Things to do in Toronto

[CCM]

My wife and I are going to Toronto this weekend, for the first time, with another couple. 

The women are planning on shopping during the day Friday.  My friend and I are definitely going to check out the hockey hall of fame.  What else should we not miss while we are there?  Either just for the guys (while the women are shopping) or for all 4 of us?

[shardian]

C-N Tower glass floor.

[ChadTower]

C-N Tower glass floor.

I should go tweak the name over there a bit.

[CCM]

C-N Tower glass floor.

I saw that as part of a package deal that included the hockey hall of fame, museums, science center, zoo etc...  It was about $100 for the package, which we weren't interested in, but maybe doing the Tower on our own would be worth it.

[Samstag]

I liked the glass floor a lot.  I get serious vertigo from heights so it was a natural buzz for me.  Bonus entertainment was making my wife freak out by jumping up and down on it when she was afraid to set foot on it.

I think it was something like $40 per person for the tower alone so a package deal might be a good idea.

[CheffoJeffo]

C-N Tower glass floor.

I saw that as part of a package deal that included the hockey hall of fame, museums, science center, zoo etc...  It was about $100 for the package, which we weren't interested in, but maybe doing the Tower on our own would be worth it.

Interesting ... buying direct from the folks at the tower (or online) is C$64

http://www.cntower.ca/portal/SmartDefault.aspx?at=843

I dunno what to advise for you -- I've lived here for 20 years now and Toronto is a great city with tons to do. But, most of the stuff I have ever been interested in has been small venues and not the type of thing that I would recommend to weekend visitors where time is at a premium.

One question that may have some relevance is where are you staying ?

[shardian]

Holy crap! I didn't realize the C-N Tower was so damn expensive now. I was there in 1996, and IIRC it was $20 or so.

It is interesting, but is NOT worth the price of a Disneyworld ticket.

[ChadTower]

A Disneyworld ticket is a lot more than that now too.

[CheffoJeffo]

The $64 is the price for the pass to 6 different attractions -- CN Tower, Hockey Hall of Fame, Casa Loma, Toronto Zoo, Royal Ontario Museum and the Ontario Science Centre.

Other than the CN Tower and the HHF (both downtown and within walking distance of each other) the ROM is worth a visit (if you're into museums and are downtown) and the Science Centre is cool (but is more geared for kids and is about 30 minutes North of downtown). The Zoo is a fair hike across town and has been undergoing renovation. Casa Loma is "Canada's formost castle" and is a few minutes north of the downtown core on the subway line (I haven't been there since the 80s and have never had an interest in returning).

I just noticed that Casa Loma lists the CityPass at C$59 ...

http://www.casaloma.org/Main/MainDyn.asp

If you are downtown and near the CN Tower, there is, I understand, a small arcade in Union Station (is constantly referred to by the local pinheads) and there used to be one in the CN Tower (according to the website it is still there).

[shardian]

The $64 is the price for the pass to 6 different attractions -- CN Tower, Hockey Hall of Fame, Casa Loma, Toronto Zoo, Royal Ontario Museum and the Ontario Science Centre.

If you are downtown and near the CN Tower, there is, I understand, a small arcade in Union Station (is constantly referred to by the local pinheads) and there used to be one in the CN Tower (according to the website it is still there).

Ah, then $64 isn't that bad. I thought you meant just the tower was that price. I remember there being an arcade out back of the C-N tower, near the huge McDonalds. It was underground, and pretty good sized. I would be shocked if it was still there.

[CCM]

Interesting ... buying direct from the folks at the tower (or online) is C$64

http://www.cntower.ca/portal/SmartDefault.aspx?at=843

I dunno what to advise for you -- I've lived here for 20 years now and Toronto is a great city with tons to do. But, most of the stuff I have ever been interested in has been small venues and not the type of thing that I would recommend to weekend visitors where time is at a premium.

One question that may have some relevance is where are you staying ?

Damn,  I don't remember what website I was looking at, but 64 is much better than 100!!

We are staying at the Westin Harbour Castle.

[CheffoJeffo]

Nice location to stay -- I used to live in the condos across the street (where the stupid broken eggbeater sculpture is ... you'll know it when you see it).

The one thing that I will suggest is that Captain John's (restaurant on the boat beside the Westin) isn't all that great (it's not terrible, but I lived across the street for 5 years and ate there once in all that time -- the day that I moved in because friends through it would be fun).

The Guvernment (formerly known as RPM, for old folks like me) isn't a bad nite spot (it was the cool alternative club when I first moved here back in '87 and I there last year) and is walking distance to the hotel:

http://www.theguvernment.com/

[RayB]

For just the guys? You go to the Zanzibar, (icky strip club), and then when the new Hulk movie is out you can point it out to everybody and say how you were there!

[BobbyG66]

If you go to the CN Tower, make sure you go when the weather is nice.
The last two times I was there it was either snowing or raining.

I went to the Science center northeast of town.
It was just the wife and I, we saw the Titanic exibit, that was cool.
The rest of the place is mostly geared towards kids.
Plus you had to go down 5 escalators and three floors to find anything.
It was built on a side of a mountain, very weird.
But not weird enough to be cool. 

[CCM]

I think we're gonna hit the CN Tower on Saturday.  The weather is supposed to be pretty crappy tomorrow.

[RayB]

I think we're gonna hit the CN Tower on Saturday.  The weather is supposed to be pretty crappy tomorrow.

Then what? That outing will use up just a couple hours of your time (if that).

[CCM]

Well, we got back last night from Toronto and we had a great time. 

The funniest thing was the guy that brought our bags to the room came in, turned on the lights for us, looked out the window and said, 'See that restaurant on the boat down there?  Don't go to it, it's horrible.'

My buddy and I went to the hockey hall of fame and then a few bars on Friday while the women shopped at Eaton Centre.  We went to Gretzky's bar and to the Loose Moose.  The bars on Friday were packed by 4pm, lots of people out before the first Blue Jay's home game of the season.

Saturday all 4 of us went to the Distillery District, the Market area, and the CN Tower.

We never made it to the Guvernment, but we did make a stop at Zanzibar.   

All-in-all a great time, a little pricey, but fun!