Visiting Toronto

Toronto, Canada's largest city and the 5th largest in North America, is located on the north shore of Lake Ontario. It is the home of exciting museums and theatre, interesting neighborhoods, fabulous restaurants, and a vibrant waterfront.

Travel back to the 19th century and visit Fort York National Historic Site. It is the location of the 1813 Battle of York battlefield and contains 8 authentic Georgian era buildings, ramparts, and dry moat. The City of Toronto also owns and operates nine additional historic sites throughout the city. From Mackenzie House, the home of Toronto's rebel Mayor, to Spadina Museum, Toronto's only museum interpreting the inter-war era, each of these historic sites offers an immersive glimpse into the city's history. They offer tours, special events, seasonal workshops and educational programs all year long. Visit www.toronto.ca/museums to find out more.

Toronto's waterfront is the home to a number of attractions and activities. Both residents and visitors enjoy strolling or cycling along its lake side boardwalk discovering the numerous parks and attractions. Lakeside, the Harbourfront Centre features art galleries, performance venues, and restaurants. A short ferry ride across the harbour to Centre Island's offers wonderful cycling and walking trails in an idyllic setting which includes Centreville, an amusement park with a carousel, ferris wheel, and pony rides.

At 553 m (1,815 ft) high CN Tower, Toronto's iconic landmark and number one tourist attraction, you can experience some of the most impressive views seen anywhere on the continent. Your unique experience starts with the glass bottom external elevator which takes you to the vertigo challenging glass floor of the observation deck located 342 m (1,122 ft) above ground. On a clear day you can see 160 km (100 miles). For the truly daring, elevate your visit to another level by taking the world famous EdgeWalk which takes you "outside" onto the roof of the CN Tower! For the less adventurous, a visit to 360 The Restaurant at the CN Tower, one of Toronto's finest, features unforgettable food combined with a magnificent revolving view of Toronto more than 351 metres (1,151 ft) high.

The AGO (Art Gallery of Ontario) is one of the largest art museums in North America, housed within an innovative design by world-renowned architect Frank Gehry. The AGO holds more than 80,000 works in its collection which spans the centuries from 100 A.D. to the present. Browse through The Canadian Collection which vividly documents the development of the nation's art heritage including one of the largest Inuit art collections in the world. View the impressive masterpieces of European art with works by renowned artists such as Anthony van Dyck, Thomas Gainsborough, Auguste Rodin, Claude Monet, Edgar Degas, Paul Cézanne, Vincent van Gogh, Pablo Picasso and René Magritte. Marvel at the unique Thomson Collection which includes more than 900 works and features Peter Paul Rubens' 17th-century masterpiece, The Massacre of the Innocents. The AGO also exhibits fine collections of contemporary art, photography, and the world's largest public collection of works by internationally renowned British sculptor Henry Moore.

The ROM (Royal Ontario Museum) is one of Canada's largest museums. The recently opened Crystal addition designed by Daniel Libeskind houses the new main entrance to the museum, a gift shop, a restaurant, a cafeteria, seven additional galleries, and Canada's largest temporary exhibition hall in the lower level. Explore an exceptional array of themed galleries throughout the Museum, spanning both world culture and natural history. With over six million objects in the ROM's collections, there's something new to discover around every corner. Whether it's getting up close to an Egyptian mummy or gazing in wonder at one of Canada's largest dinosaurs, "Gordo the Barosaurus" at 27 metres or 90 ft high, you will discover why visitors return time and again.

The Scotia Bank Arena is the home of the Toronto Maple Leafs of the National Hockey League (NHL) and the Toronto Raptors of the National Basketball Association (NBA).The Rogers Centre retractable roofed domed stadium, is the home field of the Toronto Blue Jays Major League Baseball (MLB) team and the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League (CFL). Both facilities are also venues for numerous concerts and events throughout the year.

For hockey fans, a visit to Toronto is not complete without visiting the Hockey Hall of Fame. Interactive exhibits, 3D theatre, NHL zone and the Montreal Canadians dressing room are just a few of the extensive exhibits. The Hockey Hall Fame is also the home of the iconic Stanley Cup.

The Ontario Science Centre attracts over one million visitors each year and is is one of Canada's most visited attractions. Nine exhibition halls hold over 600 interactive exhibits. From the OMNIMAX Theatre to the Science Arcade, visitors can engage in a myriad of activities. You can float weightlessly in a rocket chair, take a cosmic journey through the universe, explore the mysteries of the mind and the human body, wander through a creature-infested rainforest, climb a rock wall, and use DNA to catch a criminal. At the KidSpark, younger ones can create shapes with magnets, stage a puppet show, and float boats and splash as part of the water play. At the Weston Family Innovation Centre, older kids find out about the latest in science innovation. Truly something for all ages.

The Toronto Zoo is Canada's premier zoo. One of the largest zoos in the world (287 hectares or 710 acres) it has over 5,000 animals representing over 500 species. The Zoo is divided into seven zoogeographic regions: Indo-Malaya, Africa, the Americas, Australasia, Eurasia, Canadian Domain, and the Tundra Trek. Animals are displayed indoors in tropical pavilions and outdoors in naturalistic environments, with viewing at many levels. Kids of all ages enjoy the Zellers Discovery Zone, featuring the Kids Zoo, a dynamic, interactive children's wildlife experience; Splash Island, an exciting two-acre water play area; and the Waterside Theatre, home of exciting family entertainment. Highlights of your visit must include the incredible 10-acre Tundra Trek featuring an amazing 5-acre Polar bear habitat complete with underwater viewing area the Gorilla Rainforest home to our Western Lowland Gorilla troop and newest addition Nassir; and the Great Barrier Reef, just to name a few.

Thrill seekers of all ages visit Paramount Canada's Wonderland, a popular theme park located 30 minutes from downtown. Canada's Wonderland features over 200 attractions, more than 65 thrilling rides, North America's greatest variety of roller coasters, and Splash Works, a 20-acre water park. A wide diverse offering of rides for all ages.

Located in the same vicinity as Canada's Wonderland, LEGOLAND Discovery Centre Toronto is made up of a series of interactive features to immerse kids into a world where their imagination can run wild with creative inspiration at every turn. Featuring a whole host of exciting attractions from the Kingdom Quest ride to an amazing recreation of the Toronto’s most iconic buildings, the Centre provides fun for LEGO fans young and old.

Recommended Side Trips: Niagara Falls, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ottawa, and Montréal. Check the Ontario Travel website for more information.