12 Places to Visit In Toronto
Welcome to Toronto, the vibrant and diverse metropolis that never fails to impress visitors worldwide. With its towering skyscrapers, beautiful parks, and rich cultural heritage, Toronto is a city that has something for everyone. From world-class museums and art galleries to bustling neighborhoods and breathtaking views, Toronto is a city that begs to be explored. In this article, we’ve compiled a list of twelve must-see places to visit in Toronto.
12 Places to Visit in Toronto
1. CN Tower
The CN Tower is Toronto’s most famous landmark. It is the third tallest building in the world. There’s an observation deck at the top. It offers excellent views of the city. If you’re not a fan of heights, they have a cafeteria and waiting area for anyone that doesn’t want to the observation deck.
2. 3D Toronto Sign
How could you come to Toronto and not get a picture of the 3D Toronto sign? It is located in Nathan Phillips Square. The sign is huge. If you have to chance, go check it out at night. The sign illuminates. That makes for some great pictures. This is a must for places to visit in Toronto.
3. Rogers Centre
If you’ve been reading my blog for a minute, you know that I’m a huge baseball fan. I have a goal to visit every Major League Baseball stadium. The Toronto Blue Jays play at the Rogers Centre. I had the opportunity to take some pictures of that stadium and see the team store. I didn’t get to go to a game because the Blue Jays were not in town while I was there. That means I’ll have to make another trip to Toronto soon to scratch this stadium off my list.
4. Yonge-Dundas Square
This public square is at the corner of Yonge Street and Dundas Street. The intersection is super busy. You will see people everywhere. There are fountains in the square that run from April until October. There is also a lot of shopping in the area as well. Yonge-Dundas Square reminded me of Times Square. It’s a must-visit if you’re in Toronto.
5. St. Lawrence Market
Next on the list of places to visit in Toronto is St. Lawrence Market. It is one of the best food markets in Toronto. The market has over 120 vendors. You can find all types of food there. Next time I visit, I’ll have to spend more time there and try some of Toronto’s famous poutine.
6. Scotiabank Arena
If you are an NBA or NHL fan, check out Scotiabank Arena. It is home to the Toronto Raptors and Toronto Maple Leafs. If it’s not basketball or hockey season, you can still go inside the arena and check out the team store.
7. The Royal Ontario Museum (ROM)
One of the best museums in North America, The Royal Ontario Museum (ROM), is the perfect place to experience history in Toronto. There is also a subway stop called Museum, which makes it easier to find. With over 6 million artifacts in its collection, the ROM has 40 separate galleries to display these works. Some galleries are dedicated to natural history, and others are from around the world. The museum has a rich collection of art and artifacts and dinosaur bones, minerals, arts, and design items, especially from the Art Deco era. There is also a learning zone for kids and a shop.
8. Kensington Market
You wouldn’t find a better place than Kensington Market to enjoy an authentic glimpse of Toronto’s multiculturalism. It used to be a Jewish market. However, this National Historic Site today has become a vibrant neighborhood for artists, writers, and foodies. Kensington Market is a major tourist destination full of fresh food stores, used clothing stores, extra discount stores, and great cafes. It is also home to several landmarks, such as the Bellevue Square Park and the No. 8 Fire Station.
The neighborhood is also popular for its diverse artistic community, with small galleries, tattoo studios, and rare bookstores. There are no branded stores here. Instead, everything is locally run and owned. This is one of the more unique places to visit in Toronto.
9. Casa Loma
Take a moment to go back in time and explore the hallways and rooms of the beautiful Casa Loma. This is a Gothic Revival-style castle and one of the unique pieces of architecture in midtown of Toronto. It has now been transformed into a museum with towers, gardens, decorated suites, stables, and secret passages. The visitors can take advantage of self-guided audio tours, which are available in 8 different languages. Casa Loma has appeared in several films, including X-Men, The Pacifier, and Chicago. It is also popular for hosting weddings and private events.
10. Toronto Islands
You can see a few small islands that are part of Toronto on Lake Ontario; hence, they are known as the Toronto Islands. There are 13 total islands spread over 820 hectares. Center Island is the most popular island, which has a massive park with picnic areas, a beach, elegant gardens, and an amusement park. It’s best to visit in the summer.
Some islands are home to some of Toronto’s oldest residential communities, while others are housed in prestigious yacht clubs. The Toronto Islands even have its own airport.
11. Toronto Zoo
The Toronto Zoo is world-class. It is considered to be one of the best zoos in North America. It has indoor and outdoor displays and is divided into several zones.
Most people can’t explore the zoo on a single visit, as it’s enormous and has so much to see. Over 5,000 animals live here in their natural habitat. One of the most popular areas of the Toronto Zoo is Africa, which includes white rhinos, Masai giraffes, white African lions, spotted hyenas, and many others. The Australasian Pavilion is popular because it houses lionfish, Western grey kangaroos, kookaburras, komodo dragons, and wallabies.
12. Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada
Ripley Entertainment owns Toronto’s one of the three aquariums. Ripley’s Downtown Canada Aquarium displays about 13,500 exotic marine life in 5.7 million gallons of water. The aquarium is home to marine and freshwater life worldwide, including giant Pacific octopus, green sea turtles, white-spotted bamboo sharks, southern stingrays, and upside-down jellyfish. Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada is divided into nine galleries, all with specific geography or species. Rainbow Reef is one of the most popular for its interactive dive shows.
Bonus- Niagara Falls
Niagara Falls is not in Toronto, but it’s only an hour and a half drive. You have to make that road trip. It will be worth it. Seeing Niagara Falls in person was one of the best experiences of my life. It was so relaxing. We stayed on the Canadian side. That’s where the action was at.
Besides the falls were bars, restaurants, shopping, casinos, and more. I didn’t know there was all that going on in Niagara Falls. If you go to Toronto, make a quick road trip to Niagara Falls.
Toronto was great. It’s a city that I’ll be visiting again. If you plan to visit Toronto, remember your passport and read up on the conversion rates. You don’t want to be blindsided when you purchase something.
Travel Resources
Tripadvisor
This is my go-to website when I’m looking for information about a new city I’m interested in visiting. You can find information on lodging as well as other things to do. Travelers leave reviews on this site.
Rakuten
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Jason Butler is the owner of My Money Chronicles, a website where he discusses personal finance, side hustles, travel, and more. Jason is from Atlanta, Georgia. He graduated from Savannah State University with his BA in Marketing. Jason has been featured in Forbes, Discover, and Investopedia.
