Things to Do in Toronto

Humber Bay Park, created from two man-made peninsulas near Mimico Creek and Lake Ontario, is a popular recreation hub in Toronto. Park pursuits include bird-watching, biking, hiking, and photographing the CN Tower and Toronto skyline, as well as lounging at the sandy beach area and taking dogs to the off-leash park.

Toronto Harbour is located on the north shore of Lake Ontario, the smallest of North America’s five Great Lakes. Protected from the lake’s tides by the Toronto Islands, the harbor offers smooth conditions for a wide range of water activities, including boat tours, ferry rides, sailing, and kayaking.

The flashy urban scene of Toronto’s Yonge-Dundas Square is reminiscent of New York City’s Times Square. More than 56 million people visit this iconic spot every year, making it one of the busiest intersections in Canada. This is where you find glowing billboards, Eaton Centre, Ed Mirvish Theatre, and great spots to people-watch.

New City Hall, which replaced Old City Hall in 1965 to accommodate a rapidly growing city, is the current seat of Toronto’s municipal government. Designed by Finnish architect Viljo Revell, winner of the city’s international competition, Toronto City Hall is comprised of two curved towers as well as Nathan Phillips Square, Canada’s largest public square.

Though Toronto’s high-rise skyline is in sight, the Toronto Islands—a chain of islands scattered off the shore of Lake Ontario—feel a world away. The islands, once a narrow peninsula, were cut off from the mainland by violent storms, and now their sandy coastlines and verdant parklands serve as a peaceful escape for the city-weary.

Looking more at home in Europe than it does in Ontario, Canada, this faux medieval castle was a filming location forChicago andX-Men. Built for an eccentric businessman between 1911 and 1914, Casa Loma (literally House on a Hill) features a pastiche of old-world styles that include turrets, Tudor-style chimneys, underground tunnels, and secret passages.

The Scotiabank Arena (formerly the Air Canada Centre) is Toronto’s major concert and professional sports venue. The facility clocks in at 650,000 square feet (60,387 square meters) and seats nearly 20,000 event-goers. The adjacent Maple Leaf Square hosts a variety of shops and restaurants, plus a hotel and condominiums.

In downtown Toronto, Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada houses approximately 16,000 water-bound species from across the world. The displays are arranged by region, and visitors can explore the tropical Rainbow Reef, check out the Dangerous Lagoon shark tank, and learn more about the marine life found in the waters around Canada.

A leading Canadian museum, the Art Gallery of Ontario is home of more than 79,000 works of art in its collection, including First Nations and Inuit carvings, noted Canadian works, and European art from Claude Monet, Edgar Degas, Paul Cézanne, Vincent van Gogh, and Pablo Picasso. Toronto-born architect Frank Gehry designed the gallery’s latest renovation.

Occupying a prime 10-acre (4-hectare) site on the edge of Lake Ontario, the nonprofit Harbourfront Centre offers a jam-packed year-round program of events. The complex comprises more than 30 sights, including parks, outdoor and indoor performance venues, squares, art galleries, a boardwalk, artist studios, restaurants, and retail outlets.

A small recreation area in Toronto on the shore of Lake Ontario, Sugar Beach is not the place for a dip as swimming is prohibited. Its sandy shores are just fine for relaxing on a sunny day under the shade of a pink patio umbrella. Visitors have views of cargo ships and the Redpath Sugar Refinery, which inspired the name.

One of Canada’s most prestigious universities, the University of Toronto is known to academics and scholars. But the downtown campus is also a top attraction for visitors to Toronto, who stroll its well-tended paths, check out the stately buildings, and wander through the leafy Philosopher’s Walk.

The oldest landmark in Toronto, the Gibraltar Point Lighthouse is also one of the earliest lighthouses built on the Great Lakes. Though what was once a critical navigational beacon is no longer operational, visitors still enjoy viewing and taking photos of the 1808 lighthouse. The inside only opens for special events.

Fort York was constructed in 1793 by the British Army and Canadian militia troops for the defense of York (now Toronto). Today it’s a National Historic Site with Canada’s largest group of original War of 1812 structures. Explore the stone and wood barracks used during the 1813 Battle of York, when the U.S. invaded and destroyed the fort.