4 Best Sights in Toronto, Ontario

Even if you aren't a hockey fan, it's worth a trip to see this shrine to Canada's favorite sport. Exhibits include the original 1893 Stanley Cup, as well as displays of goalie masks, skate and stick collections, players' jerseys, video displays of big games, and a replica of the Montréal Canadiens' locker room. Grab a stick and test your speed and accuracy in the Goodyear Shoot Out virtual experience, or strap on a goalie mask and field shots from big-name players with the Shut Out computer simulation. The grand building, a former Bank of Montréal branch designed by architects Darling & Curry in 1885, is covered with beautiful ornamental details—note the richly carved Ohio stone and the Hermès figure supporting the chimney near the back. At the corner of Front and Yonge Streets, the impressive 17-foot bronze statue Our Game is a good photo op. Entrance is through Brookfield Place on the lower level.

With a more than 45-year history of exploring ideas and building cultural understanding through its collection of 15,000 artifacts from across the globe, this boutique museum’s exhibitions and programming connect contemporary art and design to international textile traditions.

Created by Sonja Bata, wife of the founder of the Bata Shoe Company, this museum holds a permanent collection of more than 14,000 foot coverings and, through the changing fashions, highlights the craft and sociology of making shoes. Some items date back more than 4,000 years. Among the items that may pop up in the rotating exhibits are delicate 16th-century velvet platforms, iron-spiked shoes used for crushing chestnuts, 8-inch lime green Vivienne Westwood heels, Elton John's boots, and Elvis Presley's blue (patent leather, not suede) shoes.

While this small museum may not pack as big of a punch as the city’s larger arts destinations, it’s a fun spot to bring the kids on a rainy afternoon. The various illusions will mess with everyone's minds, and there's everything from holograms to an anti-gravity room and a rotating room (where it looks like you’re turned upside down). It’s a great spot to snap some photos.