Tourist attractions can get a bad rap among travelers. Some of them are notorious traps designed to fleeces visitor’s wallets when they stop by. But others live up to the hype, and the CN Tower in Downtown Toronto is certainly one of them.
Downtown Toronto
Being the biggest city in Canada brings a lot of fun to Toronto. It’s located on the western end of Lake Ontario, and is part of a region known as the Golden Horseshoe. This takes in other major urbans centers and attractions like Niagara Falls.
Downtown Toronto in particular is filled with an impressive number of fun travel options. Rogers Centre, the home of the Toronto Blue Jays is there, as is the Scotiabank Arena which hosts both the Toronto Raptors and the Toronto Maple Leafs.
The Metro Toronto Convention Centre is also in Downtown. It hosts hundreds of events annually, including Fan Expo Canada which bring in tens of thousands of pop culture fans. And right next door to that is Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada.
In addition to all of those major attractions, Downtown Toronto is overflowing with restaurants, stores and a seemingly endless array of incredible arts and culture venues. Plus, it’s all on the shores of one of the Great Lakes.
The CN Tower
Downtown Toronto’s biggest draw, both figuratively and literally, is the CN Tower. Standing at a height of well over 1800 feet, it remains the largest freestanding structure on land in the Western Hemisphere.
Visitors take an elevator with a glass wall up the side of the CN Tower, allowing them to take in the incredible view as soon as possible. Once at the top, those views just get better. It has a 360 degree exterior viewing platform that gives you incredible looks at Toronto as well as Lake Ontario.
A second viewing area called the SkyPod above the Main Pod is higher up, offering views all the way to Niagara Falls and into New York state on clear days. If you’re feeling daring, the Main Pod also has the EdgeWalk which allows visitors to walk outside of it. Securely, of course.
The CN Tower also has three dining experiences, two in the Main Pod and one at the base of the Tower. 360 Restaurant has a wonderful dining experience combined with a revolving view of the city. If you’re going to make the trip up, getting a bite to eat while you’re there isn’t a bad idea.
The neighborhood
Existing in Downtown Toronto puts the CN Tower at the heart of a thriving tourist area. Rogers Centre, Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada, Metro Toronto Convention Centre and CN Tower are all within a few minutes walk of each other.
But those are the biggest attractions. That doesn’t even take into account everything else that Downtown Toronto has to offer. There are numerous live theaters, not to mention great shopping in Kensington Market or St. Lawrence Market. And there are numerous hotels to stay at.
A visit to the CN Tower isn’t necessarily for everyone but it can be a great addition to any trip. The view is amazing, day or night, and it’s at the center of some of the best attractions Downtown Toronto has to offer. It might be touristy, but it’s the good kind of touristy.