The Happy Rolph Bird Sanctuary and Children's Petting Farm
Reed Road, north off of Lakeshore Road in St. Catharines near the Welland Ship Canal

Happy Rolph's, (as it is known affectionately by locals) is a lovely quiet place to take your children. It's not larger than life like many attractions near the falls but is a hands-on petting farm where children can almost go nose to nose with goats, ponies, sheep, pigs, cows and other four legged friends. Canada Geese are everywhere and there are chickens and ducks, rabbits and who knows what you'll find strolling down the paths with you.
Right on the shores of Lake Ontario, there is also a large sheltered pond inlet that's home for Charles and Diana, the resident trumpet swans and thousands of migratory birds.

The City of St. Catharines leases this 15 acre park from the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority and takes care of it.

Children can watch the rabbits dig, feed the ducks, and check out the barnyard animals. There is a playground area and a picnic area (some covered).

The parking lot is accessible. You might have to do some maneuvering to find a spot if you have a side or rear loading van. The walkways are good although there is a gradual incline down to the pond but I've never had any trouble with it in my manual wheelchair or electric scooter. There are steps up the other side of the pond but you can reach the same location by going back up the incline and around.

I am assured by the Parks and Recreation Department of the City of St. Catharines there is a portable accessible washroom onsite with a wash basin for people, young and old, who use wheelchairs and scooters, and need to use the facilities.

Hours: April 30 to Mid-October - 10 a.m. to dusk.
A nature park operator lives on site year round to oversee the safekeeping of the animals and the property.

Niagara Children's Museum - Welland
Welland Historical Museum
65 Hooker St.
Welland, ON
Tel: (905)732-2215

Take Highway 406 to Welland and turn west onto East Main Street. After crossing the Old Welland Canal turn south onto Denistoun and then east on Hooker Street.

There is no designated parking in the museum lot but we are assured it is smooth going except for some broken pavement along the walkway to the manual front doors. They have a lift that will take wheelchair users and children in scooters to the main exhibition and Children's Museum areas but it will not take a large adult on a scooter. There is a manual wheelchair available and adults using scooters are asked to transfer into it and then go up the lift.

The Children's Museum features hands-on fun and exhibits told from a child's perspective. Children can work to solve puzzles, create bridges, build structures, and investigate sculpture as well as use the accessible playground.
Admission: donation box
Hours: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesdays to Saturdays
whmchin@niagara.com
www.niagara.com/~whm

Marineland

We'll be visiting Marineland in the spring.