Carved by millions of years of glacial ice, the Scenic Caves Nature Preserve is a wonder of nature that attracts and fascinates visitors of all ages from around the world.
The site commands the peak of a precipice on the famous Niagara Escarpment from which you can view the Town of Collingwood, the spectacular shoreline of Georgian Bay and several thousand square miles of unsurpassed scenery!
Set against the backdrop of sheer limestone cliffs, the Caves plunge hundreds of feet into the depths, opening passageways and revealing rock formations from another era. (One point is so deep that snow and ice remain year round defying summer's hottest days!)
On this historic site once stood the Indian Village of Ekarenniondi, home of the Hurons. You can reach out and touch the famous Standing Rock!
Throughout the Caves, rare and exotic plants, including the Maidenhead Fern, grow and flourish. Every new corner promises a unique surprise. Meanwhile, throughout the surrounding woodlands, nature's best-dressed trails beckon you to adventure further.
Collingwood Scenic Caves Nature Preserve
P.O. Box 215, Collingwood, Ontario L9Y 3Z5
Phone: (705) 446-0256    Fax: (705) 446-3064 Website:  www.sceniccaves.com

Museum

Come visit the award winning Collingwood Museum! Explore the history of Collingwood; set sail with 150 years of marine heritage! Changing exhibits throughout the year make the Museum a prime learning opportunity for anyone wishing to learn in depth about the heritage of Collingwood.
Exhibits, Special Events, Education Programmes, Archives and Research Facilities, Ship Sidelaunch every 15 Minutes, Museum Store
The Collingwood Museum
Memorial Park, 45 St. Paul Street
Box 556, Collingwood
Ontario, Canada
L9Y 4B2
Phone: (705) 445-4811
Fax: (705) 445-9004 Email:  museum@town.collingwood.on.ca

was created in 2000 and is one of the most beautiful areas in the community. Residents and visitors alike are enjoying the rugged beauty of a once active shipping/grain storage area. The backdrop of the Collingwood Terminals with its huge white columns rises up from the once wasteland "spit area", now a series of beautifully landscaped walkways and gardens with a history of the area on massive granite plinths. Harbourlands Park offers the ever-changing grandeur and scenic beauty of Georgian Bay for the many people who drive or walk to the Park. There are benches for reflective moments or to watch the quiet beauty of sailboats filling their sails as they make their way out of the historic Collingwood Harbour.
 

Collingwood Harbour

As the original 'northern terminus' of the railroad, Collingwood was an important shipping port where valuable cargos were loaded and shipped around the Great Lakes. Passenger vessels were also part of the activity at Collingwood harbour and many famous stories are told of the tragedies that befell some of them.
During the Reil Rebellion a military force was raised to quell the disturbance and the Northwest Mounted Police battalion left Collingwood Harbour in 1873 as a part of this force. There is a memorial cairn to mark this historic moment part way along the spit road.
 

Shipbuilder's Park

This pard has a memorial walkway lined with plaques as a memorial to the many shipyard workers who spent most of their lives building the huge grain carriers, which plied the Great Lakes. Many of the largest were built in Collingwood by these men, whose work is remembered by their families and other donors who have purchased memorial plaques with the names of the ships such as the Hochelaga, Black Bay and others built nearby at the famous Collingwood Shipyards which ceased operation in 1986 after 100 years or operation.

Collingwood Skiff or Watt's Skiff

This skiff was built here in the 1860's by William Watt and his family. Their boat building operation was known in Collingwood of over 135 years. This widely used two-ended sailing ship was prized by fishermen and others for its reliability in the rough and unpredictable waters of Georgian Bay. A fascinating book about the Watt's Skiff is available at the Collingwood Museum. Those interested in actually seeing a Watt's Skiff can view an original boat that was donated to the Collingwood Museum or actually see a brand-new replica built in 1999, which plies the waters around Collingwood as a training ship for young sailors.

Third Street is the �Fifth Avenue of the Town" including Tornaveen (1893), now the Collingwood Ski Academy, Armadale, #375 (1890), the site of a gala reception for the Governor General of Canada in June, 1918 and Elmwood/Dundurn Hall at #241 which was once described as "the finest building in the town". If you continue walking toward the east, you'll pass by houses with names such as The B.C. Cottage at #147, the Charles Pitt House, #242, a lovely Greek revival home, boasting magnificent stone columns in the ionic order, Stewart Villa #217 (1883) followed closely by two other architectural beauties Thurso, #37 (now Christopher's Restaurant) and The Beild, a lovely Eden Smith House dating to 1909 which is now a delightful Country Inn.
 

Collingwood Federal Building (1914)

Constructed of marble and recently restored, it was inspired by the State Finance Building in Havana, Cuba and boasts a rotunda with a large stained glass dome, bearing the coats of arms of the four levels of government, including the Town of Collingwood - An outstanding focal point and well worth the visit. The building is open to the public during business hours.

Murals of Collingwood's historical highlights are springing up in the Town and none is more dramatic than the Side Launch mural, painted by John Hood and his sister Alexandra Hood, depicting the practice of launching ships in Collingwood.
 

Millennium Park

The Collingwood Millennium Overlook Park is located at the land's end, the most northerly point of the historic Collingwood Harbour. The site provides an outstanding panorama of Georgian Bay and the Niagara Escarpment to the west. Georgian Bay (technically part of Lake Huron) was named La Mer Douce by Champlain in 1615 on his first visit to the bay. It is one 120 miles long and 50 miles wide. The Niagara Escarpment was declared as a World Biosphere Reserve, an internationally recognized ecosystem. The Millennium Outlook Park is strategically located to provide visitors with the opportunity to learn about and experience both of these features.

The Collingwood & District Historical Society was formed to provide a forum for people interested in the history of the area. Regular meetings are held, six or seven times a year, where speakers present subjects of local historical interest. The bi-annual tour of historical homes is a major fundraiser for the Society.
The tour visits a variety of historical buildings around the town, or you could guide yourself on a walking tour of the town and it's historical buildings using materials that you can pick up at the Collingwood Museum.
See the above insert on Historic Homes for more information on the historical buildings of Collingwood. Contact the Georgian Triangle Tourist Association for a "Walking Tour of Collingwood" brochure and map.