Rainy day · Toronto · Canada
8 things to do in Toronto when it rains
Indoor sights that make a wet day feel planned rather than lost.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Canmenwalker, CC BY 4.0
Quick answer
Start with Ripley's Aquarium of Canada, Royal Ontario Museum and Art Gallery of Ontario. Together the 8 picks below take roughly 15–19 hours across 7 areas; all charge for entry. January is usually the wettest month, with about 12 rainy days.
Key facts
- Places in this guide
- 8
- Free entry
- 0
- Time to see them all
- 15–19 hours
- Areas
- Entertainment District, Yorkville and Grange Park
Toronto on a rainy day
Aquarium · Entertainment District
1.Ripley's Aquarium of Canada
Late-evening sessions and weekday mornings are much quieter than weekend afternoons.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Kids
- Rainy day
- Iconic
Museum · Yorkville
2.Royal Ontario Museum
Start with the dinosaur gallery before school groups arrive, then pick two or three other galleries rather than trying to see everything.
- Time needed
- 3 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Iconic
- History
- Kids
- Rainy day
- Architecture
Gallery · Grange Park
3.Art Gallery of Ontario
Head first for the Group of Seven rooms, then climb Gehry's spiral staircase at the back of the building.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Art
- Architecture
- Rainy day
- Iconic
Market · Old Town
4.St. Lawrence Market
Come hungry on a weekday morning or early on Saturday, before the lunchtime crowds.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Food
- History
- Rainy day
- Shopping
Castle · The Annex
5.Casa Loma
Climb the towers for the view, and approach on foot up the Baldwin Steps from Spadina Avenue.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Architecture
- History
- Kids
- Rainy day
Museum · Financial District
6.Hockey Hall of Fame
Pair it with a Maple Leafs or Raptors game at nearby Scotiabank Arena if your dates line up.
- Time needed
- 1.5–2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Kids
- Rainy day
- History
Museum · The Annex
7.Bata Shoe Museum
Combine it with the ROM, a short walk east along Bloor Street.
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Rainy day
- Off the beaten path
Museum · Don Mills
8.Aga Khan Museum
It is about 25 minutes by car from downtown, so plan lunch at the museum and time in the gardens.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Art
- History
- Architecture
- Rainy day
Grouped by area
| Area | Places | Time needed |
|---|---|---|
| Entertainment District | Ripley's Aquarium of Canada | 2–3 hours |
| Yorkville | Royal Ontario Museum | 3 hours |
| Grange Park | Art Gallery of Ontario | 2–3 hours |
| Old Town | St. Lawrence Market | 1–2 hours |
| The Annex | Casa Loma and Bata Shoe Museum | 2 hours + 1–1.5 hours |
| Financial District | Hockey Hall of Fame | 1.5–2 hours |
| Don Mills | Aga Khan Museum | 2 hours |
Booking and timing
Of these 8, 2 low cost, 6 mid-priced. Book ahead for Ripley's Aquarium of Canada. The longest visit is Ripley's Aquarium of Canada; group the rest by area to save travel time.
- Ripley's Aquarium of Canada: Book a timed ticket online for weekends and school holidays.
How to fit them into 5 half-days
Grouped by area and kept to about four hours each, so you walk more than you ride.
- Half-day 1 (Entertainment District): Ripley's Aquarium of Canada, at least 2 hours.
- Half-day 2 (Yorkville): Royal Ontario Museum, at least 3 hours.
- Half-day 3 (Grange Park and Old Town): Art Gallery of Ontario → St. Lawrence Market, at least 3 hours.
- Half-day 4 (The Annex): Casa Loma → Bata Shoe Museum, at least 3 hours.
- Half-day 5 (Financial District and Don Mills): Hockey Hall of Fame → Aga Khan Museum, at least 4 hours.
The wettest months
- January: highs of -1°C (30°F), about 12 rainy days, quiet crowds. The coldest month, with snow on the ground, biting wind off the lake and short days; museums, the PATH and Winterlicious menus make it workable.
- December: highs of 2°C (36°F), about 12 rainy days, moderate crowds. Cold, with snow increasingly common; holiday markets, skating rinks and lights keep the city lively until New Year.
- April: highs of 12°C (54°F), about 11 rainy days, moderate crowds. Spring arrives unevenly, with showers and the odd late snow; baseball season and the documentary festival begin.
The neighbourhoods they are in
- Entertainment District — CN Tower, theatres and Union Station in the downtown core
- Old Town and St. Lawrence — Victorian streets, St. Lawrence Market and the Distillery District
- Yorkville — Designer shops, galleries and luxury hotels beside the ROM
- Queen West and Ossington — Independent shops, galleries and bars along Queen Street West
- Kensington Market and Chinatown — Vintage shops, global cheap eats and Spadina's dim sum halls
- The Annex — Victorian houses, the university and Bloor Street cafés and bars
More of Toronto
Questions travellers ask
+Where should I start in Toronto?
Ripley's Aquarium of Canada. At the foot of the CN Tower, Ripley's Aquarium holds around 20,000 animals, with a moving walkway through the Dangerous Lagoon shark tunnel, a gallery of glowing jellyfish and touch pools of rays and horseshoe crabs.