In Toronto August 18 Any Suggestions for what to do?

[Either]

We're only there for the afternoon and the evening and I've checked the freebies section.
I think we're opting out of the CNE unless there are free tickets somewhere, but we did find free tickets for the consumer fitness and wellness show.
I've been checking out the ttc and the Saturday Daypass is a great deal, but we need to be near union station for the end of the day.

So that all being said, any suggestions?

What's the bata shoe museum like? and is it worth the trek to the science center if you're not a kid?

[wilsonlam97]

Go to wonderland? If your not too old.

[sandikosh]

Visit the CN Tower.

[Insider]

have you been to Toronto before? just walk around the downtown core, it's free and you'll probably still enjoy yourself without really 'doing anything'

[Simaahoy]

Eaton center, dundas square, check out Cn tower and walk by the pathway along lake ontario :)

[flashy_mcflash]

There's a big street fair (http://bloorcourt.com/arts-and-crafts-fair) along Bloor that day. Could be fun. I'd be there if I wasn't in Muskoka meeting with my fellow HNWMB's that weekend.

http://bloorcourt.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/BloorcourtFest_poster20121-668x1024.jpg

[appleb]

I would skip the Science Center, it isn't that great and it's pretty far from Union. Transit would easily take at least an hour each way.

[yao416]

Kensington market

[viss]

Would definitely check out Kensington market and China town for some REAL grimey Toronto goodness.

About 5-10 minutes walk from China town is the AGO (Art Gallery of Ontario) and OCAD (Ontario College of Art & Design). Interesting architecture situated there and the neighbourhood where the famous Frank Gehry grew up! There's also a nice park where you can just lay and enjoy the sun.

And then across the street (Baldwin St.) is a whole slew of quirky, fun independently owned restaurants. You'll find a lot of Torontonians there.

The Bata shoe museum is alright. But there is some shopping around that area, so if you like shoes and shopping (slightly towards the pricier side), you might enjoy the Yorkville, Yonge/Bloor area. Some nice restaurants there.

[iEyeCaptain]

Chinatown TD branch.

[RolandCouch]

If the Ex ticket prices are too much for you....I don't know what to recommend.

[X820]

Walk around downtown and then go get some foods!

[Either]

We're going to the CN tower the previous week, before we head out to relatives.
I'd love to go to wonderland, but it's way too far away.
flashy_mcflash that is totally what I'm looking for! Thanks a bucnch! Gives us an opportunity to go on the subway and it's going fairly late as well.
I'm also getting the feeling that I need to go to Kensington market and/or china town.

[Psubs]

We're going to the CN tower the previous week, before we head out to relatives.
I'd love to go to wonderland, but it's way too far away.
flashy_mcflash that is totally what I'm looking for! Thanks a bucnch! Gives us an opportunity to go on the subway and it's going fairly late as well.
I'm also getting the feeling that I need to go to Kensington market and/or china town.

Walk along Queens Quay. The ice cream place on the east side of the Queens Quay terminal is soooooo delicious. Walk along the boardwalk. There is usually international, just west of there. We also found churros by the road.

[raps4lyfe]

buy some Nestea if your hometown is out of stock, apparently its been all the rage for the past few days

[kuhai2001]

Chinatown TD branch.

Why Lol?

[wilsonlam97]

buy some Nestea if your hometown is out of stock, apparently its been all the rage for the past few days

Don't let foreigner touch our T. stock.

[Cafe_333]

Since you're seeing the CN Tower a week before, you should also know that the Rogers Center is right beside it where the Toronto Blue Jays play and of note is the first sports venue with a fully retractable roof. If you follow down east on Bremner Blvd, you'll also see the Air Canada Center where the Toronto Maple Leafs play.

If you want to do sight seeing around Toronto, from Union Station, find your way outside on to the northeast side of Bay & Front. Stop inside of Brookfield Place (formerly known as BCE Place and every local still calls it BCE Place) to check out the Allen Lambert Galleria which is a must see for any Toronto sight-seer (image (http://wvs.topleftpixel.com/photos/2007/01/BCE-place_pano_tall_01.jpg)). Head back up north along Bay street for a couple blocks until you've reached King street. This is our Financial District. Walk around if you like but not a lot to see. At the northwest corner of King & Bay is First Canadian Place. Go inside and find your way to the lower level because it is part of an underground network known as the PATH (image (http://www.tampabay.com/multimedia/archive/00097/lat_underground_1213_97728c.jpg)). The PATH is the world's largest underground shopping complex according to Guinness World Records and rivaling the size of the West Edmonton Mall - and it's completely underground. If you'd like a map, you can download one (here (http://www.toronto.ca/path/)). Find your way through the PATH to the Roy Thompson Hall and get back on to street level where you'll be entering the Theater District. If you get lost, the Roy Thompson Hall is at the southwest corner of King & Simcoe street and it's where the Toronto Symphony Orchestra play (image (http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a2/Roy_Thomson_Hall_Toronto.jpg)). Continue west along King street and you'll find other theaters as well as several affordable popular restaurants.

When you reach Spadina ave, go north and you'll be entering the Fashion District, but it doesn't really get interesting until you reach queen street and walk east to check out our famous street shops. Half a block in, you'll see the famous Much Music building at Queen & John street (image (http://dylanpask.com/sk/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/CTVBuilding1-500x333.jpg)). It is also the site of the Much Music Video Awards (image (http://www.quadrangle.ca/uploads/ribbon-299-queen-1.jpg)). Be sure to check out this famous artwork of a news truck coming through the wall in the parking lot of this building (image (http://www.boldts.net/photos/CityPulse.jpeg)). When you reach Queen & University ave, on the northwest corner you'll see the historic Canada Life building (image (http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c8/1Canada_Life_Building.jpg/489px-1Canada_Life_Building.jpg)). It is Canada's oldest, and at the time largest, insurance company. On the southeast corner of Queen & University you'll see the new Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts which is a dedicated opera house for the Canadian Opera company (image (http://wvs.topleftpixel.com/photos/2007/06/COC_four-seasons_14709-Edit.jpg)). On the northeast side of this same intersection, walk about 2 minutes and you'll see Nathan Phillips Square where our City Hall is (image (http://wvs.topleftpixel.com/photos/2010/07/cityhall_nps_jazz-fest_01.jpg)). Following that on Bay street is the Old City Hall (image (http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8a/Toronto_-_ON_-_Old_City_Hall.jpg)) which is now a courthouse, but its stunning architecture is similar to that of the Parliament Buildings in Ottawa.

Keep going east along Queen for another half a block, just before Yonge Street, you will see the entrance to the Toronto Eaton Center (image (http://media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/photo-s/02/82/47/08/toronto-eaton-centre.jpg)) which is toronto's top tourist attraction in terms of tourist numbers. It also recently renovated its food court. If you cut through Sears at the end of the mall and exit to the street level, you will be right across from Yonge-Dundas Square. Yonge-Dundas Square is our less extravagant version of New York's Times Square (image1 (http://wvs.topleftpixel.com/photos/2007/05/dundas-square_fountains_evening_tall_wide_01.jpg), image2 (http://amdcollective.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/IMG_1330.jpg), image3 (http://torontoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/20111211ledbillboards1.jpg)). From here depending on time, you can either take the subway back to Union Station or walk west along Dundas to reach Chinatown (Dundas & Spadina), but there's not much to see or do there unless you want to see what it's all about.

Once you make it back to Union Station and find you have an hour to kill, the Queen's Quay area specifically the Waterfront Trail is very nice for an evening stroll. Never seen it during the day though, I prefer evening scenery when all the lights come on. It's quite a bit south of Union Station if you have time for it.

[Forhad]

Canadian artist Max Dean shares his massive collection of photo albums with the public, in this new multi-part exhibit at the Art Gallery of Ontario on August 18,

[Either]

Cafe_333 I've just got to say, WOW! That's a lot of info. I needed a map to follow that, so I think I'll print it out for future reference
This is only my third time with free time in Toronto. The first time I walked and walked down yonge, (should've taken the subway), then went through every possible trail in the PATH system including the Eaton centre. I loved the PATH! It's so easy to follow and has maps along the way. I really liked the compass rose on the ceiling.
My second time I did the ROM, finally went on the subway (loved it). Did a whole bunch of random walking down bloor st w, then followed a high school tour group to get to the waterfront.
I really think I need to walk down the waterfront trail. I wandered around Toronto island for like 4 or 5 hours, totally ran out of time, otherwise I would go back in a heartbeat. (end of April is a fantastic time to go to the island, not many people other than islanders, empty beach front, but so pretty. I really should've rented a bike. It was so much bigger than I thought it would be.

[flashy_mcflash]

Oh! If you want to go to the island, there's a little art/music festival (http://wavelengthtoronto.com/show/2012/06/all-caps-island-festival-2012) there too this weekend. It's not free though.

http://wavelengthtoronto.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/node_image/ALLCAPS2012_poster_0.jpg

[sprung]

Ontario Summer Games happening that weekend (I'm volunteering). Lots of sports to check out Aug 18 all over the city. (http://ontariosummergames.ca/schedule/multiview/index.html)

[Toukolou]

Since you're seeing the CN Tower a week before, you should also know that the Rogers Center is right beside the it where the Toronto Blue Jays play and of note is the first sports venue with a fully retractable roof. If you follow down east on Bremner Blvd, you'll also see the Air Canada Center where the Toronto Maple Leafs play.

If you want to do sight seeing around Toronto, from Union Station, find your way outside on to the northeast side of Bay & Front. Stop inside of Brookfield Place (formerly known as BCE Place and every local still calls it BCE Place) to check out the Allen Lambert Galleria which is a must see for any Toronto sight-seer (image (http://wvs.topleftpixel.com/photos/2007/01/BCE-place_pano_tall_01.jpg)). Head back up north along Bay street for a couple blocks until you've reached King street. This is our Financial District. Walk around if you like but not a lot to see. At the northwest corner of King & Bay is First Canadian Place. Go inside and find your way to the lower level because it is part of an underground network known as the PATH (image (http://www.tampabay.com/multimedia/archive/00097/lat_underground_1213_97728c.jpg)). The PATH is the world's largest underground shopping complex according to Guinness World Records and rivaling the size of the West Edmonton Mall - and it's completely underground. If you'd like a map, you can download one (here (http://www.toronto.ca/path/)). Find your way through the PATH to the Roy Thompson Hall and get back on to street level where you'll be entering the Theater District. If you get lost, the Roy Thompson Hall is at the southwest corner of King & Simcoe street and it's where the Toronto Symphony Orchestra play (image (http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a2/Roy_Thomson_Hall_Toronto.jpg)). Continue west along King street and you'll find other theaters as well as several affordable popular restaurants.

When you reach Spadina ave, go north and you'll be entering the Fashion District, but it doesn't really get interesting until you reach queen street and walk east to check out our famous street shops. Half a block in, you'll see the famous Much Music building at Queen & John street (image (http://dylanpask.com/sk/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/CTVBuilding1-500x333.jpg)). It is also the site of the Much Music Video Awards (image (http://www.quadrangle.ca/uploads/ribbon-299-queen-1.jpg)). Be sure to check out this famous artwork of a news truck coming through the wall in the parking lot of this building (image (http://www.boldts.net/photos/CityPulse.jpeg)). When you reach Queen & University ave, on the northwest corner you'll see the historic Canada Life building (image (http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c8/1Canada_Life_Building.jpg/489px-1Canada_Life_Building.jpg)). It is Canada's oldest, and at the time largest, insurance company. On the southeast corner of Queen & University you'll see the new Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts which is a dedicated opera house for the Canadian Opera company (image (http://wvs.topleftpixel.com/photos/2007/06/COC_four-seasons_14709-Edit.jpg)). On the northeast side of this same intersection, walk about 2 minutes and you'll see Nathan Phillips Square where our City Hall is (image (http://wvs.topleftpixel.com/photos/2010/07/cityhall_nps_jazz-fest_01.jpg)). Following that on Bay street is the Old City Hall (image (http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8a/Toronto_-_ON_-_Old_City_Hall.jpg)) which is now a courthouse, but its stunning architecture is similar to that of the Parliament Buildings in Ottawa.

Keep going east along Queen for another half a block, just before Yonge Street, you will see the entrance to the Toronto Eaton Center (image (http://media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/photo-s/02/82/47/08/toronto-eaton-centre.jpg)) which is toronto's top tourist attraction in terms of tourist numbers. It also recently renovated its food court. If you cut through Sears at the end of the mall and exit to the street level, you will be right across from Yonge-Dundas Square. Yonge-Dundas Square is our less extravagant version of New York's Times Square (image1 (http://wvs.topleftpixel.com/photos/2007/05/dundas-square_fountains_evening_tall_wide_01.jpg), image2 (http://amdcollective.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/IMG_1330.jpg), image3 (http://torontoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/20111211ledbillboards1.jpg)). From here depending on time, you can either take the subway back to Union Station or walk west along Dundas to reach Chinatown (Dundas & Spadina), but there's not much to see or do there unless you want to see what it's all about.

Once you make it back to Union Station and find you have an hour to kill, the Queen's Quay area specifically the Waterfront Trail is very nice for an evening stroll. Never seen it during the day though, I prefer evening scenery when all the lights come on. It's quite a bit south of Union Station if you have time for it.
What are you, a tour guide?

[wilsonlam97]

Oh! If you want to go to the island, there's a little art/music festival (http://wavelengthtoronto.com/show/2012/06/all-caps-island-festival-2012) there too this weekend. It's not free though.

http://wavelengthtoronto.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/node_image/ALLCAPS2012_poster_0.jpg

Boring!