10 Best Sports Attractions in Toronto

Scotiabank Arena is the home of the NHL’s Toronto Maple Leafs and the NBA's Toronto Raptors, making it an important site in North American sports. It's the epicenter of hockey and basketball in this city, and if you want to talk about storied teams, the Leafs are one of the NHL's all-important Original Six. The arena is dead center in the downtown area and hosts major international events from concerts to awards ceremonies. It even played host to the first World Cup of Hockey.

The arena is also just a few steps from many major local attractions, so it’s a great place to explore the surrounding landscape. You'll find history, dining, shopping, and landmark viewpoints all around here.

Rogers Centre is one of the most unique and unusual baseball stadiums around and is the proud home of the Toronto Blue Jays MLB franchise. The arena is one of the largest baseball stadiums in the entire world and offers a round, symmetrical venue that places it outside of other ballparks, which tend to be more intimate and feature unique quirks. It's also unusual for its artificial turf play surface. All of this makes it an interesting place to see a ball game.

The stadium, originally called the SkyDome when it opened 30 years ago, was the first to have a retractable dome and the first to have a built-in hotel. It's only a 10-minute drive from downtown.

BMO Field is the place to go if you want to catch a soccer game and is the home base of the Toronto FC and the Toronto Argonauts national team. The field opened as the first soccer-specific arena in the nation. The stadium is unique in that it was funded and built by a public partnership between Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment, Ltd., and 3 levels of government. Besides FIFA National and Major League Soccer, it's held for many public events, corporate functions, International Rugby and Lacrosse games, and even small local soccer matches.

This soccer field has hosted over a million fans since its opening and is a proud city landmark. It's only about 13 minutes west of downtown.

Coca-Cola Stadium is home to the Toronto Marlies, the AHL farm team for the Maple Leafs, and is an exciting place to see some live minor league hockey. Minor league hockey has all the drama and excitement of the NHL,  but the games can be even more passionate, as these players truly play for the love of the game. In addition to AHL games, this stadium has hosted the Pan American Games, particularly the competitive gymnastics events. It also hosts the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair and many trade shows.

It's also a venue for major concerts and has hosted such acts as Jimi Hendrix, the Doors, Motley Crue, Genesis, The Who, and many others. It's 13 minutes west of downtown.

The Hockey Hall of Fame is the spot to visit if you're a hockey fan on any level, celebrating the entire history and legacy of this sport. It's lost on nobody that the Hall of Fame is in the home of one of the Original Six – the Maple Leafs. It showcases famed jerseys and gear and lets you learn about and touch the Stanley Cups (that's right; there's more than 1). It's dedicated to the entire sport of hockey, not just the NHL, so you'll see unexpected exhibits and learn about the game's Canadian origins.

If you've ever wanted to see and touch the Cup, this is the place to visit. It's located right in the heart of downtown.

Varsity Stadium is the home of the Toronto Varsity Blues football team of the University of Toronto, and the historic spot has hosted all University athletic events since 1898. Though the current stadium is not the original, it still sits on the same site. It's the former home of the Toronto Argonauts and has hosted such events as the Grey Cup, Vanier Cup, the Summer Olympics, and the North American Soccer League. It forms part of a complex with Varsity Arena, which hosts the university's hockey matches.

Besides sports, the stadium has seen such notable music acts as John Lennon, Eric Clapton, Alice Cooper, Chuck Berry, Little Richard, and Kiss. It's 8 minutes north of town.

Aviva Centre is a multipurpose entertainment complex that covers 15 acres of space and hosts sporting events, live concerts, competitions, trade shows, and other events. It has been home to the Rogers Cup and the Canadian Open tennis tournament, and it serves as the home of the Ontario Tennis Association and Tennis Canada. It's located on the York University campus and is the heart and soul of tennis in Ontario and an important stop on the ATP World Tour and WTA Circuit every year.

Besides tennis, it's hosted indoor rowing championships, basketball exhibitions, and concerts including artists like John Fogerty, Barry Manilow, Diana Krall, and Gretchen Wilson, among others. It's about 35 minutes to the north of downtown.

Allan A. Lamport Stadium is a multipurpose facility in the Liberty Village neighborhood that's the home of CFL team the Toronto Argonauts and hosts lacrosse, soccer, and rugby, among others. If you're into sports, it seems like there's always something going on here. The stadium hosted the Toronto Nationals lacrosse club for one season and has been a temporary home venue for SC Toronto and Toronto FC's Academy side as well as Toronto FC II. For a few years, it was home to the Canada Wolverines national rugby team and has hosted the Colonial Cup and the Americas 9s tournament.

This historic stadium is an iconic sports venue in Toronto. It's just 12 minutes west of town.

Don Valley Golf Course is a natural 18-hole course with championship-level golf open to the public with a legendary reputation as well as a pro shop and amenities. The Par 72 course covers 6,263 yards and is known for its tricky 18th hole. On-site amenities include a full restaurant, a pro shop where you can rent equipment, 3 washrooms and a changing room, and a clubhouse. It's a public course with green fees and offers onsite parking with 2 accessible parking lots and a rope tow to help patrons to the clubhouse.

You can also rent power carts and take golf lessons. It's about a 30-minute drive north of downtown.

Dentonia Park Golf Course offers both 9- and 18-hole golf courses with challenging shots as well as a full 9-hole disc golf course to offer something a bit different. The course was named for Susan Marie Denton, whose husband, Walter Massey, bought the land on which the course is built and named it Dentonia Park. It's a public course with green fees and available club and equipment rentals.

Onsite parking is available along with a full pro shop, washroom, and changing room. The 18th hole is a par 3 challenge and the course has picturesque water hazards throughout. It's just about a 30-minute drive to the southwest of downtown Toronto.