Queen Elizabeth Park is a 52-hectare (130-acre) public park in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The park sits on the slopes of what is known as “Little Mountain” (the city’s highest point, about 152 m above sea level) just a 15-minute drive from downtown Vancouver. It’s one of the most beautiful parks in Vancouver, where you can enjoy not only the gorgeous park scenery, which can be rightly considered a model of garden art, but also fantastic panoramic views of the city and its surroundings.
In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, “Little Mountain” was actively mined to create Vancouver’s first roads, resulting in a rather extensive quarry. In 1919 the Canadian Pacific Railway, which owned the land, offered to purchase the site from the city, but no action was taken at the time. Nevertheless, by the late 1930s the land was nevertheless officially transferred to the Vancouver “Park Board” for the purpose of conversion to a recreational park. The park was not developed until a few years after the end of World War II. The park received its name in honor of Queen Elizabeth, who visited Vancouver in 1939.
Today Queen Elizabeth Park is a favourite recreation place for locals and visitors alike. On the territory of the park you can find a magnificent arboretum, quarry garden, the famous Bloedel greenhouse, where more than 500 species of exotic plants and tropical birds live, rose garden, picturesque ponds, fountains, golf course, tennis courts, bowling club, a great viewing platform and much more. There is also a special pavilion for festive events and an excellent restaurant “Seasons” on the territory of the park.