Royal Botanical Gardens - Rock Garden — Attraction in Hamilton

(3.5 stars)

The RBG Rock Garden is undeniably beautiful — the grounds are stunning and it’s what initially drew us to the venue. It really does create a breathtaking backdrop for a wedding.

One of the big selling points for us was the flexibility they emphasized in planning your own event there. However, in practice, that flexibility came with a lot of hidden fees and logistical challenges. We were passed between three different coordinators throughout the planning process, which was frustrating. Thankfully, Sophie took over near the end and was an absolute saving grace — we’re so grateful for her support and responsiveness.

That said, working with RBG caused a fair amount of stress. They struggled to follow their own planning timelines and milestones, which made coordinating with other vendors more difficult. Since RBG requires you coordinate all other vendors, delays on their end had a ripple effect. Their surcharge for using non-preferred vendors was steep (e.g., a plug-in fee for an outside DJ), and their preferred vendors were often significantly more expensive — one quote we received was $3,400 just for a reception DJ...

We also encountered a few disappointing surprises:

A $400 fee just to use the in-room TV for a short same day edit video (3-4 Minutes in length)

Initial bar pricing that increased dramatically from the time we signed the 2024 contract to the 2025 prices, which was eventually adjusted after other feedback and complaints

Important package details (like bar options) shared in unpolished Word docs that felt more like internal notes than client-ready info

Logistically, it’s also worth noting that there’s no on-site drop-off space available the day before the event, so everything must be brought in and taken out the day of, which added to the day-of stress.

Finally, the photography permit window was shorter than ideal for a full-day event — something to consider if you're hoping to take full advantage of the venue's natural beauty.

All in all — is it a gorgeous venue? Absolutely. But for couples who are focused on a smooth planning process and seamless logistics, I would approach with caution or come very prepared to manage those...

Went to the Royal Botanical Gardens yesterday with a friend. I bought an annual pass so that I could visit in every season this year. We have both been gardening for many decades and drove 3 hours to get there. We toured the Laking and Hendrie Gardens and the RBG centre glass house. We were especially interested in the collections of peonies and irises in bloom. But were disappointed and actually shocked at the condition of all the beds. Every bed was overgrown with weeds…carpeting the ground, over growing the plants, large sow thistle, dandelions, sumac sprouts, aggressive plants allowed to self seed and wildly take over whole beds. There was actually drifts of very dangerous Wild Parsnip growing around the pond in Hendrie Garden, right beside the sidewalk where a child might grab it and be burned by the sap! We couldn’t believe that a professional botanical gardens would be allowed to be this weed infested and overgrown. We learned that there was only one poor woman taking care of the whole Laking Gardens. We saw her working hard but obviously they need many more horticulturists working there to keep the gardens in a condition that would be expected. I will not be buying a pass again next year. Major disappointment after attending so many other beautiful botanical gardens in the Canada, the UK and USA. I would be embarrassed to take a visitor from another...

This is my 2nd time visiting the Rock Garden. I purchased my ticket at the Royal Botanical Garden, which gave me access to the Laking Garden, Rock Garden, Hendrick Garden and this Arboretum. All 4 gardens/parks are dogfriendly. My 2 little dogs and I explored all 4 in one day includes taking a lunch break in between. This rock garden is a little trick to get to. When I visited 5 years ago in September, I was able to take the path from the parking lot into the garden without having to cross the busy street. When I recently visited in May, the walkway was closed, and I have to cross the street, walk through the building with a banquet area and where the restrooms are, before entering the Rock Garden. The plants are so different than when i went 5 years ago in September which had lots of red pepper plants as ornamental plants. This time, there was none of that. Of all 5 gardens, the Rock Garden has always been my favorite. It is beautiful layout, and I love the Rocks and Rock Formation. This garden is not big, and it is wheelchair accessible...