Stand on the Islington Avenue bridge and you look down on rows of commuter trains easing into the yards below, while a few minutes' walk away murals cover the walls of a main street that still feels like a small town. Etobicoke is Toronto's west end, a stretch of lakeshore parks, river valleys and old mill villages between the Humber River and Etobicoke Creek.
It suits travellers who have already seen downtown and want a slower day of waterfront walking, valley trails and historic buildings, all reachable on the subway, streetcar and bus. This guide covers the sights and experiences worth your time, followed by a plan for a single day.
Top things to do in Etobicoke
1. Islington Village murals
A set of murals is painted on the sides of buildings along Dundas Street West in Islington Village, between Islington Avenue and Bloor Street West. The street itself has shops and restaurants and a small town atmosphere, so the murals are best treated as part of a wander rather than a single stop.
Take the 37 Islington bus from Islington Station on subway line 2 to Dundas Street. Islington Village is a short distance west of Montgomery's Inn, which makes the two easy to visit in one day.
2. Montgomery's Inn
Montgomery's Inn at 4709 Dundas Street West is a 19th-century colonial tavern that has been a landmark in Etobicoke for over 180 years, restored to its heyday of 1847. You can view the lodgers' bedrooms, the bar room, the second floor assembly room, and the Montgomery family bedrooms, sitting room and office, and there is a tea room for visitors.
Reach it on the 37 Islington bus to Dundas Street from Islington Station on subway line 2. Pair it with the Islington Village murals, a short distance east.
3. Humber Bay Arch Bridge
This pedestrian and bicycle bridge crosses the mouth of the Humber River, connecting the Sunnyside Boardwalk in Toronto's West End to Humber Bay Shores. It offers a good view of the CN Tower on its south side.
It sits on the Martin Goodman Trail, so you can combine it with the lakeside parks to the west.
4. Humber Bay Butterfly Habitat
Along the base of Humber Bay Park East, this is a habitat created for butterflies, made up of a meadow-like environment with wildflowers, tall grasses and bushes. Butterflies do not like wind, rain or the mid-day heat on hot days, so check the best times to see them before you go; even without butterflies, the wildflowers remain.
It is the first of the Humber Bay Shores sites if you are walking east to west along the waterfront.
5. Humber Bay Park East
One of two man-made peninsulas in Humber Bay, the east park is the more rustic of the pair. It has a large pond within the peninsula crisscrossed with footbridges, and a small waterfall beside a bridge along the north side. The far tip of the peninsula gives a view of the CN Tower in the distance.
Take the 501 Queen streetcar to Park Lawn Road. If time or energy is short, this park is the one to choose over Humber Bay Park West.
6. Air India 182 Memorial
In Humber Bay East Park, this memorial commemorates the victims of the Air India Flight 182 disaster. The flight originated at Pearson International Airport, just outside Toronto.
It is within Humber Bay Park East, so visit it as part of your walk through that park.
7. Humber Bay Park West and Etobicoke Point
The west peninsula is the one where automobiles can penetrate its 1.1 km length to its end at Etobicoke Point, a lookout point with a beacon to guide boats. The west side of the park is fenced off from public access to accommodate two private boating clubs.
Take the 501 streetcar to Legion Road. The two parks are separated by Mimico Creek but connected by a pedestrian and cyclist bridge at the base of the two peninsulas.
8. The two lighthouses
Humber Bay Park West holds a four-storey lighthouse and a small two-storey lighthouse, both built in 1895 and moved to their current location in 1981. Each is in a fenced-off location, one to accommodate the Mimico Cruising Club and the other the Etobicoke Yacht Club, but both can be viewed from the gazebo along Mimico Waterfront Park.
Plan your look at them around the gazebo rather than trying to approach the lighthouses themselves.
9. Mimico Waterfront Park and the gazebo
This promenade runs along the lakeshore from Humber Bay Park West to Norris Crescent Parkette, a distance of 1.1 km, with some of the walkway on footbridges over the water along the shore. Signage is inconsistent and also names the promenade as Humber Bay Promenade Park; another sign notes it is a component of the longer Great Lakes Waterfront Trail.
The gazebo juts over the water and gives views of the yacht harbour and its two lighthouses. The eastern end is Humber Bay Promenade Park; the western end is Norris Crescent Parkette, reached by the 501 streetcar to Hillside Avenue.
10. Etienne Brulé Park
This park at 13 Crosby Avenue has hiking trails along the Humber River valley and is a good spot to watch the fall salmon run up the Humber River. Walking from Old Mill Subway Station along Old Mill Road, you cross into the park over an attractive stone bridge built in 1916, and you can look at the public spaces around the Old Mill hotel, where there are ruins of an old water mill.
Come in the fall for the salmon run, and allow time for the walk from the subway.
11. Centennial Park
This large park at 256 Centennial Park Road has many facilities, including a bike park and sports fields. During the winter, skiing and snowboarding are available here, one of two locations in Toronto.
Exit Highway 427 at Rathburn Road West. A walk, jog and cycle path along the Etobicoke Creek stretches from Neilson Park Community Centre to Centennial Park, so you can arrive on foot or by bike.
12. Woodbine Racetrack
At 555 Rexdale Boulevard, Woodbine Racetrack offers thoroughbred and standardbred horse racing, gambling and a restaurant on-site.
It is near Pearson Airport, at the west end of Etobicoke.
13. Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame
The Hall of Fame is at 555 Rexdale Boulevard, at the west entrance of Woodbine Racetrack near Pearson Airport.
Since it shares an address with the racetrack, combine the two in a single visit.
14. GO Transit Willowbrook Rail Maintenance Facility and Via Rail Toronto Maintenance Centre
For railfans, GO Transit and Via Rail have their maintenance facilities and storage yards at 830 Islington Avenue. The Islington Avenue bridge over the yards gives great views.
Take the 501 streetcar to Islington Avenue and walk half a kilometre north, or take the 110 bus to Judson Street.
15. Etobicoke Creek path and Millwood Park
A walk, jog and cycle path along the Etobicoke Creek, on the Etobicoke-Mississauga border, stretches from Neilson Park Community Centre to Centennial Park. Millwood Park, near the centre of this path in the quiet residential community of Markland Wood, has some of Etobicoke's oldest growth forest and an oak tree that dates back over 300 years.
Use the path to link the creek valley with Centennial Park, and break the walk at Millwood Park.
If you only have one day
Morning: Start at Montgomery's Inn on Dundas Street West, reached on the 37 Islington bus from Islington Station, and give the restored rooms and tea room your time. Walk east afterwards to see the Islington Village murals along the same street.
Afternoon: Head south to the lake. Cross the Humber Bay Arch Bridge, then follow the Humber Bay Shores parks east to west: the Humber Bay Butterfly Habitat, Humber Bay Park East with its pond and footbridges, and the Air India 182 Memorial. Continue to Humber Bay Park West and Etobicoke Point, and view the two lighthouses from the gazebo along Mimico Waterfront Park.
Evening: Finish along Mimico Waterfront Park, walking the promenade between Humber Bay Promenade Park and Norris Crescent Parkette as the light drops over the yacht harbour.
Frequently asked questions
How do I reach Etobicoke without a car?
Etobicoke is the western terminus of Line 2 Bloor-Danforth of the Toronto subway and is served by four suburban rail stations of GO Transit. Within the area, the 501 Queen streetcar, the 37 Islington bus and the 110 bus cover several of the sights listed above.
When is the best time to see the salmon run?
The fall salmon run up the Humber River can be watched from Etienne Brulé Park, which has hiking trails along the Humber River valley.
Can I see the lighthouses up close?
No. Both the four-storey lighthouse and the small two-storey lighthouse in Humber Bay Park West are in fenced-off locations, but you can view them from the gazebo along Mimico Waterfront Park.
Where can I watch trains?
Railfans can get great views of the GO Transit Willowbrook Rail Maintenance Facility and the Via Rail Toronto Maintenance Centre from the Islington Avenue bridge over the yards at 830 Islington Avenue.
Pick your season, check the transit routes above, and start mapping out your day in Etobicoke.