Listing Type
Parks, Gardens & Conservation Areas
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Ball's Falls Conservation Area |
General Information
Set within the breathtaking Twenty Valley watershed, Ball’s Falls Conservation Area offers spectacular scenery and natural beauty. Your visit will begin at the Ball’s Falls Centre for Conservation.
Photo Gallery
Hours of Operation
Ball's Falls Conservation Area: 8:00 am - 8:00 pm
Ball's Falls Centre for Conservation: 9:00 am - 4:00 pm
Heritage Buildings open for public tours:
April - mid-May Monday - Friday 10:00 am - 4:00 pm
Closed Good Friday & Easter Monday
Mid-May - Labour Day Daily 10:00 am - 4:00 pm
Labour Day - October Sunday - Thursday 10:00 am - 4:00 pm
November Monday - Friday 10:00 am - 4:00 pm
Tours on the hour with admission receipt
Last tour begins at 3:00 pm
Meet at gatehouse entrance
Groups by reservation only
Directions
QEW exit 57, Vineland (Victoria Avenue)
South on Victoria Avenue towards Niagara Escarpment, away from lake, approximately 3.6 km to the set of traffic lights at the intersection of King Street/Regional Road 81
Travel straight through the lights and proceed up the hill and the road is now called Regional Road 24
Pass Moyer Road on right
Left (east) on Sixth Avenue
Straight into parking lot. Enter building to pay.
Historical
This 220 acre site was originally part of a 1,500 acre crown land grant to Thomas Butler and family members in 1803. The Butlers never undertook to complete 'settlement duty' on this land grant and on October 13, 1897 sold 1,200 acres to brothers George and John Ball.
George and John had built a three storey flour and grist mill by 1810. In 1840 G.P.M. Ball took over the operation his father had established. When G.P.M. Ball died in 1883 most of the buildings in the community around the mill (Glen Elgin) were dismantled.
In 1963 the property, including the mill, was sold to the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority to preserve the natural and man-made features.
Ball's Falls is now designated as an Historical Park in the Niagara Escarpment Plan. The bedrock gorge is also recognized as a provincially significant area of natural and scientific interest (ANSI).
The mill, church and several homes remain and are available for touring seasonally with limited accessibility.
Ecological
The Ball's Falls Centre for Conservation which opened in 2008 has interactive exhibits and event programming to both inspire and enable visitors to become stewards for natural and cultural resources.
The Centre is a showcase of environmentally-appropriate building design and operation. The building design team made careful decisions regarding site management, energy and water conservation, and construction material selection in order to create a beautiful, ecologically-sensitive, and long-lasting public facility.
Ball's Falls Centre for Conservation 9:00 am - 4:00 pm (905) 562-5235
Recreational Uses
Birdwatching
Hiking
Historical Pioneer Village
Picnicing
Natural History Museum
Further Information
The Pennsylvania German Folklore Society of Ontario - The Twenty Chapter
The Pennsylvania German Folklore Society of Ontario Annual Newsletter. Number 36, 2008.
Ownership & Management
Niagara Peninsula Conservation AuthorityFacilities
Camping: Group camping available for youth groups only. Contact the Centre for Conservation for details.Day Use Area: Pavilions are available for day use. See Fees on NPCA website for details if you are interested in renting them.
Flush Toilets: Seasonally Available. Always available to rental guests.
Rentals: Field Centre, church, barn, picnic area, pavillion, Centre for Conservation. See Fees on NPCA website for more information.
Weddings: Weddings can be held at this location. See Fees on NPCA website for details. For more information and to book, contact the Centre for Conservation at (905) 562-5235
Wheelchair Accessible Trails
Admission Fee
Adults: $5.50 Seniors/Students: $4.00 Max Per Car:$15.00 Bus (over 20/vehicle):$70.00 Season Pass: $70.00Accessibility
Accessible washrooms by barn, when open in season. Some trails are accessible. The Ball's Falls Centre for Conservation is fully accessible.Address
Ball's Falls Conservation AreaSixth Avenue,
Vineland, Ontario
L0R 1S0 Municipality Town of Lincoln
Telephone
NPCA Administration: (905) 788-3135 or Ball's Falls Centre for Conservation (905) 562-5235GPS Co-ordinates
Longitude -79.386518
Administration
Administrative Assistant, Operations
Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority
250 Thorold Road West, 3rd Floor
Welland , Ontario
L3C 3W2
Tel NPCA Administration: (905) 788-3135 or Ball's Falls Centre for Conservation (905) 562-5235
Fax (905) 788-1121
Email dbois@conservation-niagara.on.ca
Website www.npca.ca
