Best places to visit in Lake Ontario

Lake Ontario's Absolute Essentials

Lake Ontario's shoreline connects major cultural hubs like Toronto, Kingston, and Rochester. This collection features the Royal Ontario Museum’s vast natural history collections and the historic 19th-century Fort Henry. Explore the tranquil Toronto Islands via the Jack Layton Ferry Terminal or visit the former Kingston Penitentiary for a glimpse into Canada's oldest maximum-security prison. Natural highlights include the sandy dunes of Southwick Beach State Park and boat tours through the Thousand Islands archipelago at the lake's eastern outlet.

Lake Ontario's Absolute Essentials — Map

Mb1000 / Public domain

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Royal Ontario Museum

The Royal Ontario Museum is a museum of art, world culture and natural history in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Josh Evnin / CC BY-SA 2.0

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Toronto Island Park

The Toronto Islands are a chain of 15 small islands in Lake Ontario, south of mainland Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Laslovarga / CC BY-SA 4.0

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Fort Henry

Fort Henry National Historic Site is located in Kingston, Ontario, Canada on Point Henry, a strategic, elevated point near the mouth of the…

Derek Hatfield / CC BY 2.0

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Jack Layton Ferry Terminal

The Jack Layton Ferry Terminal is the ferry slip for Toronto Island ferries operated by the City of Toronto Parks, Forestry and Recreation…

Easchiff / CC BY-SA 3.0

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Southwick Beach

Southwick Beach State Park is a New York State park that lies along an unusual stretch of sandy beach on the eastern shore of Lake Ontario.

Taxiarchos228 / FAL

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Kingston City Hall

Kingston City Hall is the seat of local government in Kingston, Ontario, Canada.

SimonP / CC-BY-SA-3.0

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Church of the Holy Trinity

The Church of the Holy Trinity is an Anglican church located at Trinity Square in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Easchiff / CC BY-SA 3.0

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Lake Ontario

Lake Ontario is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is surrounded on the north, west, and southwest by the Canadian province of…

haagh c.j.g.m / CC-BY-SA

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1000 Islands Boat Cruises

Guided sightseeing tours navigating the Thousand Islands archipelago. Cruises depart from Gananoque and Rockport, passing historic landmarks like Boldt Castle and the summer homes of Millionaire’s Row along the Saint Lawrence River.

Paul Mackenzie xxx / CC BY-SA 3.0

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former Kingston Penitentiary

Kingston Penitentiary is a former maximum security prison located in Kingston, Ontario, Canada, between King Street West and Lake Ontario.

Eugen Bracht / Public domain

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Memorial Art Gallery

The Memorial Art Gallery is a civic art museum in Rochester, New York.

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