Best Things to Do in Toronto When it Rains

Are you looking for the best things to do in Toronto when it rains? Then, we have got you covered. This Canadian city experiences an average of about 133 rainy days per year. The rainfall is relatively distributed throughout the year, with the winter and autumn being the wettest periods. Summers (June-August) are hot and humid with a lot of precipitation. That being said, you must always prepare for rainy days in this city. While you can always avoid monsoon season, you will also find many indoor activities to enjoy during that time. These include visiting museums, art galleries, aquariums, indoor arenas, and attractions.

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Visit The Royal Ontario Museum

• Address: 100 Queens Park, Toronto, ON M5S 2C6, Canada; Google Map
• Opening Hours: 10 AM – 5:30 PM
• Social Media: Official Website, Official Facebook, Official Instagram

We begin with Canada‘s largest museum, the Royal Ontario Museum. It is one of the oldest museums, founded in 1914, and is among the world’s leading museums of natural history and world cultures. ROM has two main programs: Exhibition and Gallery (featuring a world-class of 18 million cultural objects, artworks, and natural history specimens) and the Digital, Research, and Learning Program. The latter is focused on helping students, scholars, teachers, and researchers through museum visits, virtual lessons, and specialty digital programming. Since its opening, ROM has engaged in conservation and research activities around the globe. Still, it is poised to take a dramatic leap forward on the global stage and become one of the world’s foremost 21st-century museums.

Watch Exhibits Of The Art Gallery Of Ontario

• Address: 317 Dundas St W, Toronto, ON M5T 1G4, Canada; Google Map
• Opening Hours: 10:30 AM – 5 PM
• Social Media: Official Website, Official Facebook, Official Instagram

Toronto is home to many world-class museums and art galleries, including the Art Gallery of Ontario. It is conveniently located in the Garange Park neighborhood of Downtown Toronto. This art gallery houses over 90,000 works of art, including a permanent collection with 120,000+ works. These include excellent works by Canadian and Indigenous artists, European masterpieces, and cutting-edge contemporary art. In addition to its usual office hours, the AGO hosts a monthly late-night art event every month’s first Thursday. It invites artists from all around the globe to showcase their works. The atmosphere is lively, with a constant flow of food, live music, and art workshops.

See What’s So Unique About Bata Shoe Museum

• Address: 327 Bloor St W, Toronto, ON M5S 1W7, Canada; Google Map
• Opening Hours: 10 AM – 5 PM
• Social Media: Official Website, Official Facebook, Official Instagram

Shoes, shoes, and more shoes! The Bata Shoe Museum houses an impressive collection of footwear and related artifacts. While you must be familiar with current shoe trends, you likely don’t know the centuries-long history behind your shoes. Frankly speaking, we hardly pay attention to the footwear history, although it has been part of humanity’s social and cultural life since the beginning. The shoes were not always as glamorous and fashionable as they are now. There were many bizarre shoe customs, such as wearing Chinese bound-foot shoes. You can learn about them and more at the Bata Shoe Museum. It features temporary, special, and permanent exhibitions, reflecting 4,500+ years of footwear history.

Step Back In Time At Casa Loma

• Address: 1 Austin Terrace, Toronto, ON M5R 1X8, Canada; Google Map
• Opening Hours: 9:30 AM – 5 PM
• Social Media: Official Website, Official Facebook, Official Instagram

Casa Loma is one of Toronto’s historic buildings. It took three years to complete, from 1911 to 1914. Sir Henry Pellatt’s love for European architecture led to the design of Casa Loma. Unfortunately, he and his family only lived in the mansion briefly since the city seized it for unpaid taxes in 1924. The Gothic Revival castle-style mansion soon became a tourist attraction and event venue. Later, it became famous for its bizarre, haunted tales. Locals believe the building is haunted by many spirits, including the Lady in White, the Pellatt couple, and their family friend. This is a perfect place to seek shelter on rainy days.

See Exotic Sea Creatures At Ripley’s Aquarium Of Canada

• Address: 288 Bremner Blvd, Toronto, ON M5V 3L9, Canada; Google Map
• Opening Hours: 9 AM – 9 PM
• How To Get There: Take the subway and get off at Union Station or St. Andrews Station.
• Social Media: Official Website, Official Facebook, Official Instagram

Are you looking for a family-friendly attraction in Toronto? Then, Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada is your destination. It has hundreds of underwater habitats, from velvety red anemones to extraordinary alewives and the giant Pacific Octopus. This aquarium has many exhibits on the upper and lower levels. The latter has Rainbow Reef, Planet Jellies, Dangerous Lagoon, Ray Bay, Dragons, The Gallery, Life Support Systems, and Discovery Center. Likewise, the upper level features the Canadian Waters, Kelp Forest, and Shoreline Gallery. There is also an onsite souvenir store and cafe.

Catch Baseball Matches At Rogers Center

• Address: 1 Blue Jays Way, Toronto, ON M5V 1J1, Canada; Google Map
• Opening Hours: 9 AM – 5 PM
• Social Media: Official Facebook, Official Instagram

We are halfway through our list of the best things to do in Toronto when it rains, and it’s time for Rogers Center. This retractable roof stadium hosts numerous sporting events, live performances, concerts, festivals, traveling carnivals, conventions, trade fairs, circuses, monster truck shows, tours, and wrestling shows throughout the year. It is also the home to the MLB’s Toronto Blue Jays and the CFL’s Toronto Argonauts. You can catch their live matches at any time of the year. This stadium has 50,000 seats, including 5,700 club seats and 161 luxury suites. Even if there is no event, you can book a guided tour and explore the Rogers Center.

Catch Live Matches At Scotiabank Arena

• Address: 40 Bay St., Toronto, ON M5J 2X2, Canada; Google Map
• Opening Hours: 9 AM – 5 PM
• Social Media: Official Website, Official Facebook, Official Instagram

After Rogers Center, it’s time for Scotiabank Arena (previously Air Canada Center). It is home to the Toronto Maple Leafs, a famous Canadian professional ice hockey team. The club competes in the National Hockey League and has won thirteen Stanley Cup Championships. Likewise, the Scotiabank Arena is the home to the NBA’s Toronto Raptors. The venue has hosted over 2,600 events, including multiple NHL and NBA playoff runs. You should watch live matches here instead of staying in your hotel room. Expect a thrilling atmosphere, lively audiences, and spectacular sports performances.

Learn About Ice Hockey History At The Hockey Hall Of Fame

• Address: 30 Yonge St, Toronto, ON M5E 1X8, Canada; Google Map
• Opening Hours: 10 AM – 5 PM
• Social Media: Official Website, Official Facebook, Official Instagram

While soccer and American football are favorites of European countries and the US, Canada prefers ice hockey. Canadians love this sport and play it from a young age. If you are new to this sport, head to the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto. This museum is dedicated to the history of ice hockey and honors individuals associated with it. It annually inducts ice hockey players, coaches, general managers, team owners, commentators, and on-ice officials. The Class of 2024 welcomed Colin Campbell, Natalie Darwitz, Pavel Datsyuk, David Poile, Jeremy Roenick, Shea Weber, and Krissy Wendell. Additionally, you can see NHL records, NHL trophies, memorabilia, and equipment worn by players during special matches on display.

Shop For Groceries At St. Lawrence Market

• Address: 92- 95 Front St East, Toronto, Ontario, M5E 1C3; Google Map
• Opening Hours: Tuesday-Friday: 9 AM – 7 PM; Saturday: 7 AM – 5 PM; Sunday: 10 AM – 5 PM
• How To Get There: By subway, Yonge-University-Spadina line, King Street Station
• Social Media: Official Website, Official Facebook, Official Instagram

Imagine you want to do a little shopping, but it’s raining cats and dogs. You don’t have to cancel your plans; instead, you can head to the St. Lawrence Market, one of the oldest Canadian markets. This public market is spread across three main buildings inside a huge complex. It has everything from specialty vendors to retail businesses. This market is a one-stop shop for groceries, prepared foods, flowers, meats, poultry, dairy goods, arts, or specialty items. Its most exciting feature is Saturday Farmer’s Market, open from 5 AM to 3 PM. Local farmers and artisans set up shop outdoors and indoors, showcasing delicious food and beautiful treasures for sale.

Visit The Toronto City Hall

• Address: 100 Queen St W, Toronto, ON M5H 2N2, Canada; Google Map
• Opening Hours: 8:30 AM – 4:30 PM

Don’t stay cooped up inside your hotel room during rainy days. Instead, do something fruitful, like visit the famous Toronto City Hall. It is the seat of municipal government and corporate head office for Toronto. This architectural masterpiece has a triangular base and two curved towers. The 27-storeyed East Tower and 20-storeyed West Tower are curved in cross-section and have different heights. Their outer surface is covered with concrete, while the inner surface has concrete and glass. Furthermore, between these towers lies a saucer-like Council Chamber. There, the Toronto City Council holds its monthly meetings.

Tour The University Of Toronto

• Address: 27 King’s College Cir, Toronto, ON M5S 1A1, Canada; Google Map
• Social Media: Official Website, Official Facebook, Official Instagram

Seek shelter from the rain inside the prestigious University of Toronto. This globally-ranked university offers 280 graduate programs and 700 undergraduate programs in Life Sciences, Engineering, Humanities and Social Sciences, Computer Science, etc. It has a high % acceptance rate of 43% based on ACT and SAT scores. As such, out of 80,000 applicants, UofT admits approximately 17,000 students every year. It is always open to the public to visit. Hence, if you are looking for admission or want to tour the campus, you can explore alone or choose from general campus and specific divisional tours.

Soak In The Rain While Strolling Around Toronto

Have you ever tried soaking in the rain? While getting drenched in a downpour doesn’t sound fun, strolling during a drizzle is a one-of-a-kind experience. You might be surprised to learn that walking in the rain has several health benefits. It helps boost your mood, the air quality is better and fresher, and you will burn more calories. Imagine walking around Toronto while the city is beautifully covered in raindrops, with fresh air lingering around. You will avoid the pollution and crowds. You can also stop at a cafe and enjoy coffee or hot tea. Even if it’s raining heavily, go out with an umbrella. However, be mindful not to get sick.

Toronto’s weather is pretty unpredictable. It may shine bright at one point and experience heavy rainfall the next. However, don’t let the rain dampen your mood; you can try our list of the best things to do in Toronto when it rains. The Royal Ontario Museum, Rogers Center, Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada, and the University of Toronto are the city’s must-visit places. Likewise, you should always remain flexible and change your itinerary accordingly. You should also prepare rain gear such as umbrellas, waterproof shoes, raincoats, and rain bags. Most of all, check the weather forecast before making any plans.