Oshawa in a day
A one-day plan for Oshawa: the Canadian Automotive Museum and the Robert McLaughlin Gallery downtown, then Parkwood Estate, the McLaughlin family mansion, and the Oshawa Museum by Lake Ontario. Every stop has a typical visit length.
How long do you have?
Map: 1 days
Oshawa in 1 day
Day 1
Oshawa Museum
Local history museum in three historic houses in Lakeview Park by Lake Ontario, telling the story of Oshawa's people.
Canadian Automotive Museum
Museum in a former downtown car dealership showing dozens of vintage and classic cars, many with links to Oshawa.
The Robert McLaughlin Gallery
Downtown public art gallery with a strong collection of Canadian modern art, including works by the Painters Eleven group.
Parkwood Estate
Grand 1917 mansion of Sam McLaughlin, founder of General Motors of Canada, with original furnishings and formal gardens.
Watch: Oshawa
A one-minute look at the plan: every stop, day by day, with the map.
When to go to Oshawa
Summer, from June to August, is warm and the best time for Lakeview Park and the Parkwood gardens. Autumn is cool with good colour in October. Winter is cold and snowy, and spring is often wet.
Plan the rest of your trip
- Where to stay: hotels in Oshawa on Booking.com or Trip.com
- Skip-the-line tickets: museums and sights in Oshawa on Tiqets
- Tours and day trips: things to do in Oshawa on GetYourGuide
- Data on arrival: an eSIM for Canada from Airalo
- Last day: leave your bags in Oshawa with Radical Storage and keep sightseeing
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Tips for Oshawa
- Parkwood Estate, the McLaughlin family mansion, is seen by guided tour; check tour days and times before going.
- The Robert McLaughlin Gallery and the Canadian Automotive Museum are a few minutes' walk apart downtown, so they fit easily into one morning.
- The Oshawa Museum is in Lakeview Park on the shore of Lake Ontario, a short drive south of downtown.
- Parkwood's gardens and the Lakeview Park shoreline are best in fine weather; keep the gallery and car museum for a rainy spell.
- GO Transit trains link Oshawa with Toronto; a car or local bus makes it easier to reach Parkwood Estate and Lakeview Park.
Make it your own
Open the guide in Andiamo Places to see every stop on a map with walking directions, move places between days, check opening hours for your dates, and add your own finds. After the trip, your photos become a journal and, if you like, a printed photo book.
Guides are made with the help of AI and public sources such as Wikipedia, and may contain errors. Opening hours and prices change, so check before you go. Spotted a wrong photo, a pin in the wrong place, a missing stop or a better one? Write to andiamotravelapp@gmail.com: the e-mail opens with this guide filled in.
Photo credits
- Canadian Automotive Museum: User:Jaydec, CC-BY-SA-3.0
- Oshawa Museum: Oshawa Historical Society, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Parkwood Estate: Robert AD Scott at English Wikipedia, Public domain
- The Robert McLaughlin Gallery: Hyfen, CC BY-SA 3.0
Opening hours change; check before you go. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
