12 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.