11 Best Things To Do On Toronto's Lakeshore

The harbour front area of Toronto has undergone major redevelopment in recent years and is now a bustling hub of the downtown area. Here, we uncover our top 11 things to do and see whilst in the area.

CN Tower

Architectural Landmark

The CN Tower might seem overly touristy for a marriage proposal, but we’re suggesting something a little different. Not only is the CN Tower the city’s most definitive landmark, but it now also offers couples the EdgeWalk, a harnessed walk around the roof for an adrenaline-filled proposal. Less inclined toward risk, heights, and high winds? Opt for proposing from the 360 Restaurant, which still offers stunning views of the city and shoreline.
Arguably Toronto’s most famous landmark, the CN Tower is located just a few hundred meters from the harbor front and has been recognized as one of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World by the American Society of Civil Engineers.

Harbourfront Centre

Concert Hall

View Tours

Open year-round and located right at the shores of Lake Ontario, Toronto’s Harbourfront Centre emphasizes on culturally diverse acts and features concerts, dance performances, author readings, films, and an array of kids’ shows every weekend and many weeknights. There’s always something interesting happening! Harbourfront also hosts summer camps for children – or simply take the kids out for an ice cream nearby and take a leisurely stroll along the docks and through the parks and gardens.
Established as a not-for-profit organization in 1991, Harbourfront Centre is the heart of all cultural happenings across the city. Throughout the year, the centre works with over 450 community organizations to plan over 4000 events, ranging from literary festivals to theatre and dance performances. On the same site is also the Power Plant Contemporary Art Gallery, which holds a variety of exciting modern art exhibitions, often focusing on new up-and-coming Canadian artists.

Lake Ontario

Natural Feature

View Tours

To enjoy a more unusual view of Toronto’s lakeshore, try a boat tour of Lake Ontario, with numerous booking options available with local operators.

Scotiabank Arena

Sports Center

View Tours

If you are looking to head to a sports game whilst in the city, Toronto’s lakeshore is home to two of major venues. The Scotiabank Arena (formerly known as the Air Canada Centre) and Roger’s Centre. Both are currently used as multi-purpose stadiums and home to the city’s most beloved sports teams. At the Air Canada Centre, fans can cheer on the Toronto Maple Leafs at hockey, the Toronto Raptors at basketball or the Toronto Rock at lacrosse.

Rogers Centre

Stadium

View Tours

Buildings don’t have to be old to make it in the annals of history. Opened for business in 1989, what is now known as the Rogers Centre (it will forever be the Skydome for some) gained international notice for having a retractable dome, providing patrons with the experience of a closed dome and an open field. The Blue Jays won two back-to-back World Series in 1992 and 1993, which was big news for a Canadian team in Major League Baseball. The wins created a loyal fan base that is still passionate and loud as ever. The Rogers Centre hosts concerts, sporting events, conventions, trade shows, and more. There’s always something going on. Nestled under the CN Tower, it’s integral to the body and spirit of the city of Toronto. To see a major league baseball, head to the Rogers Centre to support the Toronto Blue Jays or the Toronto Argonauts American Football team.

Toronto Islands and Centreville

Park

View Tours

Kids will love taking the short ferry ride from Queen’s Quay Terminal in downtown Toronto to the multiple interconnected Islands, located approximately half a mile (one kilometer) offshore. After exploring the islands by foot or rental tandem bikes, families can also enjoy Centreville Theme Park, which has over over 30 fun-filled rides.

Bluffer’s Park & the Scarborough Bluffs

Situated in Scarborough, Eastern Toronto, Bluffer’s Park is one of the city’s most beautiful sandy beaches. During July and August, there is a supervised area perfect for swimming, with impressive water quality and a relatively shallow depth to cater for swimmers of most abilities. One of the beach’s other most impressive attractions is the Scarborough Bluffs, a 15km white cliff escarpment, rising up to 90km above Lake Ontario’s blue waters.

The Sunnyside Pavilion

Part of Sunnyside Beach Park, the Sunnyside Pavilion was built over a century ago as a clubhouse for waterfront canoeists. In its modern reincarnation, the pavilion now has become a venue for regular multicultural events, such as music performances and live art showcases. There is also a beautiful beachfront café, which serves casual cuisine and drinks from May to September.

Waterfront Trail

Another recreation area of the lakeshore is the Waterfront Trail, which runs along the edge of Lake Ontario from Etobicoke in the west to Scarborough in the east. The trail is extremely popular with cyclists, thanks to its mixture of asphalt and off-road surfaces, although it also features a boardwalk for pedestrians. If you are visiting the section of trail at the foot of Lower Spadina Avenue, you should also keep an eye out for the Wavedeck installations, an artistic wooden representation of Lake Ontario’s undulating movement.

Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada

One of Toronto’s attractions most in keeping with its lakeshore location is the Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada. Located just southeast of the CN tower, the aquarium has only been open since October 2013 and is thus the most modern landmark on the city’s waterfront. As well as housing over 16,000 aquatic animals, the attraction also hosts a variety of events, including Friday Night Jazz and Overnight Reef Adventures for children to pitch their sleeping bags right inside North America’s longest underwater viewing tunnel.

Museum of Inuit Art

Toronto’s Museum of Inuit Art is the only museum within the southern Canadian provinces to exclusively house Inuit art. Since its establishment in 2007, the museum has held various exhibitions on Canadian cultural foundations, as expressed by the Inuit artistic community. For those with little previous knowledge of Inuit beliefs and creation stories, this is an eye-opening place with a unique collection definitely worth exploring.