| Directly opposite the Maid of the Mist Plaza is Oakes Garden Theatre -- 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 "Live with Regis & Kathy Lee" used
the garden as a setting for their show. |
|
|
