We're down to just a few short weeks before we head up to Toronto for 6 full days. My kids are 10 and 7 and like amusement parks and museums, so we've identified the following attractions to try and hit:

1) Zoo
2) Ontario Science Center
3) Royal Ontario Museum
4) Skydome tour
5) CN Tower
6) Paramount Canada's Wonderland

Have I missed any of the 'must-see' attractions? My kids were asking about beaches--how is the swimming in Lake Ontario?

BTW--got a great deal at Cambridge Suites for the stay, so that will be our 'home base'. We're driving up (from New Jersey) so we will have a car available to us if needed.

Any feedback would be much appreciated. Thanks!

Your kids might also like the Bata Shoe Museum (on Bloor St West at St George). My dad took my 9 year old niece there and they both loved it. It is a well-curated museum that does a good job of showing in an interesting way how footwear can tell you something about a culture or a period in history. It has some interesting displays of things like "footbinding in China", "footwear of various aboriginal tribes". Plus it has fun exhibits like Elton John's shoes, Marilyn Monroe's shoes, etc. It's fairly compact, so it's something you could spend 60-90 minutes in. It's also an interesting building (it looks like a deconstructed shoe box). It's within walking distance of the Royal Ontario Museum.

Other possibilities might include Ontario Place and Black Creek Pioneer Village.

Oops, I forgot to say anything about beaches. First, there is a nice neighbourhood called "the Beaches". You can get there by taking the Queen Streetcar east (although there is some construction going on and you might have to walk the last few blocks). It's a nice place to go for a walk (along the boardwalk), or you can probably rent bikes or rollerblades and roll along the waterfront. You might also want to take the ferry to the nearby Toronto Islands, where there is an amusement park, bikes for rent and a waterpark, I think. Check out http://www.torontoharbour.com/toronto-islands/

And the website for Ontario place is www.ontarioplace.com.

You

The water is polluted in some places, and I'm not sure I'd want to take a dip along the waterfront anywhere near downtown. The waterparks at the Islands and Ontario Place would be a better bet.

You might consider a day that, weather permitting, includes the Skydome and CN Tower tour, some exploration of Harbourfront (there are some interesting activities down there, too), and then either go to Ontario Place or out to the Islands.

If your kids like hockey, you also might want to visit the Hockey Hall of Fame.

I just have to say that when I was a kid, Toronto was our favorite place to vacation!

When we were about your kids' ages, my brother and I loved Ontario Place. That was 20+ years ago - I don't know if things have changed. They had paddleboats, a cool playground, and waterslides.

When we got a bit older, my parents would drop us off at the Science Center while they went about their way, and then picked us up and we all went to dinner.

Not sure how much they'll appreciate the ROM (but you never know) - but I really think you've identified some great places and your kids will have a blast.

If you're hockey fans you might want to add the Hockey Hall of Fame - it's a very short walk from your hotel:

http://www.hhof.com/index.htm

The Zoo is a fair drive out of downtown just so you are prepared for that - and it's very spread out - we love the zoo but some visitors find it a bit untraditional.

I second the Ontario Place and Toronto Islands recommendation - there's a small amusement park on the islands and you can rent bikes -it's as flat as a pancake so it's good biking for all ages.

Have a lovely visit!

SkyDome has changed its name to Rogers Centre.

I took my son and two of his friends to CN Tower last fall; we spent fourhours there, and could have spent more time. Try to get tickets on line or via the hotel, so you don't have to stand in line.

Canada's Wonderland is one of those huge US-style theme parks with lots of long lines. You spend a lot of time in lines; not that much time on rides. That said, I spent five years with seasons passes when my older kids were small.

Plan your car days; Wonderland requires a car, Pioneer Village requires a car, so does the Ontario Science Centre and the zoo.

I certainly would skip Wonmderland; you can duplicate the experience b ack home some other weekend.

On Toronto Island is Centreville, which is a geat small - medium (7-10 is perfect) amusement park with shorter lines and lowr prices and easier tog et to. Just take a ferry boat from the foot of Bay Street. The ferry is fun, and you can spend the better part of a day down by the water.

Swimming is a personal decision mixed with a safety concern. Some people will never go into the Toronto part of Lake Ontario, but the city has very diligent water testing, several times a day, and posts signs saying whether it is safe or not. there are beaches on the far side of Toronto Island, and in the Beaches neighborhood (mentioned above)

My son (he's ten) was acting as a guide for a father from Washington in Toronto yesterday, telling the grownup about pasts fo the city he (the kid) liked, including the park with a huge rock in the upscale Yorkville neighborhood.

For kids, the Rainorest Cafe in the Yorkdale (not YorkVILLE, YorkDALE) shopping center is a lot of fun,a nd the food is good for adults, too. Just take the subway to the Yorkdale stop.

Tourist kids should be in the front car of the subway, just beccaue it's the best car to see out the front of.


It's an easy walk from the hotel to in front of Toronto City Hall, where you can buy hot dogs and french fries for lunch. there are other food trucks in front fo the CN Tower; downt here, try the smallest truck, with Horvath on the front fender.

BAK

Thanks to all for your swift replies. I also went to Toronto as a kid and remember it as one of my favorite places to go, and did all of the things listed except for Wonderland (I don't think it existed when I was there). My children have already seen the brochures for the amusement park, and I don't think I can get out of it at this point. A question about Ontario Place--is this an 'all day' event, or can I get through it in less time?

The Hockey Hall of Fame is out--none of are really hockey fans (and with the cancellation of last season, even less so).

I'm assuming I can combine Rogers Centre and CN Tower into one day, correct? And, does anyone have feedback about one of the guided tours (I'm thinking about doing one of those on the first day for orientation purposes). I got a brochure on one that starts out on land but then enters Lake Ontario for a view from the water.

Again, many thanks to you all!

I haven't been to Ontario Place in ages, but I think you could do it in less than a day. You could probably combine it with the skydome, the CN tower and other activities down near the waterfront. And, although they're quite different, it might make sense to do either Ontario Place or Toronto Islands, perhaps depending in part on the weather. If it's blisteringly hot and muggy, or (on the flip side) if rain is threatened, you might choose Ontario Place (where there are some indoor options). On the other hand, if it's a beautiful, warm sunny day, an trip to the islands would be a nice counterpoint to the day you'll spend at overly commercial Wonderland. You could also do the islands in a little less than a day - e.g. a museum or other activity, and then take hop on the ferry and stay until dusk.

The Hippo tour is the in-out of the water combo.

To the best of my recollection, it costs about thesame as a ground tour plus a water tour.

The Hippo itself looks like fun.

At www.BrianKilgore.com there's a travel section you'll see in the green logo area. There are CN Tower, Hippo boat, and lots of other pictures tehre.

Rogers Centre and the CN Tower are next to ech other,a nd just a short walk from Harbourfront, and the ferry to Toronto Island. You could plan a full day just in this part of town. (short walk from the hotel) Go to the various web sites, to try to determine where to start, in relation to opening hours.

Ontario Place has a great water slide, so on a hot day, this can suck up several hours, making Ontario Place worth most of a day.

If the kids make a schedule themselves, you might find they are able to eliminate Wonderland with a parent being the bad guy.

What are you doing about Niagara FAlls? That's a great place for kids, and the Maid of the Mist boat tour is a favorite with children. Drive through Niagara on the lake and buy some fudge, and stop near St. Catherines to watch ships in the Welland canal.

You can go from Toronto to Niagara Falls and Niagara on the lake and back to Toronto in one day.

My son says he'd recommend the CN Tower, Swiss Chalet as a restaurant, visit Harbourfront and Ontario Place.

BAK

Thanks, BAK. We're actually stopping at Niagara Falls on the way up from NJ, staying at the Marriott Fallsview for 1 night, then driving to Toronto the next day. The only activity planned for sure is the Maid of the Mist, and the rest we'll play by ear.

Another fun place for kids to eat in Toronto is Movenpick Marche. It is in BCE Place, which is an office tower on the NW corner of Yonge and Front Streets. The concept is kind of a marketplace. There are multiple food stations, each offering different types of food, such as a pasta station, omelette station, meat, seafood, desserts, crepes, salads, sushi, etc. When you arrive, each person is given a card. You walk around to the different stations, choose what you want, and get your card stamped for each item you get. You can eat inside or "outside" which is really not outside but in the lobby of the building. There is lots of natural light and we thought the lobby was pretty neat looking, almost like some kind of modern cathedral. After you eat, you present your card on exit to pay the bill. The kids thought it was fun and the food was pretty good too.

Breakfast in Toronto: walk west on Richmond (the hotel is on this street) to Yonge, and go to the Sunset Grill, on the south west corner of Richmond and Yonge. Order the breakfast sandwich.

On a Saturday morning, go to the St. Lawrence Market for breakfast -- get a sandwich and eat outside on the balcony.

you might consider buying a citypass (citypass.com) which gives you six attractions for approx half price. we bought one for new york and it was great. i believe the toronto pass includes cn tower, ago, rom, zoo, ont science centre and casa loma (?).

Canada's WOnderland and Ont Place both have waterparks. You can get discounted tickets for canada's wonderland on their website.

enjoy!!

Food/snack suggestions -
Take your family to Hollywood Gelato
at 1640 Bayview Avenue.

For burgers & fries, try Licks - they
have numerous locations such as 1960 Queen Street East in the Beaches
You can get there by the Neville Park
Queen East streetcar.
http://www.lickshomeburgers.com/company/mmyers.html

Hi dfr1966...You mentioned that you got a great deal for the Cambridge Suites for your upcoming trip. Just wanted to make sure that you are aware there is no pool. We had considered staying there ourselves in July until I found out they didn't have one.

Just a quick note to add to waterparks - the zoo now also has a waterpark, so if your kids are likely to want to cool off after the zoo (which can involve a lot of walking if you don't use the zoomobile), remember to take bathing suits etc. along.

I am not sure, but I think you can have your hand stamped and be readmitted to the zoo (perhaps someone else can remember - I have a membership so have not had to do this in some time). This means you could possibly leave all of the swimming stuff in the car and go back for it if you need it.

Have a great trip!

Can you tell me were you have decided to stay in Toronto ? I have 3 kids and the hotels are running expensive for 5 ?
Thanks

you might try the Holiday Inn on King...they seem to have reasonable rates for a hotel in a great location.

Hi, if you'll note the dates you'll see this post is 2 years old.

topping to help me plan my upcoming trip