There are more unique things to do in Ontario than meets the eye. Located in Central Canada, the province of Ontario is larger than Spain, France and Ukraine combined. It is also home to the capital city of Canada, Ottawa, and the nation’s biggest city, Toronto, which doubles as the province’s capital.
The province is known for its delicious free-flowing maple syrup, ice hockey, and stunning forests as old as time. But that is not all to see in Canada’s most populated province. Whether you are a local looking for a breath of fresh air or a tourist looking to have an exciting time, there are different and unique activities in Ontario for everyone.
From Kayaking to Scuba Diving to Elvis Presley’s music festival and rafting, there are numerous things to do in this place that will hand you the adrenaline-inducing rush on a platter without having to step foot on a plane.
Agawa Rocks Pictographs + Agawa Canyon
Near the banks of Lake Superior, you will find Agawa Bay, which is home to some very unique things to do in Ontario. The Agawa Rocks Pictographs are a short (but slippery) hike from the highway. To see the centuries-old pictographs, you can either hang out on a chain or slide along the rock ledge – a daunting but rewarding adventure!
Agawa Canyon is just a bit further inland from the pictographs and is home to some amazing hikes, viewpoints, and a few epic waterfalls. Check out places like Black Beaver Falls and Bridal Veil Falls, which are true hidden gems.
Explore Ontario’s Casinos and Galleries
Rainy day in Ontario, and looking for unique things to do indoors? Ontario boasts some of the best casinos in Canada and North America and is also home to lots of museums and galleries.
Gambling here is legal, and there are many gaming options to explore, including slots, poker, blackjack, and more. Apart from visiting both established and new casinos (learn more) to play real money games, another way to have fun in the province and still be indoors is to visit some galleries and take in some art exhibits such as the Art Gallery of Ontario in Toronto.
The province contains several galleries which are packed with art in many forms. There are also some galleries that highlight artworks created by Canadians alone. The good thing about these places is that they are indoors and can be visited at all seasons of the year. There are also seasonal exhibitions, which means you will find different art to explore if you visit another time.
Cheltenham Badlands
The Cheltenham Badlands are a super unique landscape to visit less than 2 hours from Toronto. Apparently originally exposed from local farming mistakes, this red and white marbled shale landscape is now being preserved so that public can view it for future generations. Walk on the boardwalk and view the formations from there.
The soil here is iron-rich, creating an interesting and colorful view that looks like it could be on Mars! Make sure to visit in the week to pay a bit less for parking.
The Comfort Maple
How’s visiting (what is believed to be) Canada’s oldest sugar maple tree for a unique thing to do in Ontario? It’s called the Comfort Maple after the Comfort family, who have owned the land that the tree is on, for over 150 years.
The land (which is not far from Niagara Falls) is now preserved for conservation so that this beautiful historic tree can stand for more generations. The tree is estimated to be over 400 years old – perhaps up to 500. This would be a super cool place to visit after Niagara Falls if you are visiting Canada for your first time.
The Grotto, Bruce Peninsula National Park
A true Ontario hidden Gem, ‘The Grotto’ of the Bruce Peninsula National Park offers stunning rock formations and crystal clear waters on a coastal hiking trail. The Grotto itself is a sparkling cave that proves to be one of the best swimming spots in the state.
Make sure to reserve a parking pass in advance to enter the National Park, and enjoy a short trail to the Grotto or longer hikes to points of interest like Loon Lake, Driftwood Cove, and Cave Point.
Explore a Small Town
Ontario might be populated with a lot of cities, but the truth is that small towns make up the bulk of the province. And there’s nothing more relaxing than exploring some of these towns, their cuisines, and their peculiarities. This is a welcome idea for everyone, including residents and visitors of Ontario.
Some towns are known for their dishes and river views, while others are known for their wineries and shops. Some towns worth exploring include Almonte for its donuts, Elora for its famous Mills, and Paris for its photogenic chops. All towns are known for something if you explore well enough.
When visiting a small town, make sure to meet some locals and shop local as well! This help you truly get a feel for a place and what makes it special.
Attend the Unique Elvis Festival
It’s not surprising that entertainment in Ontario is shaped by art, music, food, and culture and has a vibrant festival scene. You can definitely check out some more popular festivals such as Bluesfest or Peterborough Fest, but if you truly want one of the most unique things to do in Ontario, head to the Elvis Presley music festival.
This event takes place between the ski resort towns of Collingwood and Blue Mountain resort and encourages people to dress up like Elvis and attend music events at venues throughout the area. Seeing hundreds of Elvis impersonators – complete with wigs and outfits – is definitely an experience you can only have here.
Flowerpot Island + Shipwrecks
To get even more off the beaten track from the Bruce Peninsula, hope on a boat to the tiny and picturesque Flowerpot Island. Best known for its impressive rock pillars that are supposed to look like flower pots, Flowerpot island has epic views throughout, and a few hiking trails right in the center of Georgian Bay. Most take a cruise here, but others camp here for some time. These are some awesome lesser-known landmarks to visit in Canada.
Flowerpot Island is part of the Fathrom Five National Marine Park, which ended up as the final watery resting place for over twenty shipwrecks. If the season is right, adventurers can snorkel and dive to view them up close. If not, jump on a glass bottom boat tour.
Thousand Islands National Park
If you look at Thousand Islands National Park on a map, it will be clear why it has been called that! On a stretch of the St Lawrence River between Ontario and Upstate New York is a stunning area with quite literally more than 1,000 islands. Some are just big enough for a house and some are larger, but the landscape is surely one of the most unique on Ontario. ook a boat tour as the best way to view this area.
Bonnechere Caves
The Bonnechere Caves is a big cave system in Eganville, a few hours outside of Ottawa. The area is worth stopping by for both the caves and beautiful Bonnechere river views as well. Buy a ticket to explore this fascinating natural wonder with a short, about 30-minute guided tour with geology and historical information.
Manitoulin Island
Visiting Manitoulin Island is surely one of the most unique things to do in Ontario as few people make it up north to discover more of this natural area (although it’s not even half way up the province)! Manitoulin is a large freshwater island within Lake Huron with inlets, bays, hiking trails, small towns, more lakes, viewpoints, and preserved native cultures. Here you can learn about more indigenous history of Ontario as well as take in miles of coastal views.
Toronto’s Poop Cafe
You can surely find something SO unique in Toronto that it doesn’t exist anywhere else in the world: Poop Cafe! Somehow this Asian-inspired cafe has managed to make poop cute – with walls decorated in poop emojis with soft, brown toilets as the seats. Don’t worry – the food is ony decorated with little smiling poop chocolates or cookies, not made out of it! 😛
Thirty Thousand Islands
What is known as the Thirty Thousand Islands is actually the Georgian Bay Biosphere Reserve, and is the largest freshwater island archipelago in the world! Designated by UNESCO, the thirty thousand islands have interesting topography and tons of unique things to do. Many come boating here in the summer as well as hiking, water sports, and more. Or, you can take a 30,000 islands cruise if you are passing through.
Ottawa Library of Parliament
If you want to step back in time (or perhaps transported to the world of Harry Potter), stop by Parliament Hill in Ottawa and head into the Library of Parliament. This stunning library features beautifully constructed rows of books stacked into wooden shelves in a circular room around a central statue – and that’s only on the inside!
The gothic architecture, and especially the big clock tower, stand out on the Ottawa skyline and are enough to impress anyone.
Point Pelee National Park
Point Pelee National Park happens to be south of Detroit, just across the border to Ontario – making it the Southernmost point of Mainland Canada! If that’s not unique enough as it is, it has stunningly beautiful views and completely unique plant and animal species, as well as the southernmost title.
Given that Point Pelee is so far south, it actually grows plants and often spots birds, animals, and insects that aren’t seen anywhere else in Canada. To get even farther south and the southernmost point of all of Canada, pop over to Pelee Island, which is nestled inside Lake Erie near Ohio.
Brockville Rail Tunnell
This is one of the most historic, fun, AND unique things to do in Ontario! This is actually the oldest and first railway tunnel to be constructed in Canada. Since then, it has been turned into a fun attraction in Brockville with lights and sounds to see and hear as you walk through it.
Check out a Lumberjack Show or Competition in Ontario
Yes, you read that correctly! Ontario is home to multiple different kinds of Lumberjack shows and competitions that you can witness all over the state – the ‘Great Canadian Lumberjacks’ show even travels! Check out the Lumberjack Heritage Festival, regular shows at Wonderland Amusement Park, or even the Ontario Lumberjack Competition.
Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library
This library is surely one of the most unique places to visit in Ontario as it has one of the largest collections of rare books, manuscripts, and volumes that can’t be found anywhere else in the world! It’s a very special place housing information and stories/legends through the ages – located at the University of Toronto.
As they are valuable, you can’t just go up and take anything you want, but you can see their current exhibits on their website or request to view works.
Waterfalls in Hamilton
Hamilton, a coastal Ontario City located on Lake Ontario, is known to some as the waterfall capital of the wold due to its dozens of waterfalls in and around the city. There are other unique activities in the area, but surely the most unique is to go on a ‘waterfall crawl’ to some of the best cascades around.
Some are more easily reached than others, and they are all very different. But some of the most popular ones are Webster’s Falls, Albion Falls, Sherman Falls, and Buttermilk Falls.
Absolute World Towers
If you find yourself in Mississauga (just south of Toronto) you can’t miss out on checking out the Absolute World Towers, now known as the Absolute Condos, in the center of the city. These are an architectural marvel and beautiful high-rises to appreciate the impresmpressive, curved design. Stay in a vacation rental there to appreciate them fully!
Boblo Island Abandoned Amusement Park
For something truly unique to do in Ontario, visit Boblo Island (or Bois Blanc Island) for an eerie, abandoned theme park and empty, overgrown buildings. This theme park was in operation since the late 1800’s up until 1993, now with most of the rides sold off and only empty shells of buildings remaining. This is a creepy yet fascinating place to visit close to Detriot, but over the border in Ontario.
Casa Loma
Casa Loma is Toronto’s castle – a unique place to visit in Midtown that will take you back in time. The house is partly a museum these days, with setups to like like how they may have looked in the early 1900’s when it was built. Perhaps one of the coolest things about Casa Loma is that it is known to have secret passageways and hidden rooms – will you discover any?
Top of the Giant Trail in Sleeping Giant Provincial Park
One of the northernmost unique things to do in Ontario on this list takes place on the Sibley Peninsula, a beautiful spit of land jutting out into Lake Superior. Head into Sleeping Giant Provincial park and take in beautiful views on the way to the end, such as Thunder Bay Lookout.
The highlight of the park is the ‘Top of the Giant Lookout’ on a trail of the same name, which offers an incredible and unique view between two sheer cliffs. If it was more accessble this would surely be one of the most popular viewpoints in Ontario, but this one is only for those who make it up here.
And there you have it, a collection of unique things to do in Ontario. There are plenty more things to do in this massive province, but this should definitely get you mroe than started.
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