Queen Elizabeth Park, Vancouver

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This one of the famous parks of Vancouver. It is free to get inside. The garden is so beautiful - a mixture of the east and the west. There is a fountain outside where Shelby went and played. I wasn't so sure if we were allowed then but my daughter just wanted to go and play with the water!

We walked down the paths of the garden - such beautifully laid out - the colorful and lush bushes, trees and other multiple-colored fauna were nicely planted to give a better view of the garden. There are little pools and bridges that connects one garden to another. The maple trees are beautiful especially the different classes of Japanese maple trees they chose to plant.

The walk way to the park overlooking some parts of Vancouver was planted with zinnias! (It was summer time when we visited here). The flowers were large and beautiful...The colors of all the plants and flowers they planted are wonderful to see!

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Queen Elizabeth Park is a local favourite and probably one of Vancouver's most recently forgotten tourist sites. Because Queen Elizabeth Park isn't downtown like Stanley Park is, and since it's not as famous as Butchart Gardens in Victoria, people seem to omit it from their travels. But if you love peaceful walks, love the smell of fresh earthy air, and have an overall love of the simplicity of gardens, I'd highly recommend a visit.

Located atop a former rock quarry, Queen Elizabeth Park offers 130 acres of manicured flower gardens, paved trails, forests, a duck pond, and lookout points only a short 10 minute drive from the downtown core of Vancouver. The park is also home to the Conservatory (an indoor jungle with exotic birds and flowers), and a pitch and putt. Across the street is the famous Nat Bailey Stadium, home to the local AAA baseball team, the Vancouver Canadians. The Season's Hilltop Bistro is also located at the top of Queen Elizabeth Park. It has a fantastic view from its dining room, and it's probably most famous locally for hosting a dinner for former presidents Bill Clinton and Boris Yeltsin.

Though parking costs money, the entire park is free to visit.

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Originally, Queen Elizabeth Park was a basalt quarry. We came here, by Bus, to visit the Bloedel Observatory.
The main Quarry Garden is just west of the Bloedel Conservatory, is a pretty spot, with very nice specimen trees and shrubs. As well, beds are planted with perennial and annual's, along with tree Fuchsias. A stream and cascading waterfall add to the beauty of the area.

There is another, smaller Quarry Garden, which has a bridge over a pretty stream.
The two quarry gardens are a "Gardener's delight," and I am sure, even if you are not a gardener like me, you will still enjoy walking the winding pathways, crossing the little bridges and admiring the mini waterfalls set amongst hundreds of plants and flowers.
Seats are scattered around so you can rest your legs.

What a beautiful park this is, one I imagine, that would be stunning in Autumn when all the leaves colour.

Not only are there gardens, but a Restaurant, and an area for sports, including the Queen Elizabeth Pitch & Putt golf course, Tai Chi in the morning atop the plaza, lawn bowling, and 18 FREE TENNIS COURTS that are first-come, first-serve!
Oh! And don't forget to look at all the Sculptures situated around the park!

The views, we thought, we pretty good as well!

Easy to reach by public transport.

A must-see (and free) activity for visitors to Vancouver, is beautiful Queen Elizabeth Park. This 130 acre park is located south of the city and is the highest point in the city of Vancouver, at over 500 feet above sea level. Spectacular views of the city skyline and mountains are the first thing you notice, then explore the gardens, paths, duck pond, woodland paths, conservatory, pitch and putt golf and a first-class restaurant. The park was developed over the better part of the 20th century from an old stone quarry which has now been transformed into emaculately kept flower beds, trees, lawns, water features, and paths. (See travelogue for more pics.)

Bloedel Conservatory is a geodesic dome built in 1969. It is located at the top of Queen Elizabeth Park and houses over 500 species of plant, 100 species of free-flying birds, and tropical fish in pools and streams. Adult admission is about $4 and the Conservatory is open every day from 10 am to 5:30 pm.

UPDATE: Sadly, since I first posted this tip, the City of Vancouver has decided to close the Bloedel Conservatory. They say that the upkeep is too expensive and, although it is quite popular with tourists, not enough locals visit it year round to justify the expense. Unless a private interest take over the conservatory it is scheduled to be closed in March 2010.

The park is huge but there are some advantage points when you go to the bridge at the Queen Elizabeth Park because then you can see the whole park.

The park in the summer time is very beautiful. The different flowers in bloom. There are so many flowers to see and I love the gigantic zinnias at the front of the park and the verbenas. The sylvia flowers are in purple and in reds. These flowering plants are annuals and after the summer, these disappear so it is best to come here during the spring time and during the summer time.

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At 505 feet above sea level, Queen Elizabeth Park is the highest point in the city of Vancouver. Although many people assume it was named after Queen Elizabeth II, it was actually named it honour of her mother, Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother. Though it is much smaller than Stanley Park, it offers pleasant walking trails and a great view of downtown Vancouver. The rise on which the park is located used to be known as Little Mountain and at the beginning of the 20th century, it was quarried by the Canadian Pacific Railway Company for the construction of railroads in British Columbia. When Little Mountain was turned into a park, the parts that had been quarried were turned into beautiful sunken gardens. I didn't get to see the park in full bloom since I was there in December, but I still very much enjoyed walking up and down the trails that go around the hill. My own personal "coup de coeur" in the park was "The Photo Session" sculpture by J. Seward Johnson Jr, an American artist who specializes in trompe l'oeil (extremely realistic) bronze sculpture.

Queen Elizabeth is sitting atop an extinct volcano and the highest point in Vancouver at 500 feet (150 m). From here, visitors have sweeping views in all directions across the city.

A magnificent floral conservatory set in Queen Elizabeth Park, housing plants and birds from the world over. Free admission except Bloedel Conservatory.

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The Bloedel Conservatory is located in Queen Elizabeth Park at the top of Little Mountain. It is a large dome overlooking the city and the mountains. Inside this dome is a large temperature controlled tropical garden with trees, plants, flowers, birds and some small ponds with fish. This beautiful enclosed garden is open year round and is a popular attraction at Queen Elizabeth Park and a perfect place to visit if the weather is not cooperating a 100%. There's a walkway that takes you all the way through the dome and you will come across some of the birds, although some of them may be hiding in the plants/trees. There is also a small souvenir area at the entrance of the Bloedel Conservatory.

We have visited here several times and usually it's part of a visit to Queen Elizabeth Park as well as the views from the park are so beautiful and a walk through the park is always nice to do. Right outside of the Bloedel Conservatory is a fountain display which is fun to watch as well.

Queen Elizabeth is free, but for the Bloedel Conservatory you have to pay to get in as follows: Adult (19-64 years) - $6.50
Senior (65+ years) - $4.50
Youth (13-18 years) - $4.50
Child (3-12 years) - $3.25
Family (1-2 adults of the same household, and their children aged 3 to 18) - $15.00
Pre-schoolers (accompanied by an adult) - Free

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Queen Elizabeth Park sits in the middle of Vancouver. The top of the park is the highest point in the city at 505 ft above sea level. Millions of tourists and locals visit the park yearly to marvel at the gardens of flowers in the park. There is no fee to visit the park, however the conservatory charges $3 CAD per person.

A number of gardens and sculptures are located in the park. Seasons in the Park is a restaurant with a magnifent view of Vancouver's downtown peninsula. Golf course and tennis courts are also available in the park. The are plenty of things to do here. Make sure you bring your camera! Once you start taking pictures here, you don't want to stop!

More pictures of the park.

If you want to find a quiet place to think or even a serene place to stroll around and relax in, this is the place!