Explore Toronto
Toronto is a great city to live and work in, or just to visit. We have a high quality of life and reliable services, in one of the safest urban environments in the world. We have a lot more going for us, too. Just check out the facts!
Toronto's population is one of the most diverse in the world. Nearly all of the world's culture groups are represented in Toronto and more than 100 languages and dialects are spoken.
Attractions
St. Lawrence Market
St. Lawrence Market Considered by Food and Wine magazine to be one of the world's 25 best food markets, the St. Lawrence Market is located in the heart of the historic Old Town Toronto neighbourhood at Jarvis and Front Streets.
The South Market houses more than 50 gourmet food vendors and over a dozen lunch counters. Upstairs, the Market Gallery shows archival art and photographs from the City's collection and the North Market is home to the 200 year old Saturday Farmers' Market and Sunday Antique Market.
Several celebration events are also held at the market throughout the year. Discover the market and surrounding area's past with local historians on walking tours filled with food sampling, a world of eccentric characters and amazing tales.
Eaton Centre
Department stores, exclusive shops, neighbourhood retailers and ethnic markets - Toronto has more than 20,000 stores catering to all fashions and tastes. Its premier shopping destination, the Eaton Centre, is a multi-levelled, glass-roofed galleria comprising more than 320 shops and restaurants, 17 cinemas, and a 400-room Marriott hotel.
Built in 1979, the Eaton Centre boasts $746 of sales per square foot of retail space - the highest in North America - and is the number one tourist attraction in Toronto with one million visitors a week. Modelled after the Galleria in Milan, Italy, the Eaton Centre was among the first major downtown shopping centres constructed in North America.
Shopping & Hotels
Toronto's most exclusive retail district is located in the Bloor/Yorkville area. International retailers offering high fashion designs, eclectic boutiques, fine crystal and china shops, art galleries, and superb restaurants are all available in the village-like atmosphere of Yorkville and Hazelton Lanes.
As the world's most ethnically diverse city, Toronto also has distinctive shopping districts and markets that offer a wide range of unique shopping experiences. These vibrant retail areas include Queen Street West, Kensington Market, St. Lawrence Market, five Chinatowns, Little Italy along St. Clair West, the Greek community along "The Danforth," Little Portugal at Dundas and Bathurst Streets, and Gerrard India Bazaar at Gerrard and Greenwood.
Hotels With more than 32,000 hotel rooms, Toronto has more available accommodation than any other Canadian city and the highest occupancy rate (73 per cent). In 1999, hotel development represented more than $100 million in renovation and refurbishment and two new hotels opened in the summer of 2000.
Waterfront
Attractions Toronto's waterfront - one of North America's largest recreational waterfronts - provides a scenic backdrop for many popular and entertaining attractions including Harbourfront, Ontario Place, Rogers Centre, the CN Tower, and the Toronto Islands. It's also the setting of many big events including the Scotiabank Nuit Blanche, Caribana, the Toronto International Film Festival, the Canadian National Exhibition and WinterCity.
Downtown Toronto
Downtown Toronto offers museums and art galleries galore including The Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) , Canada's largest museum and one of the top 10 in the world; the Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO), Canada's oldest art gallery and home to more than 15,000 paintings; and the Ontario Science Centre, which entertains and educates 800,000 visitors a year.
Toronto Zoo
At the northeast end of the city, Canada's largest zoo, the Toronto Zoo, features more than 5,000 animals in their natural environment. Just north of the City, Canada's largest theme park, Canada's Wonderland, features more than 200 attractions and more than 65 rides in a thrilling environment.
Day or night - always something going on!
More Attractions!
Air Canada Centre Air Canada Centre is a state-of-the-art arena that is home to the Toronto Raptors of the National Basketball Association and the Toronto Maple Leafs of the National Hockey League.
Rogers Centre (formerly Skydome) Famous for its retractable roof, the Rogers Centre is home to the Toronto Argonauts football team and the Toronto Blue Jays baseball team, 1992 and 1993 World Series Champions.
CN Tower Recently nominated one of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World, the CN Tower features glass floor observation decks, a revolving restaurant, and a Simulator Theatre. It is Toronto's most recognizable landmark and as such, it receives almost two million visitors annually.
Canadian National Exhibition For the past 130 years, the 18-day Canadian National Exhibition, which runs from mid-August until Labour Day weekend, has traditionally signified the end of summer to two million visitors from across Canada and throughout the world. The "Ex", as it is better known, is the largest annual exhibition of its kind anywhere.
Situated on the shores of Lake Ontario, the Ex is a 350-acre carnival of entertainment, rides, buildings, sports and agriculture. It is also the site of the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair held each November.
Ontario Science Centre The Ontario Science Centre offers interactive and multi-media exhibits with live demonstrations and exhibits on topics that include sports, space, the environment and the information highway. The Science Centre entertains and educates more than 800,000 visitors each year.
The Toronto Zoo Divided into geographic regions, the zoo's 710 acres feature more than 5,000 animals in their natural environments. Visit the award winning African Savanna, New Great Barrier Reef, and the award-winning Gorilla Rainforest, Eurasia outdoor exhibits, home to the Prezwalski foals, Snow leopard and Siberian tiger cubs, and Zellers Discovery Zone featuring Kids Zoo, Splash Island and Waterside Theatre.
Canada's Wonderland Canada's Wonderland is the home of the most exhilarating collection of rides and roller coasters in all of Canada, and Splash Works, a 20-acre water park. In 2009, experience Behemoth; Canada's biggest, fastest and tallest coaster!
Ontario Place A 96-acre modernistic culture, leisure and entertainment parkland complex built on three human-made islands over the lake, Ontario Place features restaurants, a children's village, an outdoor amphitheatre, a water play area, mini-golf, the Rush River Raft Ride and many other attractions. The highlight of Ontario Place is the Cinesphere - a six-story curved screen capable of showing not only regular 35 and 70 millimetre films, but IMAX films as well.
Harbourfront Like most big cities with a water's edge, Toronto's downtown waterfront has gradually been transformed into a lakeside people place. The heart of this revitalization is the award-winning Harbourfront Centre - the site of art galleries, theatres, craft boutiques restaurants, offices, hotels and marinas fronted by a waterside promenade.
Harbourfront Centre attracts approximately 12 million visitors every year.
Toronto islands Only a 10-minute ferry ride from the foot of Yonge Street, the Toronto islands offer a panoramic view of the city skyline. Centre Island offers miles of parkland with beaches, barbecues and picnic tables, boat rentals, bicycle paths, a children's farm and even an amusement park.
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