Attractions
Casa Loma
Canada's own castle, Casa Loma, is today owned by the City of Toronto and draws plenty of interest standing in medieval splendour on its hilltop site. The castle was formerly the home of Canadian financier, Sir Henry Pellatt, who engaged the noted architect E J Lennox to help him realize a life-long dream of building a castle. Construction started in 1911 and it took 300 men nearly three years to complete the impressive Casa Loma. Inside visitors can see the magnificent decorated suites, secret passages, and 800ft (244m) long tunnel, while outside it is possible to stroll through the beautiful five-acre estate gardens. Self-guided audio tours are available and the castle is open every day.
Address: 1 Austin Terrace
Telephone: (416) 923 1171
Email:info@casaloma.org
Website:www.casaloma.org
Transport: From Dupont station walk to Spadina Ave and Davenport Rd and climb the Baldwin Steps to the castle.
Opening time: Daily 9.30am to 5pm
Admission: C$12 (adults), C$6.75 (children); other concessions available
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CN Tower
Standing 553m (1,815ft) high, Toronoto's landmark CN Tower is the world's tallest building, a celebrated icon, an important telecommunications hub and the centre of tourism in Toronto. About two million people visit the tower each year to take in the panoramic view and enjoy all its attractions. The tower was built in 1976 by the company Canadian National, who undertook the project simply to prove the strength of Canadian industry and solve the city's communication problems. Since then tourist attractions and facilities have been added, and the revitalised tower opened to the public in 1998, proving a hit with locals and visitors alike. The tower has four look out levels. At the first at 342m (1,122ft) is an outdoor observation deck with a spectacular glass floor; somewhat higher at the next level is an indoor observation deck and the Horizon's café, offering light meals high in the sky; at the 351m (1,150ft) level is a revolving restaurant, which rotates once every 72 minutes, allowing a stunning view of the city below while dining on the award-winning fare; finally comes the top level, at a dizzying 447m (1,465ft), known as the Sky Pod. At the top of the CN Tower visitors stand on the world's highest public observation deck. The tower is situated in the heart of Toronto's entertainment district, on the north shore of Lake Ontario.
Address: 301 Front Street West
Telephone: (416) 868 6937
Website:www.cntower.ca
Transport: Union Station
Opening time: 10am to 10pm daily in season. Phone for other seasonal hours.
Admission: Rates vary from C$18.99 to C$31.99 depending on the ticket type
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Royal Ontario Museum
Pride of place in this large and varied museum is held by the golden mosaic ceiling inside the main entrance to the building in Queen's Park, Toronto. The ceiling is adorned with patterns and symbols representing cultures from around the world throughout the ages, and is made from cut squares of imported Venetian glass. The museum consists of three buildings housing 18,581 sq m (200,000 square feet) of galleries and exhibitions. The more than 40 galleries showcase art, archeology and science exhibits. Among the most popular are dinosaurs, galleries of Chinese Art, a bat cave, a gem and gold room, exhibits about Ancient Egypt and Nubia, and the Samuel European Galleries.
Address: 100 Queen's Park
Telephone: (416) 586 5549
Website:www.rom.on.ca
Transport: Museum subway station or Avenue bus 5 from Eglington station.
Opening time: Monday to Sunday 10am to 6pm, late opening until 9.30pm on Friday.
Admission: Monday to Friday: C$15 (adults), C$10 (children). Weekends: C$20 (adults), C$10 (children). Free on Fridays from 4.30pm to 9.30pm.
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Toronto Zoo
The Toronto Zoo covers 710 acres (287 hectares) and is divided into 'zoogeographic' regions. It features four major tropical indoor pavilions and several smaller indoor viewing areas, plus numerous outdoor exhibits with more than six miles (ten km) of walking trails. The zoo houses more than 5,000 animals representing more than 450 species; it draws more than 1,2 million visitors each year. It is located north of Highway 401 and is easily accessible by public transport.
Address: Meadowvale Road, Scarborough
Telephone: (416) 392 5900
Email:torontozoo@zoo.metrotor.on.ca
Website:www.torontozoo.com
Transport: Rouge Hill GO Train station; 86A Scarborough bus route or 85 Sheppard East bus route.
Opening time: Daily 9.30am to 4.30pm (January to 11 March, 11 October to December); 9am to 6pm (12 March to 21 May, 7 September to 11 October); 9am to 7.30pm (22 May to 6 September).
Admission: C$19 (adults), C$11 (children); other concessions available
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Niagara Falls
Straddling the Canadian-United States border and sited between the province of Ontario and the US state of New York, the awesome Niagara Falls attracts about 12 million tourists a year. It makes a spectacular day's outing from Toronto. The Niagara River has been flowing for about 12,000 years but the eroded escarpment over which the falls flow today is much older, having been formed during the ice age. The river plunges over a cliff of dolostone and shale to make it the second largest waterfall on earth, after the Victoria Falls in southern Africa. Apart from appreciating the mighty torrent of the falls itself, perhaps from a spray-filled boat tour, there is plenty more to see and do on the Niagara peninsula, including indulging in some wine-tasting at one of the local wineries; visiting the exotic butterfly conservatory, marvelling at the floral clock in the Niagara Parks Greenhouse; or playing a round of golf on one of the 34 courses that dot the peninsula.
Address:npinfo@niagaraparks.com
Website:www.niagaraparks.com
Opening time: Different attractions have different opening hours and seasons.
Admission: Admission tickets vary from C$7.50 to C$13 depending on which attractions are visited.
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Distillery Historic District
The brick-paved streets of the pedestrianised village have been designated a National Heritage Site, containing the finest collection of Victorian era industrial architecture in North America. The historic Distillery District, spread across 13 acres (5 hectares) in downtown Toronto, is a development dedicated entirely to arts, culture and entertainment with its plethora of art galleries, restaurants, bars and live music venues. Founded in 1832, the Gooderham and Worts Distillery became the largest distillery in the British Empire until it ceased operations in 1990 after 153 years of production, and was opened in 2003 as the pedestrian-only village it is today. It is also a popular film location and its numerous festivals and special events attract thousands of people every month.
Address: Mill Street
Telephone: (416) 364 1177
Email:jb@thedistillerydistrict.com
Website:www.thedistillerydistrict.com
Opening time: Monday to Wednesday 11am to 7pm, Thursday and Friday 11am to 9pm, Saturday 10am to 9pm, Sunday 11am to 6pm. Hours of restaurants, cafes and shops may vary.
