It was Father's Day that our family went to downtown together. We also went to this museum. The…read moremuseum was renovating part of the Garden, we couldn't visit the Green House. Because they have a special program that weekend for Queer celebration and exhibition, we couldn't go upstairs, only main floor and the basement (gift shop) that were open. It was not that much could be visited this weekend. I think I would go again to visit another 2 floors upstairs. The Garden was highly recommended. It was big and nice, like a forest, and also quiet. Can you believe that it is a building within downtown but quiet?! It definitely like Alice in Wonderland!

Now this is a great historic house to visit in Toronto. Each room is intentionally decorated and…read morecurated, the story of the family is engaging, and the two times I've been the guides have been fantastic. This is a less busy and more immersive experience than Casa Loma

If you're going to see Graffiti Alley, take the tour. I enjoy photographing street art. I learned a…read morelot about the history, styles, and etiquette (yes, there's 'rules') of graffiti. Jennifer was a great guide.

Had a great tour with Jennifer covering the downtown business district. She was thoroughly…read moreknowledgeable, professional, and engaging. We were sorry the tour had to end!

I surprised the Mrs. with this tour as an Anniversary gift. She wasn't enthused at first but my…read morerationale was for us to do something different as we both enjoy beer. However, our beer knowledge is limited to Coors Light and Corona so this tour will give us an opportunity to learn more about this concoction. We didn't quite know what to expect on this tour as it was rainy and a bit cold (not bad for a late October day however). We met the group and our guide in front of Steamwhistle Brewery at 11am. Our guide Noah (AKA Chris) was there to greet us. Along with my wife and I, there were 7 other people that were there to be part of the tour. Noah introduced himself, took us inside and led us upstairs where he told us about the company and Oliver, a little bit of a beer history of Toronto and what we will be doing on this tour. BTW, as soon as you arrive upstairs, they provide you with a beer. This is a sign for things to come... A guide from Steamwhistle, Dan, came to tell us about the company and lead us to a tour of the facility. This took approximately 40 minutes and once we came back to the room upstairs, Noah had lunch prepared for us. Lunch consisted of charcuterie: Pretzels buns, assorted meats and cheeses. Let's just say nobody was disappointed as it was very good. Then, we left and hopped into a yellow school bus. This was going to be our mode of transportation for the rest of the tour. Our driver Clem (I believe that was his name) was awesome. Our next stop was Fort York. Noah took us to a little tour of the museum and explain to us the history of Toronto in the 1800's and its relation with beer. No beer tasting in this stop. Afterwards, we went to a driving tour of Corktown and its history. This particular section of the tour wasn't long for us but it depends on the Downtown traffic. It wasn't bad for us. Later, we were dropped off at the Distillery District. We went to Izumi or Ontario Spring Water Sake Company first to taste some Sake. A worker from Izumi, Godfrey, told us about the company and the process of making Sake. We got to sample 3 different types of Sake: Nama-Nama, Genshu and Teion Sakura. Our second stop within the Distillery was Mill St. pub. where Noah offered us the different types of beers that Mill St. offers and the how it differs from each other via process and taste. We had some pretzels bites for appetizers. Then we had some time to explore the Distillery before leaving for our last stop. The manufacturing facility is in Scarborough so therefore it is out of the way. We departed the Distillery for Amsterdam Brewery in Leaside. Here, as Noah warned us earlier, the beers come fast and hard. There's no tour of the facility because they only have it twice a day and it doesn't fit this tour. However, Noah led us with the sampling of around 7 (I believe) Amsterdam beers. The most interesting one was Fracture. My wife and I took part of the optional meal at the Granite Brewery in Yonge and Eglinton. A full meal with another sampling of 4 beers. Noah was a great guide. He was knowledgeable, funny and friendly. He made sure to keep our group relaxed and focused at the same time. He was also time conscious which is a must leading a tour group. He made sure that we were all enjoying the tour plus he was very quick to learn all of our names. This tour goes from 11am to 6pm so be prepared but they have staggered the stops at a perfect pace that you never feel like you are in a rush to get to another location. This tour is not cheap but it's worth it. You will sample more than enough beer and I don't think anyone from our group felt that they were not giving us enough beer at any time. Actually, most of us felt the opposite, that it was too much beer. You will be getting a history lesson about beer and its place in Toronto. Even though I gave 5 stars, they could improve the tour by offering more food along the stops and somehow including the tour of the Amsterdam brewery into the tour. We really don't do anything at Amsterdam besides just sit and drink the offered beers. Kudos to the Old Toronto Beer Tour Company and Noah for creating this wonderful tour and making my wife very happy! You saved me from having me sleep in the couch for a few days. Highly recommended.

We came to Toronto for my 33rd birthday. Steam whistle. Fort York. Some Saki (not for me but some…read morepeople in he group really enjoyed it) Mill St & Amsterdam brewery. Knowledgeable and fun this is a full day tour but we still very much enjoyed learning and drinking our way around Toronto. Oliver was a great guide.

I had seen ads for this place and wanted to check out their murder mystery dinner. So when my…read moreelderly father was coming to Toronto to visit for the holidays, I thought this would be the perfect gift for him. He loves old trains and murder mysteries, and I knew he'd enjoy the experience. Unfortunately we never got to have that experience. Days before we were set to go (December 14), I received an email advising that there were mechanical issues with the train and that all future services would be cancelled until further notice. I was a bit surprised because the murder mystery train was unlike the other events as it was non-moving. But I didn't know the particular issue, so I figured it was just an unfortunate situation. I don't take any stars off because of an unexpected event like this, however. The reason they get 1 star is due to the incredible poor and scam-like customer service I received after the fact. After receiving the email I wrote back and asked for a refund. I understood they had a no refunds policy if I cancelled, but this was not my doing. THEY cancelled on me. I paid over $300 for the tickets, and needed that money for my Christmas gift for my father. After a week I hadn't heard back. I figured if they had cancelled all the rides they would be busy, but I sent a follow up email after a week and asked for an update. I was simply told that because they are a small charity, they are UNABLE to give refunds and that all ticketholders would be contacted to rebook for later dates, such as their Easter train, and that any emails asking for refunds would be ignored. EXCUSE ME?! First of all, I understand you may be a small charity, but that does not mean you are legally UNABLE to give refunds. I am not asking for a DONATION to be returned, and I certainly wasn't being provided with a tax receipt. I paid for a service, and you cancelled that service. My money should be given back. I have never heard of a charity not giving money back for an event they sold tickets for and cancelled. In fact, I have purchased tickets for a charity event in the past that got cancelled due to Covid and tickets were refunded. So a blanket excuse that they're a small charity and CAN'T issue refunds is a scam. Second of all, this was a Christmas gift for an out of town guest. I do not want to rebook them for an event 4 months down the road when I don't even know if my dad will be able to come up to visit then. The fact that they bluntly stated that they won't answer any emails asking for refunds was shocking. Fortunately, I paid by credit card and was able to launch a dispute with them. It took a couple of months, but I got my money back. I never did get that email from them asking to rebook my tickets, but I suspect that could be because I got my credit card company involved. Needless to say I will NEVER be supporting this organization again, and will be spreading the word that others shouldn't either.

We booked for North Pole Express Train back in October for 7 people for the trip date of December…read more23, 2022. This cost us a total of $377.83 which is not a small amount. 3 days before the trip (On December 20, 2022), I receive an email saying that because of mechanical issues, all trips have been cancelled. That is fine since things like this happen but in the email, it is mentioned that they will rebook you for our Spring festival. The trip was booked for my family of 6 that don't live in the country but were visiting for Christmas. We can't reuse this Easter trip and they are not coming back to the country next year. I emailed them asking for a refund but I got a standard reply stating the following: "WE DO NOT ISSUE REFUNDS, as part of our terms and conditions, and any email asking for one, will not be responded to, instead a credit will be emailed to you to use to rebook in 2023." This is ridiculous. They are blatantly saying that they won't reply if we ask for a refund. I am not asking for a refund because we couldn't make it. I am asking for a refund because the organizer cancelled the event. The credit is of no use to us. This is some really shady business tactic of not issuing a refund because of their issue. I also spent money elsewhere to take my family to on the December 23rd instead. All I get is their cookie cutter response saying that they are a small registered charity, we cannot issue refunds, but will be issuing you a full credit.

The partner and I stopped by here to visit their Christmas Open House and we had a pleasant and…read moreenjoyable time looking at the handmade crafts and goods for sale. It's not a big Christmas market but I would say it's worth visiting for its charm and reasonable prices. A portion of the sales also go towards the maintenance of the historic house. They had a multitude of items, all handmade and local. We spotted knitted accessories, pottery, maple syrup, jam, baked goods, jewelry, Christmas ornaments, and much much more. We ended up picking up an adorable knitted baby bonnet for $3 and matching knitted shoes for $6! Once we had our shopping fill, we headed to the tea room for a break. The room smells very homey with the aroma of cinnamon and crackling open fire. For $10 each, you can get your choose of tea or mulled cider with a plate of cookies and baked goods. All proceeds in the tea room go towards the Bouvaird house. I got a Christmas chai and my partner got a mulled cider. The teas are stash brand but I think their mulled cider is made in house. The cider was flavourful and comforting and I would recommend it. You can also explore various rooms in the house when visiting that contain signs with educational information and facts. Admission and parking is free! Overall I really enjoyed my visit. The staff were kind and we learned that everyone is a volunteer! We were given an informational card that lists their 2023 events. I'm interested in returning for one of them and actually called a friend right after the visit to recommend they go for their Christmas shopping lol!

Historic Bovaird House is a living time capsule from Brampton's past. Come for a free tour and…read morelearn about local history. Open every Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday from Noon - 4:00 pm. Don't forget to shop for hand-crafted items in our specialty gift shop!

I recommend The Free Walking Tour of Toronto to visitors. It helped us fill in some gaps in our…read moreknowledge and see aroused some new questions too. The well-trained your guide Chloee had a binder of relevant photos and graphics. This tour is an extended "show and tell" experience. The walking pace was moderate, and the guide's voice (using a portable speaker) was audible throughout the tour. We learned about Toronto's history, geography, name, culture, and diversity. Chloee made herself available to answer questions one-on-one and also in the whole-group context. She included some suggestions for follow-up activities, including a visit to Graffiti Alley. We visited that site the same day and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.

This tour was absolutely fantastic and so much fun. This is a must do when visiting Toronto! Adam…read moreis a highly knowledgeable and educated guide but more importantly enthusiastic about the Toronto culture and overall just wonderful to listen to. I saw some of the most beautiful sites and learned wonderful history facts on the buildings and landmarks throughout the tour. My favorite was the amazing St. Lawrence Market! If you want to feel like you're getting your own personalized tour of a fantastic city and want to learn local tips about the Toronto food and drink scene then this is the tour for you. Luckily we had time to do a beer tasting and sake tasting too! I highly recommend this tour, I'll be back!

My husband and I are happy haunt enthusiasts, so we were naturally excited for this experience. The…read moreevening of, our tour guide and quiet village provided the great atmosphere for a paranormal experience...several things "happened" that at the time were believably of the supernatural. Unfortunately, after highly recommending this seemingly active tour to several people the fact came to light that several of my peers had an IDENTICAL experience down to the TIME of occurrences. Not similar. IDENTICAL. This only came to the surface, after I had asked to compare their experiences to ours. I had not shared any specifics. Being previous participants they were able to specifically state the several highlights of "communication" that occurred... My husband and I are extremely discouraged as our date night and genuine interest in the world beyond, was successfully mocked and tricked.

Night time in the Pioneer Village was already creepy enough but add the dark history told in such a…read moredelightfully wonderful way by the expert guides of the Haunted Walk and the hair will stand on the back of your neck. I strongly recommend getting tickets before the season ends.

This is a historic site often barely mentioned in passing in guidebooks and brochures for Niagara…read moreFalls, and apparently off the beaten path but not entirely hidden, it's well worth a visit (and free of charge!). Parking is not a concern since the power plant site is adjacent to the Niagara Gorge Discovery Centre/Niagara Gorge Trailhead Building and the parking lot for it. Entering the stone structure, there's a big lift ahead, which will take you right down to the ground level where you're free to explore whatever is left of the once-active power station. Walk a little further down and you'll also get a wide angle view of the Rainbow Bridge and, of course, the grand Niagara River. There are brochures, maps, coupons, and guidebooks for nearby attractions and businesses once you're back up on the upper ground level where you took the lift, and the booklet with black and white pictures about the history of the site and the disaster in 1956 is another treat.

When we first visited this site, we thought it was simply the remains of an old power plant. We…read morewere attracted to it by a call of a peregrine falcon. He was next to the building, past a fenced area, calling to other peregrines. We looked around and left. The next day we returned to look around more, and we saw a group of fishermen disappear inside. Intriguing! We followed them in. Inside was an elevator - with directions - that took us down to a shoreline. The fishermen who rode down with us told us they would walk along it to find a spot to fish. But they weren't going to keep the fish. Said they weren't good for eating. They would release whatever they caught. We saw along the wall of the base of the power plant huge panels of information about it. We also saw part of the American Falls when we walked down to the water. When we went back up, we saw a plaque in front of the building, praising those whose efforts led to hydro-electric power. Glad we stopped both days.

This is a neat little place to visit. There's display cases with some information around the…read morebuilding. Otherwise there isn't much to do, and the information is minimal. It's free but they accept donations. It was busy, but woukd take 10 minutes tops to visit. If you have the time it's worth the pop in.

This was an opportunity to get in from the heat to a cool place and learn all about old tinctures…read moreand medicines. There's also new soaps and lotions to buy to keep the place running. While we were looking around, a woman was talking to a family about the history of the place. There's enough in here to see for one hour or more. But we decided to move on.

I loved my visit to the ROM. I didn't get to see all of it, but what I did see was impressive…read more Starting with the dinosaur skeletons and then on to the antiquities, it was really enjoyable. We had a 4 year old with us so we spent a lot of time on the 2nd floor with the bees and the bats and the animals, but I enjoyed it just as much. The play area they have set up for the kids is brilliant, it engages the kids while also getting them involved in 'art' and 'design'. We made a bee out of pipe cleaners and then played in the garden area. I plan on coming back to Toronto next year and I want to come back to see what I missed.

Toronto Review 7/Many: I went to the Royal Ontario Museum as the first of many museums/exhibitions…read morewe did in the city. Apparently, tickets are cheaper if you book them online, but they were reasonable enough, with the typical discounts for seniors or kids. We added both the special exhibits, and for those interested, I would recommend one (Psychedelics) but not the other (Bees.) The first floor included the first special exhibit, "Bees: A Story of Survival," which was a collaboration/moving exhibition by the National Museums Liverpool along with Wolfgang Buttress. The exhibit covered bees in many ways, including their habits, conservation, and other topics. This was all presented in a series of corridors with many touch screens, though one of them wasn't working right. The rooms overall were pretty dark, with the whole exhibit being pretty abstract, including hives large enough for us to walk through, among other things. In the background, there was a mix of classical music and the sound of bees, but I couldn't really hear the bees, which might be a good thing, honestly. Overall, it was a bit of a letdown as it was just a bit too abstract for my liking, which was a bit of a buzzkill. Soon after, we beelined (okay, I'll stop) to the other exhibit, which was on the 4th floor. The other, much better exhibit, was "Psychedelics: Art, Culture. Science." It was a bit hard to find, as it was through an extra door which probably needs a label, but once inside, it was excellent. It was quite large and included various methods cultures have used to consume said substances, some music and other things created by said cultures, and many paintings/albums inspired by psychedelics. The exhibit also included a video portraying a "trip," which was unique and quite loud. It also ended with a nice artwork by Brian Blomerth (or should I say blometh for this exhibit/I kid,) who also has a rather trippy homepage. Outside of the two special exhibits, we went through a variety of things before getting hungry. Another exhibit I enjoyed was "Shokkan: Material Encounters in Japanese Art," which included some touchable objects and some good details and facts that I wasn't personally aware of. There was also a room that went over the various fauna and flora of Crawford Lake, and otherwise we checked out some general things. The other exhibits included suits of armor/weapons, a good mixture of dinosaurs, a more general Asian gallery (which unfortunately had a lot of background noise as they were working on another room, so we left,) and a small exhibit on Judaica. A particular highlight of the rest was a section going over various periods of European history, ranging from Baroque to Renaissance to semi-modern styles, including examples of rooms, architecture, music, and other things. While not my favorite thing we did on the trip, this was an excellent museum overall. I can see why it's so popular, and I would go back to see other exhibits so I could see the rest of the museum.