[6] In 1880, a "portion of the Queen's Park [was] selected [and given to] the Government of Ontario, as a site for the erection of new Legislative and Departmental buildings".

[7][8] This was part of the 150 acres (61 ha) from portions of three park lots:[9] The cornerstone for one of the college's earliest buildings was laid at the site on 23 April 1842.

[1] The building was situated within a landscaped park surrounded by tree-lined avenues, and was accessed through two gates to the north and south.

[4][8][10] The park was originally planned to be opened the previous Saturday, although heavy rain led the dedication ceremony to be rescheduled to Tuesday.

[11] During the ceremony, he also laid a cornerstone for an eventual statue of Queen Victoria at the southern apex of the park.

[11] However, financial difficulties and delays would eventually see this spot be occupied by a statue of Sir John A. Macdonald, the first prime minister of Canada.

[4] After the building's completion, Russian cannons originally placed at the southern tip of the park in 1859 were moved to the legislature's entrance.

[12] Although the new legislative building split the park into two sections, local residents continued to congregate there for concerts, memorial services, military parades, and political gatherings.

[13] The first tree planting ceremony took place on 25 May 1984 by Bob Welch, the deputy premier of Ontario in order to commemorate Arbour Day.

[14] The campaign specifically insisted that the statue should be located at Queen's Park, in order to demonstrate the significance of poetry and the arts in Canada's cultural life.

Wellesley Street bisects Queen's Park Crescent slightly north of the loop's centre.

[3] The section follows the traditional British design, dominated by large trees that provide extensive cover during summer.

[citation needed] The pathways radiate outwards from an equestrian statue of Edward VII, which stands on a large mound at the centre of the northern section.

[3] The main north-south path runs between the equestrian statue and the 48th Highlanders of Canada Regimental Memorial at the park's northern tip.

[12] The southern tip of the park facing University Avenue features the statue of Sir John A. Macdonald, the first prime minister of Canada.

[17] Queen's Park is situated on top of sandy sediment, having been deposited there when the area was the floor bed for Glacial Lake Iroquois.

[18] Attempts have been made to restore the park to resemble how it appeared prior to the introduction of non-native species through the planting of additional trees native to the area.

[22] The memorial was designed by Allan Harding Mackay and landscaping firm Phillips Farevaag Smallenberg; Ontarian-born historian Jack Granatstein wrote the historical text and choose the images, while Ontarian-born poet Jane Urquhart wrote the monumental inscription.

[21] Another large boulder with a plaque affixed to it is situated northeast of the Mackenzie monument, and commemorates Canadian volunteers of the Mackenzie–Papineau Battalion.

[citation needed] In addition to memorials, a number of full-body statues that commemorate individuals are also situated at Queen's Park.

[note 3] Three monuments have been commissioned by the government of Ontario and have been installed in locations adjacent to the southern portion of Queen's Park.