Get your tissues ready. This is a life-sized statue of the most famous elephant in the world,…read moreJumbo. He was tragically killed in Saint Thomas on September 15, 1885 when he was stuck by a locomotive. A terrible accident and on the 100th anniversary, the city dedicated this 38 ton statue as a tribute. There is parking nearby and you can get a great picture with "The King of Elephants" here. From the Atlas Obscura article, "It would be easy to assume that Jumbo was named 'Jumbo' because he was so large. At over 13 feet he was definitely tall for an African elephant, but it was the other way around. His name--thought to derive from the Swahili word 'jambo' for 'hello', or 'jumbe' for 'chief' or 'boss'--came before 'jumbo' was slang word for huge. The word that today is used to describe everything from giant shrimp to oversized paper towel rolls comes from the boss elephant himself." And that's pretty awesome. [Review 1442 of 2024 - 120 in Ontario - 22465 overall]

This marker stands in front of the Elgin County Courthouse in Saint Thomas Ontario…read more The marker reads, "Col. the Hon. Thomas Talbot. 1771-1853. Founder of the Talbot Settlement, he was born at Castle Malahide, Ireland, a member of the Anglo-Irish nobility. In 1803, after serving in the British Army, and on Simcoe's staff, he was granted 5,000 acres in this region and settled in Dunwich township. Through political and family influence he obtained extraordinary powers to promote colonization. Talbot built mills, supervised the construction of a 300 mile road paralleling Lake Erie, established thousands of settlers in his "principality", and controlled the settlement of London. In 1817 St. Thomas was named for him. Eccentric and authoritarian, patrician in his manner and conservative in his views, by 1837 he had successfully organized settlement in twenty-seven townships from Long Point to the Detroit River." Erected by Ontario Archaeological and Historic Sites Board. It does not have a number. [Review 2063 of 2024 - 187 in Ontario - 23083 overall]

I have been visiting the Watson-curtze mansion for many years from when I was young till now…read more one great place to learn about loads of local history + they always have something history related when I visit there. I remember when I was younger they had a room with robots dressed as historic figures talking about all the historic battles going on like the war of 1812 I would tell anybody who hasn't been there you have to visit there lots of great history inside there

I love the history and museums of London and this is one that's great for $6. I checked the hours…read moreand they were open in the afternoon so I had an hour and half and walked from my hotel to the house. I walked in and a guide was talking to a group of visitors and he informed me he would be right with me and I waited in the entrance. A guide came to greet me in a few minutes and started to talk to me about Banting and take me through each room. I prefer to walk through museums on my own and read the information but the narrative was ok when I had questions. Another guide came that was more familiar and soon, she was the only guide. They told me I could come back and read in more details. It was like a Cole's notes for those who might not have time or want to read the information on the panels. We went through each room downstairs and then upstairs where there was a bedroom that is darker to preserve the wallpaper and this is the room that Banting slept in. It gave me an understanding and appreciation for the history of insulin and how it how positively impacted millions of people. At the end of the tour there's a map where you can put a pin on the map where you're from and to pay. There's also public washrooms there.

We visited in the area on a rainy day. We didn't have a chance to go inside and so we visited the…read morearea outside which had a few monuments. Nice to go to the area which was expected to be area much residential homes on a busier street. Nice to see and visit.

Spot is easy to get to, not a long walk and perfect to relax at!!! Would recommend to just stop and…read moresee, or spend a few hours at just enjoying it.

We visited the Great Falls during a waterfalls trip in the Hamilton area in fall 2013. The Great…read moreFalls is also known as the Grindstone Falls or the Waterdown Falls. It is located in the old Waterdown, Ontario that is now merged into City of Hamilton. It is a curtain fall that is 10m high and 5m wide. It is beautiful, powerful and breathtaking. To get to the Great Falls, go south on Mills Street North, go under a railway bridge, park at the Smokey Hollow Park on the right. You have arrived at the entrance of a hiking trail that leads to the Great Falls.

The first lighthouse was built here in 1830 and it continued to serve until decommissioning in…read more1916. It was sold to private hands and eventually the current owners completed a restoration. It remains private property but it is visible from the roadway. It is possible to get some decent shots of it from the public land (and possibly from the water), so please respect the owner and do not trespass. [Review 1431 of 2024 - 109 in Ontario - 22454 overall]

Time travelled back to 1914 one afternoon. So peaceful and serene looking at life in the early…read more1900s, especially the cool the artifacts. It takes about 2 hours to explore the grounds starting with the entrance from the Region of Waterloo Museum which is connected to the Doon Heritage Village on Huron Road. Staff are wonderful at answering questions and showing how the old tools and equipment were used back then. Some of the old tools are just rock solid and will last forever. Wood was the primary construction materials used for building. This explains why fire insurance was a fast growing business. Insurance companies in the Region thrived and made the economy grow in that sector for years to come. The Martin House is beautifully decorated inside and out. The family was of Old Order Mennonite religion. There were very conservative colour schemes used, and no mirrors were allowed in the home! The Old Post Office is connected to a custom tailor service in the same building. Our hostess explained how the one man operation (tailor and postmaster) was in charge of both businesses. Suits were made to order and were outfitted with ties and cuff links. It was a profitable venture until the Eaton's catalogue business became more popular. The Dry Goods Grocery Store is "stocked" with canned goods and non-perishables such as soap and laundry detergent. Brand names included McCormicks and Heinz. Homes were equipped with a cast iron stove that kept the premises warmer in the winter months. Check out the feet of the stoves which were designed like ones you would find on vintage pianos. Very enjoyable afternoon spent and we learned a lot about early life and hard work of the German community and how it all started in Kitchener (then known as Berlin).

From the owner: The year 1914 comes to life at Doon Heritage Village…read more Doon Heritage Village, located at the Waterloo Region Museum, is a 60 acre living history village that includes 23 historic buildings, and two farms with farm animals. Costume interpreters greet visitors in the historic buildings. Special events and activities throughout the village's May 1 to December 23 season. Doon Heritage Village is open seven days a week from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. from May 1 to Labour Day. Hours vary from Labour Day to Dec. 23 - check the museum's website for public hours in the fall. The village is closed from December 24 to April 30.

an early day off and a concert in Guelph lead me to come to this bridge, as i did my research in…read moreadvanced and i wanted to come to a park and get some photography in. this was a really smart move to come to this bridge and park. i was able to find parking in the area no problem, and i couldn't get over how in the middle of the day on a Friday, this bridge and the surrounding park was absolutely silent. in doing my research that i found out that this is one of only two covered bridges in our wonderful province, it wasn't on my bucket list to come here for this reason, but its off my list. a wonderful bridge to come and just disconnect from everything, seriously quiet here, even with all of the animals just flying around or swimming. this bridge is in good shape but has alot of graffiti as well. would come back if in the area.

Yaaay! I have officially visited the only two covered bridges in Ontario, Canada…read more Built in June 1992 as a foot/bicycle path along the river, it is also part of a12.5-mile network of six trails which includes the Royal Recreational Trail. The bridge is 144 ft long and crosses over the Speed River from the Guelph Lawn Bowling Club parking area into York Road Park. 400 volunteers help build this bridge making it the second covered bridge in the province of Ontario. There are miles and miles of greenways and trails here making Guelph a true walker/runner/bikers dream. During my visit the students from nearby University of Guelph seemed to be put the trails to great use. Ithiel Town (born in Connecticut) patented his Town Lattice truss design in 1820 and to this day it is still considered one of the most durable and longest lasting of all covered bridge truss systems. Not to mention the lattice design allows the bridge to have more natural light than any other truss design. FINAL THOUGHTS As a person who loves covered bridges, I was happy to see several new bridges using this proven truss design on my long road trip from Atlanta to Canada. If you happen to be in the area, or have never seen a covered bridge in person, let me assure you this design was quite popular in the 1800's and many of those old bridges are still standing throughout the United States. Great backdrop for special occasion photography. Enjoy!

This library is HUGE! Located in an historic building across from the Woodstock high school,…read morethere's plenty of parking in the back. We got help downloading ebooks while I admired the layout. Humorous titles seen: "How to Not Look Old"; "Hebrew for Dummies"; and steamy novels that have won prizes for their cover art!! Definitely a fun and interesting place to hang out.