Visit St. Catharines
for family fun in Niagara
The 2024 March break is from Monday, March 11 to Friday, March 15. Discover plenty of family activities and fun things to do in Niagara this March Break in St. Catharines. Need a little inspiration for celebrating March Break? Here are some ideas for things to do for all ages on March Break in Niagara everyone in the family will be talking about for years to come.
Things to do in St. Catharines
on March Break
FirstOntario Performing
Arts Centre
The FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre presents fun for the whole family with Erth’s Dinosaur Zoo LIVE Friday, March 15. Get ready for the ultimate playdate – 65 million years in the making. Dinosaur Zoo LIVE will guide your family on a breathtaking tour where you’ll observe, meet and interact with an eye-popping collection of amazingly life-like dinosaurs and other creatures presented in a theatrical performance. Expect a roaring good time while observing, meeting, and interacting with more than 19 dinosaurs.
More March Break madness at the Film House
Don’t miss family-friendly March Break film screenings of new releases and old favourites at The Film House.
Enjoy two screenings of the Smurfs Party at The Film House on Tuesday, March 12 and Saturday, March 16. Celebrate the 20th anniversary of the “classic” Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban with a screening and a special Hogwarts mocktail on Thursday, March 14. Enjoy the classic 90s comedy Wayne’s World Saturday, March 16. Dress up as your favourite Wayne’s World character for the screening and enjoy trivia.
Looking for the latest Hollywood blockbusters playing in St. Catharines? Check out the showtimes at Landmark Cinemas at the Pen Centre.
St. Catharines Museum
The St. Catharines Museum and Welland Canals Centre is home to extraordinary historical collections and exhibits that feature local St. Catharines perspectives, artifacts and stories of the area and its canals, the Ontario Lacrosse Hall of Fame and Museum, gift shop and much more.
The museum is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day and admission is by donation. Plan to visit for a few hours so you and your family have time to visit exhibitions, play in the park and on the playground.
The museum also offers quiet spaces families and individuals with sensory sensitivities so everyone can enjoy their visit.
March Break at the St. Catharines Museum
Explore local history and enjoy fun activities at the St. Catharines Museum over the March Break. The museum will be open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.: don’t forget to bring a packed lunch. All programming is drop-in and by donation.
March Break at the museum will feature interactive gallery tours daily from 11 a.m. to noon designed for children ages six to 12. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Space is limited; first come, first served. Drop-in children’s programming is also happening each weekday over the break. Join Maker Space, a series of activities featuring a different theme each day: clothing (March 11), tools and equipment (March 12), food (March 13), house and home (March 14) and traditions and culture (March 15).
White Meadows Farms
Spring is maple syrup season in Ontario and the sugar bush is a ‘sappening’ place in St. Catharines every March . Celebrate Spring with the Sugar Bush Trek at White Meadows Farms. Open Saturdays and Sundays from March 2 to April 7 and all week on March Break (March 11-15) from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Guided tours start every 20 minutes and feature interactive fun, such as tapping a tree, trying a cross-cut saw and more.
Make a stop at the Sugar Shack at some point during your visit and watch as the sugar-makers boil sap into maple syrup.
Outdoor Adventures
Search for signs of Spring on some of the best hiking trails around. St. Catharines is home to a section of the Bruce Trail, a public footpath everyone is welcome to explore the natural wonders of the Niagara Escarpment. Take a Spring hike and explore the Short Hills, Rockway Conservation Area, Morningstar Mill at Decew Falls and Malcomson Eco Park for singing chickadees, new tree buds and other signs of spring.
Photo by Genevre Arsovsky.
Skating
Lace up your skates, hit the ice and carve up some family fun with public skating in St. Catharines.
The City of St. Catharines is offering public skating at various times. Pre-registration is highly recommended. Check out the skating schedule, program rules, requirements and more on ActiveSTC.
Free March Break Public Skate
The Meridian Centre is offering a free public skate Tuesday, March 12 from 1-4 p.m. Lace up your skates and hit the ice alongside members of the Niagara IceDogs: players will be on the ice from 2-3 p.m. While you’re at the free skate, enter for a chance to win tickets for a future Meridian Centre event! Enter the Meridian Centre for the free skate through the community entrance doors on event day!
Swimming
Jump into the pool for some family fun with public swimming in St. Catharines.
The City of St. Catharines is offering Leisure Swims at the St. Catharines Kiwanis Aquatics Centre at various times. Pre-registration is highly recommended. Check out the swimming schedule, program rules, requirements and more on ActiveSTC.
Fun and Games
Gather up the gang at Niagara’s premier entertainment venue, Parkway Social in St. Catharines, for some family-friendly competition with bragging rights on line. Level up March Break with 10-pin bowling and laser tag. Go for a new high score on more than 40 games in the arcade and cash in as many tickets as you can for great prizes. Grab a bite to eat and drinks to sip at Parkway’s newly renovated restaurant.
For more than 60 years, Parkway has been the go-to spot to play, laugh and make unforgettable memories in Niagara, no matter the occasion and is sure to be an exciting time for all ages.
The Pen Centre
The Pen Centre, Niagara’s largest indoor shopping destination, invites everyone to meet the Easter Bunny in March, including daily visits over March Break. Pre-booking is available but not required. The Pen Centre will also feature a Silent Bunny Saturday, March 16 from 8:30-9:30 a.m. for those who need a little more time and quiet while visiting the Easter Bunny.
The Pen Centre has more March Break fun in store with the awesome race vehicles from Merrittville Speedway on display all week long, as well as magic shows, creative clay craft workshops, Mad Science and more.
