Choose wisely. Connect locally.Add your business Sudbury sits on the Canadian Shield in Northern Ontario, a city of lakes, rocky hills and mining history that surprises most first time visitors. Officially Greater Sudbury, it covers more land than any other city in Ontario, and within one short drive you can visit a science centre shaped like snowflakes, stand beside a giant nickel and look out over a waterfall on the Onaping River.
Science North
Bell Park and Ramsey Lake
Bridge of Nations
The Big Nickel
+5 more places
Few Canadian cities have a story as dramatic as this one. Sudbury lies within the Sudbury Basin, the eroded remnant of an impact crater left by an asteroid about 1.8 billion years ago, and that impact helped create the rich nickel and copper ores that built the town after railway crews blasted into them in the 1880s.
Smelting once scarred the landscape, but decades of regreening work brought back forests and clean lakes, and today Sudbury is known for outdoor recreation in every season. Italian, Finnish, Ukrainian, French and Indigenous communities shape its culture, signs and services are bilingual, and NASA astronauts even trained in the area during the Apollo program.
Science North is the city's best known attraction, two snowflake shaped buildings on the shore of Ramsey Lake joined by a rock tunnel that passes through a geological fault. Inside you will find an IMAX theatre, a butterfly gallery, a planetarium and hands on exhibits about northern ecosystems and technology.
Science North is built from two snowflake shaped buildings joined by a rock tunnel. Photo: Platttenbau, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0
Bell Park runs along the western shore of the lake and connects to Science North by the Jim Gordon Boardwalk, so the two make an easy pairing.
Bell Park runs along the western shore of Ramsey Lake and links to Science North by boardwalk. Photo: Platttenbau, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0
In the downtown core, the Bridge of Nations displays flags of the countries represented in the city's population, a fitting symbol of how many communities settled here. It takes only a few minutes to cross, so combine it with a walk through the centre and a coffee stop.
The Bridge of Nations in downtown Sudbury displays flags of countries linked to the city's communities. Photo: Andre Carrotflower, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
The Art Gallery of Sudbury on John Street presents historical and contemporary Canadian art, while La Galerie du Nouvel Ontario on Larch Street focuses on contemporary work with an emphasis on French Canadian artists. Each is small enough for an hour, which makes them a good rainy day option.
Standing nine metres tall, the Big Nickel is a replica of a 1951 five cent coin and is listed as the world's largest coin.
The Big Nickel is a nine metre replica of a 1951 five cent coin. Photo: Jason Zhang, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Dynamic Earth is an earth science and mining centre run by Science North, with a guided underground tour, multimedia theatres and an outdoor science park. It is the best way to understand why the city exists.
Dynamic Earth is an earth science and mining centre operated by Science North. Photo: Andre Carrotflower, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Several small heritage museums show how early settlers and mining families lived, including the Copper Cliff Museum, the Flour Mill Heritage Museum and the Anderson Farm Museum. They are modest, community focused stops that suit a slow afternoon.
In Capreol, about 30 kilometres north of downtown, this museum has locomotives and rolling stock, a model railroad and a locomotive simulator. Rail fans and families will enjoy it, and Capreol is also a stop for VIA Rail's transcontinental train, The Canadian.
The Northern Ontario Railroad Museum in Capreol displays locomotives and rolling stock. Photo: SoftwareSimian, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Named for the Group of Seven painter, this lookout on Highway 144 offers a view of High Falls on the Onaping River, about 43 kilometres northwest of downtown Sudbury.
High Falls on the Onaping River can be viewed from the A.Y. Jackson Scenic Lookout on Highway 144. Photo: P199, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
In the south end of the city, this large conservation area has about 55 kilometres of trails for hiking, jogging, biking and, in winter, skiing. Pick a short loop if you are pressed for time.
The Lake Laurentian Conservation Area has about 55 kilometres of trails in the south end of the city. Photo: G.champagne, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Near Lively along Highway 17, the Fielding Bird Sanctuary protects managed habitat for birds, and a hiking and nature trail near Coniston is named for the scientist Jane Goodall. Both reflect the long regreening effort that restored life to the landscape after the smelting years.
The Fielding Bird Sanctuary near Lively protects managed habitat for birds beside Highway 17. Photo: СССР, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.5 ca
Sudbury's food reflects the Italian, Finnish, Ukrainian, French and Polish communities that settled here. Look for perogies, the filled dumplings often served with onions and sour cream, at community events and family restaurants. Wild blueberries thrive on the rocky Shield soils, so wild blueberry pie is a summer treat worth ordering. Walleye, known as pickerel across Ontario, is a northern classic served fried or baked, and the lakes around the city support healthy populations of it.
Popular dishes to try in Sudbury
Downtown Sudbury suits first time visitors who want restaurants, galleries, theatres and the main bus connections within walking distance. Ramsey Lake is the pick for travellers who want water views, boardwalk strolls and quick access to Bell Park, Science North and Laurentian University on the lake shore.
If you prefer a quieter base, look at lodging in the outlying communities of the amalgamated city, though you will want a car. Book early for the first weekend of July when the music festival fills rooms, and again for peak summer and autumn weekends.
Where to stay in Sudbury
Summer is the main season, with warm days that average around 25 degrees Celsius, swimming at Bell Park and a full calendar of outdoor events. Northern Lights Festival Boréal, one of Canada's oldest continuous music festivals, normally runs over the first weekend of July at Bell Park on the shore of Ramsey Lake. Autumn brings colour to the hills, cooler nights and thinner crowds, and Science North remains an easy indoor option.
Sudbury Airport sits in Garson, about 25 minutes from downtown by car, with a direct Air Canada flight from Toronto Pearson and regional links on Bearskin Airlines. By road, Highway 17 runs east to North Bay and west to Sault Ste. Marie, Highway 69 heads south to Parry Sound and the Highway 400 to Toronto, and Highway 144 goes north to Timmins. Ontario Northland coaches link Sudbury with Toronto, Ottawa, Sault Ste. Marie and Timmins, and FlixBus serves Toronto. VIA Rail's The Canadian stops at Sudbury Junction, and a separate Sudbury station connects with White River, so check current schedules before you plan a rail trip.
Start at Science North, then walk the Jim Gordon Boardwalk to Bell Park for a swim or a cruise on the William Ramsey.
Visit the Big Nickel and Dynamic Earth in the morning and add the Copper Cliff Museum if you enjoy local history. In the afternoon, take a walk in the Lake Laurentian Conservation Area.
Drive Highway 144 to the A.Y. Jackson Scenic Lookout and High Falls.
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