Things to Do
The capital of Ontario, Canada's largest and most multicultural city offers a host of sightseeing attractions and things to do.
No visit to Toronto would be complete without seeing the CN Tower. At 553.33 meters high, it is the world's tallest free-standing structure and features a breathtaking view of the city from the upper deck, six glass elevators and the revolving 360 Restaurant below the peak. It was completed in 1975 and holds several records besides the coveted "world's tallest" spot, such as having featured the highest revolving restaurant in the world, the highest disco and more.
Built in the late 1980s, the SkyDome is in close proximity to the tower. This is the home of the Toronto Blue Jays as well as a venue for many large concerts and events, and notable because of the gigantic dome that can be retracted to leave the stadium completely open. This dome takes a full hour to open or close and allows events to go on in any kind of weather, as well as having synthetic turf that can be put down or taken up as needed.
As mentioned above, Toronto is famous for its multiculturalism. There is a strong population of Chinese, Indian and East Indian, Japanese, Italian, Greek and many other ethnicities, many of which possess a small section of the city devoted to their origins. The original Toronto Chinatown, easily the biggest and right in the heart of the city, occupies several blocks of metro Toronto with all matter of shops, from bubble tea cafes to entire stores of Sanrio and Korean-imported accessories. Vendors sell fish, fruit and other wares on the sidewalk, and Chinese clothing adorns the windows of most shops. Two good-sized malls, a mere block away from each other, are filled with food courts and clothing, anime and stationary shops, cybercafés, confectionaries and more. The Yonge subway line meets with the Bloor subway line at this point, and quaint red streetcars pass directly through Chinatown, stopping at every intersection.
Neighboring Little Italy, as its name might imply, is smaller and more discreet than Chinatown but holds no less allure. Cafés and restaurants hide amid houses and small shops, and it is fenced in by Kensington Market, essentially the oldest area of the city. The entire area known now as Kensington was originally the property of some of Canada's leading citizens, and by the 1880s had been subdivided into a middle-class neighborhood. It is now mainly residential but features a large open-air market and many small retail shops of every kind. South of these areas is the Danforth, well-known for its Greek population and stores that often show no trace of English on their outer signs. "A Taste of the Danforth," a yearly Greek festival, takes place here each August. It is also a main part of the subway line, of which there are now four, and the Bloor Street subway continues under the Danforth right to the edge of the city.
None of these attractions are far from the Yonge subway line, and Yonge Street is famous in itself. It arguably is the longest street in North America at 1900 kilometers, and little of the downtown area of the street is residential. Stores of every kind occupy the lengthy street, from pawn shops to punk clothing to candy stores, bookstores, tattoo parlors, fast food restaurants and pubs.
Also on Yonge Street is the Eaton Centre. Having housed the flagship store of Eaton's Drygoods since the 1970s, the historic store was sold in 1999 to Sears, but the name of the shopping center was retained. At five floors and over 300 shops, it is one of the largest indoor malls in the world. Outside the center, buskers and street vendors roam once again on the curb opposite of Dundas Square, a granite public space lined with fountains for outdoor concerts and other performances.
Further south you will find the Toronto Islands. Originally a peninsula that was washed out in the 1800s and now accessible from the waterfront via ferry, it is an urban community of great interest. The Islands house an amusement park, a nude beach, swimming beaches, yacht clubs, picnic grounds and more. The Toronto City Airport (not to be confused with Pearson Airport on the west side of the city) is also located here. Private cars are not permitted on the Islands, however bicycles can be rented there for transportation.
In the suburb of Vaughan, Paramount, Canada's Wonderland can be found. It is open from May to September and features roller coasters, water rides, a concert hall and more, and is definitely worth a trip if you enjoy amusement parks. It is Canada's first and largest theme park with over 200 attractions and 65 rides.
Toronto is so large that no weekend trip could ever be enough to accommodate it all, nor could one guide be enough to describe all the places to visit. There is more to explore than one person could ever see, and it is constantly evolving into something different. See as much as you can, because if or when you return it might have been replaced with something new.
After seeing Toronto, your first thought may even be when to plan your next trip!
Top 10 Things to Do with Kids in Toronto
Mom I’m bored! Dad what are we going to do today? If you are bringing children to Toronto, here are some tried and true ways to keep them entertained.
1. Ontario Science Centre
Learning can be fun, and the first step to convincing your kids of this may be a trip to the Ontario Science Centre. They can touch a tornado, listen to a heart murmur or crawl through a cave in this educational and interactive facility. It's a little out of the centre of town but worth the trip. Find out the latest exhibits at the Ontario Science Centre.
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2. Royal Ontario Museum (ROM)
A discovery gallery at the Royal Ontario Museum and other interactive exhibits mean everyone's senses get a workout and kids stay interested.
The ROM's central location makes it an easy trek for the family.
3. The CN Tower
Want to be on top of the man-made world? At 1,815 feet the CN tower is the tallest free standing structure in the world and it is located in downtown Toronto. You can take the children up a glass elevator to the 1,122 foot glass floored outdoor observation deck for a bird's eye view of the city. Visit the CN Tower website for details.
4. Centreville Amusement Park
Located on Toronto’s Centre Island, Centreville Amusement Park is reminiscent of simpler times and features pony rides, antique ferris wheel and carousel. The ferry ride to get to the island is an adventure in itself. This park is ideal for children younger than 12 as it has many rides that entertain but don’t scare.
5. Ontario Place
Open from May to September, Ontario Place is definitely a day's worth of family entertainment. It boasts the largest outdoor soft play climbing structure in the country, pedal boats, a water park, the largest IMAX movie screen in Toronto and much more.
6. The Toronto Zoo
See more than 5000 animals from all over the world on 710 acres of the beautiful Rouge Valley in Toronto. The Toronto Zoo is well laid out with six different zoological zones each filled with animals from a particular area of the world. There can be a lot of walking, so bring comfortable shoes and don’t miss the award winning African Safari, the Gorillia Rainforest and the Interactive Kids Zoo.
7. Paramount Canada's Wonderland
Canada's Wonderland is a bit of a trek out of town but if you're into theme parks, it's a sure-fire way to amuse kids for a day. Canada's Wonderland is big, has loads of thrill rides, family rides, live shows, and a waterpark -- like a mini-Disneyland. One admission gets you onto all the rides.
Canada's Wonderland is a twenty minute drive from downtown Toronto and about an hour by public transport.
8. Hockey Hall of Fame
Not everyone is a hockey fan (a fact that Canadians find hard to believe), but the Hockey Hall of Fame is an outstanding facility, full of interactive exhibits that put kids or adults in the heat of NHL action. The Broadcast Pods let you call the action of some of the most famous hockey games, including the 1972 Canada / Russia series: "Henderson shoots, he scores." Also featured is a replica NHL dressing room (excluding the smell), a trophy room, and of course a gift shop.
9. Riverdale Farm
Especially suitable for kids under 10, the Riverdale Farm is 7.5 acres of greenland set in the heart of Toronto. This replica of early 20th century Ontario farm life lets kids step inside a world where cell phones, fast food and TV do not exist. Riverdale Farm is in Old Cabbagetown, a beautifully gentrified and historic part of town, well worth visiting afterward.
Waterfront trail
Toronto is at the heart of the 350 km (219 miles) Lake Ontario Waterfront trail. The Toronto stretch known as the Martin Goodman trail provides a leisurely or intense trek from the Eastern Beaches to the Western Beaches. It traverses a multitude of environments, all highly developed. Of course you can go well beyond those borders towards Mississauga (to the west) or Scarborough (to the east). Most of the Toronto portion of the path is uninterrupted and well-marked, making it perfect and safe for cycling, inline skating, walking or jogging.
Along the Canadian shores of Lake Ontario
Martin Goodman Trail
Sunnyside Beach Park
Sunnyside Pavilion
High Park
High park
High Park Children's Garden
Colborne Lodge
The Dream in High Park (theater)
High Park Nature Centre
Map of High Park
Other Notable Parks
Ashbridge's Bay Park
Bluffer's Park
Sunnybrook Park
G. Ross Lord Park
Roncesvalles
Shops, Services, and Food
Roncesvalles : Toronto's Little Poland
Bloor West Village
Bloor West Village Virtual Tour
Bloor West Village business directory
High Park Ski Club
High Park Ski Club
High Park Laughter Club
Laughter yoga
Salsa
Salsa steph
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Health and wellness
On Roncesvalles
The Centre For Well Being
The Village Healing Centre
All in One clinic
Sukha Health Spa
Further away
Source Centre
The Centre For Ayurveda and Indian Systems of Healing
Feed Your Body
Food
Hearth To Home
Toronto Vegetarian Association
Vegetarian Heaven
Dine Toronto
Entertainment
Toronto Symphony Orchestra
French classes
Ciné Jeudi (francophone cinema)
Lula Lounge (live music)
Dan Cap Productions (theatre and musicals)
Other
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