Head to the jewel in Hamilton's tourism crown, one of only six botanical gardens worldwide to be awarded royal status. The 5-square miles of garden, on the southern edge of the city, are a delight in any season. In summer, Hendrie Park's Rose Gardens has thousands of varieties in bloom. The Laking Garden is awash with irises and peonies in late spring, just as the lilacs in the arboretum are in full flower. The wildlife sanctuary is home to birds, deer, foxes, muskrats and coyotes and is latticed with hiking trails and wooded ravines.
Once the residence of Sir Allan Napier MacNab, Canadian prime minister in the mid-19th-century, this 36-room mansion sits on a cliff overlooking the harbor and is surrounded by chestnut trees. It has been preserved in its original Victorian style, and a tour of the castle lends insight into life in a grand country house. Attached is Hamilton Military Museum, free for visitors to the castle, which exhibits weapons and uniforms from the War of 1812 -- the 32-month conflict between the U.S. and Great Britain -- as well as World War I.
The Canadians are as passionate about their fast-paced football as their southern cousins. Head to Jackson Street West to the Football Hall of Fame and Museum, where artifacts charting the 100-year history of the sport are exhibited. Here you can see displays of sports equipment and photographs, as well as the Canadian Football League's most coveted prize – the Grey Cup.
Fans of flying should visit the spacious hanger 6 miles south of Hamilton. Here a collection of two dozen vintage planes, many in flying condition, commemorates Canada's history in the skies. The museum has examples of everything from biplanes to helicopters and fighter jets. Visitors are greeted by the site of a huge Royal Canadian Air Force 641 jet impaled on a giant spike out front, as if it is about to take off into the clouds.
If you want to get within touching distance of giraffes, lions, zebras and monkeys, head 15 miles south of Hamilton to the African Lion Safari. This vast, cage-less park houses about 1,000 exotic beasts, from cheetahs and elephants to rhinos, as well as birds, all free to roam around as you drive through or take the park tour bus. Since opening in 1969, the park has worked toward the conservation and preservation of many endangered and threatened species.
