Must-see attractions in Ontario

  • October 15, 2013: Exterior of the Royal Ontario Museum on a sunny day.

    Royal Ontario Museum

    Toronto

    Opened in 1914, the multidisciplinary ROM is Canada's biggest natural-history museum and one of the largest museums in North America. You'll either love…

  • Toronto, Ontario / Canada - May 16 2019: Spring scene of people enjoying the views of white full bloom cherry blossom at High Park. Men, women, kids spending time outdoor, spring season concept.; Shutterstock ID 1400380913; your: Sloane Tucker; gl: 65050; netsuite: Online Editorial; full: Toronto Top Things to Do Article
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    High Park

    Toronto

    Toronto's favorite green space is a wonderful spot to unfurl a picnic blanket, swim, play tennis, bike around, skate on 14-hectare Grenadier Pond or – in…

  • (GERMANY OUT) Hull: Canadian Museum of Civilisation(Außensicht)- 1996 col (Photo by Merten/ullstein bild via Getty Images)

    Canadian Museum of History

    Ottawa

    Allow plenty of time to experience this high-tech, must-see museum across the river, in Hull, Québec. Documenting the history of Canada through a range of…

  • Ottawa, Canada - September 17, 2017:  Maman (1999) is a bronze, stainless steel, and marble sculpture by the artist Louise Bourgeois.  It is in front of The National Gallery of Canada, located in the capital city of Ottawa, Ontario, is one of Canada's premier art galleries.
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    National Gallery of Canada

    Ottawa

    The National Gallery is a work of art in itself: its striking ensemble of pink granite and glass spires echoes the ornate copper-topped towers of the…

  • Aerial of Horseshoe Falls at Niagara Falls.
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    Horseshoe Falls

    Niagara Falls

    The centerpiece of any visit here are the Horseshoe Falls. Named after their 670m curved shape, they have the highest flow rate of any waterfall in North…

  • Boldt Castle - Thousand Islands region, St Lawrence River, near Alexandria Bay.

    Boldt Castle

    Thousand Islands

    This lavish turn-of-the-century island castle in the middle of the St Lawrence is only around 25km from Gananoque, but technically in the USA, so you'll…

  • McMichael Canadian Art Collection, an art gallery with a focus on the Group of Seven

    McMichael Canadian Art Collection

    Toronto

    Handcrafted buildings (including painter Tom Thomson’s cabin, moved from its original location), set amid 40 hectares of conservation trails, contain…

  • February 6, 2016: Crowd of skaters at Harbourfront Centre public skating rink.

    Harbourfront Centre

    Toronto

    An artistic powerhouse, this 4-hectare complex educates and entertains Toronto's community through a variety of year-round performances, events and…

  • Canadian War Museum, Ottawa, Ontario

    Canadian War Museum

    Ottawa

    Fascinating displays twist through the labyrinthine interior of this sculpture-like, modern museum, tracing Canada's military history with the nation's…

  • MARCH 26, 2018: Exterior of the Harbourfront Centre (The Power Plant building) during sunset.
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    Power Plant Contemporary Art Gallery

    Toronto

    Easily recognized by its painted smokestack, the Power Plant gallery is just that: a former power plant transformed into Toronto's premier gallery of…

  • Skylon Tower

    Niagara Falls

    The Skylon Tower is a 158m concrete spire with yellow pill-shaped elevators crawling up and down the tower's neck to the top. The interior itself is dated…

  • 1000 Islands Tower

    Thousand Islands

    Just east of Ivy Lea, some 20km from Gananoque, a series of soaring bridges links Ontario to New York State, USA, over several islands. Halfway across,…

  • The Golden Parliament hill

    Parliament Hill

    Ottawa

    Vast, yawning archways, copper-topped turrets and Gothic-Revival gargoyles dominate the facade of the stunning lime-and-sandstone parliament buildings…

  • Scarborough Bluffs of Toronto; Shutterstock ID 505524499; your: Bridget Brown; gl: 65050; netsuite: Online Editorial; full: POI Image Update

    Scarborough Bluffs

    Toronto

    Lakeshore cliffs with cathedral-spire formations expose evidence of five glacial periods at Scarborough Bluffs. Spanning 14km, from Rosetta McClain…

  • Sharon Temple located north of Toronto; Shutterstock ID 656603602; your: Bridget Brown; gl: 65050; netsuite: Online Editorial; full: POI Image Update

    Sharon Temple

    Toronto

    A national historic site and one of the oldest museums in Canada, this quaint and fascinating temple was built in 1832 by a Quaker sect called the…

  • Lady Pellatt Suite at Casa Loma.

    Casa Loma

    Toronto

    Toronto's only castle may never have housed royalty, but it certainly has grandeur, lording over the Annex from a cliff that was once the shoreline of the…

  • Richmond Hill, Ontario/Canada - July 2018: The David Dunlap Observatory built in 1935; Shutterstock ID 1738832300; your: Bridget Brown; gl: 65050; netsuite: Online Editorial; full: POI Image Update

    David Dunlap Observatory

    Toronto

    About 33km north of downtown Toronto, the David Dunlap Observatory houses Canada’s largest optical telescope (the reflector measures 1.88m). On Saturday…

  • Red Coat, historical re-enactment - Toronto, Ontario

    Fort York National Historic Site

    Toronto

    Established by the British in 1793 to defend the then town of York, Fort York was almost entirely destroyed during the War of 1812 when a small band of…

  • Thousand Islands National Park, as seen from the sky deck on Hill Island during fall.
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    Thousand Islands National Park

    Thousand Islands

    On the Thousand Islands Pkwy south of Mallorytown, you'll find the Mallorytown Landing Visitors Centre for the Thousand Islands National Park, which…

  • Toronto, Canada - March 12, 2016: Giant panda Da Mao eating bamboo in Toronto Zoo, Canada.  ; Shutterstock ID 1023482665; your: Bridget Brown; gl: 65050; netsuite: Online Editorial; full: POI Image Update

    Toronto Zoo

    Toronto

    This large, modern zoo has more than 5000 animals, with stars such as pandas, rhinos and polar bears. (There are no elephants, though, because they are so…

  • Dinosaur exhibits at the Canadian Museum of Nature.

    Canadian Museum of Nature

    Ottawa

    This imposing baronial building houses one of the world's best natural history collections, which the vast museum brings to life with modern and…

  • Toronto, Canada - Oct 18, 2017: Exterior view of the Aga Khan Museum in Toronto, Canada; Shutterstock ID 746900509; your: Bridget Brown; gl: 65050; netsuite: Online Editorial; full: POI Image Update

    Aga Khan Museum

    Toronto

    Located just outside Toronto, the Aga Khan is the first museum in North America dedicated to Islamic art. The magnificent building houses the extensive…

  • Shoes of Justin Timberlake and Elton John in Bata Shoe Museum.

    Bata Shoe Museum

    Toronto

    It's important in life to be well shod, a stance the Bata Shoe Museum takes seriously. Impressively designed by Raymond Moriyama to resemble a stylized…

  • VAUGHAN, ON - MARCH 1: The city of Toronto done in Lego at the new LEGOLAND Discovery Centre in Vaughan Mills mall.        (Carlos Osorio/Toronto Star via Getty Images)

    LEGOLAND Discovery Centre

    Toronto

    This may not be a full-fledged LEGOLAND theme park, but it's loved by kids, especially younger ones, who delight in its collection of hands-on,…

  • July 11, 2015: People riding the Behemoth Roller Coaster at Canada's Wonderland amusement park.

    Canada's Wonderland

    Toronto

    Amusement-park lovers will want to trek to this, Canada's largest, featuring more than 60 rides, including the mammoth Leviathan, with a peak height of…

  • Detail of antique carpet on display at Textile Museum of Canada.

    Textile Museum of Canada

    Toronto

    Tucked into a condo tower, this small museum has exhibits drawing on its permanent collection of more than 13,000 items from Latin America, Africa, Europe…

  • City Hall

    Toronto

    Much-maligned City Hall was Toronto's bold leap into architectural modernity. Its twin clamshell towers, central 'flying saucer,' ramps and mosaics were…

  • Church of the Holy Trinity

    Toronto

    Tucked away behind the west side of the gargantuan Eaton Centre is the oasis-like Trinity Sq, named after the welcoming Anglican Church of the Holy…

  • Rideau Hall

    Ottawa

    Home of the Governor General, Rideau Hall was built in the 1830s with grand additions made by successive governors. There are free 45-minute walking tours…

  • Exhibition Place

    Toronto

    Every August, historic Exhibition Place, off Lake Shore Blvd W, is revived for its original purpose: the Canadian National Exhibition. Millions of…

  • Niagara Falls History Museum

    Niagara Falls

    A complete change of pace from the sights near the falls, this museum uses multi-media displays and artifacts to explore the history of Niagara Falls. The…

  • Elgin & Winter Garden Theatre

    Toronto

    This restored masterpiece is the world's last operating Edwardian double-decker theater. Celebrating its centennial in 2013, the Winter Garden was built…

  • Niagara IMAX Theatre & Daredevil Exhibit

    Niagara Falls

    Hourly screenings of Niagara: Miracles, Myth & Magic give you an overview of Niagara Falls from the end of the Ice Age to modern day. The shots of the…

  • Canada Agriculture & Food Museum

    Ottawa

    Nope, the Canada Agriculture and Food Museum isn’t about the history of the pitchfork – it’s a fascinating experimental farm. The government-owned…

  • Fort Henry National Historic Site

    Kingston

    This restored British fortification, dating from 1832, overlooks Kingston from its hilltop perch. The postcard-perfect structure is brought to life by…

  • Queenston Heights Park

    Niagara Falls

    In Queenston village, a snoozy historic throwback north of the falls near the Lewiston Bridge to the US, is Queenston Heights Park, a national historic…

  • Bellevue House

    Kingston

    In the mid-19th century, this National Historic Site was briefly home to Sir John A Macdonald, Canada's first prime minister and a notorious alcoholic…

  • Maple Leaf Gardens

    Toronto

    This hallowed hockey arena was built in an astounding five months during the Great Depression, and was home to the Toronto Maple Leafs for over 50 years…

  • Provincial Legislature

    Toronto

    The seat of Ontario's Provincial Legislature occupies an ornate 1893 sandstone building north of College St. For some homegrown entertainment, head for…

  • Toronto Music Garden

    Toronto

    Delicately strung along the western harbor front, the Toronto Music Garden was designed in collaboration with cellist Yo-Yo Ma. It expresses Bach's Suite…