Victoria Park opened in 1896, making it our oldest park. Some of the original features remain, including an iron bridge, flower beds and hundreds of trees and shrubs. The park is also home to a historic pavilion, which is a popular event and wedding venue.
On this page:
- About Victoria Park
- Location
- Parking and transit
- Washrooms
- Every Child Matters crosswalk
- Splashpad and playground
- Swans
- Wi-Fi
- The Boathouse
- Events and rentals
- Victoria Park Master Plan
About Victoria Park
Walk around Victoria Park lake, crossing back and forth over numerous bridges, visit the band stand on Roos Island and take in some of Kitchener’s largest park trees in formal park setting.
In the winter, enjoy outdoor skating on the Victoria Park outdoor ice rinks.
Location
Victoria Park is a short walk away from downtown Kitchener. You can access Victoria Park from:
- the Iron Horse Trail
- Gaukel Street
- Joseph Street
- Jubilee Drive via Park Street, Courtland Avenue or other surrounding streets
- Schneider Avenue
- Roland Street
Parking and transit
Victoria Park has multiple parking options:
- lot on Jubilee Drive near Devon Street
- lot on Jubilee Drive near David Street
- on-street parking on Schneider Avenue
- lot on Schneider Avenue (for pavilion)
These Grand River Transit (GRT) routes stop near Victoria Park:
- route 1 on Queen Street South
- route 20 on Park Street South
- route 204 on Queen Street South
- Victoria Park Station for ION light rail transit on Charles Street West
Washrooms
These washrooms are available at Victoria Park:
- accessible men's and women's washrooms on Jubilee Drive at David Street
- available year-round
- open seven days a week, from the morning to dusk
- men's and women's washrooms near the Pavilion and play area
- available between May and November
- open seven days a week, from the morning to dusk
Every Child Matters crosswalk
During your visit to Victoria Park, you may notice the thousands of orange footprints painted on the trail throughout the park – or, more vividly, the beautiful orange “Every Child Matters” crosswalk located at the crosswalk at the intersection of Water Street and Jubilee Drive.
The footprints and crosswalk are the result of the passion of Indigenous community members and allies who had a vision to bring to Victoria Park a lasting tribute to honour the children whose lives were lost in residential schools, and those who still live with the generational trauma caused by residential schools. Read more about this community-led tribute.
Children’s shoes at the base of Queen Victoria statue
In anticipation of the Every Child Matters crosswalk installation and unveiling, a number of children’s shoes were placed at the base of the Queen Victoria Statue. This action was led by the Every Child Matters Crosswalk Committee, led by Sheena Merling, as a way to visually represent the loss of Indigenous children in Canada’s residential school system, which began in 1831 and did not end until the final school closed in 1996. The shoes were placed as a parallel to the footprints in the park and presented an opportunity and invitation for other community members – Indigenous people, allies and others – to participate in this public acknowledgement in a continued way.
After witnessing the positive community interaction with this display, we asked the Every Child Matters Crosswalk Committee to consider leaving the shoes in place while the upcoming engagement regarding the statue gets underway, in response to city council’s direction in June “That staff be directed to commission new temporary public artwork that recognizes Indigenous Peoples on the site while the engagement process occurs.”
The Every Child Matters Crosswalk received a LoveMyHood Matching Grant from the City of Kitchener. Learn more about the Every Child Matters Crosswalk on their Facebook page.
Read more about reconciliation at the City of Kitchener.
Splashpad and playground
Behind the Victoria Park Pavilion, you'll find our splashpad and playground. Parking is available in the pavilion parking lot.
These accessibility features are available at Victoria Park:
- partially rubberized play surface
- accessible fitness equipment area with rubberized surface
Swans
Victoria Park is home to Otis and Ophelia, Kitchener’s swans. They live in the park during the summer, and travel to Stratford for the winter.
Check out our social media pages for pictures and updates on Otis and Ophelia.
Wi-Fi
Use your own phone, tablet or computer with our free Wi-Fi. Choose the “Kitchener Public WiFi” network and follow the instructions that show up.
The Boathouse
With over 90 years of history since it was built in 1929, The Boathouse is one of Victoria Park's iconic spaces. Completely renovated and reopened in 2024, The Boathouse hosts live music and serves local food and drinks year-round. Relax for a meal on the unique cantilevered patio overlooking Victoria Park Lake or stop by their takeout window for a quick bite.
The Boathouse facility is owned by the City of Kitchener and operated by Walkinshaw Holdings. For more information on everything happening at The Boathouse, visit The Boathouse website.
Events and rentals
We host events at Victoria Park during the summer. Check our events calendar to find an upcoming event.
Some popular events at Victoria Park include:
- Cruising on King Street
- Ribfest
- Kitchener Blues Festival
Roos Island Music Series
We are excited to kick off the first season of the Roos Island Music Series on the newly renovated bandstand! This free series will fill Victoria Park with music from many of our community’s incredible artists. Bring a lawn chair or picnic for an afternoon or evening out!
Visit our Roos Island Music Series page for the full performance schedule and more information.
Rent the pavilion
Victoria Park Pavilion is a popular wedding and event venue in downtown Kitchener. Visit our event rentals page to learn more.
Victoria Park Master Plan
We’re updating the Victoria Park Master Plan, the guiding document for public and city priorities within Victoria Park. We’ll review the park's existing conditions and amenities, analyze how it is being used and learn how it can better support the community in the future. This will help us develop a 10-year plan for improving, maintaining and operating the park.
As part of our analysis, we’re installing visual sensors throughout the park to help us learn how the park is being used and how we can improve the park to serve you better. The sensors use vision-based technology to capture count, speed and movement data for park users. The system does not collect personal identifying information and does not store video files.
Learn more on our Engage page.