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.
