Praise for the 4th Edition:
"The sights stand out for their splendor or quirkiness. Some are natural wonders, others are man-made. They might be tricky to find or perched so close that you'll wonder how you missed them."
-- Toronto Star

This revised and expanded edition of the classic guide to Ontario's most fascinating things offers local travelers and out-of-province visitors alike even more interesting, quirky and odd places to visit. Here are train rides, ferry trips, scenic roads and unusual natural and manmade attractions. The previous editions of this book have sold more than 100,000 copies.

Author Ron Brown is an expert on the unusual. In his relentless quest to discover yet more of Ontario's rarities, Brown has traveled nearly everywhere in the province, and since this book's previous edition, he has been on the road again exploring. From the many places he's visited, he has selected 12 new unusual spots for this edition of Top 170 Unusual Things to See in Ontario:

• The Domes of Kingston; Ontario's Grandest City Hall
• North America's Dry Stone Wall Capital; The Irish Fences of Amherst Island
• Surprising Sarnia; an environmental success story
• Tribute to a Fallen Chief; The Tecumseh Monument
• The Tragedy of Jumbo
• Lighting up the Night; Niagara Falls' Newest Attraction
• From on High; the Basilica of Our Lady Immaculate, Guelph
• From Bricks to Broccoli; Toronto's Evergreen Brickworks
• Canada's Midway; Clifton Hill in Niagara Falls
• Ontario's Tiniest Schoolhouse
• Oshawa's "Tank Museum"
• High Park's Rare Black Oak Savannahs.

All destinations are updated with detailed maps that pinpoint every location, and the entries are grouped by general location.

Thoroughly researched and written in an inviting style, Top 170 Unusual Things to See in Ontario offers fascinating stories with background, location and accompanying color photographs. Most places are easy to reach from Ontario's major population centers and border American cities and towns. For those who want to see the heart and soul of Ontario, it takes a knowledgeable guide with a passion for the unusual. Ron Brown is that guide.

Ron Brown is a freelance travel writer and photographer. He has published twenty books on the visual heritage of Ontario, including The Lake Erie Shore: Ontario's Forgotten South Coast; Behind Bars: Inside Ontario's Heritage Gaols; The Train Doesn't Stop Here Any More: An Illustrated History of Railway Stations in Canada; Ontario's Ghost Town Heritage; and Top 100 Unusual Things to See in Ontario. He is past chair of the Writers Union of Canada, and is active with the Travel Media Association of Canada, Access Copyright, where he sits on the board of directors, and the Book and Periodical Council. He lectures and directs bus tours based on his book topics. He lives in Toronto.

Ron Brown's profile page

[Review of a previous edition:] [For] travellers who want to stay close to home but still enjoy an adventure.

The Ottawa Citizen

Ron Brown has compiled an interesting list of places to visit in the province... It is fun just flipping through the book where brief written descriptions complemented with colour photographs introduce you to interesting things and places that you may want to visit or learn more about. This concept makes the book both a good travel guide where you choose the sites that you want to visit on a trip or you can keep the book in your vehicle and the next time that you have some spare time when you are out and about you can look to see what "unusual things" are nearby for a side trip.

Simcoe.com

[Review of a previous edition:] Ron Brown continues to impress and entertain with his amazing finds and why you should visit them, and soon.

Shelf Life

[Review of a previous edition:] The table of contents alone will make you curious to see such places as Ontario's Taj Mahal.

Guelph Mercury

[Review of a previous edition:] Most locations are easy to reach from Ontario's major population centres, and a few are for more adventurous explorers.

Northern Life

[Review of a previous edition:] From natural to man-made wonders, the book opens up strange places in the province. Beyond beaches, bustling industrial cities and crowded shopping malls, it's exciting to discover odd nooks and crannies... It includes beautiful color photographs, complete information on key locations near densely populated areas, and detailed directions.

Culture Magazine

If anyone is well qualified to advise travellers on unusual things to see, it's Ron!... He loves the off-the-beaten-path, quirky things you can find if you leave the main road and search out those things that most travellers would never discover. Well, you can now, or at least 170 of them, all across Ontario.

St. Mary's Independant

[Review of a previous edition:] The sights stand out for their splendor or quirkiness. Some are natural wonders, others are man-made. They might be tricky to find, or perched so close that you'll wonder how you missed them.... If your holidays are over and the budget is maxed out, the dog days of summer may be a perfect time to go exploring unusual spots close by.

Toronto Star

[Review of a previous edition:] Thoroughly researched and written in an inviting style, Ron Brown's descriptions offer fascinating stories with background, location and accompanying color photographs.

Fifty-Five Plus Magazine

[Review of a previous edition:] Brown's books are always interesting and bring to mind adventures.

Muskoka Today

[Review of a previous edition:] [Brown] has the gift of finding lots of things interesting and of them being able to write beautifully about those things.

Chronicle-Journal (Thunder Bay)

Ron Brown continues to impress us with his amazing array of books that look into various aspect of Ontario... He once again gives us reasons to appreciate this province... No matter what page you turn to, there is something of interest... Take a trip through the unusual, guaranteed to amaze and impress, making you want to one day visit many of the places in person.

Shelf Life Magazine

[Review of a previous edition:] Thoroughly researched and written in an inviting style.

Midland Mirror

[Review of a previous edition:] [Brown] collects the very best trips from the most unexpected and surprising sights in the province.

The Sun Times (Owen Sound, ON)

[Review of a previous edition:] Whether you currently live in Ontario, Canada or are just visiting our beautiful and "unusual" province, this book is a must have.

Amie's Book Reviews

[Review of a previous edition:] While the book includes some of the adventures from the author's previous books on sightseeing in Ontario, there are also new destinations.

ProtoView

[Review of a previous edition:] Few people know more about Ontario's oddities than Toronto-based author Ron Brown...[and] they're almost all here in this new revised edition.

The Toronto Sun

[Review of a previous edition:] Most places listed in this indispensable guidebook for daytrippers, shunpikers, and Ontario loving travellers are free to enjoy... Brown's enthusiasm for storytelling shines brightly and provides almost a lifetime of exploration of treasured spots near and far from home.

London Free Press

[Review of a previous edition:] We can hope that [Brown's] efforts to celebrate Ontario's past and present wonders will attract a new generation of readers and travellers.

Thunder Bay Chronicle Journal Thunder Bay Chronicle Journal

Included in this wonderful collection by Canadian writer Ron Brown are train rides, ferry trips, scenic roads and unusual natural and manmade attractions. Read about the fascinating stories and backgrounds and accompanying photos in this guide, carefully curated by award-winning Brown. If you're looking for adventure in 2023 and beyond, let this be your compass.

Modern Mississauga Magazine

[Review of a previous edition:] With each succeeding edition, Top 160 Things to See in Ontario, becomes more of a must-read. Since this is the summer season for traveling and exploring, there is little doubt anyone seeking an engaging and inviting time need only open the pages of this book.

Shelf Life