Toronto offers a lot of great stuff to do for families visiting the city. Here is a list of the major attractions in Toronto for families.


Black Creek Pioneer Village
1000 Murray Ross Pkwy. Downsview at Steeles Ave. and Jane St. 416/736-1733.

May-June weekdays 9:30am-4:30pm, weekends and holidays 10am-5pm; July-Sept daily 10am-5pm; Oct-Dec weekdays 9:30am-4pm, weekends and holidays 10am-4:30pm.
Closed Jan-Apr, Dec 25.
Subway: Finch, then bus no. 60 to Jane St.
Admission Charged. free for children 4 and under.
Parking fee.

Life here moves at the gentle pace of rural Ontario as it was 100 years ago. You can watch the authentically dressed villagers going about their chores, spinning, sewing, rail splitting, sheep shearing, and threshing. Enjoy the villagers' cooking, wander through the cozily furnished homesteads, visit the working mill, shop at the general store, or rumble past the farm animals in a horse-drawn wagon. The beautifully landscaped village has more than 30 restored buildings to explore. Special events take place throughout the year.

Paramount Canada's Wonderland
Rutherford Road and Hwy 400, Vaughn
905/832-7000 or 1-800-832-8131.

Daily: 10am-10pm May to early September and weekends until mid-October.
TTC: Buses leave from York Mills and Wilson subway stations
GO: Buses leave from York Mills and Yorkdale subway stations.

The ultimate amusement park. Over 180 attractions. On 300 acres, located 30 min. from downtown Toronto. Over 50 great rides, Splash works (water parks), a 20 acre heated water playground with 16 water slides. 20 rides in Hanna Barbera area with cartoon characters. Live concerts in a state-of-the-art amphitheater seating 16,000.

Children's Own Museum
In the McLaughlin Planetarium Building, 90 Queen's Park
416/542-1492
Tues 10am-8pm, Wed-Sat 10am-5pm, Sun noon-5pm
Subway: Museum.
Admission Charged.

The Royal Ontario Museum's (ROM) next-door neighbor is another favorite with children. At the Children's Own Museum, everything is designed with 1 to 8 year olds in mind. This interactive learn-while-you-play center includes a sensory tunnel, a construction site, a garden, an animal clinic, and a theater. Well-trained staff members are on hand to answer the inevitable endless questions.

Hockey Hall of Fame
30 Yonge St. BCE Place, Toronto.
(416) 360-7765.

The Hockey Hall of Fame houses artifacts and multimedia exhibits honoring the sport's legends.

Casa Loma
1 Austin Terrace, Toronto.
(416) 923-1171.

The castle is a fascinating place to explore. Wander through the majestic Great Hall, with its 60-foot-high hammer-beam ceiling; the Oak Room, where three artisans took 3 years to the paneling; and the Conservatory, with its elegant bronze doors, stained-glass dome, and pink-and-green marble. The castle has battlements and a tower; Peacock Alley, designed after Windsor Castle; Sir Henry's suite, containing a shower with an 18-inch-diameter shower head; and a swimming pool. The 800-foot tunnel connects with the stables, where horses resided surrounded by Spanish tile and mahogany.

Ontario Science Center
770 Don Mills Road, at Eglinton East, Toronto
416-696-3127.

Yonge Street Subway to the Eglinton Station and transfer to 25 Don Mills Bus.
Admission charged. Children 4 and under free.
Daily (including weekends) 10-5. Weekend workshops.

Over 800 high-tech interactive exhibits through 13 multi-themed exhibition halls. Hands-on demonstrations and special events. Rock wall climbing, simulated trip to the moon, examine a coral reef, touch a tornado, explore a limestone cave, use DNA finger printing, test scientific theories. A fun way to learn about science and engineering. Omnimax theater and Planetarium on premises.

Chudleigh's
9528 Hwy. 25, Milton.
1.8 miles north of Hwy. 401
905/826-1252.

July-Oct daily 9am-7pm; Nov-June Fri-Sun 10am-5pm.
Orchard admission charged (applied to purchases).
A day here introduces children to life on a farm. They'll enjoy hayrides, pony rides, and, in season, apple picking. There's a playground, straw maze, and more. The store sells pies, cider, and other produce.

Cullen Gardens & Miniature Village
Taunton Rd., Whitby
905/686-1600.

www.cullengardens.com.
Summer daily 9am-9pm, spring and fall 10am-6pm Seasonal Info: Closed early Jan to mid-April.
Admission Charged.

The half-scale miniature village has great appeal. The 27 acres of gardens, the playground (with two splash ponds), the shopping, and the live entertainment only add to the fun. There are special events year-round, including Halloween pumpkin carving in October and fireworks on New Year's Eve.

Enoch Turner Schoolhouse
106 Trinity St., Toronto.
(416) 863-0010.
Call for hours of operation. Admission free.

This small red and yellow brick building was built by a brewer named Enoch Turner who was appalled at the attitude of the city elders' closing of every school in town in 1848 for budgetary reasons. This was Toronto's first free school. Three years later the politicians relented and absorbed the school into others in the city and restored funding.

Historic Fort York
100 Garrison Rd, Toronto.
(416) 392-6907.

Call for hours. Admission charged.

The founding of Toronto occurred in 1793 when the British built Fort York to protect the entrance of the harbor during the times of strife between the States and England. In the war of 1812 the fort was the scene of the battle of York. Exhibits include restored buildings, kitchens, and a variety of changing exhibits. For older children, this is a living history lesson.

Ontario Place
955 Lakeshore Blvd. West
416-314-9900
From Ossington Station take the Ossington bus south to the Ontario Place entrance.
Victoria week through Labor Day 10:30am-midnight
Free Admission to the complex itself except during Fireworks Value Days and the Canadian National Exhibition in late August through Labor Day. Admission is charged for some activities.

This waterfront amusement complex is 96 acres in size. It includes:

(1) HMCS Haida Naval Museum
Ontario Place, Toronto.
(416) 314-9755.

Retired Canadian warship available for tours that give a glimpse of shipboard life.

(2) Children's Village
Offers a dozen activities that are suited to a variety of ages from toddlers to 12 year olds. There are huge slides, tunnels, rope climbers, an air bouncer, a ball bath, suspension bridges, and a large waterplay area. In the waterplay area there is a water slide, and a hydrofuge which is a twisting tunnel slide that spins its riders around in a circular compartment at the bottom before dropping them through a hole into the pool. The Children's Festival Stage is next to the waterplay area, and features several shows daily. Audience participation is part of the fun. Also, Wilderness Adventure flume ride and MegaMaze, a walk through a six maze puzzle. Cinesphere is the domed shaped movie theater which houses a 6 story high IMAX screen.

Mackenzie House
82 Bond St., Toronto.
(416) 392-6915.

TTC: From Dundas Station walk 2 blocks east to Bond Street.
Sat. and Sun. 12-5pm: weekday schedule varies.
Admission charged.

Toronto's first mayor and leader of the Upper Canada Rebellion, William Lyon Mackenzie lived here between 1859-1861. He printed his newspaper, The Colonial Advocate on site. Today the press is operated at selected times by a printer who often allows children to print their own sheets as take-home souvenirs.

Spadina Historic House and Gardens (Spadina Museum)
285 Castle Rd., Toronto.
(416) 392-6910.
TTC: St. Clair streetcar to Spadina Road and walk south.
Mon-Fri 9:30-4 weekends: 12-5
Organized tours only. Admission charged.

50 room mansion sits atop a hill overlooking the city, next door to Casa Loma. It is filled with original furnishings, fixtures and works of art, and is surrounded in the summer by superb gardens which are maintained by the Toronto Garden Club.

Todmorden Mills Heritage Museum and Arts Centre
Pottery Rd., Toronto.
(416) 396-2819.
TTC: From Broadview take the Cosburn bus north to pottery Road and walk down the hill.
Tues-Fri. 10-4:30; Sta., Sun. 11-4:30.

Admission charged. Children under 6 free. (Not recommended for strollers).

The buildings sit next to a nature trail and a unique wildflower preserve. The Don River bike path forms a mile long trail down to the waterfront. The area was originally settled in 1794. The grist mill, brewery, sawmill, and paper mill are all original buildings. The rail station was added in 1881. Young children love to play on the abandoned, but well maintained tracks near it. Events for families and tours are held on weekends. Call for particulars.

Montgomery's Inn
4709 Dundas St. W., Etobicoke.
(416) 394-8113.
Afternoon tea served daily 2-4:30

Admission charged. Family rates also.

A Georgian style stone inn which features costumed guides who staff the Inn and bring its history to life. Tours are given of the rooms and the customs of the time explained.

Playdium
126 John St.
416/260-1400.
www.playdium.com.
Sun-Thurs 10am-midnight, Fri 10am-4am, Sat 10am-2am
Subway: St. Andrew.
Admission Charged.

The Playdium offers a choice of more than 260 games and simulators like Speedzone (an IndyCar race). It also has rock-climbing walls, a go-kart track, an IMAX theater, batting cages, and mini golf.

Riverdale Farm
201 Winchester St., off Parliament, 1 block north of Carlton.
416/392-6794
Daily 9am-5pm. Free admission.

Idyllically situated on the edge of the Don Valley Ravine, this working farm right in the city is a favorite with small children They enjoy watching the cows and pigs, and petting the other animals. There are farming demonstrations daily at 10:30am and 1:30pm.

Toronto Zoo
Meadowvale Rd. north of Hwy. 401.
30-min drive from downtown, or take Bus 86A from Kennedy subway station,
416/392-5900.
Parking free Nov.-Feb.
Hours: Summer 9-7:30; winter 9:30-4:30.
www.torontozoo.com

This 710-acre zoo houses over 5,000 mammals, birds, reptiles, and fish in their natural habitats. There are also botanical exhibits, pony and camel rides, a walking safari, and a reproduction of "big-game" country with rare animals. Don't miss the new Gorilla Rainforest exhibit.

CN Tower
301 Front St. W., Toronto.
(416) 360-8500.

The tallest freestanding structure in the world, at 1,815 ft and 5 inches high. Visit if the weather is clear. There are multiple observation decks -- with glass floors, a revolving restaurant, and the world's highest public observation gallery. All levels offer spectacular panoramic views. On clear days you can see the mist rising from Niagara Falls to the south.

Wild Water Kingdom
Finch Ave., 1 mile west of Hwy. 427, Brampton.
416/369-0774 or 905/794-0565.

Take Hwy. 401 to Hwy. 427 north; exit at Finch Ave. and drive 1 mile west. Or from downtown, take. Queen Elizabeth Way (QEW) to Hwy. 427 north; exit at Finch Ave. and drive 1 mile west.

May 31 to mid-June weekends 10am-6pm; July-Labour Day daily 10am-8pm.

Admission charged; children 3 and under free.

A huge water theme park, Wild Water Kingdom is complete with a 20,000-square-foot wave pool, tube slides, speed slides, giant hot tubs, and the super-thrilling Cyclone water ride. There are bumper boats, pedal boats, canoes, batting cages, and mini golf, too.
Note: the park may not be open in inclement weather.