Canada's first rollercoasters, Babe Ruth's first home run, and Ned Hanlan's world championship rowing — Hanlan's Point on the Toronto Islands has one of the most improbable sports histories in North America. The quiet beach and island community here are among Toronto's most unique and least-visited spots.
Neighbourhood: Toronto Islands · Address: Hanlan's Point, Toronto Islands (ferry from Jack Layton Terminal) · Hours: Ferry: daily 8am–11pm
Why Visit
Take a quick ferry to Hanlan's Point to wander where Babe Ruth hit his first pro home run, or chill on a clothing-optional beach without city crowds. It’s part serene island, part offbeat sports history lesson in one trip.
What Makes It Unique
No other Toronto spot combines nude sunbathing, recreational trails, and the remnants of a vanished ballpark where baseball legends played. Hanlan’s Point is also where Canada's first rollercoaster operated—now it’s a peaceful escape with an eccentric backstory. The sense of bygone weirdness lingers in ways most city attractions can't match.
If you only know the Toronto Islands as a place to rent a bike or take skyline photos, Hanlan’s Point will surprise you. This corner of the islands has one of the strangest, coolest sports backstories in the city, and the funny part is how calm it feels now. You get off the ferry and, unless you already know what happened here, it just seems quiet: a beach, a few paths, some trees bending in the wind, the airport nearby, and a small community that feels completely separate from downtown even though the skyline is right there.
A hundred-plus years ago, this was where Toronto went to play. Hanlan’s Point was once home to some of Canada’s first roller coasters and early lakeside amusement grounds, the kind of place where people came dressed up for a day out by the water. It was also home territory for Ned Hanlan, the local rowing legend who became world champion in the 1880s and one of the biggest sports celebrities of his time. Before Toronto had modern arenas and major league everything, Hanlan was the guy. There’s something very satisfying about standing near the shore and imagining international rowing crowds gathering here for a Toronto athlete who was once globally famous.
Then there’s the Babe Ruth detail, which sounds made up until you realize it happened right here. On September 5, 1914, playing for the Providence Grays, he hit his first professional home run at Hanlan’s Point Stadium. The stadium is long gone, but if you know the story, the whole place shifts. You’re suddenly standing on this peaceful island, hearing gulls and distant engines, while overhead planes drop into Billy Bishop airport and you think: Babe Ruth. First pro homer. Here. It’s such a bizarre Toronto overlap of baseball history, lakefront parkland, and modern city infrastructure that it sticks with you.
What I’d actually recommend is giving yourself time to wander instead of treating Hanlan’s Point like a quick stop. Do the history walk if you can, or at least read up a little before you go so the landscape makes sense. The beach here is quieter than Centre Island, and the crowd is very different: fewer families lining up for snacks, more people who came specifically to be left alone with a book, a swim, or a long walk. Parts of Hanlan’s beach are clothing-optional, so don’t be startled if you stumble into that area; it’s clearly known, but worth knowing in advance.
Getting there is simple: take the ferry from Jack Layton Terminal to Hanlan’s Point, and if you can, go on a weekday or earlier in the day. Bring water, sunscreen, and whatever you’ll want for a few hours, because this isn’t the part of the islands where everything is right in front of you. That’s part of the appeal. Hanlan’s Point feels a little rougher around the edges, less programmed, more like a place you discover by paying attention. And in Toronto, that’s rarer than it should be.