You have seen all the popular attractions and tried all the obvious things to do in London, Ontario but you are still searching for more fun activities to do with family and friends this weekend. Read on. I have here a nice list of unusual and underrated places and activities you can enjoy in and around the City of London, ON. Most of these are suitable for kids older than 12.
Before we get any further, get access to my travel freebie library which is a collection of various road trip itineraries, travel checklists and useful travel resources to help you plan your trips and travels.
Table of Contents
UNUSUAL MUSEUMS
London in Ontario is not such a big city but it’s home to several unusual, unique and quite underrated museums. I suggest you visit them with older teenagers who have more knowledge, interest, patience and can ask smart questions. You can visit these fun museums any time of the year as they are not seasonal. Visiting museums is especially suitable during winter, Family Day, or March Break when the weather is still not outdoor fun friendly and indoor activities are preferred.
LEARN ABOUT RADAR
A fun thing to do with older kids and teenagers on the weekend is visiting The Secrets of Radar Museum. This unique and interesting little museum will teach you about the history of radar and how Canadians helped the British during the wars. It tells the story of several thousands of Canadian radar personnel who had to be quiet about their secret radar work for five decades. The museum opened its door only a decade ago and it preserves radar equipment, uniforms, notebooks and other cool artifacts.
If you go: The museum is open year-round but closed on holidays. June to August they are open Mon-Sat 10am and 4 pm. September to May they are open Thu – Sat 10am to 4 pm. You should book your tour by calling 519 – 691 5922 or via this email info@secretsofradar.com
Address: The Secrets of Radar Museum, 2155 Crumlin Road, London, Ontario
EXPLORE A SUBMARINE
I don’t know whether you realize this, but there are only two submarines in entire Canada you can visit as a museum. Southwestern Ontario is lucky to have one of them right here under our noses in Port Burwell on the shore of Lake Erie. It’s well worth the short drive because you’ll get to visit a unique and unusal museum.
Submarines are fascinating and you can learn a lot about them on one of the tours. HMCS Ojibwa was used during the Cold War and is one of 27 Oberon-class submarines ever made. They were top-class during their time. After service, most of them were sold for scrap metal and eight are preserved as museums around the world. Canada has two of these Oberons and you can visit both. One is in Port Burwell, ON and the other one, called HMCS Onondaga is in Pointe-au-Pere, near Rimouski in Quebec.
Visiting the submarine will take a half day. A great activity for the second half of the day is exploring Port Burwell and its beach, and then a walk around the Springwater Conservation Area. More about the trail can be found here.
If you go: The submarine museum is operated by the Elgin Military Museum. Due to technical information, narrow spaces, and length of tours, only kids over 8 are allowed inside the submarine. Kids between 8 and 12 can take a tour of the outside of the submarine. The HMCS Ojibwa Submariner tour tickets cost is as follows: adults $27.50, children 8-18 pay $17.50 and seniors enter for $22.50. Prices include taxes.
During summer they are open daily from 11 am to 4pm. The first tour starts at 11:20 am and the last one at 3:30 pm. Tours are approx. 1 hr 15 min.
Address: 3 Pitt Street, Port Burwell, Ontario
Driving time from London, ON: 54 min and 68 km
–>> Get to know London in a different way with this scavenger hunt game that is perfect for a family or a small group.
VISIT A VINTAGE JET AIRGRAFT MUSEUM
The aviation enthusiasts will love the Jet Airplane Museum. The museum was founded just over a decade ago and they focus on acquiring, restoring, and preserving vintage jet planes. They also provide flight demonstrations and curate historical aviation artifacts. And if you really are into jets, you can book a flight in the ‘Red Knight’ military jet. It’s an experience of a lifetime. Click here for the virtual tour of the museum.
If you go: Located right by the London International Airport, the museum is open every Thursday to Saturday between 10 am an 4 pm. You should book a tour via this email info@jetaircraftmuseum.ca or call them at 519-453 7000. Admission is by donation.
Address: 2465 Aviation Lane, Unit 2, London, Ontario
LEARN ABOUT THE DISCOVERER OF INSULIN
If you haven’t visited this important London museum, it’s the highest time to do it now. This interesting and educational museum is dedicated to Frederick Banting, the discoverer of insulin. He lived in this house and the idea of insulin was born here in this building in 1920. Three years later, his insulin discovery and research won him the Nobel Prize for medicine and physiology which he received together with John Macleod.
If you go: The tour takes an hour or so. The museum is closed on Modays. From Tuesday to Friday you can visit between noon and 4 pm. On the weekends between 11 am and 4 pm. The last tour begins at 3:15pm. The Banting House admission tickets cost as follows: adults pay $7.00, seniors 65+ pay $6.00, children (5-12) can enter for $6.00. For $20.00, they also offer family ticket (2 adults + dependent children).
VISIT THE PRETTIEST HISTORIC HOME IN LONDON
Visit the most beautiful historic house in downtown London, ON, and learn about the lives of early city residents at the Eldon House. The admission is by donation, so you can pay anywhere from $2 per child to $5-10 per adult.
If you go: Park your car in the nearby paid parking lots or along the streets. Opening hours from January to April are Thursdays to Sundays between 12 and 5 pm. From June to September they open from noon to 5 pm between Tuesdays and Sundays. In May, October to December you can visit from Wednesday to Sunday between noon and 5:00 pm.
Address: 481 Ridout Street North, London, Ontario; Phone: 519-661 5169
Also read: BEST DAY TRIPS WITH TEENAGERS FROM LONDON, ONTARIO
UNUSUAL ACTIVITIES
TAKE ALPACA FOR A WALK
There are two places where you can go for a walk with these super cute fluffy animals. One alpaca farm is in Kerwwod, ON and the other one is just north of Woodstock, ON. Visiting an alpaca farm is an unusual and educational activity for the whole family. Alpaca farms are open for alpaca walks all year long because alpacas have thick and very warm coat and they don’t mind Canadian winters. When you get to an alpaca farm, you’ll learn about alpacas and then lead one on a leash, and take it for a walk in the countryside. The weather might be different than ideal, so wear outdoor clothing that will keep you comfy in any temperatures and also ones you don’t mind getting dirty. You have to book an appointment in advance.
You have these two farm to choose from:
S.A.M.Y.’s Alpaca Farm – a short drive west of Strathroy. Alpaca tours cost from $80.00 per 2 people, $120 for a family of 4.
Address: 2432 Cuddy Dive, Kerwood, Ontario, Tel: 226-678 2649
Travel time from downtown London, ON: 35 min and 41 km
Udderly Ridiculous Farm Life – just north of Woodstock, ON. Alpaca tours cost from $59.00 per person. You can book alpaca walks at farm here.
Address: 906200 Township Rd 12, Bright, ON
Travel time from downtown London, ON: 1 hr 2 min and 78 km
GAZE INTO SPACE
Visit the UWO Observatory
If astronomy fascinates you and stargazing is your thing , this activity is for you. The Cronyn Observatory has regular scheduled events for public where small groups can observe celestial objects in the night sky, take part in astronomy demos, tour the observatory or hear a lecture from astronomers on various topics.
If you go: The Cronyn Observatory is open only for scheduled events. Check out the observatory schedule. All public events are free of charge. In cold weather, bring warm clothes because sky observations take place under the open dome in the evening. Also, the sky must be clear, so check out the weather forecast.
Address: Western University Campus, right next to Alumni Hall in London, ON
GET A NEW PERSPECTIVE
Enjoy a Hot Air Balloon Flight
If you are not afraid of heights, it’s a fun and unique experience for sure. Flights can take 45 minutes to 90 min depending on the availability of a suitable landing field, crew weight and air temperature. The whole experience can take approx. 3 – 4 hours. The flights can be taken in the early morning or just before sunset.
If you go: Hot air baloon flights must be ordered and paid in advance. They cost from $250 – $320 per person depending on the time of day and the number of participants on the flight.
There are two companies offering hot air baloon flights in southwestern Ontario and they have similar conditions and pricing.
Sundance Balloons offer hot air baloon flights in London, ON area.
Ontario Hot Air Balloon Rides is another hot air baloon flight company operating around Kitchener.
Flying in a cesna and enjoying areal views of southwestern Ontario sounds like great fun. It’s a great gift idea for someone’s birthday 🙂 I would love that, no questions. Sightseeing flights take from 40 minutes to 2.5 hrs of time in the air plus taxi and airport wait time. The cost is approx. $750 + tax for a 90-min flight for upto 3 people.
If you go: Contact Papple Aviation for all the info and bookings.
–>> All articles about London, ON are HERE and all videos about London, ON and area are HERE.
This post may contain compensated links. All purchases or bookings you make through this blog come at no extra cost to you. More details in Privacy Policy & Disclosure.
