1180 Best Sights in Canada

This spot has picnic tables, a kitchen shelter, and flush toilets, and it's one of the only picnic areas with firepits. There's also access to trails, swimming in the summer, and plenty of room for kids to run around.

The casino is one of four gaming halls in Québec (the others are in Montréal, Gatineau, and Mont-Tremblant) owned and operated by Loto-Québec. Charlevoix's, the smallest of the lot, still draws around 800,000 visitors a year—some of whom stay at the Fairmont Le Manoir Richelieu, which is connected to the casino by a tunnel. Largely renovated in 2016, it offers 21 gaming tables and more than 800 slot machines. The minimum gambling age is 18, and a photo ID is required to enter the casino.

You have to be at least 18 to visit Montréal's government-owned casino, but you don't have to be a gambler. The casino is currently home to four bars, a summer restaurant/bar, and three restaurants, ranging from casual deli style to gourmet. You can even come just to look at the architecture—the main building was the French pavilion at Expo '67. But if you do want to risk the family fortune, there are more than 3,000 slot machines, a keno lounge, a high-stakes gaming area, and 120 tables for playing blackjack, baccarat, roulette, craps, and various types of poker. There is also music, including cabaret.

Smaller and more low-key than Fallsview, Casino Niagara has 1,300 slot machines, video-poker machines, and gambling tables for blackjack, roulette, and baccarat. There are also several lounges and the LV2L sports bar with over 50 screens.

Right on the waterfront, the casino has a full range of gaming tables and hundreds of slots. There's entertainment, too, mostly provided by tribute bands and C-listers on their way up—or down. Patrons must be 19 or older.

The largest First Nations–run gambling emporium in Canada, Casino Rama lures visitors to the Orillia area. A short jaunt from the ski resort areas around Barrie, the 192,000-square-foot complex has 2,500 slot machines, more than 110 gambling tables, eight restaurants, a lounge, and an adjoining 300-room all-suites luxury hotel. Catch acts like Trooper, Russell Peters, and Aqua here.

This family farm has won international awards for its crème de cassis, a liqueur made from black currants. In its vast and attractive tasting room and shop, you can taste free samples of the strong, sweet cassis or black currant wines; the tour explains how they are made. In summer, you can sample foods made with cassis at La Monnaguette, the house bistro featuring a terrace overlooking the river.

Just north of Placentia, Castle Hill is what remains of the French fortifications. The visitor center has an exhibit that shows the life and hardships experienced by early English and French settlers in the settlement then known as "Plaisance." Performances depicting French era take place during the summer as weather allows. Hiking trails lead from the forts to many lookouts on-site.

Outstanding views of the mountains above the Bow River Valley are the highlight of this 3.7-km (2.3-mile) one-way trail that is somewhat steep. Moderate.

Castle Mountain, one of the most striking peaks between Banff and Jasper, got its name from Scottish geologist James Hector who thought the 11-km-long (7-mile-long) mountain resembled an ancient fortress with steep walls. When U.S. General Dwight D. Eisenhower, Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces in Europe, visited Canada in 1949, Prime Minister Mackenzie King ordered the Geographical Board of Canada to officially change Castle Mountain to “Mount Eisenhower.” Eisenhower had been given a castle in Scotland and Canada would not be outdone. However, the Alberta government was not consulted or informed of the name change until afterward, causing such a controversy that in 1979, the name was changed back to Castle Mountain; a pinnacle on the southeastern side of the mountain was named Eisenhower Tower.

The first Anglican cathedral outside the British Isles was erected in the heart of Québec City's Upper Town between 1800 and 1804. Its simple, dignified façade is reminiscent of London's St. Martin-in-the-Fields, and the pediment, archway, and Ionic pilasters introduced Palladian architecture to Canada. The land on which the cathedral was built was originally given to the Récollets (Franciscan monks from France) in 1681 by the king of France for a church and monastery. When Québec came under British rule, the Récollets made the church available to the Anglicans for services. Later, King George III ordered construction of the present cathedral, with an area set aside for members of the royal family. A portion of the north balcony is still reserved for the use of the reigning sovereign or his or her representative. The cathedral's impressive rear organ has 3,058 pipes. Even more impressive is the smaller English chamber organ, built in 1790, which was donated to the cathedral for the bicentennial celebrations in 2004.

One of Vancouver's most handsome postmodern buildings, the 23-story Shaw Tower at Cathedral Place has a faux-copper roof that mimics that of the nearby Fairmont Hotel Vancouver. The three large sculptures of nurses at the building's corners are replicas of the statues that adorned the Georgia Medical-Dental Building, the art deco structure that previously occupied this site. Step into the lobby to see another interesting sculpture: Robert Studer's Navigational Device, suspended high up on the north wall. The small garden courtyard, which also leads to the entrance of the Bill Reid Gallery, is an unexpected respite from Downtown's bustle.

The best reason to visit this cathedral is that it's a quarter-scale replica of St. Peter's Basilica in Rome—complete with a magnificent reproduction of Bernini's ornate baldachin (canopy) over the main altar and an ornately coffered ceiling. When Bishop Ignace Bourget (1799–1885) decided to build his cathedral in the heart of the city's Protestant-dominated commercial quarter, many fellow Catholics thought he was crazy. But the bishop was determined to assert the Church's authority—and its loyalty to Rome—in the British-ruled city. Bourget didn't live to see the cathedral dedicated in 1894, but his tomb holds a place of honor among those of his successors in the burial chapel on the east side of the nave.

Worth a border crossing, Cave of the Winds takes you 175 feet into the gorge to an observation deck less than 20 feet from thundering Bridal Veil falls.

You will get drenched; you are provided with a poncho and footwear for a reason.

Encompassing the lighthouse site, this park boasts blissful beaches and supervised swimming (late June to early September), plus children's activities in summer. 

Packed with interactive exhibits detailing the fine points of Cape Breton music, the center also has an archive with classic recordings and oral history interviews. Visitors eager to pick up a fiddle and bow can play along to a video tutorial. If you'd rather just listen, that's no problem: there are plenty of ceilidhs, demonstrations, music workshops, and other events here, all listed on the website.

Architecture buffs should plan a visit to Calgary’s newish central library. When it opened in 2018, it was one of Architectural Digest's most anticipated buildings of the year. The building’s curved surface is composed of hexagonal panels that give way to an expansive archway at the entrance, created entirely of western red cedar planks from British Columbia. Inside, six floors provide all the trappings of a modern, tech-enriched library, from a children’s library on the main floor to the Great Reading Room on the top floor, designed so Calgarians and visitors can ruminate over their books and computers in the glow of natural light.

This is Calgary’s oldest surviving public park and a shady respite from the frenetic energy of the Beltline. A cenotaph and two statues memorialize Canadian soldiers who fell in various 19th and 20th century wars. At the east end is Central Memorial Library, a national historic site, which was constructed in 1910 with financial support from the Carnegie Foundation.

The Montréal Canadiens haven't won the Stanley Cup since 1993, though they came very close in June 2021, ultimately losing the finals against Tampa Bay. Most of the team's fans can't remember the golden 1960s and '70s, when Les Glorieux virtually owned the trophy. The superstitious blame the team's fallen fortunes on its 1996 move from the hallowed Forum to the brown-brick Centre Bell arena. Still, Montréal is a hockey-mad city and the Habs, as locals call the team, are still demigods here, and there are even university courses based on this superstar team. (When it celebrated its 100th season in 2009–10, the city changed the name of the strip of rue de la Gauchetière in front of the Centre Bell to avenue des Canadiens-de-Montréal.) Centre Bell is also a venue for blockbuster acts like Coldplay, Drake, Trevor Noah, and Cirque du Soleil.

Not only does this tourist information center house various objects and photographs that trace Havre St. Pierre history, the building itself is a significant landmark. Built in 1943, it served as a general store named Labrador Stores. The center, right on the waterfront, also provides a slide show that tells more local stories.

You can learn more about the whales and their habitat at this interpretation center run by a locally based research team. They're only too glad to answer questions. In addition, explanatory videos and exhibits (including a collection of whale skeletons) serve as a good introduction to the mighty but endangered cetaceans.

You—or more likely, your kids—can design an energy-efficient bike, create a television news report, explore the impact that manufacturing one T-shirt has on the environment, find out what it's like to ride a unicycle 20 feet above the ground, create an animated film, or just watch an IMAX movie on a giant screen at Montréal's interactive science center. Games, puzzles, and hands-on experiments make it an ideal place for rainy days or even fair ones. The center has a cafe/bistro serving coffee, pastries and light meals and a lunch room where visitors can eat food they brought with them, though there are no microwaves.

Currently housed in three heritage buildings, all within minutes of each other, this nonprofit organization aims to showcase compelling contemporary art from around the world. The foundation presents two to three major exhibitions a year in addition to a series of public events, special collaborative projects, and a forward-thinking education program. A free app takes you through the exhibits, and podcasts provide a fascinating look at the artists themselves. Check the website or call before you visit as the Fondation PHI closes regularly for installations. PHI is to have a new space in 2028, called PHI Contemporain, consolidating the PHI Foundation and the PHI Centre under one roof.

No trip to Montréal is complete without a visit to the terrace in front of the Chalet du Mont-Royal. It's not the only place to get an overview of the city, the river, and the countryside beyond, but it's the most spectacular. On clear days you can see not only the Downtown skyscrapers, but also Mont-Royal's sister mountains—Monts St-Bruno, St-Hilaire, and St-Grégoire. These isolated peaks, called the Montérégies, or Mountains of the King, rise up from the flat countryside. Be sure to take a look inside the chalet, especially at the murals depicting scenes from Canadian history.

Across from Basilique Ste-Anne-de-Beaupré, this chapel was designed by Claude Bailiff and built in 1878. It was constructed on the transept of a church built in 1676, and Bailiff made use of the old stones and foundation. Among the remnants is a white-and-gold-trimmed pulpit designed by François Baillargé in 1807 and adorned with a sculpture depicting Moses and the 10 Commandments.

Scala Santa, a smaller chapel next to this one, resembles a wedding cake. On bended knees, pilgrims climb its replica of the Holy Stairs, representing the steps Jesus climbed to meet Pontius Pilate.

Mariners have been popping into Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Secours for centuries to kneel before a little 17th-century statue of the Virgin Mary and pray for a safe passage—or give thanks for one. Often, they've expressed their gratitude by leaving votive lamps in the shape of small ships, many of which still hang from the barrel-vaulted ceiling. This is why most Montrealers call the chapel the Église des Matelots (the Sailors' Church), and why some people still stop by to say a prayer and light a candle before leaving on a long trip.

These days, the statue of Our Lady of Perpetual Help guards the remains of St. Marguerite Bourgeoys, who had the original chapel built in 1657 and is entombed in the side altar next to the east wall of the chapel. The current chapel dates from 1771; a renovation project in 1998 revealed some beautiful 18th-century murals that had been hidden under layers of paint.

The 69-step climb to the top of the steeple is worth the effort for the glorious view of the angels overlooking the harbor as is the steep climb down to the archaeological excavations under the chapel for a glimpse into the history of the chapel and the neighborhood. The dig is accessible through the adjacent Musée Marguerite Bourgeoys, which also has exhibits on the life of St. Marguerite and the daily lives of the colonists she served.

Artist and architect Napoléon Bourassa called his work here l'oeuvre de mes amours, or a labor of love—and it shows. He designed the little Byzantine-style building himself and set about decorating it with the exuberance of an eight-year-old making a Mother's Day card. He covered the walls with murals and encrusted the altar and pillars with gilt and ornamental carving. It's not Montréal's biggest monument to the Virgin Mary, but it's the most unabashedly sentimental.

Active since 1840 and a National Historic Site since 1983, the courthouse is an exceptionally fine example of 19th-century Greek Revival architecture—one of the finest in Canada. The adjacent Old Gaol, on the other hand, is a grim reminder of the conditions that awaited local wrongdoers. The courthouse is also the home of Charlotte County Archives, whose volunteers offer free tours of the courthouse and the Old Gaol (June to September). 

Founded in 1978, this is one of Niagara's first wineries, and one of the two largest family-owned wineries in Niagara (Peller Estates is the other). Originally from France, the Bosc family were pioneers in cultivating European varieties of grapes in Niagara. Wines here consistently win awards, and the winery is particularly known for its chardonnay and Gamay Noir Droit, made from a grape variety that was accidentally created through a mutation. The wine is proprietary, and this is the only winery allowed to make it.