Looking for a day of fun in the sun? Well, take a ferry to Toronto Island Park (Centre Island) and have a multitude of choose your own adventure options! Taking the ferry to Centre Island is affordable and quick. It was only $9.00 CAD for round trip tickets, and there were 3 points of entry: Centre Island, Ward's Island and Hanlan's Point. We chose to take the Centre Island ferry on a Friday morning. It was very packed but the loading and unloading of passengers was efficient, so things seemed to move pretty quickly. One of the first things you notice about the island are all the bike paths. There are ample opportunities to rent bikes for the day, and we saw many people taking advantage of that. But, if renting bikes isn't on your list, there are plenty of other activities that are totally free. There was also an old lighthouse and a hedge maze to explore. There are also boardwalks leading out to Lake Ontario's coastline where you can get some amazing views into the seemingly endless lake or the Toronto skyline. There were some dining options like pizza or beaver tails, but we opted to skip the food options and have lunch on the mainland. One thing I would note is while we didn't see any personally; a fellow pedestrian jumped when he said he saw a snake in the grass, so if you stray from the paved paths, I would keep an eye out for that. We walked all the way to Hanlan's Point and took the ferry back from that point to the main terminal. It was quick and easy, and made for a fun little morning adventure. What a fantastic resource to have a nice grouping of islands where nature can be experienced right by the water. I loved my trip to Centre Island and to a greater extent, Toronto Island Park. It's definitely worth the visit to get out of the city and indulge in more nature-centric activities. read more

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Lovely day weekend to go to the Island for fathers day+ the Toronto Island Dragonboat event was on as well! Go early or mid afternoon if you want to avoid crowds or major lineups on the ferry. read more

Centre Island - Parks Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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Had a team building day out here on Centre Island in the middle of summer. It's been admittedly MANY years, maybe 20+ since I've been on this quaint space but it literally looks the same from what I rmbr (with the rides on one side of the island and the picnic tables and park areas on the other side. Definitely not a travel destination or experience by any means but if you have lawn games or pack a picnic this could definitely be a day trip type of vibe. It's like a 5-7 min ferry ride or water taxi over to the island from the toronto harbour. My company got us complimentary water taxis which was a different but still cool experience compared to the ferry (which we took to get back to the harbour). P.S. beware of the geese and seagull poops scattered across island! read more

I came here with my family on a Sunday morning before centreville opened. I would highly recommend coming early because you bypass all the huge crowds and long lines. We were leaving by 12pm and the ferries were just packed with people. The island is very beautiful and I wish they had more ferries or options to get across as the taxi's can become costly. read more

To be completely honest, going to Centre Island is not worth it if Centreville is closed. My boyfriend and I decided to come here on our trip to Toronto because I remember it being such a fun experience when I was younger. While the Island is beautiful and has lots of scenic views, during the off-season there isn't a whole lot to do unless you bring a picnic or a sports ball with you on the ferry. A lot of the restaurants ended up being closed and the island was pretty dead. I loved Centreville as a kid and remember having so much fun in the park. I was disappointed that Centreville wasn't open during our trip. read more

The family had a great time here on a beatiful Spring day. Theres a bunch of different activities, including parks, bike rentals, canoe rentals, beaches, bbq, etc. We ended up relaxing at the parks for a little bit, and also rented a quad bike which was a lot of fun (and a workout!). I think the island is comparable to Central Park in NY, but a lot less crowded, which is nice. Made it a lot more peaceful. On the flip side, it is harder to access. You need to get a ferry there, which is not cheap, and also runs every 30min or so. There is an amusement park there but my kiddos (including my 6yr old) thought that the rides looked too babyish, so didn't try. Also theres limited food options. We ended up heading back to Toronto and grabbing lunch at the Harborfront instead since there is much more choice there. read more

Centre Island - Parks Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

Nice place for family. Lots of fun to do such as picnic, beach, kayak & canoe, biking, rides, food or just walk. read more

Centre Island - Parks Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

This would be a fun place to spend the day. We only went for a few couple hours just to walk around and check out the petting zoo. We also went through the hedge maze. If you come, do yourself a favor and take a water taxi instead of the giant ferry. It costs a little bit more, but you can go on your own schedule and have a lot more space. Take your bikes to get around the islands too. Once you're on the islands, there are restaurants, the aforementioned petting zoo, a beach, and a little children's amusement park. read more

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Always a good day out. Take the ferry from Jack Layton terminal. Once there, hike, explore or sit under the trees. There's something for everyone. Parks, beach, children's playground, etc. there are public washrooms. You can also rent bikes. read more

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Went to Centreville Amusement Park. Even if you buy tickets online, you need to trade them in for a wristband so you have to line up. This should be a separate ticket office or line at the very least. They need more bench seating in shade, all the benches were far away from any trees. I appreciated the versatility of rides, they were super fun for all ages. Food from the stalls takes unreasonably long. I recommend the popcorn and popsicles. read more

One star Review for the mermaid cafe- terrible /cold hotdogs! How can you mess up hotdog!? Yikes! Apparently they can. Review for the center Island: beautiful family amusement park some Parents cannot control their kids and cut lines. 2 star for the Island greek grill: not very tasty. I ordered the beef & lamb combo. It's overpriced for such a salty gyro wrap. read more

Hello, firstly I should say that I had a great time at center island (though the expense) all rides were great! I will say the tickets were pretty expensive but I would say worth the price! I do have to mention that towards the end was not very well. As I was in line for the ferry there was a man (I believe in his late 20's) speaking to his mom with not much respect. A woman beside him spoke up and asked if he could speak more kindly to his mom. He replied with a curse and the situation escalated. towards the end of the argument I assume the woman decided she wanted to leave the ferry line and not continue the conversation. In those moments she walked passed him to go though a gate and the man forcefully shoved her into the gate. The woman quickly defended herself , then said she will call the police. After she left the line security came. The man claimed she bumped into him purposely but the people in line clearly did not see that. Security talked to the man and he had no remorse towards his actions. The man was able to walk on the ferry with no consequence. My issue in the story is if that man was a able to walk freely other things could have happened based on the way security handled the situation. I would say that the security at centre Island definitely needs better training when it comes to those kind of situations. ps. I do have dyslexia so I apologize if any words are spelt incorrectly. read more

Came here for the amusement park and farm animals for a 4 yr old and 2 yr old. Everything was great until lunch, we ordered from the grill in the amusement park area and after 45 mins when we will didn't have our 2 burgers and 2 fries I requested a refund. So I suggest to pack a lunch. Otherwise everything was throughly enjoyed. read more

The Jack Layton ferry terminal hosts daily ferry rides to Centre Island, Wards Island and Hanland Point. The ferry to Centre Island is definitely more packed, but these islands are connected - so feel free to hop aboard any of them to get to any of these islands. Of course, there are other ferries - such as speedboats that are slightly more expensive, but definitely more fun when you're getting to these islands. Prices for ferries are $8-$9 for a round trip if you get a day trip. Tip: If you would like to skip the lines, especially in those gorgeous summer days, I would advise to purchase your tickets in advance. Centre Island is roughly a 10 minute boat ride away. When you arrive, you can find washrooms immediately to your right. If you would like to enjoy the rest of the island, please follow the paths on your left. The best photo spot in my opinion is the path to your left RIGHT where the water is. There is a paid eye piece zoom viewing device that captures the best photo spot. Centre Island is home to many different activities such as bike riding (tandem, bike riding as a family of 6+, Centreville amusement rides for young children and adults, kayaking, etc.) In addition, there are beautiful beaches that you can enjoy when the weather is nice and warm. Food prices on CentreIsland are limited (pizza being the most popular place) and more expensive than in other parts of the city. If you would like to save money on food, I would recommend bringing a picnic to enjoy! read more

Centre Island - Parks Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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Become one with nature by taking a stroll around Centre Island! I'm not much of an outdoorsy type of person however; it was so relaxing and the views are on point! It is such a perfect place to capture aesthetic pictures! To get here, you have to take a ferry and it comes every 30 minutes (schedules are provided). It costs $5.05 for students and it includes the trip there and back. I was quite surprised as to how clean the area was, furthermore there are plenty of activities to do such as cycling, kayaking, going to the beach, etc. I found that most of the activities closes at 5 pm, so make sure you get there before that time! When taking the ferry back, my friends and I left around 9:00 PM and honestly, the view from the ferry was absolutely stunning. I'm definitely heading back again as it was such an amazing experience (was my first time there). I would love to test out the four seated bicycles one day as well! Additional tips: - bring snacks, water bottles, and comfy shoes as you have to walk quite a bit - mosquitoes will nibble on you at night, so get that bug repellent prepared read more

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I'm giving Centre Island 5 stars on the basis of being a father with two young sons. This amusement park is definitely geared towards families with younger children. If you're looking for thrill rides or giant roller coasters, they're not here. What you get is a nicely laid-out family oriented park that's clean and quiet (by amusement park standards). Our kids loved the ferry ride over, and it's a bit of walk to the park itself (from the ferry). There were lots of strollers/wagons but we didn't feel it was necessary. Be prepared to spend close to $200/family, if parents are riding as well. Our kids loved the mini roller coaster, bumper cars and water log ride. Outside food is permitted, so pack lunch and drinks. Definitely a nice way to spend a warm summer day! read more

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I absolutely love centre island its amazing,[love the rides] it's so much fun for grown ups and children, you can do so much there, people [bike] and [walk] and just enjoy the [lake] totally recommend this place for family's and their children You won't regret the trip just got to throw in one more thing the funnel cakes are so delicious, try them out5 stars for sure. read more

When the city strikes* were finally over and the ferries to the Islands were back in service, we waited...and waited...for that seemingly rare hot, sunny day** to visit the islands. I specifically wanted to go to Centre Island to rent a bicycle. I dunno, something about riding a bike in the summer reminds me of happy times as a child. (Except for that one time I gave Dora Winsler a ride on my banana bicycle and her foot got caught in the spokes of the rear wheel and she cried like a whiny brat.) Centre Island was pretty packed with kids and tourists on that Friday afternoon. But the bike paths were blessedly clear. We rode down to Ward's Island and one of the beaches. We also tried to ogle some jiggly bits at the Clothing Optional Beach but didn't want to exceed the 60 minutes on our rental and ended up returning the bikes sans flesh sighting. Centre Island has Centreville Amusement Park, swan boat rides, boat rentals, Shopsy's sit-down restaurant, Pizza Pizza by the slice, picnic tables, overpriced ice cream vendors, and gynormous mutant swans.*** $6.50 for roundtrip ferry $7 per hour per bike rental (bring ID!) _________ * Grrr...Thanks guys, for the stanky garbage invading my nostril space ** Grrr x 2...Thanks Mother Nature, for the sh*tty weather this summer *** Grrr x 3...Stop feeding them donuts and other crap human food! read more

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It's not the most spectacular urban park, and certainly not a crown jewel for the city as Stanley Park would be for Vancouver, and Central Park for NY - but it's still pretty good if you evaluate it on its own. First, I'm not a fan of the ferry and I'm tempted to dock a star off for that - but I've saved that for a review of the ferry itself. This is just as much a review of the islands rather than Centre Island specifically, since they're connected. It's actually quite a large amount of space, and you'll really only feel crowds around the ferry terminal and the amusement park. There should be no problem finding your own space, and they even have a few fixed BBQ's that you can bring your own charcoal for. I'm not sure if you can rent them, or whether it's first come, first serve though. Other people brought portable BBQ's, but I think a simple small bag of charcoal would be much easier since you arrive by ferry. Speaking of the amusement park, be aware that it's humble and basically for the 12 and under crowd, but it's good for what it is. For other activities, you have various boating rentals as well as bike rentals. There's a few food options included some sit-down pub eateries, as well as Pizza Pizza and Subway (2 of each). There was one takeout place with 'Smokehouse' as part of the name near the amusement area which was basically a burger, hot dogs and fries place (no smoked meats), but it was cheap and good for what you paid. All in all, a good escape from the city (but with great city views) with lots to do. Just wish the ferry experience was better, not to mention better parking options by the ferry. read more

This is hiked up as its in Toronto and does take the Toronto people away in the clear green area but if you are from suburbs I think there are better parks. Overall, the island is good for picnics but as its an island you will have to carry all you stuff on a ferry to have a BBQ which could be challenging at times. To get a BBQ you will have to go really early or be lucky that some one is leaving when you get there to get a BBQ to cook some meat. The ferry ride is quite nice as you get to view the Toronto Sky line and the it would cost you $7 return. You can rent boats/ kayaks etc and enjoy the water. I have seen a lot of people bring their bikes and go bike riding on the island. They also have Centreville Amusement Park a small area for the kids to go have some rides and the food court is located within central ville. read more

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Great place to go on a sunny day and many things to do on the island. They have canoeing, kayaking, stand up paddle boarding, biking, and many other activities which I don't remember off the top of my head. They also have a lot of space to lounge and a lot of beach area. There is a path that goes around the whole island so you can spend a good amount of time biking / going around the island. Great place to bring the kids as well because they have the small amusement park with a petting zoo, pony back riding and other activities and foods kids love. There's a ferry you have to take which is like $7 round trip if you're a student. It also has a great view of the city and is an enjoyable trip to and from centre island. read more

Centre Island - Picture of toronto from the ferry with some little canoers - Parks Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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I come here ever so often as a kid. Coming back with my friends, this place does not seem as big as I've thought it to be. The island can be thoroughly explored in about 3-5 hours depending on your method of transportation. It's definitely a family-friendly island with and decent kids-zone filled with amusement park rides, activities, games and food. The park itself is a nice place for fresh air and a nice calm stroll. You can encounter the beach, a pier, multiple playgrounds and a giant maze. Overall it is a fun attraction to escape the city for a couples hours. Would recommend if you like to just relax and enjoy quality time in nature! read more

I'm glad to commemorate my 400th review by reviewing Centre Island. I love visiting the Toronto Islands & Centre Island is the biggest island in the bunch. While much of Centre Island is rather busy and not super charming, it has some good amenities. There's a ferry. There are places that sell food. The public washrooms are much appreciated. There's a bike rental place (including tandems) as well as a boat rental. There are some nice grassy parts to picnic on, and it's also nice to sit on the beach and watch the water lapping at the sand. One section of Avenue of the Island (after you cross the bridge) features many beautiful flowers and plants. Last but not least, there was, and will be again, a hedge maze. I loved that cedar hedge maze and I can't wait for the new maze to open in 2015. Lots of green areas, some wildlife, and a hedge maze-to-be. Centre Island makes a great contribution to any Toronto Islands day trip. read more

Love to take the boat! But wait for a long time to get on. The farm was fun and it's good to come here on the weekend. I would suggest to bring your own food to here cause they only have fast food. Also bring few bottles of water as well. Usually I can spend three to four hour by just walking around the island and taking some photos with amazing landscape. Overall it's a nice place but just too many smoke people. It's kind irritating and bothers me a lot! read more

Centre Island - Parks Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

A good place for relaxing and bonding with friends/family/pets. The beach is kind of small I think. I wish there are more flowers and less poo on the grass. Bicycling is also common. read more

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It was "wow" The island itself is peaceful, green and beautiful with some fascinating houses. We may not have come at a good time though, because everything was closed and deserted. We spent a good four hours lost here and when we were looking to find the ferry, not too many of the locals were kind enough to direct us back to the direction of the pickup area. hopefully the next visit will be better ;) read more

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Great place even during COVID, bike rentals are still open and tons for young kids to do and see.

Centre Island is the main island in the Toronto Islands. It features a number of smaller venues, parks, walking trails, cycling, and even an amusement park. I spent one day here, and I wished I'd been able to spend more time. Accessible only by ferry, and with cars banned, it's really a place out of time. There are residences here, some of which reminded me of the small beach town I grew up in. The views of the city are magnificent, especially on a sunny day. I spent a late summer day here and the views were truly beautiful. Bicycles are allowed on the island but be vigilant: most pedestrians wander around aimlessly, causing hazardous conditions. Be careful and be polite when you ride. read more

After a hideous taxicab ride with a driver who was convinced we wanted to go to the airport, we arrived at the ferry departure point and took the first ferry away from the mainland to escape the frustration of our day. Our initial destination was Ward's Island, since it had rave reviews and seemed peaceful with less little kids running around. But getting on a ferry - stat - took precedence. The ferry ride was relaxing, and we had great views of the skyline. Even though it was raining lightly, the ride was pleasant. Our ferry to the island was less than half full - only six or seven people on the boat. Two guys on the boat asked if we were headed to the "concert," and by their age and outfits, I was amazed to learn that there was an EDM concert on Centre Island that night. I would have bought tickets if I knew this was happening! When arriving at Centre Island, we were given instructions on where to board when we wanted to come back. Ferries run every 30 minutes or so. Most people seem to rag on the families and kids that come here. There's a small amusement park area with paddle boats, a rollercoaster, and a farm/zoo (not quite a petting zoo), and despite how many people were on the island that day, it didn't feel super crowded. Even though there are a lot of children, there is so much open space here that I didn't really notice. The ferries back to the mainland are packed like sardines. That line was VERY long. The return ferry was packed as if we were European immigrants headed to Ellis Island. For two adults, there wasn't that much to do here, but it was a relaxing escape from the city to just walk around and snap pictures of that fabulous skyline. And the baby goats at the zoo? OHMYADORABLE. Okay, the loud bleeting DID get a bit aggravating, but that's when you just walk away. And it's hilarious to see and hear kids bleet back at the goats. The EDM concert was blocked from view to us commoners, but I contemplated hopping the fence, or just buying tickets, but I wasn't dressed to dance in the mud all night long. Walking along the paths, hearing thump-thump-thudding EDM, while looking across the water at the skyline gave me a thrilling feeling. I jumped into the air a few times to try to see over the fence and failed #whitegirlscantjump. I wanted to dance by myself on the outside of the fence, but the area is full of security guards, and I didn't want to be hauled away on a stretcher under the assumption that I was pumped up on Molly or having a psychotic break...so I just kept walking. Even though we didn't DO much at Centre Island, I'll never forget our visit there. Truly memorable! read more

Want to get out of the city for a bit? Look no further than Toronto Island. This island is just a ferry ride away. I've only been there during off season for the mini amusement park. It's kind of cool if like walking around abandoned amusement parks. Plenty of nature to go around. Watch out for certain areas that have ticks, there are warning signs for that. There is a couple of places to get a food and drink, rest up from all the walking. You can find animals there too, some for petting if you have kids. Great views of city. I wish the ferry was more frequent, but it's nice to get outside once in a while. read more

A MUST do while in Toronto. Especially if you have kids! There is a beautiful little amusement park geared toward little ones and a nicely maintained petting zoo! We loved going here! If you do not have kids, this is still a must see. A perfect place to bike around and enjoy the water. Be warned of scamming boat rides to the island though. They'll claim they're cheaper than the ferry but the ferry is the cheapest and free on the way back. Should not cost you more than $5-$10 per person and you can bring your bike across too! read more

Centre Island - Parks Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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I came here during my first trip to Toronto and thought it was such a cute little place to visit. It reminded me of Central Park in NYC because of the amount of people that were out there on that Sunday. I loved how it really caters to families with all of the rides for small children, the little farm house they have with the chickens, ponies, donkey, etc and the beach all the way at the end. You can see the CN Tower from most places throughout the island which makes for some awesome pictures. You can kayak and bike ride or lay out and relax on the beach. Most people brought along some coolers and backpacks full of food and beverages as most things you'll find aren't the healthiest choices (cotton candy, ice cream, funnel cake, pizza, etc). I really loved the water fountain and decorative pools you find along the way. My only issue with it is the fact they only have one ferry boat at a time transporting people back and forth which makes people wait for a long time when they could easily have two boats doing the same job. That aside I loved it and would suggest it for anyone of any age if you're in the Toronto area. read more

Hit up this gem of a location in Toronto with some partners from Starbucks, turned out to be a great choice! We traveled to two of the three beaches as we chose not to go to Hanlan's point. the central beach is by far the most popular with families and as such we did not enjoy it as much as we enjoyed the one to the west. In terms of the quality of the beach the central one is also heavily groomed so the sand is free of debris compared to the western one. Families sound stick with the central beach as it is the safer of the two beaches with a protected swimming area. Anyone older should consider either Hanlan's or the western beach. Definitely my new preferred beach area!! read more

all of the islands are great, this island though is something special. this island by far as the best views of the Toronto skyline and makes for some very awesome photography options. the island itself is always kept in really good shape for the summer months(because of centreville) but during the rest of the year is like stepping into a wasteland of sorts. good luck finding a bathroom during the non-summer months, took me about an hour but I did indeed find one. notable spots when checking out this section of the Toronto islands, the pier at the end, the fountains and the breath taking view of the skyline. I realty wish they had more frequent service during the non summer months, because its amazing seeing the city hustle and bustle in front of your eyes. during the summer months as well you can expect this island to be pretty packed on weekends, as everyone is coming to enjoy what the island has to give. read more

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You want to talk about a beautiful island park this is for sure it. Being from Detroit and having Belle Isle not far from me and beable to check it out and enjoy an actual Island Park all year round is great. Visiting Toronto Island park here though made me wish that one day Bell Isle will get to this glory again on being a very beautiful park that you can enjoy every part of it and it looks as beautiful as it should. I loved how there was so much to see on the main island and there was little islands that you can walk around on also that were part of the park. They had a residential area on one part of the island but is completely separate from the actual island itself. The beach looks gorgeous I enjoyed walking by and stopping to enjoy the water a little bit they had a beautiful lighthouse for you to walk by that was built in the 1800s. They had beautiful fountains and flowers everywhere and a little petting zoo for the kids to enjoy with the family. The only way to get to the island is actually by ferry which didn't bother me at all because they seem to have ferry is running almost every 15 minutes during the day and then till 11 o'clock at night they had fairies running every half an hour which was nice because you can enjoy sitting by the water and just looking at the city and enjoying that. I can't wait till next time I come Toronto and I get to spend a little bit more time on these islands and just walk around and enjoy the beautiful day. read more

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Very relaxing and costs only $6.50 to get there and spend a day enjoying nature and the beach right next to downtown. Usually some free festival going on the weekends too read more

My very first outing to the island! I thought the trickiest part of this entire event was finding a place to park. The ferry departs every 30 minutes and upon arrival I was so surprised by the open grassy areas and how clean the entire park was! You don't see this in the city!! We walked all over and continuously discovered new little areas - the beach, the pier, amusement park, garden, (non) petting zoo and so.much.space!! What a perfect day to spend on the island!! read more

I usually love Centre Island, but I went there for Easter Weekend and it was not worth it. We arrived at the terminal at 10:30am and arrived at the island at 12:30pm. With kids that is a LONG wait. Waiting would't have been the problem but the chaos of the lines was frustrating. The lines were poorly organized and the 'egg hunt' consisted of random people throwing plastic eggs around the island. Children and adults would dive for them and my 3 year old didn't stand a chance. In the end, it turns out you have to line up again to redeem your eggs for candy...more chaos. By 3:30pm it had been a very long day. We had managed to go on 3 rides, have a short visit with the zoo, and eat a quick lunch. I love it in the spring and summer but this particular event wasn't worth it. Tickets for 3 and over - $15 read more

Loved this place! Locals & visitors flock to Centre Island Park to get away from busy city life. Family rented a canoe & went around the island, and rented a bike to go sight seeing the next day. So worth it, definitely a highlight to visit again! read more

Always a great place for family get togethers and picnics. The maze is fun for kids, the petting zoo is cute and we love renting the bikes. The beach further up on the island is a nice spot to chill after a long day of walking around the island. The gardens and fountains are beautiful! read more

Centre Island - Parks Near Me - Toronto, Ontario