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The Atlas Obscura Guide To Ontario

173 Cool, Hidden, and Unusual Things to Do in Ontario

Updated November 1, 2024

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  1. Aurora
  2. Cambridge
  3. Cloyne
  4. Guelph
  5. Hamilton
  6. London
  7. Niagara Falls
  8. Niagara On The Lake
  9. Ottawa
  10. Sault Ste. Marie
  11. Sudbury
  12. Tobermory
  13. Toronto

Unusual Attractions in Ontario

See All 173 Things To Do in Ontario

Cool Places to Eat & Drink in Ontario

See all 7 Places to Eat in Ontario
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Architecture 25
Museums 17
Architectural Oddities 14
Parks 13
Monuments 11
Statues 11
History & Culture 10
Animals 9

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Stories About Ontario

A potential source of the mysterious Windsor Hum.

Podcast: Atlas Obscura Presents 'Windsor Hum' From Twenty Thousand Hertz

In 2011, residents on the U.S.-Canadian border started hearing a strange rumbling noise.
by The Podcast Team
Tiger tail ice cream features an unlikely but harmonious merger of black licorice, orange, and dairy.

Make Tiger Tail Ice Cream With Gastro Obscura

Recreating a vintage Canadian classic.
by Andrew Coletti

These Intrepid Surfers Chill Out Riding the Great Lakes' Wintry Waves

Stressing the need for proper gear and training, members of this close-knit community say their sport gets them through the long, cold season.
by Eden Arielle Gordon
The calm waters of McGreevy Harbor, in the Slate Islands, belie a violent meteorite strike 450 million years ago that led to the archipelago's formation.

These Tranquil Canadian Islands Are Remnants of a Violent Space Rock Impact

Lake Superior's Slate Islands are home to what's likely the world's largest shatter cone, evidence of an explosive event 450 million years ago.
by Demetria Dickinson
Lake Superior batters a Minnesota shoreline.

Are the Great Lakes Really Inland Seas?

Well, yes. And no. Actually, it depends on where you stand, in more ways than one.
by Gemma Tarlach
"The Perfect Little Ladies" was a social club of single women in Rochester, New York, who chose friendship and careers over marriage and motherhood. They loved exploring the outdoors and several of them bought islands in Georgian Bay in the early 1900s.

A Paradise for Single Ladies

These adventurous turn-of-the-century women announced their independence by buying their own islands in Ontario's Georgian Bay.
by Anya Jabour
Canoes are the traditional vehicles for gathering wild rice.

The Cross-Border Indigenous Battle for Wild Rice

In the Great Lakes region, what some consider a weed is actually a sacred seed.
by Darcy Rhyno
An oil spill experiment from summer 2018.

Meet the Scientists Who Pollute Lakes on Purpose

For half a century, researchers have been spilling chemicals in the waters of northwestern Ontario.
by Chloe Williams

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