The Crystal Palace was built in 1859 - 1860 at a cost of $20,964. The building was situated on 12 acres of land to which 10 acres were added later. It was built mainly to house the Provincial Exhibition then held yearly in rotation in four cities in Canada West.
The Hamilton exposition was opened in September of 1860 by Edward, Prince of Wales, with the appearance of Hamilton's first philharmonic orchestra. The grounds were often referred to as The Great Central Fair, Hamilton's annual harvest fair. The last fair was held in 1890.
In 1862, when British troops were quartered in Hamilton, the Crystal Palace was used as a barracks.
In 1877, the city purchased 14.4 acres of the property from Walter J. Dickson. When the Crystal Palace was pulled down in 1891, the name was changed (unofficially) to Victoria Park, in honour of Queen Victoria. This land was then given to the Parks Board in 1900.
