26 Must-See Attractions in Toronto
What do a pair of Elton John’s high heels, a Gothic castle and the world’s largest hydraulophone have in common? They all feature on this list of the top attractions in Toronto, Canada.
Some attractions in Toronto – such as the skyline-busting CN Tower, the turrets of the Casa Loma and the thunderous Niagara Falls down the road – stand out like Drake in the front row of the Scotiabank Arena. However, others – like the merchants of St Lawrence Market, the boutiques of the Distillery District and the murals of Kensington Market – take a little more discovery. Culture Trip has done the hard work for you by rounding up the top attractions in Toronto you need to add to your itinerary.
CN Tower
Architectural Landmark
Museum of Illusions
Museum
If you’re expecting your stock-standard hall of mirrors and a couple of shrinking hallways, prepare for a shock. Toronto’s Museum of Illusions is a very contemporary take on the old fairground funhouse – a minimalist space that opened in 2018 with an Instagram front of mind. Found on Front Street East with tickets starting at 23.50 Canadian dollars ($17.93), the museum feels more like an art gallery than some cheesy carnival attraction, with each piece explaining the visual trickery at play as well as a marker pointing out the perfect selfie spot.
Hockey Hall of Fame
Museum
Distillery District
Distillery
Royal Ontario Museum (ROM)
Building, Museum, Park
Bata Shoe Museum
Museum
While a museum dedicated to shoes might sound about as exciting as a trip to a cardboard box factory, the Bata Shoe Museum is one of the quirkiest, coolest and most compelling collections in all of Canada. Sitting just down the block from the ROM in a building shaped like a shoebox, this museum steps (get it?) through the 4,500-year history of footwear, from indigenous boots worn in the Arctic to snappy sliver platforms donned by Elton John. At 14 Canadian dollars ($10.89), it’s also one of the most affordable attractions in Toronto.
Toronto Islands and Centreville
Park
St Lawrence Market
Building, Market
Kensington Market
Market
Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO)
Art Gallery, Museum
Niagara Falls
Natural Feature
Toronto Eaton Centre
Shopping Mall
A mall wouldn’t normally appear on a Culture Trip list of must-visit attractions, but the Eaton Centre isn’t your average mall. Attracting around 50 million visitors each year, this Toronto institution is the busiest mall in the whole of North America – even busier than Minnesota’s gargantuan Mall of America. Located in the middle of downtown, the Eaton Centre boasts more than 250 retailers – more than enough to give any shopaholic their retail fix in The Six.
High Park
Park
Fort York National Historic Site
Building, Distillery
Breweries
Gastropub, Pub, Wine Bar, Restaurant, Beer
It seems like Toronto and craft beer have become synonymous lately – and thank goodness. No longer a city reliant on mass market beer brands, there are new breweries seemingly every month. Most breweries in the city offer guided tours and tastings, some of which, like Steam Whistle, even have their own patio for lazy summer pints. Be sure to check out the beer-wine hybrids at Burdock Brewery, as well as Henderson Brewing, which runs guided tastings every Tuesday for CAD$25. Recommended by Kaitlyn McInnis.
Ontario Science Centre
Why is the sky blue? How does dry ice work? And what on earth is a hydraulophone? The answers to these pressing scientific questions can be found at the Ontario Science Centre, about 6.2 miles (10 kilometers) northeast of downtown. Opening its doors a couple of weeks after the Moon Landing in 1969, this interactive museum is a must for children (and the young at heart) thanks to live science demonstrations, climbing walls, a world-class planetarium, arcade games, a simulated rainforest and Toronto’s only IMAX Dome theatre. Admission is 22 Canadian dollars ($16.05) for adults and 13 dollars ($9.49) for kids.
Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada
With ferocious tiger sharks, slippery eels, entrancing jellyfish and 450 other species of exotic marine life populating the country’s largest indoor aquarium, Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada attracts huge crowds. While long queues snake around the block in the shadow of the CN Tower, you can skip the line with this ticket for 45 Canadian dollars ($32.83). It’s delivered straight to your smartphone, and the price includes animal feedings and talks. Under the sea, hassle-free.
Casa Loma
Rarely has a name failed to capture the majesty of a place quite like Casa Loma, which means “Hill House” in Spanish. A more accurate title would’ve been “The ostentatious Gothic castle plonked in the middle of Toronto,” which only begins to describe the grandeur of this 18th-century masterpiece just north of the bohemian Annex neighborhood. The palace of Sir Henry Pellatt eventually bankrupted the electricity tsar in the 1920s, although Casa Loma is a lot kinder on the wallets of visitors than the man who built it – you can step inside every day for just 40 Canadian dollars ($29.18).
Black Creek Pioneer Village
If the Distillery District is a time capsule to 19th-century industrial Toronto, this open-air heritage museum is a snapshot of rural life in that same era. About 19mi (30km) north of the city center and an even longer trip back in time, Black Creek Pioneer Village recreates life in 1867 with restored homes, stores, farms, churches and schools, plus a dedicated crew of costumed villagers. At 18 Canadian dollars ($13.13) for adults and 11 dollars ($8.03) for children, it’s the cheapest ticket to a time machine.
The Beaches
After a few days of exploring the city, escape to The Beaches, an east-end Toronto neighborhood that feels more like a small town than a subsection of the city, with a considerably long stretch of waterfront and surprisingly sandy beaches. Think of it as Toronto’s answer to Coney Island. Expect a sandy city coastline and neighboring shops and restaurants on Queen Street East. Note that Woodbine Beach is one of the largest, most popular beaches in the neighborhood and is Blue Flag certified, which means it’s safe for swimming. Recommended by Kaitlyn McInnis.
Rouge National Urban Park
Rouge National Urban Park, which straddles Scarborough and neighboring Markham and Pickering, is a lush collection of natural, cultural and agricultural landscapes, including some of the last remaining working farms in Toronto, great hiking trails, and some of Canada’s oldest known Indigenous sites. Recommended by Kaitlyn McInnis.
Port Credit
Mississauga’s “Village on the Lake” is one of the most picturesque points in the GTA – and well worth the trip. Accessible by the GO train from downtown Toronto, expect world-class dining (and drinking) options, unique shops and entertainment venues, all set right next to Missisauga’s lakefront and the Port Credit Lighthouse. Recommended by Kaitlyn McInnis.
Scarborough Bluffs and Bluffer’s Park
Arguably one of the most striking sites in all of Toronto, the Scarborough Bluffs span about 15 kilometers (9 miles) along the Lake Ontario shoreline. At its highest point, the towering escarpment rises 90 meters (300 feet) above the water and has become a popular destination for photographers and nature buffs. If you want to visit the natural wonder, take Bluffer’s Park bus that runs between Kennedy Station and Bluffer’s Park Beach. Recommended by Kaitlyn McInnis.
iFly Toronto
If you’ve always wanted to go skydiving but, well, don’t have the guts to actually get strapped up and jump out of an airplane, look no further than iFly Toronto. The indoor skydiving venue gives visitors a taste of the thrill without the risk, by simulating what it feels like to be free-falling through the sky. Children ages four and up are welcome, and tickets start at CAD$79.99 per person. Recommended by Kaitlyn McInnis.
Toronto Botanical Garden
After a few days of being consumed by the bustle of the city, a trip to the tranquil Toronto Botanical Garden will be well deserved. The TBG is just under four acres and features 17 themed “city-sized gardens,” including a wildflower meadow, native trees, and more local and international flora. Recommended by Kaitlyn McInnis.
Canada’s Wonderland
No summer is complete without a visit to Canada’s Wonderland. Located in Vaughan, just outside of Toronto, this amusement park has 70 rides, including the legendary Behemoth and Vortex coasters, as well as a fun and refreshing 20-acre Splash Works water park. For kids, there’s Planet Snoopy and KidZville, offering a series of brand-new, kid-friendly themed rides. Recommended by Kaitlyn McInnis.
This is an updated version of an article originally created by Emily Paskevics.