Lincoln offers different ways to experience nature, history and culture. When planning your trip, it’s worth choosing a focus in advance: Ball’s Falls combines industrial history with galleries and trails along Twenty Mile Creek, while Cave Springs highlights views and landforms of the Niagara Escarpment. The Lincoln Museum & Cultural Centre adds collections and local history to these themes; Sho’arĂshon Park focuses on cultural heritage and the continuing presence of Indigenous Peoples.
Industrial History and Galleries at Ball’s Falls
Ball’s Falls Conservation Area is a landmark and tourist destination in the Town of Lincoln. The site preserves the atmosphere of an industrial settlement from the early to mid-19th century. The complex includes the original Ball family home, a working grist mill, a lime kiln, a church, a blacksmith shop and a carriage shed. The home, mill and other buildings give the site a rich historical character.
The Ball’s Falls Centre for Conservation offers a broader look at the region’s natural and cultural history. It features permanent and changing galleries with interactive exhibits about nature, conservation and culture in relation to the region’s history, the Niagara Escarpment and the watershed. The history of the industrial settlement and the gallery themes offer different ways to experience Lincoln.
Landscapes and Trails
At Ball’s Falls, visitors can hike or walk along the banks of Twenty Mile Creek on the Cataract Trail and enjoy easy access to the Bruce Trail. Cave Springs offers striking views of Lake Ontario and the former shoreline of Lake Iroquois. Its talus slopes and cliffs illustrate the landforms of the Niagara Escarpment.
Cave Springs includes a 200-metre accessible trail and an interpretive courtyard. A dedicated entrance from Cave Spring Road provides parking for cars and bicycles; Cave Springs also offers access to the Bruce Trail and the Margaret Reed Side Trail. Check local conditions before setting out. Information about the individual routes can help you choose a trail: the Cataract Trail is used for hiking and walking along the creek, while Cave Springs includes an accessible trail and connections to two named trails.
Museum, Collections and the Twenty Valley Trail
The Lincoln Museum & Cultural Centre in Jordan Village has three exhibition areas. The collection includes early Ontario pottery, distinctive textiles, a painting by Group of Seven artist A.J. Casson and a collection of Fraktur folk art. The museum is dedicated to enriching the community’s cultural life and sharing local history and culture. Its grounds offer views of Twenty Mile Creek.
The museum grounds connect directly to the Twenty Valley Trail. This Bruce Trail side trail passes through the Ellis Property, a protected nature reserve owned by the Ontario Heritage Trust, and connects the Niagara Escarpment with the Lake Ontario Waterfront Trail. The museum brings together a visit to its collections and a trail with a direct connection to the site; the trail connection also extends beyond the protected nature reserve to the regional routes named here.
Sho’arĂshon Park and the Neutral Nation
Sho’arĂshon Park is a memorial site of the Neutral Nation Legacy Site and has cultural and archaeological significance. This includes its proximity to a 17th-century Neutral burial site. The park was created in close collaboration with Indigenous partners to honour and reflect the history, culture and continuing presence of Indigenous Peoples on this land. Its focus is the Neutral Nation, the first known inhabitants of what is now Lincoln.
The park offers space for cultural learning, gatherings, ceremonies, reflection and relationship-building. For travellers interested in the history and present-day lives of Indigenous Peoples, this focus offers a distinct way to experience the cultural sites of the Town of Lincoln. Together with the museum and the historic buildings at Ball’s Falls, it shows how the area’s history and cultural learning can be incorporated into trip planning in many ways.
Discover more destinations: Fort Erie, Jordan Station, Welland, Pelham, St Anns, Niagara Falls, Wainfleet, Grimsby.
For the broader travel overview: Regional Municipality of Niagara.
