Canadian Canoe Museum

The Canadian Canoe Museum was founded in the 1990s, but got a makeover with the opening of a new venue in spring 2024. Visitors—from keen kayakers to history enthusiasts to families—can enjoy a large, well-designed space that displays watercraft from across Canada, while honoring the history of Indigenous Canadian cultures. Canoe and kayak rentals are also available, as well as guided tours and workshops. Travelers typically visit independently, either on a trip from Toronto or while visiting the Kawartha Lakes region of south-central Ontario.

• Entry to the museum is ticketed, with reduced prices for seniors and visitors under 18. Kids 4 and under are free, as are visitors belonging to First Nations, Inuit, and Métis communities (without ID).

• The museum is fully accessible and contains a year-round accessible boardwalk linking the indoor and outdoor spaces.

• The Canadian Canoe Museum Store and the Silver Bean Cafe can be visited without a museum admission ticket.

Peterborough is about 87 miles (140 kilometers) northeast of Toronto, around a 90-minute drive via the ON-407 E and ON-115 N. Frequent buses travel between Toronto and Peterborough. In the summer and fall, the convenient Canoe Bus provides a special coach service between Toronto and the museum on 12 select dates.

The museum, including the café, is open daily from mid-morning to early evening, with extended hours on Thursdays. It’s closed on December 25 and 26, and on January 1. The Silver Bean Cafe opens an hour earlier than the rest of the museum, and only offers a limited menu in the final hour before closing.

Peterborough sits at the heart of what is known as Ontario’s “cottage country,” the Kawartha Lakes. Many locals, including Torontonians, have holiday homes, called cottages, beside the 14 lakes. Renting a cottage for a few days, especially in the summer, is a lovely way of being immersed in provincial Canadian life—and you’ll get plenty of chances to paddle a canoe, too.