Discover 11 hidden attractions, cool sights, and unusual things to do in Thunder Bay (Canada). Don't miss out on these must-see attractions: Fort William Historical Park, Terry Fox Memorial, and Hillcrest Park. Also, be sure to include Northwestern Ontario Sports Hall of Fame in your itinerary.
Below, you can find the list of the most amazing places you should visit in Thunder Bay (Ontario).
Table of Contents
Fort William Historical Park
Tourist attraction in Thunder Bay, Ontario. Fort William Historical Park is a Canadian historical site located in Thunder Bay, Ontario, that contains a reconstruction of the Fort William fur trade post as it existed in 1816. It officially opened on July 3, 1973.
The site is located on the banks of the Kaministiquia River at Point de Meuron. This point is a few kilometres upstream from the original fort's site, Fort Kaministiquia, which has been built over as part of the city of Thunder Bay. Point de Meuron has separate historical significance, as it was the location of an Hudson's Bay Company post of the same name.[1]
Address: 1350 King Rd, P7K 1L7 Thunder Bay
Terry Fox Memorial
The Terry Fox Monument, situated in the outskirts of Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada, is a public monument commemorating cancer research activist Terry Fox's Marathon of Hope. The monument, which depicts Fox, is open to the public and offers a panoramic view of Thunder Bay and its surroundings.[2]
Address: 1000 Highway 11/17, P7A 0A1 Thunder Bay
Hillcrest Park
Park in Thunder Bay, Ontario. Hillcrest Park is a public park located in Thunder Bay, Ontario. The Park is located in the city's north end. The Park's location provides scenic views of the city, the harbour, and the Sleeping Giant. Located within the park is a World War II memorial for the Lake Superior Regiment. The memorial includes an honour roll of those killed in action, and a Universal Carrier; a vehicle used by the regiment. Located at the north end of the park is the Sunken Gardens with over 70 varieties of flowers in a unique configuration of walkways and benches.[3]
Address: East Side of High Street Between Red River Road & Oliver Road, Thunder Bay (Port Arthur)
Northwestern Ontario Sports Hall of Fame
Hall of fame. The Northwestern Ontario Sports Hall of Fame, established in 1978 in Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada, is dedicated to the people of Northwestern Ontario who have achieved greatness in sport. It is located on 219 South May Street in Downtown Fort William.[4]
Address: 219 May St S, P7E 1B5 Thunder Bay (Fort William)
Thunder Bay Museum
Museum in Thunder Bay, Ontario. The Thunder Bay Museum is located in Thunder Bay, Ontario. It is operated by the Thunder Bay Historical Museum Society, incorporated in 1972 as the successor to the Thunder Bay Historical Society.
The Museum is affiliated with the Canadian Museums Association, the Canadian Heritage Information Network, the Ontario Historical Society, and Virtual Museum of Canada.[5]
Address: 425 Donald St E, P7E 5V1 Thunder Bay (Fort William)
St. Patrick's Cathedral
Cathedral in Thunder Bay, Ontario. St. Patrick's Cathedral or Thunder Bay Cathedral is the Roman Catholic cathedral for the Diocese of Thunder Bay. It is situated on the corner of Donald and Archibald Streets in the city.[6]
Centennial Park
Park in Thunder Bay, Ontario. Developed in 1967, Centennial Park is a large park area that follows the shores of the rocky Current River in the north end of Thunder Bay, Ontario. The park was built to represent the history of logging in Port Arthur. The park features many replicas of the equipment and living conditions on logging camps in the early 20th century. The park also features recreational facilities, such as recreation trails, an animal farm, and a toboggan hill.[7]
Thunder Bay Community Auditorium
Concert hall in Thunder Bay, Ontario. The Thunder Bay Community Auditorium is a 1,511 seat performance arts centre, located in Thunder Bay, Ontario. It opened on October 16, 1985 and is home to the Thunder Bay Symphony Orchestra. The Community Auditorium hosts 150,000 patrons annually,.
It has a 40' by 50' permanent stage, a 70' by 39' proscenium, 8 dressing rooms, 52 lines, 2x 400 A 120 V/208 V electrical, 3 meeting rooms, a 450-person banquet capacity, and parking for 1000 vehicles. The facility features a wide variety of state-of-the-art equipment, including a ceiling that can be lowered or raised and acoustic draperies which can be adjusted to modify the reverberance in the auditorium.[8]
Address: Thunder Bay, 1 Paul Shaffer Drive
Finlandia Club
The Finnish Labour Temple is a Finnish-Canadian cultural and community centre and a local landmark located at 314 Bay Street in the Finnish quarter in Thunder Bay, Ontario.
Built in 1910, the Finnish Labour Temple was at one point one of the largest workers' halls in Canada in addition to being the centre of Finnish cultural and political life in Northwestern Ontario. Currently, the hall houses the historic Hoito Restaurant, a museum, and features a large stage, dance floor, and hall as well as meeting rooms for various groups. The Finnish Labour Temple serves as one of the main locations of the Bay Street Film Festival.[9]
Address: 314 Bay st, Thunder Bay (Port Arthur)
Current River Greenway
The Current River Greenway is a 263 hectare greenway located in Current River neighbourhood in the north end of Thunder Bay, Ontario along the Current River.
Throughout the Greenway is 50 km of public trails that are part of the Thunder Bay Recreational Trails and the Trans Canada Trail system. Five kilometres of paved trail circle Boulevard Lake. Part of the trail system incorporates the Black Bay Bridge, North America's first single spandrel, reinforced concrete bridge, which was built in 1911. The trails around Boulevard Lake are also used for various walking marathons in support of local and national charities. Trails outside of the Boulevard Lake area are not paved.[10]
Waverley Park
City park in Thunder Bay, Ontario. Waverley Park is a public park located in the north end of Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada. It is the second oldest municipal park in Ontario. The park forms the centre of the Waverley Park Heritage Conservation District, a collection of historical homes, churches, schools, and other buildings at the centre of Port Arthur.
The property was surveyed and set aside as parkland by the Crown Lands Department, in the original ordnance survey of the Prince Arthur's Landing town plot in 1871. It was given to the city of Port Arthur in 1907 on the condition that is "not be alienated or leased and that no buildings be erected on it except municipal buildings".
The most notable features of Waverley Park include its giant cottonwood trees, which stand as much as 40 m above the park. In recent years, many have been removed due to advanced age and disease. Other notable features include a fountain, cenotaph, and bandshell. The park is between Waverley Street and Red River Road in Thunder Bay, and is located between two historic schools — Port Arthur Collegiate Institute and Port Arthur Central School — the latter is now home to Magnus Theatre.[11]