City: Oshawa
Top Things to do in Oshawa
The 9 Best Nature & Parks in Oshawa, Canada
Oshawa (2016 population 159,458; CMA 379,848) is a city in Ontario, Canada, on the Lake Ontario shoreline. It lies in Southern Ontario, approximately 60 kilometres east of Downtown Toronto. It is commonly viewed as the eastern anchor of the Greater Toronto Area and of the Golden Horseshoe. It is the largest municipality in the Regional Municipality of Durham. The name Oshawa originates from the Ojibwa term aazhaway, meaning "the crossing place" or just "(a)cross".
Restaurants in Oshawa
1. Parkwood National Historic Site
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 374 reviews
An Autobaron's home of innovation and inspiration, and one of Canada's last grand estates. Immerse yourself in the era and lavish lifestyle of R. S. McLaughlin - founder of GM Canada. Beautifully preserved and so evocative of the jazz age & big band styles in automobiles, fashions, sporting life and garden parties. Get up close and personal with extensive access to historic spaces and fascinating stories of achievement and a life well-lived. Learn about the daily life of the large domestic staff that made this grand estate possible, and take a wander through the staff quarters to get a glimpse into the life of service.
Reviewed By lubicah - Toronto, Canada
I am curious how many people outside of Oshawa and surrounding areas know about this beauty. To be honest, I had no clue about the Parkwood Estate until my daughter suggested at the end of August to switch from visiting all the parks and conservation areas in GTA we had been focusing on all summer, to exploring some historical buildings. Excellent choice! Our tour guide Morgan made our visit truly memorable. Her knowledge, engagement, enthusiasm, and a friendly approach encouraged all the members of our small group to ask many questions and discuss interesting details about the life of Samuel McLaughlin, founder of General Motors of Canada, his wife Adelaide and their five daughters. Morgan’s vivid descriptions of life in this house supported our imagination and made us all feel like part of the history. We learned that the luxurious interiors at Parkwood represent early 20th century design and we admired fine artwork from famous artists, as well as housewares, books, furniture… I was also impressed by finding out that Parkwood is one of the most popular locations for filming. There is a long list of films that have been shot at this exciting estate, including Murdoch Mysteries, Anne of Green Gables: The Continuing Story, Chicago, X-Men, or Reign. Many famous movie stars, such as Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt, Adam Sandler, Ben Affleck, Jane Seymour, Richard Gere, Jackie Chan, Peter Fonda, and Richard Gere have been filming at the estate. The estate is a lovely place, still full of life and when you listen to the interesting stories about those who have been living here, you almost feel like you know this family. Regrettably, we were able to only see the main floor as the rest of the mansion was not accessible, but the beautiful garden with interesting landscape and full of colorful flowers (at that time) made up for it. If you are thinking about spending your next weekend at a gorgeous place, don’t look further. Parkwood Estate will do.
2. McLaughlin Bay Wildlife Reserve
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 24 reviews
Reviewed By HappyTraveller0723 - Ontario, Canada
Kayak, fish or hike around the trails. Lots of wildlife around. Great spot to spend an afternoon. Park at the bottom of the GM HQ parking lot. Free parking.
3. Oshawa Valley Botanical Gardens
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 63 reviews
Reviewed By HappyTraveller0723 - Ontario, Canada
Tucked away on a quiet side street, these beautiful gardens seem to go on forever! Huge shade trees, a creek, arbour and a bridge make this the perfect spot for wedding and prom photos.
4. Lakeview Park
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 181 reviews
Reviewed By 223joei - Oshawa, Canada
Lakeview Park is the crown jewel of Oshawa. A quiet place to enjoy green spaces... and or take up a local soccer game. Great place to look over the lake and appreciate the finer times of life. Joe Ingino CENTRAL NEWSPAPER
5. Oshawa Zoo
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 53 reviews
Reviewed By GiGiLovesToTravel - Oshawa, Canada
I have been wanting to go to the Oshawa Zoo for years and finally made the trip with my 3 3/4 (according to her) year old grand daughter. Karen and Alan (sister and brother) own this delightful family friendly zoo, and their commitment to the animals and guests is evident when they greet you at the gate. It is an interactive zoo with children of all ages, being able to feed the animals. Popcorn is the food and you can purchase buckets of it at the gate (they don’t allow you to bring food from home for the safety of their animals). We went through about 4 buckets of popcorn (some for my little one and some for the animals). Sheep, goats, horses, donkeys, pigs, lemurs, a baby camel, deer, chicks, ostriches and more are some of what you will see (over 200 animals is the guesstimate). Though you can’t physically go into their pens you can pet them through the fences. The baby pigs can get out and if you sit on the grass with your popcorn you can have a ‘pignic’ as Karen says. Pony Rides are available for the kiddo’s and they have a booth set up where you can purchase drinks and BBQ items. Though the address is Grandview St N, the entrance to the zoo is actually on Columbus Rd E, just east of Grandview. I went online and found a coupon for a child to enter for free, and did read that they have Season Passes, which I will look into for next year, as we will definitely be going back!! The smiling faces and the sounds of giggles and laughter, of all the guests that were there, spoke volumes to their experience. Highly recommend it!
6. Purple Woods Conservation Area
7. Joseph Kolodzie Oshawa Creek Bike Path
8. Memorial Park
Overall Ratings
3.5 based on 51 reviews
Reviewed By Shawk420 - Oshawa, Canada
Live music. Activism rallies. High school kids. Homeless people. Seniors. You will find all of these things at Memorial Park in Oshawa. A place welcome to everybody. Some of my fondest memories are putting dish soap in the fountain, causing a massive bubble fight. The time that Toronto punk rock group The 3tards got a permit to play on behalf of Breast Cancer Awareness, but was shut down by police for noise complaints. Attending as a child on Remembrance Day to honor the soldiers, and so many more. I've eaten lunch here as I attended school. I spent years of my life living with my mother at the YWCA down the street, in poverty, eager any time music was being played. But never have I been given a hard time, robbed or assaulted at Memorial. I feel safe there.
9. Harmony Valley Conservation Area
Overall Ratings
1.0 based on 1 reviews
