Things to see in Toronto
Attractions
CN Tower
At a height of 553m (1,815ft), the CN Tower is the defining symbol of this lakefront city. On a clear day, it offers stunning views of up to 120km (75 miles) across the surrounding cityscape and Lake Ontario. Its glass-fronted elevators have terrifying glass floors, which enable visitors to stare straight down for some 342m (1,122ft).
Address: , 301 Front Street West, Toronto, M5V 2T6Telephone: +1 416 868 6937.
Opening times:
Daily 0800-2300.
Website: http://www.cntower.caAdmission Fees:
Yes
Disabled Access: YesUNESCO: No
Royal Ontario Museum (ROM)
The ROM is one of the most exciting museums in Canada. Its striking facade alone will take your breath away, but deeper within, the museum houses excellent collections featuring artefacts representing East Asia, the life sciences, the ancient Mediterranean and Canadian heritage. Take the Director's Choice Audio Tour to discover the stories behind some of its most celebrated exhibits.
Address: , 100 Queens Park, Toronto, M5S 2C6Telephone: +1 416 586 8000.
Opening times:
Mon-Thurs & Sat-Sun 1000-1730; Friday times vary, see website.
Website: http://www.rom.on.caAdmission Fees:
Yes
Disabled Access: YesUNESCO: No
Fort York
Fort York harks back to the days when Toronto, then as British as afternoon tea, was named York. As a colony, the city occasionally had to deal with revolutionaries to the south, so Fort York was founded in 1793 to ensure British control of Lake Ontario. Highlights include blockhouses, barracks, officers' quarters, costumed staff and period demonstrations.
Address: , 250 Fort York Boulevard, Toronto, M5V 3K9Telephone: +1 416 392 6907.
Opening times:
Daily 1000-1700 (20 May-1 Sep); Mon-Fri 1000-1600, Sat-Sun 1000-1700 (2 Sep-19 May).
Website: http://www.fortyork.caAdmission Fees:
Yes
Disabled Access: YesUNESCO: No
Casa Loma
Toronto seems an unlikely location for a castle, but since 1911 the soaring battlements of Casa Loma have lent an element of magic to the city. The castle is a bizarre hybrid of a medieval-style stonework exterior and an early 20th-century interior. Highlights include the splendidly carved Oak Room, secret passageways and pseudo-gothic Great Hall.
Address: , 1 Austin Terrace, Toronto, M5R 1X8Telephone: +1 416 923 1171.
Opening times:
Daily 0930-1700.
Website: http://www.casaloma.orgAdmission Fees:
Yes
Disabled Access: YesUNESCO: No
Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO)
Canada's premier art gallery contains 110 galleries displaying temporary exhibitions and a large permanent collection of international art. Its European collection covers the Old Masters right through to 20th-century works by Chagall and Picasso and beyond. The gallery's greatest attraction, however, is the Canadian collection, featuring a cross-section of work from the Group of Seven - a band of early 20th-century painters.
Address: , 317 Dundas Street West, Toronto, M5T 1G4Telephone: +1 416 979 6648.
Opening times:
Tue and Thur 1030-1700, Wed and Fri 1030-2100, Sat-Sun 1030-1730
Website: http://www.ago.netAdmission Fees:
Yes
Disabled Access: YesUNESCO: No
Ontario Science Centre
The Ontario Science Centre was opened in 1969, with a mission to open minds to science by creating environments that excite curiosity, inspire insights and motivate learning in science and technology. The difficult task is successfully accomplished within 800 fascinating exhibits. Themes explored in depth include the mysteries of the human brain and space travel.
Address: , 770 Don Mills Road, Toronto, M3C 1T3Telephone: +1 416 696 1000.
Opening times:
Mon-Fri 1000-1600, Sat 1000-2000, Sun 1000-1700.
Website: http://www.ontariosciencecentre.caAdmission Fees:
Yes
Disabled Access: YesUNESCO: No
Toronto Zoo
Situated on a sprawling 287-hectare (710-acre) forested piece of land next to the Rouge Valley, in the suburb of Scarborough, the Toronto Zoo is one of the largest zoos in the world. The collection of over 5,000 animals is truly international as visitors head through areas named African Savanna, the Americas, Indo-Malaya, Australasia, Eurasia and the Canadian Domain.
Address: , Meadowvale Road, Toronto, M1B 5K7Telephone: +1 416 392 5929.
Opening times:
Mon-Fri 0930-1630, Sat-Sun 0930-1800 (20 Mar-5 May); Daily 0900-1900 (6 May-4 Sep); Mon-Fri 0930-1630, Sat-Sun 0930-1800 (5 Sep-9 Oct); Daily 0930-1630 (10 Oct-31 Dec).
Website: http://www.torontozoo.comAdmission Fees:
Yes
Disabled Access: YesUNESCO: No
Ripley's Aquarium of Canada
Located in the heart of downtown Toronto, next door to the iconic CN Tower, Ripley's Aquarium of Canada features more than 16,000 exotic sea and freshwater creatures as well as a unique 96m-long (315 ft) moving walkway through a tunnel set beneath a shark lagoon and a tropical reef tank.
Address: , 288 Bremner Boulevard, Toronto, M5V 3L9Telephone: +1 647 351 3474.
Opening times:
Daily 0900-2300.
Website: http://www.ripleyaquariums.comAdmission Fees:
Yes
Disabled Access: YesUNESCO: No
Toronto Islands
Located in Toronto Harbour, facing the downtown skyline, the Toronto Islands have long been regarded as a place for leisure and relaxation. Today, they offer an ideal outdoor environment in which to take a waterside walk, relax at a cafe or enjoy an unparalleled view of the city's skyline. The islands are only accessible by ferry.
Address: , Toronto Harbour, ,Telephone: +1 416 392 8193 (ferry information).
Opening times:
Mon-Sat 0635-2345, Sun 0730-2315.
Website: http://www.torontoisland.comAdmission Fees:
Yes (for ferry)
Disabled Access: YesUNESCO: No
Gardiner Museum
One of the world's premier ceramic art museums, the Gardiner features Asian ceramics, 19th-century ceramics made at Minton, and contemporary studio ceramics, in addition to collections including Ancient American, Italian Renaissance majolica, and 17th- and 18th-century English delftware.
Address: , 111 Queen's Park, Toronto, M5S 2C7Telephone: +1 416 586 8080.
Opening times:
Mon-Thu 1000-1800, Fri 1000-2100, Sat-Sun 1000-1700.
Website: http://www.gardinermuseum.on.caAdmission Fees:
Yes
Disabled Access: YesUNESCO: No
Tourist Offices
Ontario Travel Information Centre
Address: , Union Station, 65 Front Street West, Toronto, M5J 1E6Telephone: +1 416 314 5899.
Opening times:
Mon-Sat 0800-2000, Sun 1000-1800.
Website: http://www.ontariotravel.netMake a beeline for the information centre in Union Station for maps, visitor guides, brochures and other products. Experts are also on hand to help you put together a customised Ontario itinerary.
Tourist passes
The Toronto CityPASS offers discounted admission to the Royal Ontario Museum, CN Tower, Ontario Science Centre, Toronto Zoo and Casa Loma. The pass is available from the participating attractions or from CityPass (tel: +1 888 330 5008; www.citypass.com/toronto).
