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Search for “Peterborough” on our Trip Planner and you’ll be overwhelmed with awesome options for experiencing the “Electric City” and the surrounding county. You can also click here to reach out to the trained travel counsellors at Peterborough & the Kawarthas Tourism for assistance planning your trip.
Scroll down for some tips to help guide your adventures through this major hub on the Trent Severn Waterway.
Travel Info
Getting into & around Town
- If you’re coming in by boat along the Trent-Severn Waterway, the Peterborough Marina is your perfect docking location. From there you can easily walk to experience the best of the “Electric City.”
- If you are driving or biking into town (and also if you’ll be walking around downtown) take note of the following navigation hubs!
Be Here: Millennium Park
- Get yourself to Millennium Park at the east end of King Street and you’re ready for any number of adventures. The Info Centre for Peterborough & the Kawarthas Tourism is nearby at the corner of King & George, so you can have all your questions answered right there and get the scoop on current events!
- The Silver Bean Café is on the water at Millennium Park, so you can relax and enjoy a latté, lunch, dinner, or get some healthy meals to go for a picnic. They are open daily from May to October.
- And if you’re at the Silver Bean, then you are right on the water. The dock under the café is your launching point for canoe, kayak, and SUP rentals that let you explore Otonabee River, Little Lake, and the Trent Severn Waterway.
- Peterborough SUP and Peterborough Pedal ‘n Paddle are your rental options for boats/boards, and Pedal ‘n Paddle also offers bike rentals. Beautiful paddling, cycling & walking await around Little Lake! Get info on local paddling routes by clicking here.
- By bike or foot you can explore Millennium Park north of the Silver Bean for a picnic. If you want to venture farther afield, take the Trans Canada Trail eastbound via the rail bridge, where you can swim on sandy beaches at Rogers Cove or Beavermead Park, tour the restaurants, cafés and shops of Ashburnham Village, and check out the highest lift lock in the world! All this is easily within 10-15 minutes by bike.
- There are plenty of other cycling routes too! Check out this useful webpage for cycling ideas, links to local cycling clubs, and more!
Do the Downtown
- Millennium Park is basically right in the middle of Downtown Peterborough. You can walk the Hunter Street Café District, shop along George Street & Water Street, visit theatres, art exhibits, and much more! Find your Food & Drink options, and a discover a map of public art here!
- Check out some Butter Tart Tour locations for lunch and a sweet treat: Whistle Stop Café, Black Honey Desserts, The Pin, and the Electric City Bread Company.
- For your arts & culture fix, check out shows and exhibits at The Market Hall, the Art Gallery of Peterborough, Showplace, and the Venue. Get current event listings here from KawarthaNow.
- If you’re visiting during the summer, check out the amazing free concerts at Peterborough Musicfest, just south of the marina at Del Crary Park.
Get a Different Perspective: East City
- If you are traveling by boat and want a different view of Peterborough, try the East City experience. Dock at Lock 20 (Ashburnham) or 21 (Peterborough Lift Lock) and you’ll be within easy walking distance to Ashburnham Village and Hunter Street. Here you can find more Butter Tart Tour stops (The Shed and Enticing Cakes) and plenty of great shops and restaurants.
- The Peterborough Museum and Archives is also located close to the Lift Lock and offers an unparalleled view of Peterborough & area not only from the vantage point of their historical exhibits, but also from their hilltop picnic area.
Must-see & Must-do
- The Canadian Canoe Museum (closed September 5, 2022-summer 2023 while the facility is relocated) is a definite must-do. They have the largest collection of canoes and a kayaks in the world, and they offer a variety of workshops and canoe trips.
- If you want to know everything there is to know about the highest lift lock in the world, visit the Parks Canada Visitor Centre right beside the lock. If you want to experience the Lift Lock first-hand but prefer not to drive your own boat, you can book at Voyageur Canoe Tour with The Canadian Canoe Museum or get tickets with Liftlock & the Riverboat Cruises which offers regular tours of the Peterborough Lift Lock departing from the Peterborough Marina, just a few minutes south of Millennium Park.
Fun for Children
If you’re touring with young children, visit Riverview Park and Zoo. It’s Canada’s only free-admission accredited zoo. It’s got exotic animals. It’s got three playgrounds! It’s got a splash pad! And it’s got gorgeous picnic and forested areas right along Otonabee River down the hill from the playgrounds.
Adventure Vegan & Vegetarian
Options abound. Here are a few: The Food Forest, The Night Kitchen Pizza, The Planet Bakery & Café, Electric City Gardens, Tiny Greens. And, if you’re in town on a Saturday, check out the fare at the Peterborough Farmers’ Market at the south end of George Street.
Fish in the City
Muskie and other monsters have been caught in Little Lake, so there’s no need to lose access to a latte just to land a huge fish. Also check out the local carp action – it’s intense!
