The Distillery Historic District
The collection of 44 stone and red-brick buildings that began life as the early 19th-century Gooderham and Worts Distillery (once the largest in the British Empire) has been re-cast as a new arts and cultural district to rival the likes of Boston's Faneuil Hall and Vancouver's Granville Island. What is perhaps the best preserved example of Victorian industrial architecture on the continent is now a 5.3-hectare (13-acre), brick-paved pedestrian precinct of restaurants, galleries, boutiques, cafes, artists studios and a brewery, enlivened throughout the summer by a host of cultural and arts festivals and events. Tours of the site cover themes like architecture, galleries, a cinema (which was, for many years, used as a location for shooting films) and brewery.

55 Mill Street (corner of Parliament Street)
Tel: (416) 364 1177; tours 1 866 405 8687.
Website: www.thedistillerydistrict.com
Opening hours: varies according to individual venue.
Free admission.

Toronto Islands
Located in Toronto Harbour, facing the downtown skyline, the Toronto Islands have long been regarded as a place for leisure and relaxation. They did not become islands, however, until 1858, when a storm caused a rift between the then peninsula and the mainland. Over the years, the main islands (Wards Island, Centre Island and Hanlan's Point) were popular resort areas and included the baseball park where Babe Ruth hit his first professional home run. In the last 50 years, as a 230-hectare (568-acre) public park, the islands have become popular picnicking places. Facilities include designated picnic areas (with fire pits), wading pools, softball diamonds, beaches, a farm, plenty of restaurants and the Centreville Amusement Park. Today, the islands offer an ideal outdoor environment in which to take a waterside walk, relax at a cafe or enjoy an unparalleled view of the city's skyline. The islands are only accessible by ferry.

Toronto Harbour
Tel: (416) 392 8193 (ferry information).
Website: www.toronto.ca/parks/island/index.htm

Centreville Amusement Park
Centre Island
Tel: (416) 203 0405.
Website: www.centreisland.ca
Opening hours: Hours vary. Call ahead for details.
Admission charge.

Canada's Wonderland
Located in the northern suburb of Maple, Canada's Wonderland is, as its name suggests, an amusement park. Although not on quite the same scale as a Disney or Universal outfit, it nevertheless features over 200 attractions on its 121 hectares (300 acres) of landscaped grounds and 8-hectare (20-acre) waterpark. There are more than 60 rides, including, 'Drop Tower', ‘Jet Scream', ‘Scooby-Doo's Haunted Mansion' and ‘Shockwave'. In 2008 ‘Behemoth', Canada's largest rollercoaster, opened. There is also a Nickleodeon Central theme area for kids.

9580 Jane Street (Highway 400, exit 33)
Tel: (905) 832 8131.
Website: www.canadas-wonderland.com
Opening hours: Daily 1000-2200 (Jun-Aug); Sat and Sun 1000-2000 (May, Sep and Oct).
Admission charge.