Discover 15 hidden attractions, cool sights, and unusual things to do in Markham (Canada). Don't miss out on these must-see attractions: Cathedral of the Transfiguration, Varley Art Gallery, and Flato Markham Theatre. Also, be sure to include Markham Museum in your itinerary.
Below, you can find the list of the most amazing places you should visit in Markham (Ontario).
Table of Contents
Cathedral of the Transfiguration
Cathedral in Markham, Ontario. The Cathedral of the Transfiguration is a Catholic former cathedral and current parish of the Transfiguration of Jesus Christ, first of the Slovak Greek Catholic Church and currently of the Melkite Greek Catholic Church. The cathedral, in the Canadian city of Markham just north of Toronto, is the centrepiece and namesake of Cathedraltown near Victoria Square, an unincorporated hamlet.[1]
Address: 10350 Woodbine Ave, L6C 1J1 Markham
Varley Art Gallery
Art gallery. Frederick Horsman Varley Art Gallery, or the Varley Art Gallery of Markham, is an art museum in Markham, Ontario, Canada. The museum is situated in a 1,400 square metres building on Main Street Unionville. The gallery was named after Frederick Varley, an artist from the Group of Seven, and was opened in May 1997.
The gallery features a frequent changing of displays of the artwork done by local, national, and international artists. The gallery offers group tours, school programs, studio courses and workshops, courses and lectures, and family activities.
The art gallery is a short walk from Salem-Eckhardt House, the historical figure Kathleen Gormley McKay's residence. The house was built in the 1840s, and later became home to Frederick Varley. Kathleen Gormley McKay donated many of the original Frederick Varley pieces to the gallery.[2]
Address: 216 Main St, L3R 2H1 Unionville
Flato Markham Theatre
Theatre in Markham, Ontario. The Flato Markham Theatre is a public arts complex located at 171 Town Centre Boulevard in the city of Markham, Ontario, Canada.
The theatre initially opened in 1985 for local and school based productions. The theatre is best known for its performances in performing arts and drama.
The theatre is owned and operated by the City of Markham. The name of the venue changed from Markham Theatre to Flato Markham Theatre when FLATO Developments acquired naming rights in April 2012.[3]
Address: Markham, 171 Town Centre Boulevard
Markham Museum
Museum in Markham, Ontario. Markham Museum is a 25-acre open-air museum located in Markham, Ontario, Canada. It is dedicated to the preservation of old buildings and artefacts from Markham's past, especially as the original rural village has become an urban centre.[4]
Address: 9350 Hwy 48, L3P 3J3 Markham
Markham Civic Centre
City or town hall in Markham, Ontario. The Markham Civic Centre is the city hall of the city of Markham, Ontario. The brick and glass Civic Centre was designed by architect Arthur Erickson with Richard Stevens Architects Limited and opened on May 25, 1990. Entrances, except the great hall entrance, are named after communities in Markham. The building is adjacent to an 11.5-hectare park with a large pond reflecting the south façade.[5]
Address: 101 Town Centre Blvd, Markham
Chinese Martyrs Catholic Church
Catholic church in Markham, Ontario. The Chinese Martyrs Catholic Church is a national Catholic church in the Greater Toronto Area for Chinese Catholics. Originally based in Scarborough and now based in Markham, it was the second Catholic church to cater to Chinese Catholics in the GTA. The church is named for the Chinese Martyrs, 120 Chinese and foreign missionaries and laypeople who died in China during the 19th and 20th centuries.[6]
Address: 2755 Denison St, L3S 2J3 Markham
St. Dimitrija Solunski Macedonian Orthodox Church
Orthodox church in Markham, Ontario. St. Dimitrija Solunski, also known as St. Demetrius of Salonica, is a Macedonian Orthodox Church located in Markham, Ontario, Canada.[7]
Address: 201 Main St N, L3P 1Y4 Markham
Holy Cross Cemetery
Cemetery
Cham Shan jia na da zhan shan jing she
Temple
Address: 7254 Bayview Ave., L3T 2R6 Thornhill
Markham Village Town Hall
Building. Markham Village Town Hall, also called Old Town Hall, is a building at 96 Main Street North in Markham, Ontario, Canada, and was the home to Markham Town Council from 1882 until it moved to a location on Woodbine Avenue. It was built in 1882 by local builder John Wilson in an Italianate architecture style, with brick, from a local brickyard, laid by mason Joseph Sampson.
Besides council chambers the building was home to a local jail, and to Masonic and Oddfellow Lodges.
The building was sold in 1946, was a cinema until 1980 until it was reconstructed to its original facade and modified internal structure by Tony Baggio CPEng. As of March 2016, it housed business offices and was one of many historically preserved buildings on Main Street Markham. It was designated a heritage site under the Ontario Heritage Act on April 23, 1985. The designation lists the following the features (excerpted from reference):
- two storey coral brick exterior
- shed roof
- entrance with semi-circular fanlight and voussoirs of yellow brick
- yellow brick detailing in voussoirs and joining string courses
- decorated cornice
- heavy timber truss supporting second storey and roof
- round headed windows
- reconstructed brick chimneys
Address: Markham, 96 Main Street North
Toogood Pond Park
Park in Markham, Ontario. Toogood Pond Park is a 33.3-hectare park located in the neighborhood of Unionville, in Markham, Ontario, Canada that is best known for Toogood Pond. The pond is home to many Canada geese, ducks, fish, and plants. The park is owned and operated by the Corporation of the City of Markham, and is maintained by the city's Parks Department.[9]
Heintzman House
Community center in Markham, Ontario. The Heintzman House, also known as Sunnyside Manor Farm, is one of the oldest buildings in Thornhill-Markham, Ontario, where it sits on the crest of Bay Thorn Drive.[10]
Address: 135 Bay Thorn Dr, Markham
Markham Public Library
Markham Public Library is a library system operated by the municipal government of the City of Markham in Canada. There are eight branches in the city, serving about 250,000 residents in Markham. The libraries are managed by the Administration Centre, located at 6031 Highway 7.
In 2008, the system was renamed to the singular Markham Public Library to reflect its status as one unified system. Its current Chief Executive Officer (CEO) is Catherine Biss.[11]
Address: 6031 Highway 7, Markham
Unionville
Neighbourhood in Markham, Ontario. Unionville is a neighbourhood and former village in Markham, Ontario, Canada 33 km northeast of Downtown Toronto and 4 km east of southern Richmond Hill. The boundaries of Unionville are not well-defined, as it is an unincorporated community. Several neighbourhoods claim to be part of it however, this has been disputed between the various wards.
Unionville was founded north of 16th in 1794, and many of the farms on and around Kennedy Road. The Unionville Ratepayers Association designated a relatively new road, Rodick Road, as its western boundary, in the 1980s. Main Street, which was Kennedy Road in the mid-to-late 20th century, runs through Unionville while the new Kennedy Road runs 300 metres (330 yd) to the east. Rouge River runs north of the central part of Unionville and to the southeast. The highway (Highway 404) is to the west, the nearest interchange with the Highway 407 is 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) south on Kennedy Road. The population lives in almost all parts of Unionville except for the south central industrialized area, which is slated for massive intensification.
Tourism is a major part of Unionville's economy. The former village is typical of a small town that developed over a century or so starting in the early 1840s (when Ira White erected his Union Mills) through the middle to late 20th century. Now a 'heritage conservation district', it attracts thousands of visitors each year — as of 2006 it boasted nine restaurants, including three pubs. Main Street (originally the laneway from the village's first grist mill) also has a number of "century homes" dating back to the 19th century. Each year, thousands of people visit Unionville during the Unionville Festival.
The main street has been a stand-in for fictional Connecticut town Stars Hollow during the first season of Gilmore Girls television show, and for other television and movie backdrops.
Most of the historic buildings in Unionville are included in List of historic buildings in Markham, Ontario.[12]
Crystal Fountain Event Venue
Fountain
Address: 60 McDowell Gate, Markham