I'm going to be in Toronto for nearly a week with my Wife visiting some family. We don't have much planned, and the family we're visiting is new to the area. I'm looking for some recommendations for things to do in the area that would be "fun for the whole family"! Whatever that means..
What we've got planned:
Wife and I are taking a side trip to Niagra Falls.
That's it.
Theres the science center, CN tower, Casa Loma, lots of musicals, sporting events at the rogers center, the Zoo is pretty big but im not sure if its closed for winter now, lots of world class restaurants... Really depends on what you want to do i guess.
Theres the science center, CN tower, Casa Loma, lots of musicals, sporting events at the rogers center, the Zoo is pretty big but im not sure if its closed for winter now, lots of world class restaurants... Really depends on what you want to do i guess.
Pretty open to suggestion. As I said, we really don't have anything planned, and we just want to fill the time so we don't waste our vacation sitting around the house. We're thinking about checking out St. Lawrence Market and Toronto Island Park.
downer on
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physi_marcPositron TrackerIn a nutshellRegistered Userregular
The zoo is open every day except for Christmas, I believe. It's pretty great even in the winter, since it means you avoid crowds. (Skip the Canadian wilderness trek or whatever it's called, though-- long walk, very little incentive except for the grizzlies near the beginning.)
St. Lawrence Market is nice, but be sure to try out the food (peameal bacon!) instead of just browsing.
The Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO) was just renovated, and there's actually some really nice stuff in there. I'd recommend it. Oh, and for several places there are free or half off hours on certain days-- plan accordingly.
I'd honestly recommend heading down to Dundas square and just do a bit of exploring. There's a lot to see and do branching out from all directions, and that's a great place to start.
Ontario Science Centre: Good especially if you've got kids in tow. Royal Ontario Museum (ROM): A very all-purpose sort of museum, things from dinosaurs to mummies to Chinese temples to Native artifacts, good for all ages. Very big. Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO): Great if you like art (I do, and thought it was super neat) -- probably horribly boring for kids though. CN Tower: It's cool for what it is. Make sure it's clear the day you go up, obviously. It's also very nice around sunset. If you want to have a fancy dinner, you get to go up the tower for free if you eat in the restaurant there (make reservations if you want to do this though), and it prices out to be approximately reasonable once you consider the price of the ticket. (If you have paid for your ticket though, all the food up there is horrifically expensive.) St. Lawrence Market: Is still actually a market -- it's really cool to go wander around, and there are vendors selling souvenirs or other non-food items, but a lot of it is butchers and food stands. (It's definitely worth stopping by though as the eggplant/veal parmesan sandwiches there are as good as their reputation. On the off chance that you still be hungry for dessert after an enormous sandwich, my husband really likes the Future Bakery there.) (Also, if you come by on a Sunday, the market proper is closed, but there's a really great restaurant with a buffet in the morning down near there called the Hot House which is fantastic. Make reservations, get there early, or be prepared to wait though.)
Theres the science center, CN tower, Casa Loma, lots of musicals, sporting events at the rogers center, the Zoo is pretty big but im not sure if its closed for winter now, lots of world class restaurants... Really depends on what you want to do i guess.
Pretty open to suggestion. As I said, we really don't have anything planned, and we just want to fill the time so we don't waste our vacation sitting around the house. We're thinking about checking out St. Lawrence Market and Toronto Island Park.
Well, centerville (the amusement park area of the island) is closed now, so theres not much else on the island other than that. Theres the airport, and some small cafes, but not a lot to see unless you want to go and have a picnic or something, but its getting kind of cold. The island is always windy because its an island in the middle of a huge lake.
If youre looking to do some shopping, theres also the eatons center which is a huge ass mall right downtown. A lot of it is underground, and theres the path system which connects to public transit and a lot of the other buildings in the downtown core, so depending on when youre coming, you dont have to brave the cold outside, which is always nice.
Some things a little more off the standard beaten path.
I found when I went to the Pacific Mall I had a really good time. It's apparently the largest indoor Asian mall in North America, and not only are there a lot of interesting little stores, but I find the visual aesthetic of the mall itself really interesting. Endless glass cubes full of stuff.
The Distillery District. A large village housing an open-plan mall and a number of restaurants and brewpubs in the restored Victorian industrial buildings. I'm particularly partial to the Mill St. Pub as someone who really loves craft beer.
Other people have recommended the zoo, and I will too. It's massive, and there's plenty to do there, even when it's cold out. Depending on when your trip is, the stingray/shark petting experience may still be open, and is a must-do sort of thing.
Also depending on your timing, Canada's Wonderland may still be open, which is a good amusement park in my opinion.
For your side trip to Niagara, consider checking out the butterfly conservatory they have there, and you should definitely spend some time on Clifton Hill, possibly the tackiest tourist area I've ever been to.
Just one reminder that people often overlook/aren't aware of: You need a passport now to cross over the border via car, which it sounds like that's what you're doing based on your "side trip" comment, but I can't be certain.
There's been a few posts in recent months with people who have forgotten/didn't know about it, then had to either cancel their trip or scramble around to get a passport at the last second.
If you're into live theatre at all, there are a ton of live theatre venues downtown. To name just a few:
- Second City - career birthplace for entirely too many Canadian comics
- Royal Alexandra Theatre - usually has a Broadway show playing with decent production values
- Soulpepper, Tarragon, Factory, - Smaller theatres, more or less the beating heart of Toronto's professional theatre scene, usually producing new Canadian plays
- Harbourfront Centre, Diesel - Smaller venues that usually have something interesting playing
There's also the Shaw festival if you're down by Niagara anyways, they're most active during the summer months and I don't know what would be playing this late in the season. They do George Bernard Shaw and his contemporaries. Similarly the Stratford festival takes place in Stratford, which is about 2 hours west of TO, and they do mostly Shakespeare. Both companies start to trail off in mid-October and don't pick up again until April or May.
Casa Loma is awesome. The CN Tower is an absolute if you're into classic sightseeing. I think it's worth it for the glass floor alone, haha.
St. Lawrence Market is great, but you should also check out Kensington Market; it's legendary.
Rikushix on
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The_Glad_HatterOne Sly FoxUnderneath a Groovy HatRegistered Userregular
edited September 2010
I really enjoyed a sailing tour on the Kajama three master they have in the harbour.
Also, i booked a tour by a greeter from the Tap into TO! program. Volunteers that do walking tours of a area of your choice. Great fun.
Eaton centre was allright.. Just a lot of stores...
Take advantage of the world-class public transportation system. Buy a day or week bus pass and explore the city by bus/subway. You get to see a lot of things, and you can read a book or magazine, or chat with your SO while you do it. Try and avoid traveling by transit or car during rush hour, especially the DVP. This can be tough because Toronto's rush hour seems to last from 6:00 to 11:00 AM, then 1:00 to 7:30 PM some days, but really it's for your own benefit. At the very least, try to avoid the really nasty, common sense trouble spots: don't try to leave downtown at 5:00, for example.
Try to sample food from a different region of the world every day. Toronto is a great city for anyone that loves a varied diet, or alternatively, it may just make you love a varied diet even though you never realized it before.
Pacific mall was a great suggestion. It really is completely unlike any chain-store mall you will find in the US.
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Pretty open to suggestion. As I said, we really don't have anything planned, and we just want to fill the time so we don't waste our vacation sitting around the house. We're thinking about checking out St. Lawrence Market and Toronto Island Park.
Of course, if you're going to visit a few of these places, you should get a CityPass.
Also, if you're looking for a neat little restaurant, the Kalendar on College Street has great food. I highly recommend it.
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St. Lawrence Market is nice, but be sure to try out the food (peameal bacon!) instead of just browsing.
The Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO) was just renovated, and there's actually some really nice stuff in there. I'd recommend it. Oh, and for several places there are free or half off hours on certain days-- plan accordingly.
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Royal Ontario Museum (ROM): A very all-purpose sort of museum, things from dinosaurs to mummies to Chinese temples to Native artifacts, good for all ages. Very big.
Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO): Great if you like art (I do, and thought it was super neat) -- probably horribly boring for kids though.
CN Tower: It's cool for what it is. Make sure it's clear the day you go up, obviously. It's also very nice around sunset. If you want to have a fancy dinner, you get to go up the tower for free if you eat in the restaurant there (make reservations if you want to do this though), and it prices out to be approximately reasonable once you consider the price of the ticket. (If you have paid for your ticket though, all the food up there is horrifically expensive.)
St. Lawrence Market: Is still actually a market -- it's really cool to go wander around, and there are vendors selling souvenirs or other non-food items, but a lot of it is butchers and food stands. (It's definitely worth stopping by though as the eggplant/veal parmesan sandwiches there are as good as their reputation. On the off chance that you still be hungry for dessert after an enormous sandwich, my husband really likes the Future Bakery there.) (Also, if you come by on a Sunday, the market proper is closed, but there's a really great restaurant with a buffet in the morning down near there called the Hot House which is fantastic. Make reservations, get there early, or be prepared to wait though.)
Well, centerville (the amusement park area of the island) is closed now, so theres not much else on the island other than that. Theres the airport, and some small cafes, but not a lot to see unless you want to go and have a picnic or something, but its getting kind of cold. The island is always windy because its an island in the middle of a huge lake.
If youre looking to do some shopping, theres also the eatons center which is a huge ass mall right downtown. A lot of it is underground, and theres the path system which connects to public transit and a lot of the other buildings in the downtown core, so depending on when youre coming, you dont have to brave the cold outside, which is always nice.
Check out my band, click the banner.
I found when I went to the Pacific Mall I had a really good time. It's apparently the largest indoor Asian mall in North America, and not only are there a lot of interesting little stores, but I find the visual aesthetic of the mall itself really interesting. Endless glass cubes full of stuff.
The Distillery District. A large village housing an open-plan mall and a number of restaurants and brewpubs in the restored Victorian industrial buildings. I'm particularly partial to the Mill St. Pub as someone who really loves craft beer.
Other people have recommended the zoo, and I will too. It's massive, and there's plenty to do there, even when it's cold out. Depending on when your trip is, the stingray/shark petting experience may still be open, and is a must-do sort of thing.
Also depending on your timing, Canada's Wonderland may still be open, which is a good amusement park in my opinion.
For your side trip to Niagara, consider checking out the butterfly conservatory they have there, and you should definitely spend some time on Clifton Hill, possibly the tackiest tourist area I've ever been to.
Have fun!
Just one reminder that people often overlook/aren't aware of: You need a passport now to cross over the border via car, which it sounds like that's what you're doing based on your "side trip" comment, but I can't be certain.
There's been a few posts in recent months with people who have forgotten/didn't know about it, then had to either cancel their trip or scramble around to get a passport at the last second.
- Second City - career birthplace for entirely too many Canadian comics
- Royal Alexandra Theatre - usually has a Broadway show playing with decent production values
- Soulpepper, Tarragon, Factory, - Smaller theatres, more or less the beating heart of Toronto's professional theatre scene, usually producing new Canadian plays
- Harbourfront Centre, Diesel - Smaller venues that usually have something interesting playing
There's also the Shaw festival if you're down by Niagara anyways, they're most active during the summer months and I don't know what would be playing this late in the season. They do George Bernard Shaw and his contemporaries. Similarly the Stratford festival takes place in Stratford, which is about 2 hours west of TO, and they do mostly Shakespeare. Both companies start to trail off in mid-October and don't pick up again until April or May.
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St. Lawrence Market is great, but you should also check out Kensington Market; it's legendary.
Also, i booked a tour by a greeter from the Tap into TO! program. Volunteers that do walking tours of a area of your choice. Great fun.
Eaton centre was allright.. Just a lot of stores...
Try to sample food from a different region of the world every day. Toronto is a great city for anyone that loves a varied diet, or alternatively, it may just make you love a varied diet even though you never realized it before.
Pacific mall was a great suggestion. It really is completely unlike any chain-store mall you will find in the US.