Scenic views make up the majority of posts on social media these days. Everyone’s looking for the best views, the coolest locations, and overall, something interesting to look at. Not everyone has acess to a drone or is willing to risk their lives (or jail time) to rooftop. Rather than going through hundreds of listacles, check out our selection of the most scenic views in Toronto.
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1. Bathurst Street Bridge
Origionally named the Sir Isaac Bridge in 1903, this popular photography location was intended to be used by steam trains. It was later disassembled and rebuilt for road vehicles in 1916. Later, in 1931, the Bathurst Street Bridge was re-aligned inorder to reach front street and have street car tracks installed. Some time after that it underwent more construction to reach fleet street, which is now known as Lakeshore Boulevard. Bathurst Street Bridge is popular amongst locals, and is close enough to Fort York to stop by for a visit.
There’s a lot to see, making it one of the more interesting scenic views: the CN Tower, trains, road traffic, and people are all fun to watch while visiting.
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2. Riverdale Park
Anyone who’s watched movies has seen this location at some point or another because it’s one of the scenic views that are just that good.
John Scadding, one of the earliest settlers and estate manager for John Graves Simcoe, owned the property. However, he sold it to the city in 1880, and it was rebuilt into a park. The eastern part of Riverdale park was made into a landfil in the 20s, and in the 70s was the proposed site for the Skydone. Since then trees, hills, and marshes have been added to the park, making it popular among photographers, nature lovers, and anyone looking to relax outdoors.
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3. Polson Peir
Known for Cabana and go-karting, this location is a popular entertainment complex. While most people go there to eat food and dance all night, there are still a high number of visitors solely there to take the perfect picture of the skyline.
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4. AGO
The Art Gallery of Ontario is home to over 90,000 pieces of work. These collections range from the first centruy to the present day. Although the gallery has a lot to showcase, if you know where to look, you can find Instagram-worthy views in between exhibits. The scenic view here depends on where you are. If you’re in the cafe – aside from the coffee stop itself – you can watch people and street cars pass along Dundas Street. If you’re in the main spiralling stairwell, looking down below is cool. There’s another stairwell that lets you oversee the suburb and a bit of Lake Ontario.
Known as one of the largest galleriesin North America, the AGO also has an interesting history. It hosts many renowned events over the years, and held famous exibitions, drawing in people from all over the world. First opened in the 1900s, it was known as Art Museum of Toronto. It was renamed in 1916 and again to 1966. There have been quite a few renovations, so be sure to explore as much of it as you can.
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5. King’s Mill Park
This one might not be a secret, but King’s Mill Park has one of the more lovelier scenic views from Bloor Street.
King’s Mill and Reserve were establiused by Lieutenant-Governor John Graves Simcoe in 1793. This would be Etobicoke’s first industry. Thomas Fisher leased the property where he made built his house in 1821, which would eventually become the famous hotel and spa. However, because of the poor management, King’s Mill burned down in 1803, with a few others following in its steps. In 1848 a key merchant William Gamble built a grand milling enterprise, which also burnt in 1881. The remains eventually became The Old Mill hotel and spa, then rebuilt once more later on.
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6. Eastern Beahes
Cherry Beach, Woodbine Beach, and Kew Balmy Beach are all part of this expance of sand, sun, and fun.
Everyone goes to the Beaches to take selfies next to the lighthouse shack, but with it under construction what else is there to see? Condering the beaches include Cherry, amd Woodbine Braches, a lot. Firstly, the boardwalk spans from Woodbine to Nursewood Road. That boardwalk alone is scenic in itself. There’s also a great view of the CN Tower and the downtown core from certain location along the boardwalk. There are parks scattered around the beaches, and of course, the view of the lake itself is a good enough reason to visit.
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7. Toronto Islands
This popular tourist desitnation is full of great scenic views. Yes, many of those are of the CN Tower and the skyline, but there are some good spots where you don’t have to stare at the over-photographed scene if you don’t want to. There’s the boardwalk, the peir, many docks, and hey, if forested areas are more your thing, quite a few of those. If you want to see a bit of everything you can always hop on the chair lift, too.
What many people don’t know, though, is the long history the island has had to the people of the area. It origionally belonged to Anishinaabegs, who named it Menecing. The Europeans bought it in 1787, and since then, have expanded it to what it is today. The lighthouse, Hanlan Hotel, and the Ward family’s island are some of the major developments.
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8. Scarborough Bluffs
There are many scenic parks in the Scarborough Bluffs area, but the most popular area is the actual bluffs because of the scenic views. These 9000ft tall enscarpments were named Les grands Ecores by French settlers in the late 1700s. Scarborough Bluffs got their name from, Elizabeth Simcoe the wife of the first lieutenant governor of Upper Canada, John Graves Simcoe. They reminded her of her home back in England, and later, renamed the entire community to Scarborough.
These used to extend out west towards the Harbour, but due to the need to level things out, exposives destroyed those lands and residential and commercial properties were built. Although the existing Bluffs aren’t going anywahere, they are facing a mass level of erosion. It certainly doesn’t help that people climb the formations, and have to be rescued every year. Either way, as long as you play it safe, the Scarborough Bluffs are a must-visit location.
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9. Thompson Hotel
The view of Toronto from the Thompson Hotel is said to be so breathtaking the people sneak in just to get a glimpse. The best place to see the city? The rooftop pool, of course.
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10. City Place Bridge
City Place Bridge, or, Puente de Luz (Bridge of Light), was built so residents in the area would be able to save time on their travels, rather than walking in circles to reach their destination. It was designed by Francisco Gazitua, and built by Peter Sheffield and the MMM Group. The Yellow colour might not blend in with the city, but that’s the point. It’s meant to stand out against the reflective glass and rectangular buildings. It’s even considered to be the largest public art installation in all of Canada. It underwent a series of approvals from Metrolinx, and the construction had to be done within a certain time frame. That said, things didn’t work out, and it took over three years to complete. Either way, the view from this bridge is one many locals flock to for their social media accounts.
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11. Canation National Exhibition Fair Grounds
Anyone who lives in Toronto – and maybe even the GTA – has visited the CNE grounds at least once in their lifetime. It’s Canada’s largest annual fair and fifth largest in North American (we’re talking 1.5 million visitors annuyally). The annual event is a staple to many, and is often the first thing that comes to mind when people think of the end of summer. Running since 1879, this fair started off promoting agriculture and technology, but as time went on, it became more focused on family-friendly activities (with a few remaining technology and farming-based events). The best scenic view? From the chairlift, of course!
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12. Sugar Beach
Many have stumbled upon the bright umbrellas and muskoka chairs by accident. It’s one of Toronto’s newer beaches, having only been installed in 2010 for $14 million. Often times it hosts the Sail-In Cinema event, but it’s also a great area to relax and zen out. Sugar Beach may sound like a random name, but it’s infact named after the fact that it’s built next to the Redpath Sugar refinery. The reson it’s considered such a scenic view is because how unique it is. You’ve got lake Ontario, the giant barge, and a ton of buildings.
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13. Nathan Philips Square
Right in front of New City Hall and next to Old City Hall is where this major tourist attraction sits. Many visit to ice skate in the winter, enjoy festivals and markets in the summer, and of course, take a picture with the Toronto sign. There’s also the Peace Garden, art installations, and the elevated walk way. Local architect Viljo Revell and landscaper Richard Strong collaberated in designing and building the space to be opened in 1965. Aproximatly 1.5 million people visit Nathan Philips Square – and rightly so. The top walkway allows you to see everything happening below, making it one of the more scenic views. Between Nathan Philips Square itself and the bustling crowds on Queen Street, it really is a sight to see.
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14. Canoe Landing Park
It’s been seen from the Gardiner and visited by thousands, but not many actually know the story behind Canoe Landing Park. Privatly funded, this park was named through a contest for Toronto residents through a commuter paper. It was designed by Philips Farevaag Smallenberg and other various landscape architects, while the canoe itseld was designed by Douglas Coupland. It was made to allow people to see what lies beyond the Gardiner including the lake and a series of other art installations. One of these is a stone from the end of Terry Fox’s Miracle Mile. The scenic views from the canoe allow you to enjoy the cars zooming (or inching, let’s be real) by on the Gardiner, as well as the flashy candos around City Place.
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15. The One Eighty
This expensive resturant is known to have one of the best views of the city. What used to be the Panorama Lounge, the 51st floor is very well-known among the wealthier locals. That being said, if you do go for the food, it’s worth noting that it has been well-reviews and many do recommend going for more than just the scenery. This is one of the scenic views we recommend you see for yourself if you’re prepared to dish out a bit of money – if not, don’t sweat. There are tons of pictures online.
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16. CN Tower
How could this prime location not be on a list about amazing Toronto views? This giant mass of concrete was known as the tallest free-standing tower for 32 years – now it sits at nineth. It’s considered to be one of the modern Seven Wonders of the World by the American Civil Engineers Society. Of all the scenic views, this one gives you a full 360 over all of Toronto. Origionally it was meant to be used for telecommunication purposes, but now it’s equipped with a resturant and the Edge Walk. The history behind the building is absolutly fascinating in terms of how it was built and how it came to be, so be sure to read up on it.
