Things to do in Peterborough, Ontario’s Lift Lock city

Long before we had roads, waterways were the highways and byways that connected Canada and stirred our souls. Peterborough’s network of rivers and lakes has long been an important crossroads, and it continues to attract visitors today to explore the many great things to do in Peterborough, Ontario.

From the famous Peterborough Lift Lock — a historic location on the Trent-Severn Waterway — to Canada’s premier canoe museum, an up-and-coming food scene, beautiful parks and trails, and a downtown packed with unique and funky shops, Peterborough is a fantastic road trip destination in Ontario.

We’ve drawn on our knowledge of the city from decades of visits to put together this guide to the best things to do in Peterborough, Ontario. Have questions about planning your own visit to Peterborough? Join our Facebook community!

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Things to do in Peterborough: What to know before you go

Peterborough is a great weekend getaway destination from most points in Southern and Eastern Ontario. It’s located two hours from Kingston, three hours from Ottawa on a beautiful drive across Highway 7, and one and a half to two hours from Toronto on average, depending on your starting point and traffic.

While certain parts of the city are walkable, most notably downtown, having access to a car throughout your stay will make it easier to access more of the city’s most popular destinations.

Summer and autumn are popular times to visit Peterborough. The Trent-Severn Waterway, which operates from the Victoria Day long weekend until Thanksgiving, is a major draw to the city for boaters and boat watchers alike. In the autumn, Peterborough and the surrounding area are known for their vibrant fall colours and the Kawartha Autumn Studio Tour, a doors-open event promoting local artists.

Check out our Peterborough autumn weekend itinerary >

The top things to do in Peterborough, Ontario

Peterborough has long been at the heart of Ontario’s paddling country, a history that dates back to First Nations people and to the canoe-making industry that thrived here in the late 19th century. The surrounding area’s agricultural roots have given rise to multiple thriving farmers markets. More recently, the city has attracted many young entrepreneurs who have opened plenty of unique shops and restaurants. Here’s a look at the best things to do in Peterborough, Ontario.

Tour the revitalized Canadian Canoe Museum

Given its position on an ancient canoe route and its more recent history as a hub for canoe manufacturing, Peterborough is a natural home for the Canadian Canoe Museum.

The Canadian Canoe Museum opened in 1997 at a landlocked location inside a former outboard motor factory. In May 2024, the museum opened its new facility directly on the waterfront of Peterborough’s Little Lake. This beautiful space now houses the museum’s entire collection of more than 650 watercraft from Canada and around the world.

In its beautiful permanent galleries, visitors can view canoes and other paddlecraft of varying construction and examine their uses over time, from cargo transportation to sport, recreation, and more. The Canadian Canoe Museum also hosts temporary exhibits. The current one, titled Nastawgan: Pathways of Temagami, focuses on the waterborne history of Ontario’s Temagami region and runs until the summer of 2026.

The museum also has a builders in residence program, an outpost of Peterborough’s Silver Bean Café, event spaces, a gift shop, and canoe and kayak rentals along with guided paddling programs.

The Canadian Canoe Museum is open daily from 10 AM to 5 PM on 362 days of the year, which makes it a natural addition to your Peterborough plans year-round.

Visit the historic Peterborough Lift Lock

The Peterborough Lift Lock is the city’s crown jewel and the centrepiece of the Trent-Severn Waterway National Historic Site. Opened to the public in 1904, this fascinating feat of engineering lifts boats 20 metres (65 feet) in the air, making it the tallest hydraulic lift lock in the world.

The lift lock transports boats from the lower to the upper sections of the canal, which was built to bypass the hydroelectric dams on the nearby Otonabee River. It’s entirely driven by gravity, which means no electricity is needed to operate the lock apart from raising and lowering the gates.

While boats pay a lockage fee to pass through it, watching the Peterborough Lift Lock in action from land is completely free of charge. When the Trent-Severn Waterway is in action each summer from the Victoria Day long weekend until Thanksgiving, this is a fantastic spot to bring a picnic. Don’t be surprised if you stay for hours just watching the boats go by!

Explore more on a Trent-Severn Waterway road trip >

Head downtown to explore Peterborough’s unique shops

If it’s been a while since your last visit to downtown Peterborough, you’ll hardly recognize it. The city has attracted many young and innovative entrepreneurs in recent years who have started up some fantastic and unique shops and boutiques. From new and vintage fashions to art, gifts, and a treasure trove of used media and book stores, Peterborough has become a top-tier shopping destination!

Here’s a look at some of our favourite shops in Peterborough:

• Providence, a one-stop men’s shop with clothes, shoes, a barber, a bar and café, and more
• Save Our Soles (SOS), an independently owned women’s clothing boutique
• Flavour Fashion, a streetwear shop with unique PTBO branded clothing and hats
• Watson & Lou, a gift shop that sells creations by local artists
• Couture Candy, a candy store with lots of hard-to-find treats
• Vintage clothing stores like The Neighbourhood Vintage, Statement House, and Knook & Cranny, just to name a few
• Bluestreak Records, a new and used record store with decades of history in Peterborough
• The Gather Studio, a pottery boutique with handmade items and pottery workshops
• Ritual Apothecary, purveyor of skincare products, medicinals, and bulk herbs, oils, and more
• Hi Ho Silver, a jeweler featuring local, Canadian, and international artists
• Dueling Grounds, a game shop with the city’s largest selection of new and used tabletop games
• Chumleigh’s, a used DVD and video game shop (one of the most organized we’ve ever seen!)
• Iceman Video Games and Comics, an independent shop with used vintage video games, manga, Funko Pops, and more
• The Toy Shop, a privately owned toy store specializing in classic toys and board games
• Take Cover Books, an independent book store in Peterborough’s East City neighbourhood

There are even more shops we’ve heard good things about but haven’t had a chance to check out, including the East City Knife Company for knives, Needles in the Hay for yarn, and The Food Shop for locally grown produce and refillable toiletries. Plus, there’s an amazing number of used book stores, including By the Books, Mark Jokinen Books, and Knotanew Book Store.

Explore Peterborough’s farmers markets

There are plenty of independent farms and producers around Peterborough, which is why the city is home to not one but two weekly farmers markets!

The Peterborough Farmers’ Market celebrated its 200th anniversary in 2025, making it one of the oldest farmers markets in Canada. This market hosts more than 40 vendors year-round on Saturdays from 7 AM to 1 PM. From May to October, it sets up in Morrow Park off Lansdowne Street near the Peterborough Memorial Centre. From November to April, the market moves indoors to the Morrow Building. Vendors range from fruits and vegetables to eggs, meats, dairy, honey and preserves, baked goods, and local artisans.

The Peterborough Regional Farmers’ Market operates twice per week, on Wednesdays and Saturdays, from 8 AM to 1 PM. From May to October, this market takes place in Quaker Foods City Square in downtown Peterborough. It moves indoors to Peterborough Square from November to April. Vendors at this market offer produce, hot foods to go and prepared foods to take home, baked goods, honey and preserves, and plenty of unique local artisan-made products.

Check out Riverview Park & Zoo

Peterborough’s Riverview Park & Zoo is special in many ways. It’s the only zoo accredited by Canada’s Accredited Zoos and Aquariums (CAZA) that offers free admission. With a history dating back nearly a century, it’s long been a Peterborough institution. And the park and zoo are both open year-round, making it a consistent and affordable outing for families.

Between the animals, the summer splash pad and train ride, the enormous playground and hillside slide, the trails and picnic spots like McBride Island and more, Riverview Park & Zoo is far and away the most family-friendly destination in Peterborough.

Head to the water for a paddling excursion

With its many waterways and central location on the Trent-Severn Waterway, Peterborough is a great place to go for a paddle. Little Lake and the Otonabee River are the most popular spots in the city for paddling.

If you have your own canoe, kayak, or stand-up paddleboard, popular spots to launch in Peterborough include Beavermead Park beach, the boat ramp or beach at Rogers Cove, or Del Crary Park. All three offer direct access to Little Lake. If you’d prefer to rent a boat, single-day canoe and kayak rentals are available from the Canadian Canoe Museum and from Wild Rock Outfitters in downtown Peterborough.

If you’re renting from Wild Rock’s location in the city, you’ll need to request a kayak cart or mounts and straps for your vehicle’s roof as part of your rental. The dock at Millennium Park just below the Silver Bean Café is walkable from downtown with a kayak cart and is open to the public for paddlecraft launching as of this writing.

In a canoe or kayak, you can also try going through a lock on the Trent-Severn Waterway. Ashburnham Lock 20 is on Little Lake just north of the dock at the Canadian Canoe Museum. From there, you can paddle up the Trent Canal to the Peterborough Lift Lock and see what it’s like to be lifted 20 metres into the air in a boat!

The locks of the Trent-Severn Waterway operate from the Victoria Day long weekend in May until Thanksgiving. Note that you’ll need to pay a fee to pass through a lock, which is payable directly to lock staff by debit or credit card. It takes between 30 minutes and an hour to paddle from Lock 20 to the Peterborough Lift Lock one-way, depending on your skill level.

The time required to lock through depends on the number of boats at a given time, so it can sometimes be unpredictable. If you need to get back through Lock 20 quickly to return a rental, there’s a portage available for non-motorized watercraft. Ask the lock staff for instructions.

Hit the trails and parks by bike or on foot

Peterborough has several great trail systems that are fun to explore by bike or on foot. The most central trail to downtown connects Del Crary Park on the Little Lake waterfront to Millennium Park along the Otonabee River. If you’re staying at the Holiday Inn Peterborough Waterfront as highlighted below, this trail is a great way to walk to the Silver Bean Café for breakfast when its Millennium Park location is open between late May and early October.

On the opposite side of Little Lake, a section of the Trans-Canada Trail traces through Beavermead Park, past the Canadian Canoe Museum, and over the Trent Canal to the park at Rogers Cove. This passes through some beautiful parks and wetlands and is a popular weekend destination among locals.

The Rotary Greenway Trail is a rail trail built along the former CN rail line. It begins in Peterborough’s East City and is paved for 7 kilometres until it reaches Trent University. There, it becomes gravel and continues northbound all the way to the village of Lakefield.

Rental bikes are available at Wild Rock Outfitters in downtown Peterborough.

Explore local art at the Art Gallery of Peterborough

If you love art in all its forms, don’t miss the Art Gallery of Peterborough. This welcoming space features rotating exhibitions that highlight Peterborough’s vibrant arts community. It also houses an educational studio and a gorgeous gift shop full of works from the region’s local artisans.

Each fall, the Art Gallery of Peterborough hosts an exhibition that previews the works of the region’s artists participating in the annual Kawartha Autumn Studio Tour. It’s a wonderful way to learn more about the artists and decide which ones to visit on this doors-open weekend. Learn more about the Kawartha Autumn Studio Tour in the annual events section below.

Dive into the city’s past at the Peterborough Museum and Archives

Just north of the Peterborough Lift Lock, you’ll find the Peterborough Museum and Archives. This facility houses artifacts collected from around the region over decades, as well as roughly half a million photographs recording the history of Peterborough and the surrounding region.

Exhibits change regularly and are curated in part by students of the museum curation program at Fleming College, a relationship that has endured for 35 years. If you think you may have a family connection to this area, contact the museum and they just might be able to tell you about it!

The best restaurants in Peterborough, Ontario

Peterborough has an up-and-coming food scene that’s waiting to be explored. Much of it is centred around the Hunter Street Café District between Water Street and Aylmer Street North, but there are foodie hot spots all over the city. Here are a few worth discovering. All the restaurants listed below have gluten-free and vegetarian options.

Love You, Mean It

The vibes are immaculate at Love You, Mean It, striking a perfect balance between cozy, classy, and casual. This relatively new spot opened in July 2024 and has quickly become one of the top reservations for a weekend night out in Peterborough. The seasonal menu highlights local producers alongside a well-considered cocktail and wine list.

The beet and Brussels sprout salad here is hands-down the best we’ve ever had. It pairs caramelized Brussels and earthy beets with chunks of smoky bacon, creamy goat cheese, and a garlicky bite from the aioli to tie it all together to perfection. If you’re into it, the roasted bone marrow also gets rave reviews.

Ashburnham Ale House

Ashburnham Ale House, a fixture of Peterborough’s East City neighbourhood, prides itself on serving simple yet delicious food, craft beers, fine wine, and a robust cup of coffee. Pizza, burgers, sandwiches, and other pub classics are the highlights here. During our fall visit, we especially enjoyed the bourbon cream gnocchi topped with crisped prosciutto and pea greens.

La Hacienda

La Hacienda, a Mexican restaurant in Peterborough, is known for its authentic Mexican dishes, streetside summer patio, and market stocked with Mexican-made fashion accessories, foods, soft drinks, and more. Even the simplest dishes like the nachos and salsa are freshly made in-house. Throw in a margarita and it’s time for a fiesta!

Tora Sushi

Tora Sushi, also known as Tora Bistro, offers authentic Japanese dishes in Peterborough such as ramen, sushi, and bento box lunch specials. The special rolls here are fresh and inventive, and the atmosphere is fun and colourful. A heads-up to our gluten-free friends: there’s a separate menu here with items that aren’t often available gluten-free like inarizushi and complex special rolls. It’s truly a treat.

One Eighty on Hunter

If there’s a quintessential sports bar in Peterborough, One Eighty on Hunter is it. The food goes beyond typical bar fare, though: while they serve burgers, wings, and nachos, they also offer more upscale fare like charcuterie, lobster rolls, and steak served on a hot stone that you sear yourself right at your table. Grab a seat with a view of the game and tuck in!

Hanoi House

Vietnamese cuisine is fresh and full of flavour, and that’s exactly what you’ll find at Hanoi House Vietnamese Kitchen on Lansdowne Street. From bubble teas to spring rolls and fresh rolls, bánh mì sandwiches, warming phở noodle soups, and rice or vermicelli bowls loaded with savoury meats and fresh herbs and vegetables, there’s something here for everyone in every season.

One Fine Food

One Fine Food is part Italian restaurant, part gourmet grocer. Dine in for Sunday brunch, lunch, or dinner, on Italian classics like antipasto, pizza, pasta, and rustic fare like salmon puttanesca and cioppino stew. When you’re done, take some time to browse through the shop. You’re sure to find hard-to-find items you’ll want for your pantry at home.

St. Veronus Café and Tap Room is another well-rated restaurant in Peterborough, but we haven’t had a chance to try it yet. We’re also anxiously awaiting news on the Publican House, which has changed ownership and is currently undergoing renovations.

Our favourite bars and cafés in Peterborough, Ontario

Jonesing for a good cup of joe? Looking for a hearty breakfast before a busy day of exploring? Ready to wind down with a libation at the end of the day? Peterborough is brimming with great bars and cafés. Here’s a list of some of our favourites.

Silver Bean Café

Peterborough’s Silver Bean Café has been a fixture in the city for more than 20 years. The original location is in Millennium Park and is dubbed “your cottage in the heart in the city.” Breakfast, lunch, and café beverages are served here on a beautiful patio overlooking the Otonabee River from May until late September or early October, depending on the weather.

Since May 2024, the Silver Bean Café has operated a second year-round location inside the atrium at the Canadian Canoe Museum. This outpost has a similar menu to the Millennium Park location and adds a couple of dishes as a nod to the First Nations connection to the canoe, including manoomin and charcuterie served on a paddle. It’s a very popular place to enjoy a meal during a visit the museum or while passing by along the Trans-Canada Trail.

Dreams of Beans

Dreams of Beans is a downtown Peterborough café that stands out for its no-tipping policy. Employees are paid a living wage, so tipping is neither expected nor required. Fair-trade coffee beans are also featured, and we’re big fans of their small breakfast menu, which gets you a reasonably sized breakfast for an affordable price.

Cork and Bean

The Cork and Bean in downtown Peterborough is a café by day and a craft beer and wine bar by night. (You can have a beer or wine during the day as well if you’d like. No one will judge.) There’s also a delectable selection of baked treats, perfect for an afternoon pick-me-up as you stroll through Peterborough’s many great downtown shops.

The Only Café

The Only Café, part of the Hunter Street Café District, has been a beloved Peterborough institution for more than 35 years. It gets its name from its extended hours: open from 10 AM to 2 AM on 364 days per year, there are often times when it’s the only place open! Whether you pop in for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or a late-night beverage, you’ll find a warm and inclusive atmosphere. On warmer days, their patio is hailed as being one of the best in the city.

Jethro’s Bar + Stage

If you’re looking for the quintessential hole-in-the-wall bar to take in some live music, you just found it. Jethro’s Bar + Stage hosts live music daily from Wednesday through Sunday during the busy season, and local musicians are often featured and waiting to be discovered. Stop in for a nightcap — you never know what you’ll find!

Annual and seasonal events in Peterborough, Ontario

Peteroborough is home to multiple annual and seasonal events that celebrate the city’s connection to its local waterways and its rich and vibrant arts scene. These special occasions are worth planning a road trip around!

Peterborough Musicfest

As Canada’s longest-running free concert series, Peterborough Musicfest is a celebration of the importance of music and the arts in the community. Free concerts take place on Wednesday and Saturday nights throughout July and August. This festival has drawn some big-name Canadian talent like Blue Rodeo, Kim Mitchell, Serena Ryder, Our Lady Peace, Walk Off the Earth, Randy Bachman, Crash Test Dummies, Big Wreck, Metric, and others. And all you’ll need to bring is a lawn chair!

Learn more about how Peterborough Musicfest makes live music accessible to all >

Parks Canada’s Lock & Paddle

Join Peterborough’s annual paddling party! Every July on Canada’s Parks Day, hundreds of paddlers descend on Peterborough for Parks Canada’s Lock & Paddle event. People paddle all together up the Trent Canal and then stuff the Peterborough Lift Lock to the brim with colourful canoes and kayaks. It’s a fun and festive day out on the water!

Read more about joining Parks Canada’s Lock & Paddle event in Peterborough >

Kawartha Autumn Studio Tour

The Kawartha Autumn Studio Tour is an initiative by the Art Gallery of Peterborough that draws attention to the city and region’s thriving arts community. For more than 40 years, local artists have opened up their studios to visitors on the last weekend of September. With the autumn leaves bursting with colour and a chance to discover your new favourite work of art, it’s a wonderful reason for a weekend road trip in Central Ontario.

Check out our two-day autumn weekend getaway itinerary in Peterborough >

First Friday Art Crawl

On the first Friday of every month, downtown Peterborough stays up late to celebrate the arts! The First Friday Art Crawl sees downtown-based artists open up their studios to guests. Shops also stay open longer and invite even more artists into their spaces to display their locally created works. It’s a fantastic way to browse through one-of-a-kind artwork and Peterborough’s fascinating downtown boutiques all at once.

The best hotels in Peterborough, Ontario

The top hotels in Peterborough, Ontario, are locally operated accommodations backed by reputable chains. They offer great locations, clean and comfortable rooms, and competitive rates. Here’s a look at our favourites.

Holiday Inn Peterborough Waterfront

At the Holiday Inn Peterborough Waterfront, roughly half the rooms have balconies or patios with beautiful views of the Otonabee River. Its offers a very walkable location just minutes from Del Crary Park, Millennium Park, and the restaurants and shops of downtown Peterborough. Amenities include an indoor-outdoor swimming pool and on-site restaurants where kids eat free, making this the best hotel in Peterborough for families with kids.

Best Western Otonabee Inn

Located on Lansdowne Street on the outskirts of the city, Peterborough’s Best Western Plus Otonabee Inn offers easy access to the Peterborough Farmers’ Market, the Peterborough Memorial Centre (home of the Ontario Hockey League’s Peterborough Petes), and Highways 7 and 115. Guests can enjoy an indoor heated pool, free hot breakfast, and a Level 2 EV charging station.

Explore more road trips in Ontario >