The Peter Russell Rock Garden

The Peter Russell Rock Garden was established in 1982 and has become a landmark at the heart of the main campus. Today, it houses over 80 rock and mineral specimens.

A scenic view of the Peter Russell Rock Garden entrance.

Where to find us

The Peter Russell Rock Garden is located on the main University of Waterloo campus between the Mathematics and Computer Building (MC), Earth Sciences and Chemistry (ESC), Biology 1 and the Quantum Nano Centre (QNC).

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Self-guided tour

Start your tour at the Peter Russell Rock Garden sign. You can download a garden map and tour script to guide you through the collection.

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Our history

The Peter Russell Rock Garden, originally called The Geological Garden, was established by museum curator Peter Russell in 1982 to commemorate the 25^th anniversary of the University of Waterloo.

Founding President J. Gerald Hageyon announced the project on January 8, 1982, and the university’s application for funding was accepted by the Canadian Geological Foundation in 1984. The project was made possible through these funds along with contributions from Wintario and a bequest in memory of University of Waterloo alumnus, Malcolm Heaton.

The search for what was intended to be the first 12 rocks began in 1986. Rocks were collected from locations across Ontario, including St. Joseph Island in Georgian Bay, Marathon, Bancroft, Sault Ste. Marie and Timmins. The Earth Sciences department officially opened the garden on May 29, 1987 with 23 rock specimens representative of several different geological formations found in Ontario.

Of these original 23 rocks, the most difficult to find and collect was the Jasper Conglomerate. To retrieve it from the bottom of a quarry, geologists needed a crane, truck and trailer, all of which became trapped in the soft sand. They were rescued using a cable from a driller’s truck attached to the quarry’s front-end loader, which pulled them all free – along with the rock!

The opening ceremony of the Geological Garden.

Two men guide a massive rock being lifted by crane.

Crane assisting with lifting the Jasper conglomerate out of the pit.

Myra Kennedy stands wearing field clothes and gloves next to the truck with the stromatolitic marble loaded in the bed.

Loading the stromatolitic marble from Thunder Bay, Ontario where it was collected. Myra Kennedy of the Ministry of Natural Resources helped to find this specimen and assisted with loading it into back of truck.

Bulldozer unloading the andradite-garnet skarn with the Waterloo campus in the background.

Delivering the andradite garnet skarn from the Marmoraton Mine in Marmora, Ontario to the garden.

A bulldozer tips precariously as it's lowering the sodalite syenite into its place in garden.

The back wheel of the bulldozer is off the ground due to the weight of the sodalite syenite.

Peter with the Stromatolite Marble — Stromatolite from Thunder Bay. Wayne DeBrusk of Shuniah Twp. near Thunder Bay has donated a wonderful example of stromatolitic limestone, originally from the Eaglehead Lake area north of Thunder Bay. This one was found in a gravel pit. Strom as Wayne calls it is installed in our rock garden.

In the summer of 1999, the Geological Garden was renamed the Peter Russell Rock Garden in recognition of Russell’s contributions to the university.

Three new rocks were installed in his name that same year. Russell came to the University of Waterloo in 1967 to work as a lab technician and later took on the role of curator at the Earth Sciences Museum. He retired in 1996, but continued as curator until 2012, when he became curator emeritus.

Since it opened with the original 23 rocks in 1987, the Peter Russel Rock Garden has become the resting place for more than 80 specimens, and the collection continues to grow. It’s enjoyed by elementary and high school students and other community groups interested in learning more about geology in Ontario. The garden rocks are also used as learning tools in first-year earth science courses and laboratories.

Visit the garden and enjoy the relaxing atmosphere or share your lunch break with the resident squirrels. It’s a peaceful place to appreciate the outdoors amidst the hustle and bustle of the work or school day.

Our rocks

There are more than 80 rocks that make up the Peter Russell Rock Garden. Each one has a unique story.

A complete list numbered by their order of acquisition appears below. Learn more by following the links. You can download a garden map and tour script to guide you through the collection.

Peter Russell Rock Garden Map. Open accessible PDF for details.

The original 23 rocks

See where it all began! The 23 rocks that opened the Geological Garden in 1987 were collected during two trips. The first trip was to the Sault Ste. Marie and Elliot Lake area, where 19 different rock samples were collected. The remaining were gathered on the second trip, which included Thunder Bay, Timmins, Wawa and Vermilion Bay.

Our growing collection

Today, the Peter Russell Rock Garden has more than tripled in size and includes specimens from across Canada and into the United States. New rocks are donated every year from mine owners, in memory of University of Waterloo students and staff, and to mark the 40th anniversary of the co-op program at Waterloo.