7 Free Things To Do In Toronto

Toronto isn’t exactly an inexpensive place to call home, but there are still lots of things to do here that don’t require a lot money, or even any at all. Don’t believe me? Check out these 7 free things to do in Toronto:

7. If it’s Winter, go skating.

The skating rink at Nathan Phillips Square is one of the most popular places to skate for free in the city, but it’s definitely not the only one. If you want to avoid the crowds, check out the skate path at Samuel Smith Park at Humber College’s Lakeshore campus. They have a really well maintained skate path that’s not as crowded as Nathan Phillips Sqaure, and is a much more enjoyable place to skate with your friends.

6. If it’s the Summmer, go swimming.

A lot of people are surprised to learn that most of Toronto’s public outdoor pools are free for everyone to use. There’s a few rules and schedules, like sometimes it’s adults only and sometimes it’s lap swimming only, but other than that, they’re free and available for you to use. Two of my favourites are Sunnyside Gus Ryder and High Park.

5. Go on a free walking tour of the city’s core.

 

The Tour Guys offer a free-of-charge walking tour of the city’s downtown core. The tours meets at 11am at the clock tour at Union Station a couple days a week, and takes you on a tour through the financial district, old city hall, and the Toronto PATH system. The tours run from June to October, and yes, it’s free.

4. Go to the High Park Zoo.

Did you know there’s a free zoo in High Park? It’s true! It’s surprisingly large and really well kept. You can expect to see everything from peacocks and llamas to emus and even a capybara. In 2013, the High Park Zoo was facing closure from the lack of city funding, but after a big outreach from the community, the city decided to re-instate full funding in 2014. Way to go Toronto!

3. Check out Riverdale Farm.

Who would’ve thought that you can visit a fully-functioning, 18-century, 7.5 acre farm right in downtown Toronto? But you can. When you visit, you can expect to see everything from your typical farm animals to historic 18th century farm architecture all connected by well-maintained walking trails. Best of all, it’s completely free to visit.

2. Go plane spotting at Pearson Airport.

This one is a bit out of the way, but it’s a really interesting activity that a surprising number of people take part in. Pearson is one of the busiest airports in North America, so you can expect see all different types of planes from all over the world. BlogTo has a great and in-depth article that gives you pretty much all the information you need to know about how to get started plane spotting at Pearson.

1. Explore the PATH system.

This is easily number 1 on my list of free things to do in Toronto. The PATH system is just amazing, and it connects the entire downtown core via underground tunnels and pathways. The entire pathway runs through malls, restaurants, and shops, and it’s constantly being added to and expanded to get bigger, better. and more convenient. During the weekdays, you can expect it to be really busy with everyone using the PATH to get to the office, but on the weekends, you can really enjoy exploring the PATH system without too many people around, especially in the areas below the financial district. Amazingly, you can get all the way from the Greyhound Bus Station to the Eaton Centre to Union Station to the Metro Centre all without going outside at all. If you think you’re the type of person to get lost easily, there’s a pretty detailed map and even an app you can download to help you explore more confidently.

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So there you have it; 7 free things to do in Toronto. Did I miss anything that you’d recommend? Let me know in the comments below.

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