With a thriving population, Oshawa is a bustling suburb of Toronto. It is just a short train ride or drive away from the major city’s countless attractions. One of the fastest-growing cities in Canada, Oshawa also boasts several tourist attractions, restaurants, and pubs within a short walk from downtown Oshawa. Some of these prominent attractions include Canadian Automotive Museum, Robert McLaughlin Art Gallery, and Parkwood Estate. It also offers ample excuses for the shopaholics to shop till they drop dead. After a tiring day, you’ll need a relaxing place to return to such as the hotels with hot tubs near Oshawa. Those who are looking for a more local experience can take refuge in an Airbnb vacation rental. To help you have a great vacation with the family, check out this list of the best things to do in Oshawa, Canada.
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1. Visit the Canadian Automotive Museum
Editor's Note: Photo taken from the establishment's official social account
Be ready to ignite your passion for automobiles and embark on an exciting journey through Canada’s rich automotive history when you visit Canadian Automotive Museum. This attraction allows you to explore captivating galleries and dive into engaging online exhibits. Prepare to be amazed by the world’s most significant collection of Canadian cars, spanning from the remarkable 1897 Fossmobile tribute to the innovative 2008 ZENN electric car.
This museum is perfect for families with kids, as children aged five and below can enter for free. Be on the lookout for its social calendar, which is always filled with activities for events, including captivating tours, thrilling car shows, and enlightening talks.
Canadian Automotive Museum
Address: 99 Simcoe Street South, Oshawa, Ontario L1H 4G7
Website: Canadian Automotive Museum
Opening hours: Tue - Sat: 10am - 4pm; Sun: 10am - 4pm (closed on Mon)
Price: Starts at 7 USD (ages 5 and under are free)
2. Learn about sports history at Oshawa Sports Hall of Fame and Museum
Editor's Note: Photo taken from the establishment's official social account
Coming to an event at the Tribute Communities Centre? Make sure you stop in at the Oshawa Sports Hall of Fame. Here is a display dedicated to our upcoming inductees!
Posted by Oshawa Sports Hall Of Fame on Tuesday, November 9, 2021
Oshawa Sports Hall of Fame and Museum celebrates the accomplishments of extraordinary individuals and teams. Its journey began in 1982 when the Oshawa Civic Auditorium Corporation formed a committee to establish the Sports Hall of Fame. It takes great pride in recognizing and honoring Oshawa’s sporting legends who have achieved prominence and distinction, as well as those who have made significant contributions to sports development. It also facilitates the induction of new teams.
Step inside its Sports Hall of Fame, where plaques and citations adorn the main level walls. Additionally, the 3,600-square-foot (335-square-meter) museum, which opened in 2008 and is filled with captivating artifacts, photographs, and memorabilia awaits you at the west end.
Oshawa Sports Hall of Fame and Museum
Address: 99 Athol Street East, Oshawa, Ontario, L1H 1J8
3. Wander around the magnificent Parkwood Estate
Once the home of Samuel McLaughlin, who was the founder of General Motors, Parkwood Estate today is a magnificent property to visit and can be accessed by the general public. You can marvel at the beautiful landscape and take a stroll around this estate while admiring the interior design, decor, and architecture of the mansion. The books, artwork, and housewares are all stored and displayed in the same manner as they used to be when the estate was inhabited by its owners. It is considered a site of national importance today and boasts 55 amazing rooms. There is a lovely garden where people often come to take their photoshoots and celebrate their weddings.
Parkwood Estate
Address: 270 Simcoe St N, Oshawa, ON L1G 4T5, Canada
Website: Parkwood Estate
Opening hours: Wed - Thu: 10:30am - 5pm (closed on Mon, Tue, Fri, Sat, & Sun)
4. Discover a plethora of wildlife at Darlington Provincial Park
Welcome to the beautiful Darlington Provincial Park, which is situated to the city’s east on Lake Ontario. Although the park is not big, it is an excellent place to visit in Oshawa for a relaxing day with your family. The park boasts a wide variety of wildlife such as monarch butterflies, grey wolves, coyotes, and white-tailed deer.
In case you wish to stay here for a longer time, you can also explore one of the three on-site campgrounds. The park also features picnic facilities, lovely hiking trails, and a beach to die for.
Darlington Provincial Park
Address: 1600 Darlington Park Rd, Bowmanville, ON L1C 3K3, Canada
Website: Darlington Provincial Park
Opening hours: 8am - 10pm (daily)
5. Explore history and artifacts in Ontario Regiment (RCAC) Museum
The Ontario Regiment Museum has been welcoming the public since way back in 1980. It is an excellent place to visit in case you wish to know more about the Canadian Forces. It has a rich collection of artifacts belonging to the Canadian Forces in general and the Ontario Regiment in particular. The museum also houses the country’s most impressive armored vehicles. You can get familiar with a wide variety of vehicles such as universal carrier, M60, the leopard 1A5, and ferret scout car among others during your visit to this museum. It also displays the medals, uniforms, and weapons used, and owned by the Canadian Forces.
Ontario Regiment Museum
Address: 1000 Stevenson Rd N, Oshawa, ON L1J 5P5, Canada
Website: Ontario Regiment Museum
Opening hours: 10am - 4pm (daily)
6. Smell the flowers at Oshawa Valley Botanical Garden
Oshawa Valley Botanical Garden is an enchanting network of parks in Oshawa. It is a superb site to visit if you love flowers and their scents. While the garden is open throughout the year, summers are the best time to visit them. These gardens are perfect for spending some quality time with your family members as they have many picnic areas, and lovely trails and pavilions.
Your kids will also love this attraction in Oshawa because there is a playground meant especially for them to play and enjoy. As it is a much sought-after site for clicking wedding pictures, it is better not to visit the garden on a weekend.
Oshawa Valley Botanical Garden
Address: 155 Arena St, Oshawa, ON L1J 4E8, Canada
Website: Oshawa Valley Botanical Garden
Opening hours: 6am - 10pm (daily)
7. Marvel at contemporary Canadian art at Robert McLaughlin Gallery
If you are passionate about modern and contemporary Canadian art, then a visit to the Robert McLaughlin Gallery should feature on your travel itinerary. Opened by a team of abstract artists called the Painters Eleven, the gallery features an enviable collection of their outstanding works. The walls of this gallery display more than 4,500 artworks. You can see a plethora of sculptures and paintings by artists all across the gallery.
Robert McLaughlin Gallery
Address: 72 Queen St, Oshawa, ON L1H 3Z3, Canada
Website: Robert McLaughlin Gallery
Opening hours: Mon - Fri: 10am - 5pm; Sat: 10am - 4pm; Sun: 12pm - 4pm
8. Savor authentic flavors in Southern Oshawa
While Oshawa may not be extremely famous for its eatery scene, it is also true that there has been an unprecedented rise in the number of gourmet restaurants in this suburb city of Toronto because of the increasing demands of the foodies in the locality. From old established restaurants to new and independent eateries, Oshawa has it all. If you are fond of contemporary Indian dishes, a visit to Spicy affairs is a must for you. On the other hand, if you are looking for Italian classics like delicious pasta, do drop in at Fazio’s Restaurant & Wine to tickle your taste buds.
Spicy Affairs
Address: 84 King St W, Oshawa, ON L1H 8W7, Canada
Website: Spicy Affairs
Opening hours: Mon - Fri: 11:30am - 9:30pm; Sat: 5pm - 9:30pm (closed on Sun)
9. Immerse yourself in music with Canada-Ontario Philharmonic
Canada-Ontario Philharmonic is a superb orchestra and is led by a conductor who is one of the renowned names in the industry. Seeing them perform live can be indeed a life-changing experience for you and your companions. It constitutes some of the best professional musicians, making the orchestra one of the leading performing teams in the province. So, forget all your worries and relax while attending one of the most revered orchestras while you are in Oshawa.
Ontario Philharmonic
Address: 64 Simcoe St N, Oshawa, ON L1G 4S2, Canada
Website: Ontario Philharmonic
Price: 40 USD
10. Learn about the city's history at Oshawa Museum
Are you curious to know about the history of this charming Canadian town? If that is the case, you just cannot afford to miss visiting the Oshawa Museum. It serves as an archival storage site, as well as, a museum. You can see items and exhibits dating back to the 15th century and revealing the city’s rich history. Two 19th century buildings store all the permanent collections of the museum. However, the museum’s third building is not accessible to visitors.
Oshawa Museum
Address: 1450 Simcoe St S, Oshawa, ON L1H 8J7, Canada
Website: Oshawa Museum
Opening hours: Mon - Fri: 8am - 4pm; Sat - Sun: 12pm - 4pm
11. Enjoy a swim at Civic Recreation Complex Pool
Oshawa has many swimming pools including indoor as well as outdoor ones. However, the Civic Recreation Complex Pool stands out as it is the city’s largest swimming pool and boasts six lanes for the swimmers. There are also other facilities like a sauna and a diving board. Head to the pool if you feel like cooling down a bit and also exercise your muscles.
If you wish to enjoy some fun moments in the pool and come out totally refreshed, visiting this complex would be a fun thing to do in Oshawa.
Civic Recreation Complex Pool
Address: 99 Thornton Rd S, Oshawa, ON L1J 5Y1, Canada
Website: Civic Recreation Complex Pool
Opening hours: Mon - Fri: 12pm - 1:30pm; Sat - Sun: 11:30am - 1:30pm
12. Hike the Waterfront Trail
One of the exhilarating points of interest in Oshawa, Canada, is the impressive Waterfront Trail. This destination spans around 1599.68 kilometers (994 miles) and extends from Niagara-on-the-Lake to Brockville while passing through the city of Oshawa. If you wish to go for a bike ride or a walk while vacationing here, this is one of the finest places.
The beautiful trail passes through the entire Oshawa along the shores of Lake Ontario. You will come across a couple of lookout points, a few washrooms, and car parking spaces along this trail for your convenience.
Waterfront Trail
Address: Waterfront Trail, Ontario, Canada
Website: Waterfront Trail
13. Explore Downtown Oshawa
Downtown Oshawa offers a plethora of things to do and see. Hence, one of the most sensible ways to explore it is to embark upon a walking tour. The locality features several well-known attractions including some really good parks. Located on the western end of the Oshawa River, it features an array of local shops, great restaurants, and numerous cafes where you can sit and relax. Downtown Oshawa is also a happening place in the city for the visitors as there are a wide variety of accommodation options to take their pick from.
Downtown Oshawa
Address: 21 Simcoe St S, Oshawa, ON L1H 4G1, Canada
Website: Downtown Oshawa
14. Watch a game of ice hockey by the famous Oshawa Generals
A retreat for sports enthusiasts, Oshawa is home to several local teams for sports like hockey, rugby, basketball, and rugby. Possibly the most famous team in the city, the Oshawa Generals hockey team has some famous alumni to boast of. In case you are fond of ice hockey, watching this team play on the ground can be a real visual treat for you. Some matches are so popular that their tickets can exhaust quite fast. So, make sure that you purchase the tickets well in advance.
Oshawa Generals
Address: 99 Athol Street East Oshawa, ON L1H 1J8
Website: Oshawa Generals
15. Visit the Oshawa Zoo and Fun Farm
When you visit the Oshawa Zoo and Fun Farm with your entire family, you can not only look at its inhabitants but also interact with them. The zoo is spread across a massive area and houses more than 45 different animal species. Some of the zoo’s domestic animals include goats, belted Galloway, mini donkeys, pigs, and sheep. Visitors will also come across animals like wallabies, llamas, monkeys, lemurs, and camels in this zoo. One noteworthy feature of this zoo is that it frequently rescues injured or abandoned animals. Your kids will have a great time getting close to the animals here.
Oshawa Zoo and Fun Farm
Address: 3377 Grandview St N, Oshawa, ON L1H 8L7, Canada
Website: Oshawa Zoo and Fun Farm
Opening hours: 10am - 5pm (daily)
16. Shop till you drop at Downtown Oshawa
The city of Oshawa has a lot of shopping options from high-end fashion stores to the latest boutiques. In short, it is a haven for shopaholics. There are so many big retail centers to choose from and several amazing restaurants to enjoy a leisurely meal when you feel exhausted after a shopping spree. And if you are wondering what souvenirs to take back for your loved ones back home, visit one of the numerous gift shops located in the area.
Shopping at Downtown Oshawa
Website: Shopping at Downtown Oshawa
17. Hike through the McLaughlin Bay Wildlife Reserve
Outdoorsy tourists will love cycling and walking along the beautiful trails of the McLaughlin Bay Wildlife Reserve. While some of the trails here are hard, wood, or gravel surface, you will also come across mown grass trails. This wildlife reserve has as many as 11 different trails to take your pick from. There is also a trail that can be used by visually impaired visitors. The reserve has three entry points and a couple of them even have parking spaces for your vehicles. You can also enjoy a cozy picnic with your family within the site.
McLaughlin Bay Wildlife Reserve
Address: 1908 Colonel Sam Dr, Oshawa, ON L1H 8W8, Canada
Website: McLaughlin Bay Wildlife Reserve
Opening hours: 24 hours (daily)
18. Catch a live show at Oshawa Little Theatre
You will come across a widely diverse audience at Oshawa Little Theatre as they consistently produce high-quality live shows offering wholesome entertainment. It is also an excellent venue that provides excellent mentoring and education in the field of performing arts. The theater has been showcasing brilliant shows in Oshawa for over 60 years not and has offered a great platform for community entertainment while simultaneously developing quality theatrical talent.
Oshawa Little Theatre
Address: 62 Russett Ave, Oshawa, ON L1G 3R5, Canada
Website: Oshawa Little Theatre
Opening hours: Wed: 6:30pm - 8:30pm; Thu - Sat: 11am - 2pm (closed on Sun, Mon & Tue)
Amazing Oshawa
This suburb city of Toronto offers a plethora of attractions for visitors belonging to different age-groups. Hence, you need to make a proper plan so that you do not miss out on any prominent tourist attraction. Take a close look at the above-consolidated list to get an idea of the things to do in Oshawa, Canada.
Frequently asked questions about the things to do in Oshawa, Canada
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