Ripley's Aquarium of Canada

Ripley's Aquarium of Canada sits at the foot of the CN Tower, on Bremner Boulevard in downtown Toronto, next to Rogers Centre and a short walk from Union Station. It opened in 2013 and quickly became one of the city's most popular indoor attractions. The building is large, and its galleries hold thousands of fish and other animals, with the operator citing around 20,000 animals from several hundred species. Visitors will find it a good option when the weather is wet or cold.

The signature feature is Dangerous Lagoon, where a moving walkway carries visitors through a long, curved underwater tunnel of about 96 metres. Sharks, sawfish and large rays pass overhead and alongside, and the effect is of walking along the bottom of a tank with a ceiling full of fish and sea turtles. The tunnel is the place to slow down and look up, and the walkway can be stepped off at any time to watch.

Other galleries cover very different habitats. Planet Jellies fills a dark hall with glowing tanks of drifting jellyfish in different shapes and colours, and Rainbow Reef is packed with brightly coloured tropical fish. Canadian Waters concentrates on species from the country's own oceans and lakes, and Ray Bay lets visitors touch rays with a few fingers under staff supervision. A shipwreck-themed gallery, an Atlantic section and other themed halls round out the layout. Feeding talks and diver shows run through the day, and information boards explain the animals and conservation issues.

The aquarium suits families with children, school groups and anyone interested in marine life. It can be very crowded at weekends and school holidays, and the busiest areas are the tunnel and the touch pools, so it helps to book a timed ticket in advance and arrive early. A visit usually takes two to three hours, depending on how long you spend at each exhibit. Strollers and wheelchairs can generally move through the galleries.

Its location makes planning easy. The CN Tower is directly beside it, Union Station connects trains, subway and streetcars, and the waterfront is a short walk south. Many visitors combine the aquarium with the tower's observation deck and a stroll to Harbourfront. For those who like a slower approach, going later in the afternoon tends to be quieter than the middle of the day.