Discover 15 hidden attractions, cool sights, and unusual things to do in Windsor (Canada). Don't miss out on these must-see attractions: Windsor Sculpture Park, Caesars Windsor, and Consophia. Also, be sure to include Windsor Yacht Club in your itinerary.
Below, you can find the list of the most amazing places you should visit in Windsor (Ontario).
Table of Contents
Windsor Sculpture Park
Park with contemporary sculptures. The Windsor Sculpture Park, formerly known as the Odette Sculpture Park, is an open space in Windsor, Ontario, Canada, that shows 35 large-scale contemporary sculptures by world-renowned artists including Elisabeth Frink, Gerald Gladstone, and Sorel Etrog.
The park is located on the shore of the Detroit River, spanning from Assumption Park to Centennial Park, between the Ambassador Bridge (Huron Church Road) and the Art Gallery of Windsor (Church Street).
The Sculpture Park was funded by Mr and Mrs Louis Odette and the P & L Odette Foundation. The park is maintained by the city's Parks and Recreation Department, while the sculptures are cared for by the Cultural Affairs Department.
The City of Windsor provides free public guided tours of the five kilometre open air gallery. The tours is are done in a vehicle called The Art Cart; an electric golf cart which can hold five people. Tours run on a first-come-first-served basis. Art Cart Tours depart from the base of the Great Canadian Flag at the foot of Ouellette Avenue.
Fee-based tours require reservations. Fee-based tours are offered outside of public tour hours.[1]
Address: Riverside Drive West, Windsor (The Core)
Caesars Windsor
Caesars Windsor in Windsor, Ontario, Canada is one of four casinos in the Detroit–Windsor area and was opened in 1994 on the waterfront of the Detroit River. Owned by the Government of Ontario, it is operated by Caesars Entertainment. Both the original Casino Windsor and 2008 expansion were designed by WZMH Architects.
The casino overlooks the Detroit skyline from the waterfront, and is near the Canadian end of the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel. The creation of this casino was a leading factor in the Michigan legislature authorizing the legalization of casino gambling in Detroit in the early 21st century.
The "Forum" hotel tower stands at 23 stories tall and opened in 1998. The "Augustus" tower stands at 27 stories and opened in 2008. Caesars Windsor attracts about six million visitors annually, from Ontario, Canada; and Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and other states in the Midwestern United States. Since 1999, its main competitors are the American MGM Grand Detroit, MotorCity Casino, and Greektown Casino-Hotel located across the river in Detroit.[2]
Address: 377 Riverside Dr E, N9A 7H7 Windsor (The Core)
Consophia
Consophia is a steel sculpture by Ian Lazarus, located at the Windsor Sculpture Park in Windsor, Ontario.
Lazarus's 18 foot tall sculpture represents communication across borders. The Native Ojibway script translates to sharing knowledge as well as inspired interaction, referring to the proximity of Windsor with Detroit.[3]
Windsor Yacht Club
The Windsor Yacht Club is a private yacht club in Windsor, Ontario. It is located on the Canadian mainland just south of Peche Island overlooking the Detroit River. The clubhouse overlooks the southern shore of Peche Island and is at the north-end of the Detroit River, which takes water from Lake St. Clair.
WYC is a member of the Detroit Regional Yacht-racing Association (DRYA) and the Inter-Lake Yachting Association (I-LYA).[4]
Address: 9000 Riverside Drive East, Windsor (East End)
The North Wall
The North Wall, also known as the Canadian Vietnam Veterans Memorial, is a war memorial in Windsor, Ontario, Canada. The monument was erected on July 2, 1995 in honour of the Canadian veterans who were killed in action, made prisoners of war, or declared missing in action during the Vietnam War.[5]
Our Lady of the Assumption
Catholic church in Windsor, Ontario. Our Lady of the Assumption, currently located at 350 Huron Church Road in Windsor, Ontario, is a Roman Catholic church and is the oldest continuous parish in Canada, west of Montreal.
The current church, which opened in 1845, is the fourth to be built on the site. The building closed in 2014 when it was determined the building needed approximately C$15 million in restoration work.
After a fundraising campaign, construction began in early 2019 on the first phase of a four phase restoration plan and included the installation of a long-term copper roof, a new heating system, major electrical work, and structural repairs.
The building reopened for regular weekend mass on September 8th, 2019.
The parish began the second phase of the restoration plan in 2020. The second phase includes restoration of the church's ceiling.[6]
Address: 350 Huron Church Rd, N9C 2J9 Windsor (West Side)
Capitol Theatre
Theatre in Windsor, Ontario. The Capitol Theatre is a historic theatre in Windsor, Ontario, Canada. Opened on December 30, 1920 by the Loew Theater Company owned by Marcus Loew at a cost of approximately CA$600,000. Designed by Toronto architect Thomas White Lamb, it was the largest single floor theatre in Canada at the time, with 1,995 seats.
The theatre was one of 16 Canadian theatres Lamb designed, including Toronto's Pantages (now the Ed Mirvish Theatre), the Elgin and Winter Garden Theatres, and the Ottawa Capitol.
The building was purchased in 1922 by Simon Mertsky and two other partners and it assumed its current name, as the Capitol Theatre. Famous Players (now Cineplex Inc.) purchased the building in 1929.
In 1975 the theatre was divided into three spaces available to rent: The main "Pentastar" theatre with 626 audience seats, the Daniel Patrick Kelly theatre with seating for 208 guests, and the Joy Family theatre for meetings and receptions.
The building closed in 1989 bringing the threat of demolition. In 1995 a group of community leaders and volunteers secured funding from the provincial and federal government to restore and renovate the interior of the building. The volunteer board declared bankruptcy in 2007.
The City purchased the building in 2008 and turned it over to the Windsor Symphony Orchestra to manage and use as their main venue. The Windsor International Film Festival also uses the theatre.[7]
Address: 121 University Ave W, N9A 5P4 Windsor (The Core)
Willistead Manor
Historical landmark in Windsor, Ontario. Willistead Manor is a historic house located in the former town of Walkerville, Ontario, now part of Windsor, Ontario, Canada. Willistead Manor was designed by renowned architect Albert Kahn in the 16th-century Tudor-Jacobean style of an English manor house. It was built in 1904–1906, and was commissioned by Edward Chandler Walker, the second son of Hiram Walker. It is named after the first son, Willis Walker, a lawyer in Detroit, Michigan, who died young.
Contrary to popular belief, Hiram Walker never lived in the home. Edward and his wife never had any children. After Edward passed on in 1915, Mrs. Walker did not care to keep living in the big home alone, and she deeded the house and grounds to the town of Walkerville. When Walkerville was amalgamated with Windsor in 1935, it obtained ownership of Willistead.
In the years after its use as a residence, Willistead served as the Walkerville Town Hall, Art Gallery of Windsor and as a public library branch. In the late 1970s early 1980s, the City of Windsor, afraid of the repairs and upkeep on the mansion, wanted to demolish the structure. Preservationists stepped in and the home was saved. In 1976, Windsor City Council designated Willistead Manor and Park as a heritage property.
Today the 36-room mansion is used as a banquet hall, and the fifteen-acre (62,888 m²) grounds are incorporated in a larger public park. The house can be rented for occasions such as weddings, corporate meeting and private parties. The house is also decorated for the Christmas holiday.[8]
Address: 1899 Niagara St, N8Y 1K3 Windsor (The Core)
Art Gallery of Windsor
Art institute in Windsor, Ontario. The Art Gallery of Windsor is a not-for-profit art institute in Windsor, Ontario, Canada.
Established in 1943, the gallery has a mandate as a public art space to show significant works of art by local, regional, and national artists. The Art Gallery of Windsor has created, collected, presented, and conserved a collections of Canadian art, and is one of Windsor's most notable cultural reserves.[9]
Address: 401 Riverside Dr W, N9A 7J1 Windsor (The Core)
Jackson Park
Park in Windsor, Ontario. Jackson Park is a park south of Downtown Windsor, Ontario, Canada. Acquired in 1929, with the persistence of then mayor Cecil E. Jackson, Windsor City Council voted in favour of purchasing the land from the Jockey Club. At the same meeting where the land was purchased, City Council decided to name the new park after their Mayor.[10]
Address: 125 Tecumseh Road East, N8X 2P7 Windsor (The Core)
Duff Baby House
Historical place in Windsor, Ontario. The Duff Baby House is an historic house located in Windsor, Ontario, Canada.[11]
Address: 221 Mill St, N9C 2R1 Windsor (West Side)
Serbian Heritage Museum
Museum in Windsor, Ontario. The Serbian Heritage Museum is not-for-profit community museum in Windsor, Ontario, Canada, located inside the Serbian Center. It is the largest Serbian museum located outside of Serbia. Exhibits in the museum are bilingual.[12]
Address: 6770 Tecumseh Rd E, Windsor (East End)
Windsor's Community Museum
Museum in Windsor, Ontario. Windsor Community Museum is a historical museum located in Windsor, Ontario, Canada which displays artifacts from Windsor. It is located at François Baby House, built in 1812 by François Baby, a prominent French-Canadian.
The museum was founded as the Hiram Walker Historical Museum because Hiram Walker and Sons Limited donated a lot of money for the restoration of the Baby House. In 1991 the museum's name was changed to the "François Baby House: Windsor's Community Museum" in an attempt alleviate confusion between the museum and the Hiram Walker Company. Also, the name did not accurately reflect the museum's aim or purpose. In 1996 the museum was given the name Windsor's Community Museum. The name became Museum Windsor in 2016 with the opening of the second location, the Chimczuk Museum (401 Riverside Dr W).
The building now houses over 15,000 artifacts and documents which hold particular importance to the history of Windsor and the greater Essex County, Ontario region. The museum was founded in 1958 by local amateur historian and merchant, George Fortune Macdonald (1877-1959) and is now administered by the City of Windsor. The Museum also runs and operates the Interpretation Centre located behind the Duff Baby House. This particular building is used mostly for educational programs.[13]
Address: 254 Pitt St W, N9A 5L5 Windsor (The Core)
Windsor City Hall
Building in Windsor, Ontario. Windsor City Hall is the seat of the municipal government of Windsor, Ontario, Canada. The mayor's office and Windsor City Council are housed in the main building at 350 City Hall Square West, while additional city services are located in an adjacent building at 400 City Square East in downtown Windsor.[14]
Reaume Park
Park in Windsor, Ontario. Coventry Gardens is a park in Windsor, Ontario, Canada on Riverside Drive, in the Pillette Village. It contains the Charles Brooks Peace Fountain that floats on the Detroit River mainly in summer. Across the Detroit river to the north is Detroit's Belle Isle Park.
The park is often filled with spectators of the annual fireworks of the Windsor–Detroit International Freedom Festival that usually takes place between July 1, Canada Day and July 4, Independence Day.
The park was completed in 1931 and was named after Joseph L. Reaume, its benefactor. The park has several historic memorials to noted events in the Windsor area. In 1975 the park was expanded from 4.7 acres (19,000 m2) to 7 acres (28,000 m2) of land.[15]
Address: 4714 Riverside Drive East, Windsor (East End)