Oshawa travel guide
Parkwood Estate, a car museum and a beach park on Lake Ontario
A GM factory city 60 km east of Toronto, worth a day for Parkwood Estate, the car museum and a lakefront provincial park. June to September is best for Darlington's beach. GO and VIA trains make it an easy trip from Toronto. Costs are very high, and an eTA is needed by visa-exempt air arrivals.
Oshawa sits on Lake Ontario about 60 km east of downtown Toronto, at the eastern edge of the Greater Toronto Area. The name comes from an Ojibwe word for a crossing place. For a century this was a car town: Sam McLaughlin's carriage works became General Motors of Canada, and GM still builds pickup trucks here.
That money paid for Parkwood Estate, McLaughlin's 1917 mansion on Simcoe Street North and now a National Historic Site. Expect Art Deco garden pavilions, secret rooms and a private bowling alley; the house has stood in for film sets including X-Men and Chicago. Down on Simcoe Street South, a former car dealership holds the Canadian Automotive Museum, where a Ford Model T shares the floor with one of the first Rolls-Royces.
Downtown Oshawa has the Robert McLaughlin Gallery on Queen Street and a handful of good restaurants, such as Berry Hill Bistro on King Street West. In summer, drive out to Darlington Provincial Park for the sandy beach and canoeing on sheltered McLaughlin Bay.
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A car baron's mansion, a car museum and a lakefront provincial park.
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Best time to visit Oshawa
Month by month, so you can pick the weather and the crowds you want.
July averages 26 C by day and 16 C at night, warm enough for the McLaughlin Bay beach and Parkwood's flower beds at their fullest.
The lake keeps January to about -1 C by day and -9 C at night, milder than inland Ontario; Darlington's trails switch to snowshoeing and cross-country skiing.
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Getting there
Lakeshore East GO trains, VIA and Highway 401
Reach Oshawa by GO train or car from Toronto. Lakeshore East GO trains run half-hourly from Union Station in about an hour to Oshawa GO station on Bloor Street West, also a VIA Rail stop, and drivers from Pearson take about an hour on Highway 401 or the 407 toll road. Driving from Pearson takes about an hour outside rush hour, on Highway 401 or the faster 407 toll road. By rail, everything stops at Oshawa GO station on Bloor Street West, a VIA and GO station in the south end of the city. GO's Lakeshore East line runs a train every 30 minutes all day from Toronto's Union Station. VIA Rail trains on the Toronto to Montreal and Toronto to Ottawa routes call here several times a day, which suits travellers arriving from the east. Small Oshawa Executive Airport (YOO) mainly handles charters.
- GO Transit train
- Half-hourly from Union Station, about an hour; Presto cardholders pay slightly less
- VIA Rail
- Toronto to Montreal and Toronto to Ottawa trains, several a day
- UP Express
- Pearson to Union Station, then change to the Lakeshore East GO line
- Highway 401
- Exits 415 to 418, all feeding Bloor Street in the south end
- The station is about 3 km south of downtown; catch a DRT bus or taxi up Simcoe Street; walking along the arterial roads is unpleasant.
- The GO and VIA platforms share one station, so a VIA ticket from the east and a GO ticket into Toronto can be combined on the same trip.
Where to stay
King Street East or the Champlain Avenue motels
Choose between walkable and highway-convenient in Oshawa, a commuter city with few hotels for leisure travellers. King Street East puts you near downtown restaurants and the Simcoe Street buses, and the Champlain Avenue motels by Highway 401 suit drivers heading on to Darlington or Toronto.
- Downtown on King Street East
- La Quinta sits near the McLaughlin gallery, Riley's pub and the Celina Street taproom; quiet after dark on weeknights
- Champlain Avenue by the 401
- Chain motels such as the Travelodge between exits 412 and 415; fine for drivers, nothing within walking distance
- Darlington Provincial Park
- Tent and RV sites on McLaughlin Bay, with city shops a short drive away; summer weekends book out
- Whitby
- The next town west, handy for its GO station and Highway 401
Getting around
DRT on Simcoe Street, taxis and a car for Darlington
Use Durham Region Transit (DRT) buses or a taxi in Oshawa, and rent a car for Darlington Provincial Park. DRT takes cash or a Presto card, the same card used on GO trains, and route 901 runs along Simcoe Street, linking the GO station with downtown and the north-end campuses. Simcoe Street is the spine for visitors: DRT buses on route 901 run along it, connecting the lakeshore at Lakeview Park, downtown, Parkwood Estate and the college campuses in the north end. Downtown itself is a few walkable blocks around King and Simcoe, with the gallery, pubs and restaurants close together. For Darlington Provincial Park, Linton's Farm Market or the Ontario Regiment Museum at the airport, a car or taxi saves a lot of time.
- DRT bus
- Cash or Presto; route 901 serves Simcoe Street
- Taxi
- Blue Line, City Wide and GTA Cab take phone bookings
- Uber and Lyft
- Both work across Durham Region
- Car
- Best for Darlington, Second Marsh and day trips north
Know before you go
What makes Oshawa worth the trip, and what catches visitors out.
Why travelers love it
- Parkwood Estate's gardens, with Art Deco pavilions and a house full of secret rooms.
- The Canadian Automotive Museum, two floors of old cars in a former dealership.
- Darlington Provincial Park, a sandy Lake Ontario beach a short drive from downtown.
Good to know
- Parkwood's tour days change with the season, so check the estate's schedule before planning a visit around it.
- The car museum closes on Mondays, and on Sundays from October to February.
Trip fit
BookingMentor editorial ratings out of 5, based on a first-time visitor's experience.
Weather in Oshawa, month by month
Oshawa sits on Lake Ontario: warm summers, cold winters, figures from the local weather station.
Climate figures are approximate long-term averages for Oshawa WCPC (Environment and Climate Change Canada, via Wikipedia).
Parkwood Estate and the Canadian Automotive Museum in Oshawa
Oshawa grew on cars, and its sights tell that story. Take a mid-morning GO train from Toronto Union, then a bus or taxi north to Parkwood Estate on Simcoe Street North, the 1917 mansion of carmaker Colonel Sam McLaughlin, with its hidden rooms and private bowling alley; check tour days first. Then see the cars at the Canadian Automotive Museum.
Catch a mid-morning GO train from Union Station and take a bus or taxi north from the station. Colonel Sam McLaughlin built the house in 1917 with his car money, and the tour reaches the hidden rooms, the ornate ceilings and the private bowling alley. Leave time for the gardens, where the Art Deco pavilions may look familiar: film crews have used them for X-Men, Chicago and Billy Madison.
Walk or ride south down Simcoe Street to downtown for lunch at Berry Hill Bistro on King Street West or The White Apron on Bond Street, which serves only until mid-afternoon. A couple of blocks away, the Robert McLaughlin Gallery on Queen Street is a good hour of Canadian art.
After lunch, carry on down Simcoe Street South to the Canadian Automotive Museum. Its two floors, laid out in an old dealership, run from a century-old fire engine and a steam-powered car to a 1983 DeLorean. On a summer afternoon finish by the lake: either at Lakeview Park, where three 1840s and 1850s houses make up the Oshawa Museum, or east at Darlington Provincial Park for a swim. On a Saturday, the Ontario Regiment Museum's tanks at the airport are an alternative for military fans.
Shawarma on Simcoe North and pints on Celina Street
Oshawa serves solid everyday cooking for commuters, students from the north-end campuses and factory families, and a few places stand out. Berry Hill Bistro on King Street West is the address for a proper dinner downtown, shawarma shops line Simcoe Street North near the campuses, and Celina Street has the pubs for a pint.
Oshawa's food scene follows its population: commuters, students from the north-end campuses and a long line of factory families. The result is solid everyday cooking, and a few places stand out.
Downtown, Berry Hill Bistro on King Street West is the address for a proper dinner, with a contemporary menu and morning service at weekends. Avanti Trattoria on King Street East handles Italian, from pasta to evening specials. The White Apron on Bond Street West is a breakfast and lunch place that closes at 3pm, so go early. For a casual lunch, Teddy's Restaurant and Deli at King West and Park Road does deli sandwiches and diner plates.
Up Simcoe Street North near the campuses, The Shawarma Spot keeps students going until 11pm with Mediterranean wraps and plates. In the evening, Chronicle Brewing's taphouse on Celina Street pours its own beer with pub food from Thursday to Sunday, and Riley's Olde Towne Pub on King Street East adds a fireplace lounge, pool tables and live music at weekends.
Durham's farmland starts just north of the city. Linton's Farm Market on Raglan Road East sells local produce through the growing season, a good stop on the way back from a drive up to Lake Scugog.
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How we research our Oshawa travel guide
Parkwood Estate's tour days and DRT routes are confirmed with the City of Oshawa and the operators; Destination Canada and the eTA page cover entry and the wider region.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Quick answers to the questions travelers ask most before visiting Oshawa.
General
About an hour on the Lakeshore East line, with departures every 30 minutes all day. VIA trains are quicker but less frequent.
The 1917 McLaughlin mansion with its secret rooms, ornate ceilings and bowling alley, plus formal gardens with Art Deco pavilions. Tours run year-round, on days that vary by season.
A Ford Model T, an early Rolls-Royce, a steam-powered car, a boat-car hybrid, a 1983 DeLorean and a fire engine about a hundred years old.
Downtown on King Street East if you want to walk to dinner and the gallery. Champlain Avenue by the 401 is easier for drivers but has nothing around it.
Yes. The park has a long sandy Lake Ontario beach, with calmer water for canoes on the bay, and a large campground.
Robert McLaughlin's carriage company, founded here in 1876, became McLaughlin Motor Car under his son Sam, and the Oshawa works turned into General Motors of Canada in 1918.
Use Durham Region Transit (DRT) buses or a taxi in Oshawa, and rent a car for Darlington Provincial Park. DRT takes cash or a Presto card, the same card used on GO trains, and route 901 runs along Simcoe Street, linking the GO station with downtown and the north-end campuses. Simcoe Street is the spine for visitors: DRT buses on route 901 run along it, connecting the lakeshore at Lakeview Park, downtown, Parkwood Estate and the college campuses in the north end.
Getting there
Yes. Pulse route 901 runs the length of Simcoe Street from Lakeview Park in the south past Parkwood to the north campuses, and accepts the Presto card you use on GO as well as contactless bank cards.
A collection of tanks and historic military vehicles at the airport's South Field, open on weekend afternoons.
Easily. One day covers Parkwood, the car museum and the gallery; add a night only if you plan to camp or swim at Darlington.
Stay & facilities
Berry Hill Bistro for dinner, Avanti Trattoria for Italian and The White Apron for breakfast; Chronicle Brewing on Celina Street for a pint.
Timing & weather
The best time to visit Oshawa is Jun to Sep. Parkwood's gardens in bloom and swimming at Darlington Provincial Park.
- Garden and beach season: June - September (July averages 26 C by day and 16 C at night, warm enough for the McLaughlin Bay beach and Parkwood's flower beds at their fullest)
- Lake-effect winter: December - March (The lake keeps January to about -1 C by day and -9 C at night, milder than inland Ontario; Darlington's trails switch to snowshoeing and cross-country skiing)
July is the warmest month in Oshawa, with average highs of 26°C, and January the coolest, with lows of -9°C. June is the wettest month, at about 94 mm of rain; February is the driest. Oshawa sits on Lake Ontario: warm summers, cold winters, figures from the local weather station.
Visa & documents
Visa-exempt travelers, including citizens of the UK, the EU and Australia, need an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) to fly to or through Canada. US citizens need only a passport. Other nationalities need a visitor visa.
Health & safety
Canada's main risks are natural: wildlife, summer wildfires and extreme winter cold. Store food properly in bear country, check wildfire and road conditions before summer drives, and carry winter gear when driving in snow. Call 911 for police, fire or ambulance anywhere in the country.
