Waterloo Park

Three paved trails travel through Waterloo Park:

• Iron Horse Trail connects Waterloo Park to Victoria Park in Kitchener
• Trans-Canada Trail runs to St. Jacobs Farmer Market, connecting Kitchener, Waterloo and the Township of Woolwich
• Laurel Trail runs from uptown Waterloo through University of Waterloo to Columbia Lake

Explore more walking trails on our downloadable park map or through Google Maps.

You can also view trails using our in-house city map.

Take the ION

There is an ION stop in Waterloo Park and there are two stops nearby in uptown Waterloo:

• Route 301 stops right in the park, at the Waterloo Park/Laurier station near Seagram Drive
• the uptown Waterloo ION stations, Waterloo Public Square and Willis Way, are a short walk from the Erb and Caroline park entrance

Take the bus

Several bus routes stop near Waterloo Park:

• Route 5 (Erb) – stops near Erb and Caroline park entrance
• Route 12 (Westmount) and Route 29 (Keats-University) – stop near Westmount Road and Seagram Drive entrances
• Route 202 (University) – stops near the Seagram Drive entrances

Plan your trip on the Grand River Transit website

Find bike racks near the splash pad and Park Inn concession on the east side, beside the interactive play area on the west side, and throughout the park:

Check our in-house city map for more bike parking .

Nearby Waterloo Memorial Recreation Complex also has bike racks.

Vehicle and accessible parking

We have limited vehicle parking inside the park. Please leave the few parking spots for those who need them most and park near the park instead.

Accessible parking
Accessible parking spaces are available at all lots listed below. Accessible parking permit holders don't have to pay parking fees in municipal lots. 

Park near the park

Here are your parking options: 

Evening and weekends – free

• Bauer Lot
• Perimeter Lot
• Erb Lot
• Dupont Lot
• University of Waterloo Seagram Lot

Weekdays – free

• Free 3-hour street parking along Father David Bauer Drive
• Free 2-hour parking at the Erb Lot – buy more time online with the Honk Mobile app

Weekdays – paid

• Dupont Lot – pay and display

Check our Uptown Parking Map for more nearby parking options.

Park inside the park 

Park in the lots and not along the roadways to avoid a ticket. Here are the available lots:

Westmount Road entrance

• 2 lots on the east side of the park

• near the bandshell, picnic shelter, servery and baseball diamonds

Get directions to the Westmount Road entrance on Google Maps.

Central Street entrance

• 1 lot on the northwest side of the park

• near the cricket pitch and tennis club

Get directions to the Central Street entrance on Google Maps.

Young Street lot

• 1 lot on the west side of the park
• near the Park Inn concession stand, Log School House, playgrounds and shoreline area

Get directions to the Young Street lot on Google Maps.

General amenities

General amenities and attractions include:

• forests, trails and large green spaces (view city trail map for details)
• picnic shelters and gazebos
• Silver Lake and Laurel Creek
• accessible playground, swings and a splash pad
• Silver Lake boardwalk
• fountains, spray jets and beach area along the Silver Lake shoreline
• four baseball diamonds and a cricket pitch
• single net basketball court
• one rugby field and two soccer fields
• skatepark
• Victorian-style gardens
• Abraham Erb's Grist Mill
• Park Inn concession stand
• Waterloo's first schoolhouse
• Public Art and large harvest-style picnic tables

Splash pad 

Waterloo Park's splash pad is located off Father David Bauer Drive, next to the skate park. Free parking is available on the street or in lots surrounding the park. Admission is free.

The splash pad is open daily from May 31 to Labour Day weekend in September from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Accessible onsite change rooms, washrooms, picnic and shaded areas are nearby. While the splash pad is not available for rent, the nearby picnic areas are able to provide privacy and shade for your event.

Fountains, spray jets and beach area

There are 3 display fountains along the shoreline of Silver Lake, including:

• a circular fountain at the top of the stairs, with seating all around the edge and large metal letters spelling out Waterloo Park
• a cascading water fountain leading towards the shoreline, decorated with rocks and pebbles
• another larger circular fountain at the edge of the shoreline with seating around the edge and misting trees in the middle

Do not enter the fountains or drink the water from them.

The interactive spray jets in front of the misting tree fountain help visitors stay cool from May to September.

Enjoy scenic views of Silver Lake at the sandy beach area under a blue beach umbrella.

Do not fish, swim or throw sand in Silver Lake.

Silver Lake boardwalk

Visitors can walk over the lake and experience Waterloo Park from a different perspective. The city closes the boardwalk during icy conditions.

Skatepark

The Skatepark is located off Father David Bauer Drive and offers ramps, stairs and vertical elements. It is not lit and closes at dusk. Learn more on the bike and skate park page. 

Grist Mill

Abraham Erb's Grist Mill is a replica of the first mill built in Waterloo.

The Grist Mill is available for wedding ceremonies from May to October. Please contact Waterloo Park customer service at 519-886-2310 for availability, viewings and booking.

Log school house

Built in 1820 by Pennsylvania German settlers and designated as a heritage site in 2012, the Waterloo Park Log School House is located near the main park parking lot off Young Street. It is the oldest standing school in the Region of Waterloo and the oldest known log house in Ontario.

Park Inn concession stand

The Park Inn concession is open 7 days a week from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., weather permitting from June until Labour Day.

It is located near the Young Street parking lot and offers a range of drinks, snacks, ice cream and lunch items such as sandwiches, burgers and fries. Cash, debit and credit are accepted. 

Friends of Waterloo Park terms of reference

Our mission

The Friends of Waterloo Park is a volunteer group that works in cooperation with the Waterloo Park advisory committee and the City of Waterloo to fulfill the goals of the Waterloo Park Plan. The Friends of Waterloo Park organize, promote and participate in events in the park and fundraise to enhance and accelerate improvements to Waterloo Park.    

Our goals

• foster community awareness of and appreciation for Waterloo Park
• promote and encourage the use of newly implemented features as well as existing park features
• raise funds for new projects, park enhancements and community activities
• promote volunteerism to engage residents in barn-raising activities

A brief history

The Friends of Waterloo Park was established in April 2015 as a subcommittee of the Waterloo Park advisory committee of council (WPAC). In 2017, the subcommittee was re-designated as a volunteer group (City of Waterloo committee policy, 2007).

Structure

The Friends of Waterloo Park consists of a chair, a finance team, multiple specialty teams each coordinated by a team lead, a WPAC liaison and a City of Waterloo staff liaison. 

Meetings

The Friends of Waterloo Park meet in the evenings, once or twice a month, and work in the park once or twice each season.

Appointment

• when a position vacancy exists, a volunteer recruitment notice will be published on the city website and other sources
• interested applicants will contact volunteer services with a resume and two references before the deadline
• volunteer services and the city staff liaison will review all applications, carry out interviews and reference checks and recommend appointments   

Qualifications for Friends of Waterloo Park

The list below outlines the requirements for being a member of the Friends of Waterloo Park. 

• must be 18 years of age or older
• have good organizational skills, written and verbal communication
• show an interest or experience in finance, fundraising, sponsorship, communication, or event and program planning
• be willing to work cooperatively in partnership with city staff and other Friends and delegates
• be capable of fulfilling the responsibilities of the position held
• commit to a minimum of one year is required, subject to review with the city staff liaison at any time
• attend a minimum of four meetings and four activities over the course of one year