Parkwood National Historic site is a great place to visit for their well informed tours of the…read moremansion, their beautiful gardens to admire, and/or at their tea House cafe near the fountains for afternoon tea or lunch. Who knew deep in our history, GM company started with the McLaughlin family. This museum is a gem in the middle of Oshawa, Ontario, that is a must visit at least once.

This review is based off a garden lunch visit. TLDR: Grounds are gorgeous but food isn't worth it…read more Yes - The grounds are gorgeous - tons of green space and beautifully managed landscape and gardens. It's a fantastic ecosystem for bees and small animals. Didn't love how far the bathroom was from the tea house/ garden restaurant (literally was offered a go cart ride), so go before you think you really need to. Service at the tea house was alright. Despite having many staff, it felt a bit hard to flag them down at times. We noticed too that they weren't too kind to people who didn't have reservations despite having a few empty tables that stayed empty for our entire dining time. I felt they could have offered to make a reservation with them on the spot or just apologized. Not everyone knows about this spot until they are on the grounds for a walk. The food itself wasn't really worth it. We ordered a few mocktails which were wildly sweet, but refreshing for this hot hot day. We ordered the poke bowl and it was pretty good. A lot of fresh veggies mixed in the bowl and flavour was light. Good and refreshing for a hot summer day by the beautiful garden fountain. The salmon soba noodles was not quite the same. My salmon was a bit dry which is either because it was over cooked or just refrigerated for too long. It's served cold. The soba noodles did not hold well. You can see in my photos that the noodles were basically just stuck in these hard chunks. Not twirlable at all and quite stiff. It was not great.. I was very disappointed. At that price point, you'd think they could atleast whip up fresh noodles for you. It was even more disappointing that they didn't even apologize or make any offers to salvage the experience. They just didn't seem to care much. It's a beautiful place but they're certainly not a great dining experience. It is incredible as an idea though so maybe just make a reservation to have a drink by the fountain.

The Canadian Automotive Museum is a hidden gem in downtown Oshawa. Housed in a historic 1920s…read moredealership, its two floors showcase over 75 rare vehicles, including Lightning McQueen and Canada's first hybrid. While slightly cramped, the informative displays and friendly staff make it an essential stop for history buffs.

The building is not the best, with many pillars blocking your view, no elevator and cars placed…read morevery close together (sometimes behind one another, making viewing hard), but if you like old cars this is a great destination. There's a lot of information provided and most are lovingly restored. There's even a replica Model T / tiny McLaughlin-Buck you/your kids can sit in. Most cars are from the first half of the 20th century, with almost none from the 70s and later so if that is your interest adjust your expectations.

I enjoy unexpected finds. My friend and I were hanging out at Lakeview Park Beach for the first…read moretime. We were walking around and found Oshawa Museum. It's seamlessly integrated with the park, steps away from the beach. During the pandemic, the museum is closed. I'd love to come back and check out the museum itself. The roof over to the main entrance has a low clearance. I barely got in there without slouching. I'd guess that it's a six-foot clearance. If you're tall, take note or you'll bang your head on it easily. Although you can't go inside the museum, we did an outdoor, self-guided tour. It can be done. We had a great time figuring things out and learning together. There were plenty of signs and historical plaque to help us out. The Wilson family was Oshawa's first pioneers back in 1790. Captain Benjamin Wilson headed over to Oshawa with his family from Vermont. There is a blue spruce tree planted in their honour. We then came across Guy House. Named after James Odgers Guy, he immigrated with his parents from England to Canada. His parents owned a farm and ultimately bred ayrshires (cattle). James married and raised seven children, and settled at what we now know as Guy House. He built a coal dealership in Oshawa, and grain elevators in Brooklin and Myrtle. He also held a bunch of community positions. There's also Henry House. Named after Thomas Henry, he moved from Ireland to Canada with his wife and seven children back in 1811. They purchased a farm that is now Lakeview Park. He remarried after his first wife died of consumption. Thomas became an ordained minister. He build a stone house, which is still in Lakeview Park. There's a cool shed that makes up Oshawa Museum. Oshawa is known for its manufacturing history. The museum is nicely maintained. We spent some time admiring the sundial and buggy in Henry House's backyard. Pretty flowers were blooming everywhere. There was not a single dandelion is sight. Impressive! We had a great time exploring, reading, and learning. It was nice to do all of it on a warm summer evening. I hope to return and go into the houses when the museum reopens. (262)

From the owner: For over 60 years, the Oshawa Museum (OM) has celebrated our City's history with engaging events,…read moreinspiring exhibits, and an immense collection of archival materials. Nestled on the shores of Lake Ontario in beautiful Lakeview Park, the OM tells the story of Oshawa from Indigenous inhabitants to present day. Home to Oshawa's history, the OM is managed by the Oshawa Historical Society.

Huge! We did 2 sections:…read more1. European household goods. Educational. Relaxing. 2. Dinosaurs. A massive exhibit. The best I have ever seen. $68.93 CAD for admission for 2. $9.60 CAD for coffee and hot chocolate.

ROM was such a large and informative museum. There were a lot of exhibition rooms we saw but still…read moreseveral we missed given how big this place was. We spent a good few hours here before we were mentally spent. A really cool museum with a ton of history and artifacts.

Celebrated birthday here for the first time . Place was not packed just the day was very hot …read more Staff was friendly and very nice with the kids

What to do with your kids during the pandemic? Pickering village museum has hosted a slew of…read moreprograms and one that caught our eyes was this fairy garden/home tours. It was reservation based and everything was set up outdoors with mask mandate in place. We opted for a night slot so we could see the lights better but when we got there, it was such a cold night that we had hard time seeing the fairy homes through our fogged up glasses. Nonetheless, what we could see was magical and beautiful. The tour is self guided using a pre-recorded narration on a device provided by the museum. They also supply you with a map and a stamp card which you can stamp at each fairy house you visit. It was a great fun for my daughter to find these stamps at each fairy houses. Once you find all the stamps, the little ones get a small surprise which was a nice touch! I think we would like to try for a day time tour next year so we can spend more time observing the houses in the daylight.

We had an excellent visit. 1. Paul McCartneys photos from…read more1963-64. A must for this Beatles fan. 2. Canadian modern art. Stretches the brain. 3. Henry Moore sculpture garden. $60 CAD for admission for 2 $8 coat check for 2 $13.95 for coffee and pastry

Went to this Art Gallery on the first Wednesday of the month and took advantage of the free entry…read more It is free only in the evening. There is a mandatory bag check (around $4) even if the bag is small. So don't bring any bags or backpacks if you want to avoid the fee. Free tours are offered by volunteers, check at the front desk. The collection is huge so be prepared to spend the entire evening to thoroughly enjoy the visit.

I recently attended a wedding at Casa Loma and was absolutely blown away. The service was…read moreexceptional from start to finish. The staff was professional, attentive, and incredibly accommodating. The castle itself felt like something out of a fairy tale. The outdoor tent was stunning, and every detail of the grounds added to the experience. Between the beautiful waterfall, lawn games, signature drinks, and breathtaking views, there was always something to enjoy. The food was far beyond what you would expect from a typical wedding menu. My husband ordered the Chilean sea bass, and I had the ribeye. Both were cooked perfectly and absolutely delicious. My favorite appetizers were the coconut shrimp, dumplings, and burger sliders. Every bite was memorable. I also appreciated how well maintained the venue was throughout the event. The restrooms remained clean and fully stocked all evening, which says a lot about the level of care and attention to detail. Casa Loma was beautiful during the day, but it became truly magical after sunset. I would love to return for a daytime tour to experience the castle in a completely different way. If you're ever visiting Toronto, I highly recommend checking out the restaurant or attending an event here. If the restaurant menu is anything like what was served at the wedding, you're in for a treat. 10/10 experience. The food, service, and atmosphere were unforgettable.

If you are a history buff and like to see architecture and interior choices of the rich I would…read morerecommend this place. At most looking at everything takes about 2 hours. The rooms are cool and the info displayed for each zone is riveting. The best moment I had was being downstairs where the stables were and seeing Lady Pellatt's wedding dress. I talked with the museum attendant who shared an interest in sewing and we discussed clothing choices of the time. The only complaint is with the bathrooms. I got there when it opened and used the bathroom early on. I must know, why was there fecal particles on the toilet seat already? So my only critique is that the public bathrooms need to be cleaned better.