Things to do in Grimsby, Ontario
Grimsby · Friends · Family · Outdoors · Rainy day
Grimsby sits between the Niagara Escarpment and Lake Ontario, which means you can stand on a cliff-top lookout in the morning and have your feet in the lake by the afternoon.
It has one of the oldest collections of cottages of its kind in Canada, and it's a short drive from Hamilton and St. Catharines.
Here's where to spend a day.
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Beamer Memorial Conservation Area
Grimsby
Grimsby's best view.
The Bruce Trail runs through Beamer, with lookout platforms over Lake Ontario, the Forty Mile Creek valley and the escarpment cliffs, plus an upper and lower waterfall that are at their best in spring and fall.
Every spring, birders gather here for the Niagara Peninsula Hawkwatch, when hawks, eagles and vultures ride the escarpment north. Free, open sunrise to sunset.
28 Quarry Rd, Grimsby
Good for: friendsfamilyoutdoors
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The Painted Ladies of Grimsby Beach
Grimsby
A storybook neighbourhood of brightly painted, gingerbread-trimmed cottages by the lake, with roots in the 1800s, when Grimsby Beach was a summer camp meeting ground.
Most of them are around Auditorium Circle and Temple Lane.
They're private homes, so enjoy them from the sidewalk, then walk down to the water.
Good for: friendscouplesfamilyphotos
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Forty Creek Distillery
Grimsby
One of Canada's best-known whisky makers distills right here on the South Service Road.
Book a tasting or a tour and taste the difference between their Copper Pot and Confederation Oak.
Every September, Whisky Weekend fills the distillery with tours, seminars, live music and limited-edition releases. Check their site for current tour times.
297 South Service Rd W, Grimsby
Good for: friendscouplesrainy day (19+ for tastings)
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Downtown Grimsby and the Farmers' Market
Grimsby
Main Street is the town's living room: independent shops, cafés and restaurants in a walkable historic downtown.
From early June to Thanksgiving, the Grimsby Farmers' Market closes Main Street every Thursday afternoon for local produce, baking and street food.
Good for: friendsfamilycouples
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Forty Mile Creek Side Trail
Grimsby
An easy walk of about 1.7 km that follows the creek from Coronation Park into downtown Grimsby.
Do it before or after the market, or link it up to the Bruce Trail if you want a bigger day.
Good for: familyeasy walks
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Grimsby Museum and Grimsby Public Art Gallery
Grimsby
Two small, well-run spots for a rainy afternoon.
The museum tells the town's story, from early settlement to Grimsby Beach's amusement park days; the gallery shows contemporary art, runs classes for kids and adults, and has a shop of Canadian-made gifts.
Good for: familyrainy day
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Fifty Point Conservation Area
Winona
Just west of Grimsby on the Hamilton border, with one of the warmest and cleanest beaches on western Lake Ontario, trails along the water, a big marina and Limani, a lakefront Mediterranean restaurant.
Paid entry; it's one of the area's best bird-watching spots, too.
1479 Baseline Rd, Winona
Good for: familysummerbeach
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Peach King Centre
Grimsby
The town's recreation hub, with twin arenas for skating, an outdoor rink in winter and a splash pad in summer. An easy win with kids in any season.
162 Livingston Ave, Grimsby
Good for: familykidswinter
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Volta Sports & Social Club, opening soon
Grimsby
Volta is coming to Grimsby, right off the QEW: six padel courts, six pickleball courts, indoor golf simulators, a 24/7 gym, pilates, yoga and spin, sauna, jacuzzi and cold plunge, a kids zone and a café and lounge.
One club for the whole day, built for Hamilton, Grimsby and Niagara.
Padel · Pickleball · Indoor golf · 24/7 gym · Pilates · Yoga · Spin · Wellness hub · Kids zone · Lounge and café
Questions we hear a lot
What is Grimsby, Ontario known for?
What are free things to do in Grimsby?
What can you do in Grimsby on a rainy day?
A tasting at Forty Creek Distillery, the Grimsby Museum and Public Art Gallery, skating at the Peach King Centre, or lunch downtown.
Volta's indoor courts, gym and café will add to the list once it opens.
What is there to do in Grimsby with kids?
Is Grimsby good for hiking?
Follow Volta from the beginning.
Free. No payment today.