Categories: Things To Do

You can explore parts of an abandoned theme park right here in Toronto

Phot via Keith Hawkins

If you grew up in the 80s, 90s, or early 2000s, chances are you remember the Ontario Place theme park. Once upon a time, this waterfront city spot was the entertainment destination of every little kid’s dreams. There were awesome attractions like the log ride, mini bumper boats, and the Froster Soak City waterpark. Plus, who can forget the famous Children’s Village?

It was a go-to spot when the sun came out in the summer months. That is, until it closed in 2012. Now Ontario Place is known as a public park, albeit with some cool attractions, but without the magic that once made the place so memorable.

@tangleddreamscoexploring ontario place! ##exploreontario ##ontarioplace ##lockdownactivities ##abandonedcanada ##MayLongWeekend ##WeekendFun ♬ original sound – xxtristanxo

Well, people in Toronto are rediscovering the abandoned Ontario Place theme park. It seems social-distancing has some folks doing a little extra exploring. TikTok user @tangleddreamsco recently shared her experience uncovering what’s left of the former summer spot.

In her video, which now has over 200K views and nearly 30K likes, you’ll see the falling-apart-graffiti-covered remnants of rides that once were.

Reddit user u/zombieGirl89 (Nat Cooper) also recently shared a photo of the abandoned log ride at Ontario Place, artfully lit during sunrise. Eerie, right?

The Ontario Place theme park first opened to the public in 1971. In its hey-day, it operated annually during the summer months. Originally, the place was supposed to serve as a way to promote the Province of Ontario through entertainment and exhibits, but eventually the popularity of the theme park took over.

Ready for a dose of nostalgia? Anyone remember this iconic song from all the commercials for Ontario Place back in the early 2000s? Nothing like a Cyndi Lauper spin-off to hit you right in the feels!

In 2012, the Government of Ontario announced they were closing the Ontario Place theme park for redevelopments. As we all know now, the theme park part of it never came back to life.

But the area isn’t totally abandoned! Ontario Place has since reopened and is going strong. Today the site is home to popular attractions like the Budweiser Stage, Trillium Park, the Cinesphere, and the Ontario Place Drive-In. Plus, of course, the theme park ruins that folks occasionally explore and post about on the Internet…