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Cheap Things To Do In Toronto

Toronto Car Rental

Toronto Landmarks

For those of you who don't know this already (shame on you ) you can impress your guests by letting them know that "Toronto" is a Huron word meaning "meeting place'' or "land of plenty" and is the largest city in Canada with a population of over 3 million (4.5 million in Greater TO)

Old Toronto or York was founded in 1793 has many interesting buildings that get taken for granted just because we live here, for example:

Union Station (1907): located on the south side of Front Street at Yonge, the current train station is actually the third to be built on this site and it is a spectacular building more than 750ft long. It was inaugurated by the Prince of Wales (1927) and is a good place to start a walking tour. Among the buildings not mentioned in that link and that should not be overlooked are:

If you are walking along king street (@ berkley street just west of parliament) you will see a tall 3 story building on the South West corner. This used to be a building supply store and as a way to advertise their products they had them built right into the construction of the building so you will see different shaped windows and "finishes" on each level of the structure.

Canada's First Parliament Buildings [Fact Sheet]
The first Parliament buildings of Upper Canada stood from 1797 to 1813, when they were burned by American forces during the War of 1812. In 1820, a new seat of government was built on the same site. It reconstructed the original buildings as wings and filled the space between with a central block. It stood until 1824, when it also burned - this time accidentally. Heritage Toronto, Citizens for the Old Town, and the South East Downtown Economic Redevelopment Initiative (SEDERI) are leading the effort to recover and transform the site as a key project in the revitalization of the historic heart of the city. [Help Save the Parliament Site!]

Traders Bank (1905-06) this is Toronto's first skyscraper located at Yonge/Colborne

Dominion Bank Building (1913) and Royal Bank Building (1913) at King/Yonge. At King and Bay stands the "old" Bank of Commerce tower which at one time the tallest building in the British Commonwealth. Don't forget to visit the Gallery of Inuit Art here. At Yonge and Richmond stands the Bay building (1895) -originally Simpson's- is one of Toronto's first buildings with steele-frame construction and houses the Thompson Gallery. The former Toronto Stock Exchange Building (1937) is now home to the Design Exchange.

Walking Tours: City Walks of Historical Toronto [also see ROMWalks]
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Places to see Downtown Toronto

Art Gallery of Ontario
Admission: pay what you can (suggested $6) All tickets include admission to the permanent collection; Selected exhibitions and programs are priced individually -- Wednesday evenings are free for everyone, from 6 to 8:30 pm. Surcharged exhibitions and ticketed events excepted.
317 Dundas Street West -Monday: Closed
The AGO is among North America's top ten art museums

Allen Gardens
Free Admission
19 Horticultural Ave. Limited Free parking available off Horticultural Avenue
Monday to Friday, 9 am - 4 pm Saturday & Sunday, 10 am - 5 pm (416) 392-1111
Features six greenhouses comprising over 16,000 square feet of colourful seasonal plants which supplement the permanent plant collection. Of botanical importance since 1858 the conservatory boasts the "Palm House" (1909) modeled after similar structures in the United States and England.

Bata Shoe Museum
Note: Thursdays 5:00 - 8:00pm FREE
327 Bloor St. W. Toronto , M5S 1W7 Telephone: (416) 979-7799 or e-mail
Hours: Tue -Wed 10:00am- 5:00pm Thu 10:00am- 8:00pm Fri -Sat 10:00am- 5:00pm
Sun 12:00pm- 5:00pm
Discover the treasures of North America's unique shoe museum. Over 10,000 shoes are housed in architect Raymond Moriyama's award winning 5 story structure. Artifacts on exhibit range from Chinese bound foot shoes and ancient Egyptian sandals to chestnut crushing clogs and Elton John's platforms. The Museum celebrates the style and function of footwear in four impressive galleries. Over 4,500 years of history and a collection of 20th century celebrity shoes are reflected in the permanent exhibition, "All About Shoes". Three other galleries feature special exhibitions

Campbell House
Admission: $4.50 Weekdays 9:30am-4:30pm (Oct to mid-May); Weekdays 9:30am-4:30pm and weekends 12-4:00pm (mid-May-September)

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Casa Loma
Note: get a $2 coupon off admission Regular Admission is $10
Casa Loma is open daily 9:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m Groups Rates (in advance) for 10 people or more 1 Austin Terrace Toronto, Ontario M5R 1X8 Canada info@casaloma.org Tel (416) 923 - 1171

Design Exchange [Map]
Admission $8 Monday-Friday 10-6, Saturday/Sunday 12-5pm (416) 216-2160
234 Bay Street -- Great rotating exhibits on design and architecture

Discovery Walks
Discovery Walks are a series of six self-guided walks of various lengths that link Toronto ravines, parks, gardens, beaches and neighbourhoods. The walks are an excellent way to explore the many areas of natural beauty within the city and learn about cultural history, while getting some exercise.

The Distillery Historic District [ Historical Info ]
Toronto's New Centre for Arts Culture and Entertainment
Official Grand Opening May 24 2003
The Gooderham and Worts [Some Photos][More Photos] complex is one of the oldest industrial sites in the city of Toronto, and was used until recently as a distillery. Today, the site is being redeveloped, and a few condiminium buildings have already been opened. The majority of the site is off-limits to the public, but you can still get a good view of the buildings from outside the fence surrounding the property. Distillery Ghosts

Don Valley Hills & Dales Discovery Walk
FREE Explore the scenic hills and dales of the Don River Valley. Discovery panoramic views, an urban farm and the splendid park-like atmosphere of Toronto's oldest cemetery.

Gallery of Inuit Art
Admission:FREE Mon-Fri 8:00am- 6:00pm
79 Wellington St. W. (IBM-Aetna Tower) at: University Ave. (416) 982-8222
One of the few galleries in North America devoted to Inuit Art

Harbourfront Centre

FREE Heritage Walking Tours -- Heritage Toronto
May-October: Various locations across Toronto, call (416) 392-6827 x 265 for info
Fifty fascinating walking tours that cover neighbourhoods across Toronto. In cooperation with fifteen Toronto organizations, this year's series will cover a variety of topics that reveal little known aspects of our City's rich heritage

High Park Walking Tours
Free (416) 392-0916 1:15pm starting at the Grenadier Cafe and Tea House in High Park. Guided walking tours of High Park exploring the natural and human history of High Park. Tours run every second Sunday January-April

Kensington Market
Open year long, open air market. Kensington Market, the original ethnic market place in Toronto

MZTV Museum of Television
The MZTV Museum of Television is located at 277 Queen Street West (Just East of the CHUMCitytv Building) in downtown Toronto.
Contact: Phone - 416-599-7339 Fax - 416-599-3572 e-mail: mztv@mztv.com

Necropolis Cemetery
Free Admission
A great place to go on a warm summer/spring/fall day. Great gardens and lots of Toronto history!
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Ontario Legislative Buildings (Queen's Park) (read Article)
Frequent free guided tours; Admission is free, but passes are required.
416 325 7500
As the capital of Ontario, Toronto is home to the provincial legislative assembly. Completed in 1892, the majestic Richardsonian Romanesque Legislative Buildings in Queen's Park have served as a meeting place for the Ontario government ever since. You can take a free guided tour (in English or French) viewing the exhibits on the history of parliament, stroll through the buildings and grounds and, when the legislature is in session, you can watch the proceedings from the public galleries with a guest pass from the information desk.

Ontario Place
Free Admission after 5pm (10am-5pm $10 4yrs +)
955 Lakeshore Blvd., West; Telephone (416) 314-9900 Outside the GTA, call toll-free 1-866-ONE-4-FUN
Great all day with games entertainment for young and old. Don't miss the CINESPHERE: with the largest screen in the
GTA and 24,000 watts of digital sound

Ontario Science Centre
Adults $17 which includes Science Centre & OMNIMAX Theatre
10 am - 5 pm (everyday including weekends)
770 Don Mills Road (at Eglinton Avenue East), Toronto, Ontario, M3C 1T3
The Ontario Science Centre has more than 800 exhibits in 13 exhibit halls. A great rainy day activity!

Power Plant Contemporary Art Gallery
Admission: Free Wednesdays -5-8pm Adults: $4;Students/Seniors: $2;Children 12 & under:
231 Queen's Quay West Toronto M5J 2G8 phn: (416) 973-4949 e-mail
Tues to Sun: noon-6 PM; Wed:noon-8 PM; Closed Mondays; Open holiday Mon: noon-6 PM
Since 1987, The Power Plant has been Canada's leading public gallery devoted exclusively to the art of our time

Riverdale Farm
(416) 392-6794 Spring & Summer 9:00 am to 6:00 PM Fall & Winter 9:00 am to 4:00 PM
GREAT for kids! The Farm is open 365 days a year.

Redpath Sugar Museum
Admission: Free -- Hours:Monday-Friday: 10:00 A.M. - 12:00 Noon & 1:00 P.M. - 3:30 P.M.
95 Queens Quay East Toronto, Ontario M5E 1A3 Telephone: (416) 366-3561
The Redpath Sugar Museum was founded in1979 to commemorate the 125th anniversary of the original refinery in Montreal. Displays focus on the production of sugar through photosynthesis; aspects of sugar and nutrition; origins of cane sugar and processing;the social history of sugar; scale models of sugar transportation; and production of sugar utensils. Special presentations can be arranged, focusing on such topics as working conditions in 19th-century refineries, contemporary employer/employee relationships, and immigrant and female labour in the sugar industry. Students working on projects about the industry can go in for special briefing sessions as well.--Desina Van

Royal Ontario Museum (ROM)
Note: 1 hour before closing every day, and Fri after 4:30pm admission is free
Main Building, 100 Queen's Park Toronto, Ontario M5S 2C6 (Museum Subway)
Monday to Thursday: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Friday: 10 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Saturday: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Sunday: 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.;

Don't miss ROMWALKS -Most of them are FREE and include all great neighbourhoods of Toronto -- Starts May 2, 2004ALL WALKS RAIN OR SHINE!!

The Pier: Toronto's Waterfront Museum
245 Queens Quay West, Toronto
Open year round 10:00am - 4:00pm & July - August 10:00am - 6:00pm.

Todmorden
416-396-2819 Email
Admission: Adults $3.00 (special events $3.50) Children 1-12 $1.50.
The Historic buildings and galleries are open: May 1 to Sept 28 Tues to Fri, 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Closed Mondays Right in the Don Valley off Pottery Road
Discover Toronto's unique industrial heritage site! This distinctive heritage site has a fascinating history and was first settled in the 1790's. Industries built along the Don River at Todmorden came to include a saw mill, grist mill, paper mill, brewery and distillery.

Toronto Ghosts
The Toronto Ghosts and Hauntings Research Society is Ontario's Best Known and Oldest Established Society devoted to the collection of data pertaining to ghosts and hauntings on the web.

The site contains both reports and stories from all around Ontario as well as notes, editorials and tips to ghost researchers and we recommend that you 'surf around' and have a look at this site and enjoy the information. Please use the links on the left to start your journey into the provinces ghost stories and our own investigations as well as useful information and resources available to all.

Toronto Neighbourhoods
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Toronto Police Museum and Discovery Centre
Admission: FREE 40 College St. (College&Bay) 9 to 9 everyday, incld wkends & holidays
The Museum offers a healthy combination of the historical and the contemporary, with a focus on police work and how it affects the community. Exhibits include a Drunk Driving Exhibit, Substance Abuse Exhibit, old weapons and uniforms, presentations on some of the special units, and fingerprinting. Visitors are stimulated with quizzes and interactive videos, hands-on displays, a scout car to sit in, a police motorcycle to 'ride' and on old-fashioned jail cell in which to be incarcerated.

Toronto Skydome Tours
Tours $12.50 call (416) 341-2770 for scheduling information

Toronto Stock Exchange
Admission: $5 Weekdays 10am -5pm, open weekends in the summer 10am-5pm
For those who are interested in this, the TSE has exhibits and a museum that gives visitors and understanding of how of how the Canadian capital market works

Thompson Gallery
Admission: $2.75 176 Yonge Street (The Bay) Monday-Saturday 10am-5pm
This is a private collection of 398 paintings by Canadian artists and holds the largest collection of Canadian Impressionist painting in the world which includes more than 300 works by the Group of Seven TOP

Travel Express
Open Daily 9:30am- 6:30pm 245 Yonge St. at: Shuter St.Toronto M5B 1N8 Tel: (416) 861-9220
air-conditioned mini-buses operated by Travel Express are the best way to see Niagara Falls. After collecting passengers at major hotels in downtown Toronto, the buses take the Wine Route to Niagara, stopping for wine tasting and fresh fruit. Passengers see the world famous Niagara Falls from the deck of the boat Maid of the Mist, and a stop at the old-fashioned town of Niagara-On-The-Lake

 

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