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All Canada Ontario Toronto Ontario Place
Ontario Place is permanently closed.

This entry remains in the Atlas as a record of its history, but it is no longer accessible to visitors.

Ontario Place

An abandoned 1970s theme park that has been turned into a space for waterfront walking.

Toronto, Ontario

Added By
Christy Kirwan
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The “pods” suspended over the lake are abandoned today, but once housed exhibitions and restaurants.   ckirwan / Atlas Obscura User
  Sikander Iqbal / CC BY-SA 4.0
Aerial view of Ontario Place in 2006   IDuke / CC BY 2.5
Aerial view of Ontario Place in 2006   IDuke / CC BY 2.5
The Pods and Cinesphere   cb24602 / Atlas Obscura User
Abandoned silo sector on the west island in 2021   Cooth / Atlas Obscura User
Abandoned shops on the west Island in 2021   Cooth / Atlas Obscura User
Abandoned log flume ride on the west island in 2021   Cooth / Atlas Obscura User
Collection of Ontario Place signs outside the front entrance in 2021   Cooth / Atlas Obscura User
The platforms and cinesphere in 2021   Cooth / Atlas Obscura User
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About

Opened in 1971, Ontario Place was built as a theme park to highlight the province of Ontario with exhibits showcasing its unique features. In 2012, the park closed for redevelopment, and has changed from a theme park into a free public park filled with walking trails.

In 1967 the International and Universal Exposition was held in Montreal. The government of Ontario set up a pavilion that was so successful that they decided to create a permanent showcase of the province. The park was announced in 1968, and opened in 1971. It was designed by the architect Eberhard Zeidler and built directly into Lake Ontario, anchored by a chain of three manmade islands, representing an incredible feat of engineering.

In the past, the complex served as a Children's Village playground and water park as well as an exhibition hall. It contains a concert amphitheater, known today as the Budweiser Stage, and a movie theater, known as the Cinesphere, that are both still in use.

Starting in 2012, the park closed for several years while a number of changes were introduced. It reopened in 2017 with the addition of a new walking path. Today, the majority of the complex has been turned into a public walking park where guests can stroll along the waterfront and admire the decaying 70s futuristic architecture and explore the remnants of the old theme park.

Related Tags

Amusement Parks Parks Trails

Know Before You Go

The park has been bulldozed to make room for a spa. No longer open to the public

Community Contributors

Added By

ckirwan

Edited By

beckyhto, hbaxter427, cb24602, Michelle Cassidy...

  • beckyhto
  • hbaxter427
  • cb24602
  • Michelle Cassidy
  • Cooth

Published

April 6, 2020

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Sources
  • https://ontarioplaceforall.com/
  • https://thermecanada.com/?gclid=Cj0KCQjwxMmhBhDJARIsANFGOSuHnauCNb_caIg870hEdtwapjvCrHRxw_W6B5PdBz5HVbOBUmvu_S4aAlxVEALw_wcB
  • https://www.thestar.com/news/city_hall/2019/01/12/from-the-beginning-ontario-place-was-about-the-future.html
  • https://www.thestar.com/opinion/star-columnists/2019/02/22/ontario-place-has-considerable-heritage-value-and-the-province-knows-it.html
Ontario Place
955 Lake Shore Blvd W
Toronto, Ontario, M6K 3B9
Canada
43.630458, -79.414165
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