22 Best & Fun things to do in Orillia

Orillia is a small fascinating town in the city of Ontario. The City of Orillia is a lively community offering the best in culture and recreation, and it is situated on the shores of Lakes Simcoe and Couchiching.

The city of Orillia serves as a gateway for those seeking entertainment and an escape from Ontario’s bubbling and rushing nature.

Along with a thriving business district, Orillia is home to a variety of well-known tourist destinations. A variety of museums such as the Stephen Leacock Museum, the Orillia Museum of Art & History, and the OPP Museum, offer a view of Canadian and local history.

The majestic Orillia Opera House plays the venue for several musical and theatrical performances throughout the year.

Although Orillia may not be as well-known as some other Canadian cities, don’t be carried away by that. Orillia is a newer, smaller, and lovely tourist spot that is worth a visit. You’ll be astonished by some of the unusual activities and locations you can discover in this undiscovered location.

For your best travel convenience here is the list of 22 Best & Fun things to do in Orillia.

Fun things to do in Orillia

1 Casino Rama Resort

One of the best fun things to do in Orillia is to visit the Casino Rama Resort. Play your cards right at the casino, hotel, and entertainment complex known as Casino Rama Resort.

It is one of the most significant First Nations casinos in the nation, it has 110 gaming tables, including a 12-table poker room, and 2,500 slot machines. When your luck is in or out, visit one of the eleven on-site dining establishments, which offer a wide selection of foreign food to satisfy a variety of preferences.

Check out the schedule while you’re there or take a seat at the bar to catch one of the singers, dancers, or DJs performing at the center.

Is all about fun when you visit the Casino Rama Resort.

2 Mariposa Folk Festival

The Mariposa Folk Festival is one of Canada’s most iconic music festivals, hosted on the shores of Lake Couchiching, for a weekend of music, arts, and culture.

The festival is hosted every month of July. The festival, origins in the folk movement of the 1960s, has developed to present top-tier producers and artists in the folk, roots, blues, gospel, acoustic, and world music genres in a stunning, kid-friendly environment.

3 Port of Orillia

Lake surrounds Orillia, drawing tourists from all around who adore boating, fishing, and being on the water like a rippling blue magnet. At the Port of Orillia, thousands of boaters dock each summer.

For some, Orillia is a final destination; for others, it is a noteworthy halt along a journey along the 386-kilometer Trent-Severn Waterway.

The close-by waterfront parks provide beautiful trails, a sandy beach, picnic spots, free Sunday evening band performances, and an enjoyable steam train replica for kids of all ages.

A trip to the Port of Orillia is without a doubt among the top things to do for fun in Orillia.

4 Couchiching Beach Park

A short stroll from the town’s heart will bring you to Couchiching Beach Park, where you can take in the lively waterfront.

The park frequently turns into a center of activity thanks to the year-round calendar of regular events and outdoor performances. From the water’s side, observe the boats arriving and going, or stroll across the spacious areas to find the historic Champlain Monument.

The park also has a bandstand, a miniature steam railway, a picnic area, and play spaces for kids. Visit the white-sand beaches and take a relaxing swim in the chilly ocean.

5 Blue Mountain Village

Heading to Blue Mountain Village for some enjoyable outdoor exploration is one of the fun things to do in Orillia. Blue Mountain Village is a resort community with year-round events and activities where visitors get to enjoy great outdoor sports.

The resort offers various outdoor activities to suit all preferences and abilities, including hiking paths to explore in the summer and skiing in the winter. The village itself maintains a spotless urban setting of pubs, restaurants, and shops that have been thoughtfully placed for pedestrian accessibility.

In addition to indoor and outdoor swimming pools, two on-site spas provide a variety of massages and treatments.

6 Orillia Waterfront Festival

Orillia is abundant with plenty of year-round festivals of which Waterfront Festival is one.

The Orillia Waterfront Festival offers entertainment, cuisine, a vendor market, new and used boat sales, a cardboard boat race, and a dog diving competition!

The festival will feature a vendor market on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday with a wide range of unique vendors showcasing everything from hot tubs to one-of-a-kind clothing and decor items to unique food options.

The festival, which takes place in August, includes a 250-boat in-water boat display at the Port of Orillia that highlights new, dealer-traded, and particular brokerage models.

In Ontario, this is one of the most well-liked summertime activities. Events and activities geared at families include thrilling water ski demonstrations and the amusing Cardboard Boat Race.

7 Orillia Museum Of Art And History

The Orillia Museum of Art and History, located in the heart of Orillia, commemorates the province of Ontario’s rich heritage and creative beauty.

The museum is housed in the Sir Sam Steele Memorial Building, an old structure constructed in 1894. The Sir Sam Steele Memorial Building is a distinctive art gallery and museum with works by local and international artists.

The museum also hosts fantastic exhibitions including Canadian Landscapes, Arte Factum, and Orillia’s Fires.

8 Visit Guardian Angels Church

Guardian Angel Church welcomes all new parishioners who have faith in Holy Spirit and those who are heartily invited to register themselves at the church’s rectory office.

The church believes in the Catholic Church’s catechism.   You can attend their 5:00 p.m. mass on Saturdays and their 9:00 and 11:00 a.m. mass on Sundays.

You can also participate in several church-sponsored seminars and workshops if you’re interested. Introduce yourself to the parish personnel, and they will assist you in the enrollment process from there.

9 Bass Lake Provincial Park

Bass Lake Provincial Park, which has woodland campgrounds and a picnic area, is another beautiful place to visit when you visit Orillia. This provincial park is situated along the lake.

The park also provides a variety of lakeside pursuits like swimming, canoeing, boating, hiking track; camping; picnic shelters; a sandy beach; and boat, kayak, and canoe rentals.

10 Peter Street Art District

In the center of Downtown Orillia, on Peter Street South, is where you’ll find the arts district of the city.

Local companies help local artists by funding a festival of themed street painting each year. Orillia’s downtown was studded with old cars that had been artistically customized with paint. The annual art series has previously featured beautiful guitars, attractive chairs, and artistic doors.

Numerous art galleries, art stores, and artist studios may be found in the Peter Street Art District. Several times a year, entertainingly planned art crawls are put on exhibit at the center of Orillia’s artistic community.

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11 Mariposa Market

For visitors wishing to have a snack while window shopping, Mariposa Market is undoubtedly one of the best places to visit in Orillia.

Discover Orillia’s most renowned bakery, cafe, and boutique selling renowned fashion items, handmade soaps, candles, and more as you stroll through these three historic stores.

The most popular market in downtown Orillia is well known for its delectable pastries, cakes, and pies. Before taking a morning stroll, the cafe is the ideal place to enjoy a frothy coffee. From fancy clothing to cookery, you can find fantastic gift suggestions.

12 The Haliburton Highlands

The Haliburton Highlands offers stunning lake views if you want to enjoy the lakes’ beauty and natural surroundings.

The Haliburton Highland, which rises above the surrounding districts, has preserved its natural setting for you to see and enjoy.

Haliburton Highlands provides the ideal backdrop for documenting your vacation whether you’re traveling in a group or by yourself.

The park is situated near Algonquin Provincial Park and is around two and a half hours north of Toronto. It has rough hills, numerous lakes, mixed woods, picturesque landscapes, and many paths, as well as a thriving arts scene, tiny villages, hamlets, and great people.

13 Visit Sugarbush Hill Maple Farm

A visit to Sugarbush Hill Maple Farm is one of the best things to do in Orillia. Visit the quaint maple sugaring business owned by a welcoming Quebecois couple, Sugarbush Hill Maple Farm.

Discover how their all-natural maple products are made, tour the facility, and see the nearby forest of maple trees.

The farm tour includes interesting sights including vintage machinery, a piece of the oldest sugar maple tree in Canada, and a “bucket hall of fame.

Try the tasty maple mustard or maple cream donuts, sample the several types of maple syrup, and purchase a few bottles for yourself.

14 Orillia Opera House

Opera house Orillia is fantastic, extremely old, but well maintained.  You will find a live performance there that you enjoy among the many that are offered all year long. It is frequently utilized for kid-friendly activities as well. Orillia Opera House is located in a historic building originally constructed in 1895.

The Opera House, renowned for its excellent acoustics, has hosted performances by the Marx Brothers, Glenn Gould, Oscar Peterson, k.d. lang, Mickey Rooney, Blue Rodeo, Serena Ryder, and Gordon Lightfoot, a well-known local musician.

At the Opera House’s main entrance, fans of the legendary Canadian musician can take pictures with Gordon Lightfoot.

15 Tudhope Park

On the shores of Lake Couchiching sits J.B. Tudhope Memorial Park. It is one of the top parks in the city for slow-pitch and baseball practice.

If you enjoy the ocean, you shouldn’t pass up the chance to explore the region near moose beach, which is a well-known swimming spot. Mariposa’s folk festival is held on 65 acres.

There is an inclusive playground, a swimming beach, baseball fields, a flower garden, a splash pad, fountains, and picnic tables at this park.

There are 100 benches in the park, and there are plenty of walking and jogging routes. Unquestionably, visiting Tudhope Park is among the most fun things to do in Orillia.

Looking for the best things to do in Orillia for a romantic date night or a fun afternoon with the kids?

This year-round attraction, which is in its 35th year of operation, is great fun for groups of all sizes, including children, couples, and anybody interested in learning more about the history of roller skating.

The large area includes a party room for birthdays and other special occasions and a skating rink. Skates may also be rented on-site.

20 Splash On Water Park

Splash On Water Park is the perfect place to spend a day of fun if you’re in Orillia with family and kids. For children older than five, this well-kept water park provides fantastic activities.

Splash On Water Park, which is located on Moose Beach, has a sizable portion of the beachfront, as well as parking for the park.

21 Horseshoe Resort

Horseshoe Resort is a four seasons resort located between Orillia and Barrie.
For those seeking an outdoor adventure, the family-friendly ski and golf resort in Ontario offers four seasons of fun.

The Oro-Medonte Resort offers 29 runs for skiing and snowboarding in the alpine, snow tubing, snowshoeing, fat biking, golfing, a man-made lake, a wakeboard cable park, indoor and outdoor pools, treetop trekking, Yamaha Adventures, hiking and biking trails, two restaurants, and the opulent Amba Spa.

Visit Horseshoe Resort to enjoy all the amazing snow activities the resort has to offer if you’re looking for the best winter activities in Orillia.

22 Quayle’s Brewery

For families whose parents enjoy craft beer, a top favorite destination to check out for an excursion in Orillia is Quayle’s Brewery.

The lovely town of Coldwater, which is about ten minute’s drive from downtown Orillia, is home to Quayle’s Brewery, which serves as the neighborhood’s primary drinking establishment.

The brewery was built in 2016 as a recreation of a famous local icon from the 19th century, the Musical Barn. The barn offers both indoor and outdoor event space, a tasting room, an acoustic lounge, and a big outdoor patio.

The family-friendly farm brewery’s bar has 14 taps available. Fresh pints go well with fast food like cajun fries, fish tacos, and smash burgers.

On Fridays and Sundays, bring the whole family to enjoy live music. Grab your yoga mat and sign up for Stretch & Sip Sundays, which are held outside throughout the summer, if you enjoy leaning into your drink.

Best Time To Visit Orillia

June, July, and then August is the busiest travel months in Orillia, Ontario, Canada. This is the best time of year to take pleasure in and unwind from the city’s seasonal festivals.

Frequently Asked Questions About Orillia

Q: Where is Orillia located in Ontario, Canada?

A: Orillia is a city located in Simcoe County in the province of Ontario, Canada. It is situated in the central part of the province, approximately 135 kilometers (84 miles) north of Toronto.

Q: What is the population of Orillia? A: The population of Orillia was approximately 31,000. Please note that population figures might have changed over time.

Q: What is Orillia known for?

A: Orillia is known for its picturesque location between two lakes, Lake Simcoe and Lake Couchiching. It is often referred to as the “Sunshine City” due to its relatively high number of sunny days. Orillia is also famous as the birthplace of renowned Canadian author Stephen Leacock and is home to the Stephen Leacock Museum. Additionally, the city hosts the annual Mariposa Folk Festival, one of the longest-running folk festivals in North America.

Q: What are some popular attractions in Orillia?

A: In addition to the Stephen Leacock Museum, Orillia offers several other attractions. The Casino Rama Resort is a popular destination featuring a casino, entertainment venue, restaurants, and accommodations. The Orillia Opera House hosts a variety of performances, including plays, concerts, and dance shows. Outdoor enthusiasts can enjoy recreational activities such as boating, fishing, hiking, and biking in the surrounding lakes and parks. The Port of Orillia and the Orillia Museum of Art and History are also worth visiting.

Q: Can you swim in the lakes near Orillia?

A: Yes, you can swim in Lake Simcoe and Lake Couchiching near Orillia. There are public beaches and waterfront parks where you can enjoy swimming and other water activities during the summer months.

Q: Are there accommodations in Orillia?

A: Yes, Orillia offers a range of accommodations to suit different preferences and budgets. There are hotels, motels, bed and breakfasts, vacation rentals, and campgrounds available in and around the city.

Q: How do I get to Orillia?

A: If you are traveling to Orillia by air, the nearest major airport is Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ), located approximately 130 kilometers (80 miles) south of Orillia. From the airport, you can reach Orillia by car via Highway 400. Orillia is also accessible by road from other parts of Ontario.

Q: Are there any annual events or festivals in Orillia?

A: Yes, Orillia hosts several annual events and festivals. The Mariposa Folk Festival, held in July, attracts folk music enthusiasts from across Canada and beyond. Other notable events include the Orillia Perch Festival, the Scottish Festival, and the Canada Day celebrations, which feature fireworks and live performances.