niagara-area lawyer and playwright Brian Doherty in the Assembly Room in NOTL’s historical courthouse on Queen Street, the Shaw Festival’s debut venue is now one of four official theatres that stage this yearly event. Now called the Court House Theatre, the Assembly Room is leased out every year as it joins the Festival Theatre, Royal George Theatre, and Studio Theatre as the platforms of the Shaw Festival.

However, if theatre and arts aren’t your thing, and you lean more toward the sporty, there are quite a few outstanding golf courses within easy driving distance of Niagara-on-the-Lake, namely the Niagara-on-the-Lake Golf and Country Club, which provides stunning views of both the Niagara River and Lake Ontario, and can lay claim to being North America’s oldest golf course. Adrenalin junkies can also learn to sail at the Niagara-on-the-Lake Sailing Club, and the Whirlpool Jet Boat Tours offer a wild ride through the Devil’s Hole Rapids, which are 53 metres down the Niagara Gorge.

No matter how you spend your time in this picturesque southwestern Ontario town, Niagara-on-the-Lake offers, unconditionally, an enchanting getaway that will have you planning your next visit as soon as you leave. Canada’s loveliest town awaits.