Attractions in Toronto

Toronto, Ontario, Canada is known for its many attractions. Some of these attractions are notable worldwide.

In Toronto

Toronto's most famous landmark is the CN Tower, a 553 metres (1,815 ft) tall steel and concrete transmission tower and observation deck which is the second tallest freestanding structure in the world. [The CN Tower was surpassed by the Burj Dubai tower in September 2007; prior to that, it was considered to be the tallest free-standing structure in the world.] Directly west of it is the Rogers Centre (formerly SkyDome), the world's first sporting arena to feature a fully retractable roof. It is currently home to the Toronto Blue Jays and the Toronto Argonauts. Nearby, the Air Canada Centre is the home of the Toronto Maple Leafs, the Toronto Raptors, and the Toronto Rock. It was built to replace the legendary Maple Leaf Gardens. Additionally, there is BMO Field, which the home to the MLS team Toronto FC.

Toronto's City Hall is one of the city's most distinctive landmarks. Built to replace its predecessor — now known simply as Old City Hall — its modernist style still impresses today (it has been used as a backdrop in American films to depict a city of the future). Directly in front of City Hall is Nathan Phillips Square, a public space that frequently houses concerts, art displays, a weekly farmers' market, and other public events. It is also the site of a reflecting pool that, during the winter, becomes a popular skating rink. Dundas Square, nearby, is the city's newest and flashiest public square, located across the street from the Toronto Eaton Centre, a large, popular shopping mall long enough to have Toronto Transit Commission subway stops at both the northern and southern ends of the mall. Another upscale shopping mall with subway access is the Yorkdale Shopping Centre, although this mall sits outside of the city centre at the intersection of two highways, Allen Road and the 401. Queen's Park, a historic scenic park and public space, surrounds Ontario's Legislative Assembly.

The Toronto Islands form part of the largest car-free urban community in North America. Accessible by ferry, "the Islands" include a public park and a children's amusement park, Centreville. The Islands are also home to the Toronto City Centre Airport. The city has several large forested urban parks, the best known being High Park to the west of downtown. The city is crisscrossed by a network of ravines that have remained almost wholly undeveloped. The Martin M. Goodman trail also traverses the entire lakeshore from one end of the city to the other, a section of this trail runs as a Boardwalk through the Beaches area, from Ashbridges Bay to Victoria Park Avenue. The Scarborough Bluffs are majestic cliffs along much of Scarborough's shores.

Other popular attractions include the St. Lawrence Market, Hockey Hall of Fame, the Panorama Lounge (on the 51st floor of Manulife Centre), the Royal Ontario Museum, the Art Gallery of Ontario, the Ontario Science Centre, the Leslie Street Spit, the Toronto Zoo, Little Glenn, and the city's oldest cathedrals, the Roman Catholic St. Michael's Cathedral and the Anglican St. James' Cathedral, both on Church Street. The Distillery District is a collection of old and restored industrial buildings from the 19th century which now feature artworks and historical artifacts from Toronto early industrial past. Casa Loma, a castle overlooking downtown Toronto, is one of the city's most popular tourist attractions.

Outside Toronto

Markham Historic Unionville is one of the other Toronto attractions which attracts many tourists because of its beautiful environment and its very old buildings. Canada's Wonderland in Vaughan is one of Canada's largest theme parks.

ee also

* Art Gallery of Ontario
* Bata Shoe Museum
* Black Creek Pioneer Village
* Canada's Wonderland - Located a few kilometres north of Toronto, in Maple
* Canadian Broadcasting Centre
* Caribana - One of North America's largest street festivals
* Casa Loma
* Chinatown - including old Chinatown, Dundas-Spadina, East Chinatown at Gerrard-Broadview and Scarborough-Agincourt
* CN Tower - World's second tallest freestanding structure; highest observation deck at 447 m
* Exhibition Place
* Greektown
* Harbourfront Centre
* Hockey Hall of Fame
* Koreatown
* Little Italy
* Ontario Place
* Ontario Science Centre
* PATH, a 27-kilometre network of underground pedestrian tunnels
* Pride Week
* Rogers Centre
* Royal Ontario Museum - fifth-largest museum in North America
* St. Lawrence Market
* The Danforth- Home of Greektown
* Toronto Islands
* Toronto Zoo - Among the largest of zoos
* World's Biggest Bookstore
* Yorkville

References

External links

* [http://www.toronto.ca/attractions/attraction_highlights.htm City of Toronto Attraction Highlights]