Ripley's Aquarium of Canada

How to visit without queuing

The mistake people make is treating Ripley’s as a turn-up-and-walk-in sight because it’s right at the foot of the CN Tower. On a wet Toronto afternoon or a weekend in the school holidays the walk-up line backs up 30-45 minutes, and that’s exactly when everyone else has had the same indoor-day idea. Book a timed-entry slot online before you go: it locks the cheaper daytime price and walks you past the queue. If you’re also doing the CN Tower two minutes away, the CityPASS or a combo ticket works out cheaper than buying the two separately — sort that before you arrive rather than at the desk.

When to go, and is it a rainy-day winner?

Aim for the first slot after the 09:00 opening or an evening slot after about 19:00, when the Dangerous Lagoon shark tunnel isn’t shoulder-to-shoulder and the glowing Planet Jellies gallery is actually photographable. Midday and weekend afternoons are the busiest by a wide margin, especially in winter. Allow an hour and a half to two hours inside.

It’s a genuinely good rainy-day call and a winner with kids, and pairing it with the tower makes one tidy indoor day. But it’s a polished aquarium rather than a uniquely Canadian one — if the weather’s clear and you’re not travelling with children, spend the time on the Toronto Islands ferry or Kensington Market instead, and save Ripley’s for the day the forecast turns.