Royal Botanical Gardens
RBG Centre and Hendrie Park are located at 680 Plains Road West, Burlington Ontario. Royal Botanical Gardens is Canada’s largest, with over 2,400 acres of gardens and nature sanctuary that spans Hamilton and Burlington Ontario. In addition to the gardens, visitors can also enjoy hiking trails, special events and year-round programming. Be sure to leave time to visit the other gardens (Rock Garden, Laking Garden, and the Arboretum) after your Telling Tales experience.
Where to Stay
There are many hotels located in both Hamilton and Burlington, here are a few for consideration
Holiday Inn Burlington Hotel and Conference Centre – 3063 South Service Road, Burlingotn
Waterfront Hotel Downtown Burlington – 2020 Lakeshore Road, Burlington
Sheraton Hamilton Hotel, 116 King St. W, Hamilton
Courtyard by Marriott, 1224 Upper James St., Hamilton
For more information on accommodations and what to see and do
in Burlington visit Tourism Burlington
in Hamilton visit Tourism Hamilton
Getting Here
By Car:
FROM TORONTO AND EAST
Queen Elizabeth Way to Highway 403 West (Hamilton). Exit at Waterdown Road. Travel 800 metres south along Waterdown Road to Plains Road West. Turn right onto Plains Road West and travel 2km. Turn left into the RBG Centre parking lot.
FROM KITCHENER-WATERLOO AND WEST INCLUDING DETROIT (U.S.A.)
Highway 401 East to Highway 6 South. Follow Highway 6 South for about 25 km. Exit onto York Road, make a left and then a right on the new Plains Road and drive south crossing over the 403. Turn left at the lights to continue on Plains Road West for about 1 km, passing the glass building. Turn right into the RBG parking lot.
FROM THE NIAGARA REGION AND BUFFALO (U.S.A.)
Queen Elizabeth Way to Highway 403 West (Hamilton). Exit at Waterdown Road. Travel 800 metres south along Waterdown Road to Plains Road West. Turn right onto Plains Road West and travel 2km. Turn left into the RBG parking lot.
Parking:
There is free parking at the RBG Main Entrance and RBG Rock Garden Parking Lot, 1185 York Blvd. RBG Rock Garden has a dedicated Shuttle operating (more info on our Free Bus information page coming soon).
If all lots are full, overflow parking may be available at the Bayfront Funeral Home and on the side streets behind the RBG main office.
By Bus:
Burlington Transit Plains 1 buses stop directly in front of RBG Centre / Hendrie Park (note that the Plains 101 Express no longer makes stops along Plains Road).
Burlington Transit and HSR buses connect seamlessly via free transfer in downtown Hamilton, and all local buses are equipped with bike racks.
Go Transit:
GO TRAIN
2 options available depending on your preference for the number of transfers:
Take the Lakeshore West Train. Exit at the Burlington GO Station and take Burlington Transit Route 1 Plains to Hamilton to RBG Centre.
Take the Lakeshore West Train. Exit at the Aldershot GO Station and take HSR route 18 southbound bus from Aldershot GO Station bus stop (bus runs approx. every 30 min), get off at Waterdown at Plains bus stop, walk 2 min to Plains at Waterdown bus stop, take Burlington Transit Route 1 West to Hamilton bus (bus runs approx. every 10 min), get off at Plains at RBG bus stop.
GO TRAIN WITH A BICYCLE
Take the Lakeshore West Train. Exit at the Aldershot GO Station, a 4 km bicycle ride to RBG Centre (directions).
GO BUS
Depending on the starting location, multiple GO bus routes are available, with transfers to Burlington Transit at the Burlington GO Station (Burlington Transit Route 1 Plains to Hamilton), or various transfer points in Hamilton. Please see the GO Transit trip planner for assistance.
PLEASE NOTE
There are no direct buses that run from Aldershot GO to RBG at this time. Options for travelling from Aldershot GO include:
It is possible to walk or bike 1.2 km from the Aldershot GO Station to Plains Road catch the Burlington Transit Route 1 bus from there. Please see the Burlington Transit Trip Planner for details. Travelers arriving at Aldershot GO may also consider taking a cab or ride share to the Gardens (4 km distance).
DIRECTIONS BY TRAIN
Be as green as our gardens and ride your bicycle to RBG! Whether coming from
Hamilton, Burlington or beyond there are a variety of routes available to get here. Once
you arrive you’ll find that several of RBG’s garden areas are within a short distance of each other. Extend your trip and ride your bike between some of the garden areas on backroads and bicycle lanes.
Secure bike locking stations are available at each garden area and major trail head (see
parking lot list above) so you can leave your bike behind and enjoy a walk in nature.
Find your bike route to RBG.
BIKING AND GO TRANSIT
Coming from further? Consider bringing your bike on the GO Train and cycling 4km
from the Aldershot GO Station.
HAMILTON BIKE SHARE
Princess Point (south shore of Cootes Paradise) is a Hamilton Bike Share hub
Hamilton Bike Share allows visitors to rent a bicycle to travel to or from Princess Point
(travel within a designated area only).
Hamilton Bike Share has launched a service area extension pilot to the Rock Garden!
Bike share users can now ride to the Rock Garden and lock there with zero locking
fees.
PLEASE NOTE
Riding and bicycle is not permitted in garden areas or on RBG’s trails. On our trails,
bikes pose a direct threat to plants and ground-dwelling wild life, causes erosion, root
death and tree dieback. This permanently alters nature’s balance by changing
microclimates and paving the way for invasive species.
