Cathy MerrittTucked away in the northern nook of Toronto, the North York district has so much to offer. Whether it’s a day in nature or shopping or a night of arts or live performance, North York has something for you.
If you’re still not sure what to do during your visit, check out these fun activities and destinations to complete your North York bucket list.
- Discover Islamic art and culture at Aga Khan Museum
- Embrace your geeky side at the Ontario Science Centre
- Grab a cup of coffee at Forest Cafe
- Attend a live performance at the Meridian Arts Centre
- Shop for the latest trends at Yorkdale Shopping Centre
- Slurp Michelin-quality ramen at Konjiki Ramen
- Explore various plants at the Toronto Botanical Garden
- Engage in thrilling archery combat at Archers Arena
- Feast on chicken wings and groove to live tunes at Drums N Flats
- Play a round of golf at Don Valley Golf Course
- Go back to the 1800s at the Black Creek Pioneer Village
- Find great deals at Downsview Park Merchants Market & Farmers Market
- Dive into Japanese culture at the Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre
- Spend the day reading at the North York Central Library
- Learn more about North York’s history at Gibson House Museum
Discover Islamic art and culture at Aga Khan Museum
Address: 77 Wynford Dr, North York, ON M3C 1K1, Canada
Website: https://www.agakhanmuseum.org/index.html
Contact details: 416 646 4677, [email protected]
Operating hours:
Tuesday: 10:00 AM to 5:30 PM
Wednesday: 10:00 AM to 8:00 PM
Thursday to Sunday: 10:00 AM to 5:30 PM
Admission fee:
Adult: $20, $15 for those in groups of 10+
Aged 6 to 13: $10, $8 for those in groups of 10+
Senior: $15, $12 for those in groups of 10+
Student: $12, $10 for those in groups of 10+
Museums focusing on Muslim civilizations and contemporary Muslim communities can be hard to come by, especially in North America. But lucky for those in North York, they have the Aga Khan Museum to visit.
Aside from its collection of over 1,000 artifacts, the museum also hosts education programs and live performances every now and then. Think live and animated drawing with synchronized live music and craft-making activities for families.
| Pro Tip: There’s free admission every Wednesday from 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM, so take advantage of that. |
Embrace your geeky side at the Ontario Science Centre
Address: 770 Don Mills Rd., North York, ON M3C 1T3, Canada
Website: https://www.ontariosciencecentre.ca/
Contact details: 416-696-1000, [email protected]
Operating hours:
Tuesday to Friday: 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM
Saturday to Sunday: 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM
Admission fee:
Aged 18 to 64: $22 for Science Centre, $12 for IMAX Film, $28 for both
Aged 13 to 17, Students, Seniors: $16 for Science Centre, $9 for IMAX Film, $22 for both
Child (3 to 12): $13 for Science Centre, $9 for IMAX Film, $19 for both
Infant (under 3): Free
Ontario Science Centre is the place to go if you’re a huge science geek or have children who love astronomy, anatomy, and anything science!
The centre offers exhibits of various scientific pieces, and hosts live presentations on certain topics in science and technology.
It also has this huge domed theatre with a state-of-the-art sound system that screens various scientific films that both parents and kids can enjoy. Some films you may watch include Turtle Odyssey, Dinosaurs of Antarctica, and A Beautiful Planet.
| Pro Tip: If you plan on visiting other landmarks, like CN Tower, Casa Loma, Royal Ontario Museum, and Toronto Zoo, just avail of the CityPass for $99.25 for adults and $74.25 for kids. This can help you save about 42% on the total admission tickets. |
Grab a cup of coffee at Forest Cafe
Address: 56 Forest Manor Rd Unit5, North York, ON M2J 0E5, Canada
Website: https://forestcafetoronto.com/
Contact details: 647 350 0777, [email protected]
Operating hours:
Monday to Friday: 9:00 AM to 7:00 PM
Saturday to Sunday: 10:00 AM to 7:00 PM
If you’ve watched the ever-so-popular “Squid Game” series, then you’re probably familiar with dalgona. If you’ve ever wondered what they taste like, head over to Forest Cafe in North York and enjoy a cup of one of the best dalgona lattes in the country.
While their dalgona coffee and ades are the cafe’s highlights, don’t miss the chance to get their croffle, a type of pastry that combines croissants and waffles. It’s the perfect breakfast to get before exploring the rest of North York.
| Pro Tip: Forest can get quite busy in the afternoon, so visit in the morning if you want to really enjoy the vibe and atmosphere inside. If you do come in the afternoon, try to get there as early as 1:00 PM to get a table. |
Attend a live performance at the Meridian Arts Centre
Address: 5040 Yonge St, North York, ON M2N 6R8, Canada
Website: https://tolive.com/Meridian-Arts-Centre
Contact details: 416-366-7723, 1-800-708-6754; [email protected]
Operating hours: Monday to Friday: 1:00 PM to 6:00 PM
For music lovers looking for the perfect date venue, Meridian Arts Centre in North York is the place to go! The former Toronto Centre for the Arts remains one of the best theatres in Canada to enjoy a great night of music and performances.
It has four different theatre halls, each accommodating hundreds of patrons. The favourite of many is definitely the Lyric Theatre, which is wrapped with acoustic panels around its walls since it creates a visual drama while the performances are happening.
| Pro Tip: Make sure to check the bag policy for the show you’re attending because it’s decided by the organizer and not the venue. Some often make the mistake of thinking the same policy applies to every show because they’re all performed in the art centre. |
Shop for the latest trends at Yorkdale Shopping Centre
Address: 3401 Dufferin St, Toronto, ON M6A 2T9, Canada
Website: https://yorkdale.com/
Contact details: 416-789-3261, [email protected]
Operating hours:
Monday to Saturday: 10:00 AM to 9:00 PM
Sunday: 11:00 AM to 7:00 PM
Yorkdale Shopping Centre is the ultimate shopping wonderland for anyone visiting Toronto. It has a 2-million-square-feet land area filled with 270 stores you can explore, offering you everything you’re looking for in one mall!
It’s the best place in North York to find out what’s currently on trend in the fashion scene. It houses both luxury brands and fast fashion boutiques, like Celine, Diesel, Dolce & Gabbana, Fendi, H&M, Old Navy, Uniqlo, Zara, and a lot more.
There’s also a Cineplex cinema with top-notch technology and comfy seats waiting for huge movie buffs inside the mall.
| Pro Tip: Park underground! The open-air parking area often gets packed easily, and you might spend lots of time looking for a space, so just head to the back of the mall and go underground because there are usually many spaces there. |
Slurp Michelin-quality ramen at Konjiki Ramen
Address: 5051 Yonge St, North York, ON M2N 5P2, Canada
Website: https://konjikiramen.com/
Contact details: 647-350-7766, [email protected]
Operating hours:
Monday to Thursday: 11:30 AM -10:00 PM
Friday to Saturday: 11:30 AM – 11:00 PM
Sunday: 11:30 AM -10:00 PM
In North York, you can enjoy Michelin-acclaimed ramen from Atsushi Yamamoto without having to fly all the way to Tokyo. Just drop by Konjiki Ramen on Yonge Street and pig out on Yamamoto-san’s world-class ramen menu!
Their ramen comes in a wide range of flavours. They have wagyu ramen, clam shoyu ramen, tonkatsu ramen, lobster ramen, and even vegetarian ramen.
It’s the perfect restaurant to get a refreshing meal after a tiring day of exploring North York’s many landmarks.
| Pro Tip: Konjinki is quite a popular ramen spot in the area, so it’s best to visit it when you don’t have a busy schedule for the day. The wait time can last 20 to 30 minutes during peak hours and much more if you’re dining in groups. |
Explore various plants at the Toronto Botanical Garden
Address: 777 Lawrence Ave E, Toronto, ON M3C 1P2, Canada
Website: https://torontobotanicalgarden.ca/
Contact details: 416-397-1341, [email protected]
Operating hours: Tuesday to Sunday: 9:00 AM to 4:30 PM
The Toronto Botanical Garden is a nature oasis in the middle of the city—four acres of green goodness with 17 themed gardens. If you’re a nature lover with a particular interest in flowers, this is the place to go!
The garden also offers various learning programs for adults and kids alike to discover more about nature. If you’re really serious about plants, you’ll find Canada’s largest private horticultural library here, the Weston Family Library.
Admission to Toronto Botanical Garden is also free, so you can enjoy its beauty without spending much! Only the $4 per hour parking fee is all you really have to worry about.
| Pro Tip: If you can spare 90 minutes to explore the garden, opt to join guided tours to truly see everything the garden has to offer. The guides also give better information about the plants since the displays only have names and no further information. |
Engage in thrilling archery combat at Archers Arena
Address: 1140 Sheppard Ave W Suite 4, North York, ON M3K 2A2, Canada
Website: https://archersarena.com/
Contact details: (647)992-7362, [email protected]
Operating hours:
Tuesday to Friday: 1:45 PM to 9:30 PM
Saturday and Sunday: 10:00 AM to 9:30 PM
A 10,000-square-foot arena packed with various activities, Archers Arena is a must-visit place for friend groups in North York. It can accommodate groups of up to 50 people playing at the same time!
It’s paradise on Earth for those who love active combat games. Imagine a night of archery lessons, combat archery, sabre wars, Nerf wars, and more all in one place!
| Pro Tip: Remember to stretch before the game, or you’ll deal with bad muscle soreness, especially if you’re playing combat archery. Don’t underestimate how competitive you can get during the game. |
Feast on chicken wings and groove to live tunes at Drums N Flats
Address: 1980 Avenue Rd, Toronto, ON M5M 4A4, Canada
Website: https://www.drumsnflats.com/
Contact details: (647) 347-9474, [email protected]
Operating hours:
Monday to Thursday: 12:00 PM to 12:00 AM
Friday and Saturday: 12:00 AM to 2:00 AM
Sunday: 12:00 PM to 12:00 AM
If you’re looking for finger-lickin’ good chicken wings and a side of live music performances, Drums N Flats on Avenue Road is the place to be. They also have beers and other types of booze, like bourbon and tequila, to complete the ultimate night out!
They have a wide range of chicken wings flavours to choose from, including honey garlic, smokey chipotle BBQ, tequila lime, and blackened buffalo. Aside from these, they also have pizzas, salads, fries, onion rings, nachos, and a lot more!
| Pro Tip: This place can get really crowded, and the energy gets really high, so you would want to avoid it on days you just want to sit and relax. On those days, you can just order takeout. |
Play a round of golf at Don Valley Golf Course
– From lenamoonth
Address: 4200 Yonge St, North York, ON M2P 1N9, Canada
Website: https://www.donvalleygolf.com/
Contact details: 416 392 2465
Operating hours: Monday to Sunday: From sunrise to sunset (April to November)
Surrounded by beautiful trees and other greenery, Don Valley Golf Course is the perfect place for a serene yet challenging round of golf. It has a fairly difficult 18-hole course that will surely entertain avid and experienced golfers.
If your skills are currently not enough to tackle Don Valley’s 18-hole course, you can begin by taking lessons from the golf course’s team. They have private and semi-private lessons and even a beginner’s clinic for those who have never played golf.
| Pro Tip: The golf course gets fully booked really quickly, so make sure to book a tee time in advance. They accept bookings up to five days in advance. |
Go back to the 1800s at the Black Creek Pioneer Village
Address: 1000 Murray Ross Pkwy, Toronto, ON M3J 2P3, Canada
Website: https://blackcreek.ca/
Contact details: 416 736 1733; [email protected]
Operating hours: Monday to Sunday: 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM (April 20 to December 23, 2024)
Admission Fee:
Ages 15 to 64: $18 + HST
Ages 4 to 14: $13.20 + HST
Students (ages 14+ with ID): $14.40 + HST
Seniors (ages 65+): $14.40 + HST
Toddlers (ages 3 and under): Free
Urbanized Toronto and North York are nice, but there’s something charming about the country village-aesthetic of the 1860s Toronto. Luckily, you can go back to that time and explore a recreated 1860 Toronto village called Black Creek Pioneer Village.
The village has 40 historic buildings, 10 gardens, 70 heritage breed animals, and several interesting programs visitors can enjoy and participate in. The staff are even dressed in old costumes for a more authentic 1860s experience!
To make things more interesting for adults, there’s a horror-themed escape room game in the village you can participate in! Spend the day exploring the village, running around, and solving puzzles.
| Pro Tip: This is an outdoor museum, so make sure that you dress according to the weather! Bring extra clothes too since there will be a lot of walking and you might sweat. |
Find great deals at Downsview Park Merchants Market & Farmers Market
Address: 40 Carl Hall Rd, North York, ON M3K 2C1, Canada
Website: http://www.dpmarket.com/
Contact details: 416-638-2525; [email protected]
Operating hours: Saturday and Sunday: 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM
If you’re not a big spender but would still like to buy some items to commemorate your North York trip, Downsview Park Merchants Market & Farmers Market will be your favourite place!
This is a 162,000-square-foot indoor market full of everything you might need or want, including clothes, antiques, home furnishing, electronics, jewelry, perfume, and so much more! Everything is at a bargain price, so you won’t be spending that much.
There’s also a row of fresh fruits and vegetables waiting for you in the market and a food court brimming with all sorts of fruits, from Asian cuisine to the Mediterranean.
| Pro Tip: Bring cash if you’re planning to explore the market’s food court. Some of the stores still only accept cash. |
Dive into Japanese culture at the Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre
Address: 6 Sakura Way, Toronto, ON M3C 1Z5, Canada
Website: https://jccc.on.ca/
Contact details: 416 441 2345, [email protected]
Operating hours:
Monday to Friday: 9:00 AM to 8:00 PM
Saturday and Sunday: 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM
Immerse yourself in Japanese culture without flying all the way to Japan. A visit to the Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre, one of the largest Japanese cultural centres in the world, can answer many of your questions about Japanese culture.
The centre hosts various festivals, events, and art shows throughout the year that you can check out. There’s also a museum in the building that’s focused on showcasing over 10,000 arts from Canadian and international artists of Japanese descent.
You might also enjoy some of the programs and classes that they host. They offer martial arts, Japanese language, needle punch embroidery, tea ceremony classes, and more.
| Pro Tip: If you can, try visiting the centre around spring. The Sakura trees and cherry blossoms around the building are in full bloom during this season, so your visit will be much more worthwhile. |
Spend the day reading at the North York Central Library
Address: 5120 Yonge St, North York, ON M2N 5N9, Canada
Website: https://www.torontopubliclibrary.ca/northyorkcentral/
Contact details: 416 395 5535, [email protected]
Operating hours:
Monday to Friday: 9:00 AM to 8:30 PM
Saturday: 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM
Sunday: 1:30 PM to 5:00 PM
With a vast collection of books covering numerous genres and topics, North York Central Library offers avid readers a great escape from the busy and noisy streets of North York.
But just because you aren’t an avid reader doesn’t mean you won’t enjoy the library because it offers a space for everyone, even kids! It has a play area for kids, a digital innovation hub for tech geeks, a teen zone for teenagers, and so much more.
The modern architecture is also Instagram-worthy, so do drop by when you’re in the area!
| Pro Tip: There’s only paid parking around the area, so it’s best to take the subway if you’re planning to stay there for the entire day to avoid hefty parking fees. |
Learn more about North York’s history at Gibson House Museum
Address: 5172 Yonge St, Toronto, ON M2N 5P6, Canada
Website: https://www.toronto.ca/explore-enjoy/history-art-culture/museums/gibson-house-museum/
Contact details: 416-395-7432, [email protected]
Operating hours: Wednesday to Sunday: 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM
Gibson House Museum, a 19th-century farmhouse down Yonge Street, gives visitors a glimpse at how the upper-middle class lived in the 1900s. It’s one of the 10 historic sites that the City of Toronto has taken care of.
They hold tours to give visitors a more in-depth understanding of North York’s history and daily life in the 19th century. You can also participate in the various events held at the museum every now and then.
| Pro Tip: Regularly monitor the City of Toronto’s website for updates regarding events in the museum so you can find something that’ll interest you. One of the most common that they do is cooking workshops that teach participants how to cook using historical equipment. |
