66 Best Sights in Toronto, Ontario

St. Lawrence Market is a historic Toronto landmark, widely regarded as one of the world’s top food markets. Since the early 19th century, it has served as a post office, city hall, and police station. The market spans two sections. The South Market is housed in a large brick building with more than 120 vendors. Many are family-owned, offering local and imported goods, meat, seafood, and produce. Grab a bite at popular take-out spots such as Buster’s Sea Cove, Yip’s Kitchen, or Carousel Bakery (known for its Canadian bacon—or “peameal bacon”—sandwich). The newly renovated North Market hosts the Saturday Farmers' Market. The Sunday Variety Market is in a large white tent just south of the South Market with vendors selling antiques, handmade goods, and more.

More than 1,200 pieces of Islamic art from the collection of the family of renowned philanthropist and religious leader Aga Khan are the focus of this museum. Here you'll find Middle Eastern and Persian artifacts and inscriptions, many so ancient that they are only displayed for a few months at a time to preserve their lifespan. It's worth making the trip for the stunning architecture, which includes a massive main building topped by a silver hexagonal dome and a park distinguished by a glass pyramid more intricate than the one at the Louvre. The museum's mandate is strictly secular, but it's hard not to have a spiritual moment staring into the central courtyard pond. Guided tours are available for C$10. Check their calendar for workshops and performances.

The AGO is hard to miss: the monumental glass and titanium facade designed by Toronto native Frank Gehry hovering over the main building is a stunning beauty. Just south of the gallery in Grange Park you'll find visitors of all ages climbing in and around Henry Moore's Large Two Forms sculpture. Inside, the collection, which had an extremely modest beginning in 1900, is now in the big leagues, especially in terms of its exhibitions of Canadian paintings from the 19th and 20th centuries. Be sure to take a pause in the light and airy Walker Court to admire Gehry's baroque-inspired spiral staircase.

The Canadian Collection includes major works by the members of the Group of Seven (a group of early-20th-century Canadian landscape painters, also known as the Algonquin School), as well as artists like Cornelius Krieghoff, David Milne, and Homer Watson. The AGO also has a growing collection of works by such world-famous artists as Rembrandt, Warhol, Monet, Renoir, Rothko, Picasso, Rodin, Degas, Matisse, and many others. The bustling Weston Family Learning Centre offers art courses, camps, lectures, and interactive exhibitions for adults and children alike. Free tours (daily at 1, 2, and 3 and Wednesday and Friday evenings at 6 and 7) start at Walker Court. Savvy travelers can book a free visit online on the first Wednesday of the month, between 6 and 9.

The tallest freestanding tower in the Western Hemisphere, this landmark stretches 1,815 feet and 5 inches high and marks Toronto with its distinctive silhouette. The CN Tower is this tall for a reason: prior to the opening of the telecommunications tower in 1976, so many buildings had been erected over the previous decades that lower radio and TV transmission towers had trouble broadcasting. It's worth a visit to the top if the weather is clear, despite the steep fee. Six glass-front elevators zoom up the outside of the tower at 15 miles per hour, and the ride takes less than a minute. Each elevator has one floor-to-ceiling glass wall—three opaque walls make the trip easier on anyone prone to vertigo—and most have glass floor panels for the dizzying thrill of watching the earth disappear before your eyes.

There are four observation decks. The Glass Floor Level is 1,122 feet above the ground. This may be the most photographed indoor location in the city—lie on the transparent floor and have your picture taken from above like countless visitors before you. Don't worry—the glass floor can support more than 48,000 pounds. Above is the Lower Level, 113 stories high, which contains the OverView observation deck and the Artmosphere, an immersive art space with frequently rotating exhibits from Canadian and Indigenous artists; the Main Observation Level is at 1,136 feet; one more floor above, at 1,151 feet, is the excellent 360 Restaurant. If you're here to dine, your elevator fee is waived. At 1,465 feet, The Top, is the world's highest public observation gallery. All the levels provide spectacular panoramic views of Toronto, Lake Ontario, and the Toronto Islands, and on really clear days you may even see the mist rising from Niagara Falls to the south. Adrenaline junkies can try the EdgeWalk attraction, which allows harnessed tower goers to roam \"hands free\" around a 5-foot ledge outside the tower's main pod. Reservations are required.

On the ground level, the Gift Shop at the Tower has 5,000 square feet of shopping space with quality Canadian travel items and souvenirs, along with a shop selling Inuit art. Displays and exhibits throughout the building feature the history of the Tower and its construction; how the Tower works today, including engineering components that make it such a unique attraction; and a dynamic weather display. Peak visiting hours for the stunning views are 11 to 4.

One of North America's loveliest parks, High Park is especially worth visiting in summer—when special events include professionally staged Shakespeare productions—and in spring when thousands of visitors flock to see the cherry blossoms flower on High Park's sakura trees. Popular fishing spot Grenadier Pond is named after the British soldiers who crashed through the soft ice while rushing to defend the town against invading American forces in 1813. The High Park Zoo, open daily from dawn to dusk, is more modest than the Toronto Zoo but a lot closer to downtown and free. Kids love walking among the deer, Barbary sheep, emus, yaks, llamas, peacocks, and bison.

The park was once privately owned by John George Howard, Toronto's first city architect. Colborne Lodge, his country home built in 1837 on a hill overlooking Lake Ontario, contains its original fireplace, bake oven, and kitchen, as well as many of Howard's drawings and paintings. Other highlights of the 399-acre park are a large swimming pool, tennis courts, fitness trails, and hillside gardens with roses and sculpted hedges. There's limited parking along Bloor Street north of the park, and along the side streets on the eastern side.

Even if you aren't a hockey fan, it's worth a trip to see this shrine to Canada's favorite sport. Exhibits include the original 1893 Stanley Cup, as well as displays of goalie masks, skate and stick collections, players' jerseys, video displays of big games, and a replica of the Montréal Canadiens' locker room. Grab a stick and test your speed and accuracy in the Goodyear Shoot Out virtual experience, or strap on a goalie mask and field shots from big-name players with the Shut Out computer simulation. The grand building, a former Bank of Montréal branch designed by architects Darling & Curry in 1885, is covered with beautiful ornamental details—note the richly carved Ohio stone and the Hermès figure supporting the chimney near the back. At the corner of Front and Yonge Streets, the impressive 17-foot bronze statue Our Game is a good photo op.  Entrance is through Brookfield Place on the lower level.

On 100 acres of lovely woodland in Kleinburg, 30 km (19 miles) northwest of downtown, the McMichael's permanent collection consists of more than 6,500 pieces by Canadian artists. The museum holds impressive works by Tom Thomson, Emily Carr, and the Group of Seven landscape painters, as well as their early-20th-century contemporaries. These artists were inspired by the wilderness and sought to capture it in bold, original styles. First Nations art and prints, drawings, and sculpture by Inuit artists are well represented. Strategically placed windows help you appreciate the scenery as you view art that took its inspiration from the vast outdoors. Inside, wood walls and a fireplace set a country mood. You can also take a meandering nature trail or grab a snack or lunch at CABIN, the excellent on-site restaurant. Guided tours are offered from Thursday to Sunday. Entrance is free on the third Sunday of every month.

North America's largest aquarium contains more than 450 species of marine life spread out between 45 exhibit spaces. Maintaining their philosophy to \"foster environmental education, conservation, and research,\" Ripley's also lives up to its reputation as a wow-inducing entertainment venue. One exhibit simulates a Caribbean scuba diving experience, complete with bountiful tropical fish, coral reefs, and a bright blue sky above. Sharks are a dominant theme: you can wind your way through tunnels that take you right into the almost 80,000-gallon shark tank, which houses three species of sharks and more than 5,000 other aquatic animals. The shark pattern on the roof is an unexpected treat for visitors peering down on the aquarium from the top of the CN Tower.

The ROM (as the Royal Ontario Museum is known to locals) opened in 1914, is Canada's largest museum, and has a reputation for making its science, art, and archaeology exhibits accessible and appealing. The architecture of the gigantic complex, which includes the ultramodern Michael Lee-Chin Crystal gallery—a series of interlocking prismatic shapes spilling out onto Bloor Street—helps exemplify this.

Inside the museum, the Daphne Cockwell Gallery of Canada showcases an impressive collection of First Peoples objects and artifacts, spanning from pre-contact times to the present. The Matthews Family Court of Chinese Sculpture features monumental Buddhist sculptures dating from 200 BC to 1900, while the Gallery of Korea presents over 260 artifacts of Korean art and cultural heritage.

In February 2024, the museum launched its bold OpenROM revitalization, with plans for a redesigned entrance with a dramatic canopy, a grand four-story atrium, new gallery space, a showcase water feature, and a multilevel "lilypad" staircase. Once complete in 2027, OpenROM will offer permanent free access to the museum’s main floor.  "Plan Ahead Pricing" offers ticket savings when booked in advance. Third Tuesday nights are free. 

Sankofa Square—formerly Yonge-Dundas Square—was renamed in December 2023 after extensive community consultation to better reflect the city’s diversity. Often called Toronto’s Times Square, this bustling downtown plaza features oversized billboards, bright lights, and 20 playful fountains that shoot up from the concrete like mini-geysers. In warm weather, locals and visitors gather at café tables or cool off in the spray. From May through October, weekends offer artisan markets, film screenings, cultural festivals, and live music.

Stretching over 9 miles along Toronto's eastern waterfront, the majestic Scarborough Bluffs tower more than 300 feet above the cool, clean waters of Lake Ontario. Visit any time of year for a nature walk; in summer, sandy beaches are a great way to beat the heat. You can access the bluffs from 11 city parks, including Bluffer's Park and Beach, which features one of the finest stretches of sand in the city, and Guild Park and Gardens, which boasts sweeping views of the lake and tranquil gardens dotted with grand architectural relics and sculptures from demolished 19th- and early-20th-century buildings. While a car is the easiest way to visit, most Scarborough Bluffs parks are accessible by TTC bus or GO Transit train. The area can get very busy on summer weekends, so arrive early to secure a parking spot. 

These 14 narrow, tree-lined islands in Lake Ontario provide a gorgeous green retreat with endless outdoor activities. The more than 230 hectares of parkland are hard to resist, especially in the summer, when they're usually a few degrees cooler than the city.

Sandy beaches fringe the islands; the best are on the southeast tip of Ward's Island, the southernmost edge of Centre Island, and the west side of Hanlan's Point. A portion of Hanlan's Beach is officially \"clothing-optional\"—Ontario's only legal nude beach. In the summer, Centre Island has bike and rowboat rentals. Bring picnic fixings or something to grill in one of the park's barbecue pits, or grab a quick (but expensive) bite at one of the snack bars or cafés. (Note that the consumption of alcohol in a public park is no longer illegal in many parks in Toronto.) There are also supervised wading pools, kayak and stand-up paddleboard rentals, baseball diamonds, volleyball nets, tennis courts, and even a disc-golf course. Winter can be bitterly cold on the islands, but snowshoeing and cross-country skiing with downtown Toronto over your shoulder are appealing activities.

All transportation on the islands is self-powered; no private cars are permitted. The boardwalk from Centre Island to Ward's Island is 2½ km (1½ miles) long. Bikes are allowed on all ferries, or you can rent one for an hour or so once you get there. Bike rentals can be found south of the Centre Island ferry docks on the Avenue of the Islands.

You may want to take one of the equally frequent ferries to Ward's Island or Hanlan's Point from Jack Layton Ferry Terminal. Both islands have tennis courts and picnic and sunbathing spots, and there's a place to rent kayaks and stand-up paddleboards near the Ward's Island ferry pier at 13 Algonquin Bridge Rd. Late May through early September, the ferries run between the docks at the bottom of Bay Street and the Ward's Island dock between 6:35 am and 11:45 pm; for Centre and Hanlan's islands, they begin at 8 am. Ward's Island Ferries run roughly at half-hour intervals most of the working day and at quarter-hour intervals during peak times such as summer evenings. In winter the ferries run only to Ward's Island on a limited schedule. Savvy travellers can also grab a ride from a water taxi along the waterfront.

Allan Gardens has been a green oasis in Toronto for well over a century. A domed indoor botanical garden and arboretum, the conservatory is filled with plant, flower, and tree species from around the world, preserved and cultivated in six different climate zones. If you're a nature lover you can easily spend hours among the succulents, vines, orchids, hibiscus, and weeping willows, and all for free.

This pocket-size park is pleasant enough during the day, but at night it comes alive with strings of rainbow-color lights that symbolize the LGBTQIA+ community. There's a mural of gay history on an adjacent building, and tucked away in one corner is the Toronto AIDS Memorial.

Created by Sonja Bata, wife of the founder of the Bata Shoe Company, this museum holds a permanent collection of more than 15,000 foot coverings and, through the changing fashions, highlights the craft and sociology of making shoes. Some items date back more than 4,500 years. Among the items that may pop up in the rotating exhibits are delicate 16th-century velvet platforms, iron-spiked clogs used for crushing chestnuts, 8-inch lime green Vivienne Westwood heels, Elton John's platform boots, and Elvis Presley's blue (patent leather, not suede) shoes.

Built under the Gardiner Expressway, the Bentway is part of the city's efforts to reclaim public spaces. The sprawling stretch of land houses whimsical art installations, communal dining and picnic spaces, a gloriously smooth paved pathway built for roller-skating and ice-skating (rentals available at C$10) depending on the season, and various community events, festivals, and concerts.

This small but charming public space features a striking two-tiered cast-iron fountain surrounded by 27 whimsical dog sculptures—and one cat—making it a popular spot for a quick break or an Instagram-worthy photo. Designed by the acclaimed firm Claude Cormier + Associés, the fountain is ringed by statues gazing up at a golden bone perched at the top. With plenty of seating and green space, Berczy Park offers a relaxing oasis in the heart of the city where people and their dogs gather year-round. In the colder months, the fountain shuts off, but the park still draws visitors to see the dog statues decked out for the holiday season. 

A namesake subway station is a short walk from this living-history-museum village that makes you feel as though you've gone through a time warp. Black Creek Pioneer Village is a collection of over 40 buildings from the 19th century, including a town hall, a weaver's shop, a printing shop, a blacksmith's shop, and a one-room schoolhouse. The mill dates from the 1840s and has a massive wooden waterwheel that can grind up to 100 barrels of flour a day. As people in period costumes go about the daily routine of mid-19th-century Ontario life, they explain what they're doing and answer questions. Visitors can see farm animals, churn butter, take wagon rides, and explore hands-on discovery stations.

The Georgian mansion of Sir William Campbell, the sixth chief justice of Upper Canada, is now one of Toronto's best house museums. Built in 1822 in another part of town, the Campbell House was moved to this site in 1972. It has been restored with elegant early-19th-century furniture, and knowledgeable guides detail the social life of the upper class. Don't overlook the Lost & Found garden exhibit, salvaged from heritage buildings.

Canada's first and largest theme park, filled with more than 200 games, rides, restaurants, and shops, includes favorite attractions like Planet Snoopy, home of Charlie Brown and the rest of the Peanuts gang; Windseeker, which features 32 301-foot swings; and Skyhawk, where riders take control of their own cockpit. But Wonderland isn't just for the smallest members of the family; one of 18 roller coasters in the park, The Bat takes riders forward, and then back, through stomach-churning corkscrews and loops. Bring swim gear to take advantage of Splash Works, a 20-acre on-site water park, which boasts 17 waterslides and Canada's largest outdoor wave pool.  Order tickets online in advance for discount prices.

A European-style castle, Casa Loma was commissioned in 1911 by financier Sir Henry Pellatt, who spent about C$20 million building his dream home—only to lose it to the taxman a decade later. Some impressive details are the giant pipe organ, the 60-foot-high ceilings in the Great Hall, and the 5-acre estate gardens. The rooms are copies of those in English, Spanish, Scottish, and Austrian castles. Exhibits feature antique cars and hyper-realistic statues of celebrities (paying homage to the many movies, from Chicago to X-Men, that have used Casa Loma as a location), alongside other rotating attractions and events. Included in the admission price is a self-guided multimedia tour (available in four languages).  A tour of Casa Loma is a good 1½-km (1-mile) walk, so wear sensible shoes.

The design for Toronto's modern city hall, just across the way from the Old City Hall building, resulted from a 1956 international competition that received 520 submissions from architects from 42 countries. The winning presentation by Finnish architect Viljo Revell was controversial—two curved towers of differing height—but logical: an aerial view of City Hall shows a circular council chamber sitting like an eye between the two towers that contain office space. Revell died before his masterwork was opened in 1965, but the building has become a symbol of the thriving metropolis. A remarkable mural within the main entrance, Metropolis, was constructed by sculptor David Partridge from 100,000 nails.

Annual events at City Hall include November's Cavalcade of Lights celebration, featuring fireworks and live music amid the glow of more than 525,000 lights illuminated across both the new and old city halls.

In front of City Hall, the 9-acre Nathan Phillips Square (named after the mayor who initiated the City Hall project) has become a gathering place for everything from royal visits to protest rallies, picnic lunches, and concerts. The reflecting pool is a delight in summer, and even more so in winter, when it becomes a skating rink. The park is also home to a Peace Garden for quiet meditation and Henry Moore's striking bronze sculpture The Archer.

Located within Toronto's ravine system and centered around a repurposed century-old industrial brick factory, this sustainable public space/social enterprise/nature preserve can be hard to categorize but offers plenty of unique experiences in one place. It offers beautiful trails, lookouts and wildlife (including well-loved snapping turtles), food and music in the summer, a public skating rink in the winter, and one of the city's favorite farmers' markets on Saturday year-round. There's also lots of public art and children's educational programming.

One of several wedge-shaped buildings found across North America, Toronto’s Flatiron Building sits on the triangular block bordered by Wellington, Scott, and Front streets. Built in 1892, it originally served as the head office of the Gooderham and Worts distillery. On the back, a clever trompe l’oeil mural by Derek Besant wraps around the windows, creating the illusion that part of the building has been tacked to the wall and is peeling away.

This historic site is a must for anyone interested in the city's origins. Toronto was founded in 1793 when the British built Fort York to protect the entrance to the harbor during Anglo-American strife. Twenty years later, the fort was the scene of the bloody Battle of York, in which explorer and general Zebulon Pike led U.S. forces against the fort's outnumbered British, Canadian, and First Nations defenders. The Americans won this battle—their first major victory in the War of 1812—and burned down the provincial buildings during a six-day occupation. A year later, British forces retaliated when they captured Washington, D.C., and torched its public buildings, including the Executive Mansion. Exhibits include restored barracks, kitchens, and gunpowder magazines, plus changing museum displays. There are guided tours, marching drills, and cannon firings daily during the summer months. The Fort York Visitor Center has been highly praised for its modern architectural design and exhibits on the founding of York, the changing harbor, and the War of 1812, plus an area displaying rare artifacts related to Toronto and Fort York's history. The grounds of the fort have also become a popular venue for music festivals during spring and summer.

Dedicated to the art of clay and ceramics, this museum has more than 4,000 pieces in its permanent collection, from 17th-century English delftware and 18th-century European porcelain to Japanese Kakiemon-style pottery and Chinese blue-and-white porcelain. If your visit coincides with lunchtime, hit on-site bistro Clay for creative, locally oriented cuisine (and one of the best hidden patios in town). Admission is pay what you can, but there is a suggested donation amount.  Admission is free on Wednesday after 4; kids under 18, students, and Indigenous Peoples (First Nations, Inuit, and Métis) are always free.

The Gerrard India Bazaar isn't a place, exactly. It's a strip of Gerrard Street that's home to a row of shops and restaurants with a South Asian flair. One of the city's top cultural landmarks, it's the place to find colorful saris, ceramic incense burners, Indian sweets, and fresh grilled corn and cane juice from streetside vendors. It's also home of the Festival of South Asia every summer.

Toronto is filled with back alleys and laneways, most of which are not very nice to look at, but Graffiti Alley is a vibrant amateur spray paint gallery. Running behind Queen West from Spadina to Portland Street, the alleyway is filled with colorful work from local graffiti writers and gets a constant stream of gawkers and photographers dodging garbage and recycling bins to see the art. It's become such an institution that its former nickname is now its official street name, with a street sign and everything.

Stretching from just west of York Street to Spadina Avenue, this culture-and-recreation center is a match for San Francisco's Pier 39 and Baltimore's Inner Harbor. The original Harbourfront opened in 1974, rejuvenating more than a mile of city; today a streamlined 10-acre version draws more than 3 million visitors each year. Queens Quay Terminal is a former Terminal Warehouse building that was transformed in 1983 into a magnificent, eight-story building with specialty shops, eateries, and the 450-seat Fleck Dance Theatre. Exhibits of contemporary arts are mounted at the Power Plant (free), which can be spotted by its tall red smokestack; it was built in 1927 as a power station for the Terminal Warehouse's ice-making plant.

Developed by renowned cellist Yo-Yo Ma and garden designer Julie Moir Messervy, the Music Garden on the south side of Queens Quay is Ma's interpretation of J. S. Bach's Cello Suite No. 1 (which consists of six movements—Prelude, Allemande, Courante, Sarabande, Minuet, and Gigue). Each movement is reflected in the park's elaborate design: undulating riverscape, a forest grove of wandering trails, a swirling path through a wildflower meadow, a conifer grove, a formal flower parterre, and giant grass steps. York Quay Centre hosts concerts, theater, readings, and ateliers. The Craft Studio, for example, has professional craftspeople working in ceramics, glass, metal, and textiles from February to December, in full view of the public. A shallow pond outside is used for canoe lessons in warmer months and as the largest artificial ice-skating rink in North America in winter. At the nearby Nautical Centre, many private firms rent boats and give sailing and canoeing lessons. Seasonal events include the Ice Canoe Race in late January, Winterfest in February, a jazz festival in June, Canada Day celebrations and the Parade of Lights in July, the Authors' Festival and Harvest Festival in October, and the Swedish Christmas Fair in November.

Looking for all the world like a setting from one of the Harry Potter novels, this neo-Gothic student center opened its doors in 1919. Originally restricted to male students, Hart House has been open to women since 1972. Revolving selections from Hart House's robust art collection, which includes pieces by the Group of Seven and Emily Carr, hang throughout the building. Each year, new pieces are carefully curated by committee, with a focus on living Canadian artists. The Justina M. Barnicke Gallery comprises two rooms of mixed-media art showcasing contemporary creators from Toronto and beyond. The stained-glass windows and vaulted ceiling in the Great Hall are impressive, but so is the cuisine at the on-site Gallery Grill, which offers a menu of grilled seafood, house-made pastas, and creative veggie options from September through June.