Experiences and Activities in Southern Ontario

Aug 17, 2025 by mtxvp

Last update 2025-08-19

Long, continuously updating list of places that provide things to do for a day or an afternoon in Southern Ontario, including Toronto and Ottawa areas. This is largely for myself to have an always accessible list of ideas to do on the weekend or a holiday.

Save the link to this post if you find it useful. How many of these places did you visit yourself?

Free Attractions

• Doors Open Ontario
• Toronto History Museums
• Allan Gardens - Toronto
• Public Art Across the City - Toronto
• Self Guided Toronto Tours
• Riverdale Farm - Toronto

Discounts and passes

• Canada Strong Pass - Until Sep 2, 2025
• Presto Perks
• Kingston Pass
• Toronto CityPass
• Niagara Parks Parking Pass
• St. Lawrence Parks Commission Pass

Museums and historical sites

• Royal Ontario Museum - Toronto
  • Also featuring ROM Walks - a collection of guided walking tours that take participants on a unique journey of urban discovery
• The Bata Shoe Museum - Toronto
• The Aga Khan Museum - Toronto
• Museum of Contemporary Art - Toronto
• Hockey Hall of Fame - Toronto
• Textile Museum of Canada - Toronto
• Canoe Museum - Peterborough
• CN Tower - Toronto
• Great Lakes Museum - Kingston; featuring S.S. Keewatin Titanic-era steamship liner
• Canadian Automotive Museum - Oshawa
• Hamilton Civic Museums
• Upper Canada Village - Morrisburg
• The Village at Black Creek - Toronto
• Canada Aviation and Space Museum - Ottawa
• Canada Science and Technology Museum - Ottawa
• Canada Agriculture and Food Museum - Ottawa
• Kingston Penitentiary

Art museums

• Art Gallery of Ontario - Toronto
• McMichael Canadian Art Collection - Kleinburg
• Alton Mill Art Center
• The Gardiner Museum of Ceramic Art - Toronto

House museums

• Casa Loma - Toronto
• Glanmore House - Belleville
• Dundurn Castle - Hamilton

Forts

• Fort Henry - Kingston
• Fort George - Niagara-on-the-Lake
• Old Fort Erie - Fort Erie
• Fort York - Toronto

Military museums

• HMCS Haida - Hamilton; Tribal class destroyer
• Museum Of Naval History - HMCS Ojibwa - Port Burwell; Oberon Class Cold War Submarine
• The Diefenbunker - Ottawa; Underground Cold War Museum
• The Canadian Tank Museum - Oshawa
• Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum - Hamilton
• The National Air Force Museum of Canada - Quinte West
• Canadian War Museum - Ottawa

Attractions

• Little Canada - Toronto
• Treetop Trekking - multiple locations

Animal encounters

• Toronto Zoo
• Ripley's Aquarium of Canada - Toronto
• African Lion Safari - Cambridge
• Safari Niagara - Stevensville
• Reptilia Zoo - Vaughan

Amusement parks

• Canada's Wonderland - Vaughan
• Centreville Amusement Park - Toronto

Go Karts

• Wasaga 500 - Wasaga Beach
• Grand Bend Speedway & Go Kart Centre
• K1 Speed - Toronto; Electric
• 3-S Go-Karts - Georgina

Sports

• Blue Jays - Toronto
• Marlies - Toronto
• Harlem globetrotters - Missisauga; Exhibition basketball

Shared spaces & sightseeing

• Evergreen Brick Works - Toronto
• The Bentway - Toronto
• Port Dalhousie - St. Catharines
• Niagara Parks - Nagara Falls, Fort Erie; also includes discounts

Seasonal events & festivals

• Canadian National Exhibition - Toronto
• Hot Docs - Toronto
• Toronto Waterfront Festival

General aggregators

• Destination Ontario
• Over Here Toronto - events, pop-ups and local culture
• Toronto Concerts
• Viator Ontario
• Fever - Things to Do: Events, Experiences including Candlelight concerts
• TO Live
• Ticketmaster

Forums and discussions

• Unique fun things to do in Toronto?
• Passing the torch for 'Things to do' posts - list of sources for events

To Add

• Ottawa museums
• Regional attractions
• ... (endless other things) ...

And many more to come - save the link to this post.