48 Best Sights in Side Trips from Toronto, Ontario

Learn about steamboat history in this museum with a rotating collection of historic boats that have included a 1924 propeller boat, a 30-foot 1894 steamboat, and gleaming wooden speedboats.

In warm weather, the best way to experience Muskoka Lake is aboard one of these historic vessels. The restored 128-foot-long, 99-passenger RMS Segwun (the initials stand for Royal Mail Ship) is North America's oldest operating steamship, built in 1887, and is the sole survivor of a fleet that provided transportation through the Muskoka Lakes. The 200-passenger Wenonah II is a 1907-inspired vessel with modern technology. Some cruises include a delicious lunch, dinner, or high tea. Reservations are required.

Restored to resemble a circa 1869 pharmacy, the apothecary has glass-fronted walnut cabinets that display vintage remedies such as Merrill's System Tonic, which "purifies the blood and builds up the system." Among the boxes and bottles is a rare collection of apothecary flasks.

The Niagara Grape & Wine Festival group organizes three big events in Niagara. The largest, with an annual half-million attendees, is the 10-day Niagara Wine Festival in September. The three-week Niagara Ice Wine Festival in January is a nod to Niagara's specialty, ice wine. The three-weekend Niagara New Vintage Festival, in June, is a wine and culinary event.

These 100 acres of immaculately maintained gardens are among the most captivating attractions around Niagara Falls. Here you'll find the Niagara Parks Butterfly Conservatory, housing one of North America's largest collections of free-flying butterflies—at least 2,000 butterflies from 50 species around the world are protected in a climate-controlled, rain forest–like conservatory.  Between May and mid-October, you can tour the gardens in a horse and carriage.

In connected side-by-side buildings—one the 1875 former Niagara High School building and the other the first building in Ontario to have been erected as a museum, in 1906—this extensive collection relates to the often colorful history of the Niagara Peninsula from earliest times through the 19th century.  From June through September, the museum offers guided walking tours of the town at 11 am on Saturday and Sunday.

Explore ancient caves, hike along craggy hilltop trails, get a thrill on zipline rides, or brave the suspension footbridge—25 meters (82 feet) above the ground with amazing views of the bay 300 meters (985 feet) below. Hiking boots or sneakers are required.

Locally grown tender fruits bruise so easily when they fall off the tree, but that led veteran farmer Arnie Lepp to turn these crops into spirits. The small-batch copper pot distillery crafts specializes in American-style bourbon, as well as fruit-based Eaux de Vie, gin, and vodka, made from pears, cherries, plums, and other locally grown fruits that are rarely seen in Canada. And, cleverly, there's also an on-site cocktail bar and restaurant, The Confessional Lounge, with á la carte and tasting menu experiences showcasing some of the best culinary talent that Niagara has to offer. Drop in on a Friday night for live Blues and cocktail classes.

One of Ontario's oldest Anglican churches, St. Mark's was built in 1804, and its parish is even older, formed in 1792. The stone church still houses the founding minister's original library of 1,500 books, brought from England. During the War of 1812, American soldiers used the church as a barracks, and rifle pits dug in the cemetery are still visible. The church is open for concerts, lectures, and weekly services.

A Jesuit mission was originally built on this spot in 1639. The reconstructed village, which was once home to a fifth of the European population of New France, was the site of the first European community in Ontario; it had a hospital, farm, workshops, and a church. Workers also constructed a canal from the Wye River. A combination of disease and Iroquois attacks led to the mission's demise. More than 20 structures, including two native longhouses and two wigwams, have been faithfully reproduced from a scientific excavation. Staff members in period costume demonstrate 17th-century trades, share Native stories and legends, and grow vegetables—keeping the working village alive.

Readers of Canada's great humorist Stephen Leacock may recognize Orillia as "Mariposa," the town he described in Sunshine Sketches of a Little Town. Leacock's former summer home is now the Stephen Leacock Museum, a National Historic Site. Among the rotating exhibits are books, manuscripts, and photographs depicting Leacock, his family, and the region that inspired his writings. In the Mariposa Room, characters from the book are matched with the Orillia residents who inspired them.

You can brush up on Stratford and Perth County history with permanent displays and changing exhibits that cover such topics as hockey in Stratford, the city's railroad, the settlement of the area in the early 1800s, and of course an exhibit paying tribute to one of Stratford's most famous locals, Justin Bieber. The museum's open-air Players Backstage theater now hosts its own plays and occasional concerts from the likes of Canadian talent such as Ron Sexsmith by night, and there are hiking trails and picnic areas to explore by day.

Standing out from a vast landscape of single varietal wines, Stratus specializes in assemblage: combining multiple varieties of grapes to create unique blends. Established in 2000, and emerging on the Niagara wine scene in 2005, they continue to perfect what has traditionally been a recipe for disaster for winemakers. A fine example is the Stratus White, a mix of six grape varieties that's complex and unlike anything you've ever tasted (in a good way). Sip all three assemblage wines (white, red, and ice wine) and a handful of single varietals in the modern glass-walled tasting room, installed in the world's first LEED-certified winery.  Tours must be reserved in advance and can include cheese and charcuterie.

Eco-friendly Tawse Winery is so committed to producing top-notch Pinot Noir that it installed a six-level gravity-flow system to avoid overhandling the delicate grapes. The investment seems to be paying off, especially considering it's been voted "Winery of the Year" multiple years at the Canada Wine Awards. The rural hillside winery is modern, its big stainless-steel vats visible from the tasting room. Also consider visiting their chic, small-batch sister down the road, Redstone Winery.  Don't leave empty-handed; tasting fees are waived if you buy two or more bottles.

With more than 300 wine awards, this winery—one of Niagara's first and largest—produces many excellent varieties. Its reds (especially Trius Red and Trius Cabernet Franc) are some of the best in Niagara, consistently taking top prizes at competitions; the Trius Brut is another gold medalist. The half-hour cellar and vineyard tour are set to the tune of bubbly Insta-worthy installations complete with generous complimentary samplings. Another dozen themed tours and regular events include a seminar where you can blend your own wine and an evening of chef-hosted meals at their terrific 5-star restaurant where every main is symphony in several movements.  Book in advance for tours.

One of Ontario's most beautiful wineries occupies 75 acres that were once a Mennonite homestead established in 1845. The original buildings have been transformed into the visitor center and production complex. Several tour and tasting options are available, including packages that focus on specific grapes, zero-alcohol options, and even dog-friendly tours. The excellent restaurant on-site serves lunch and dinner, and you can find a guesthouse and a B&B on the property.

A self-guided route involves taking an elevator to the bottom of the Niagara Gorge, the narrow valley created by the Niagara Falls and River, where you can walk along a 1,000-foot boardwalk beside the crushing Class VI rapids of the Niagara River. The gorge is rimmed by sheer cliffs as it enters the giant whirlpool.

Beautifully landscaped with willows, manicured hedges, and flower-bordered infield lakes, the Fort Erie Race Track has dirt and turf horse racing, with the year's highlight being the Prince of Wales Stakes, the second jewel in Canada's Triple Crown of Racing.