Guide to Kitchener & Surrounding Areas

About this guide:

It started off as a single sheet of paper informing our new tenant where the nearest things are to thier new homes. It's expanded a bit since.

It fights back against things like TripAdvisor and Yelp, where the top things to do all seem to be generic things, like visiting the mall, and the best foods are chains like New York Fries.

Are you looking for something to do? Deciding on a (new) place to eat? Find what you're looking for here! You can learn more about us, too.

How to read this guide:

Within each category, things sorted from most most favourite at the top to least most most favourite at the bottom. Or randomly sorted - take your pick. Sorry, no stars or reviewer count. Guess you'll just have to get out there and see if we've made good picks. At least better than generic chains promoted through google ads.

Trying to stick to a budget? $ (how can they do this so cheaply) to $$$$$ (save up for this one) is a relative measure of cost. $0 marks a "free" activity.

Links are provided where known/available. Adresses aren't given, because most folks have a map app somewhere on thier phone.

If something is marked with SS are Super Secret only our tenants and guests can access it. Wherever you see <PROPERTY>, that's for our tenants to know this is close to one of our properties.

This website is intentionally ugly. You can view it fine on a text based browser from 1993, and there aren't any advertisements or junk to clutter it up. Just scroll until you see something that piques your interest.

icon identifies an entity that implemented aprtheid programmes beyond government mandates. That is, they have excluded members of the community under the guise of "safety" which has no basis in actual safety, but rather is a show of virtue signallling and safety theatre. While we refuse to patronize organizations that divide our community, we understand this may not concern you, so we will reference the entity with the warning displayed. Even after they change policy, this sticker will remain, as a reminder of those transgressions. We may change our minds after some truth & reconcillation occurs with apologies for their misdeeds.

Action & Adventure

• Grand River Rocks <MILL>
  The best climbing gym in the province, in our opinion. Fun for everyone, from beginner to sponsored elite athlete. Parties, yoga, muscle beach, too.
  
• Go Bananas <MILL>
  Kids driving you up the wall? Let them climb the walls. One of the only kid specific climbing centres anywhere. Even if you’re an adult (ha!), it’s more fun and challenging than you’d think.
• Speed Quest
  Our only go-kart track in the area is an indoor electric track under Frederick Mall. New as of April 2022, it is a very small track that can only put 4 cars on the track at a time. Each "race" is about 7 minutes long, which results in 30+ laps of the track. The best part, though? The slick turns mean drifting around the bends is 80% of the fun!
• K/W Play Grounds
  Parkour/movement gym. Practice your flips into the foam pit; try free running and movement exercises.
• Splatzone
  Indoor paintball / archery tag / laser maze
• Sky Zone
  Trampoline park & ninja warrior course. Jousting over the foam pit is our favourite bit.
• K/W Gymnastics
  Think you’re too old for gymnastics? Think again. The open gym (See website for details) will get you moving. Beware! You have to get an insurance policy to participate (mandatory for all gymnastics on Ontario). The fee is good for the year.
• Brass Butterflies
  Try silks, lyra, acroyoga and other circus fun. Pole dancing too, of course. Don’t be intimidated – regardless of skill, gender or anything else, it’s a great workout that’s way more fun than the stairmaster.
• Bingemans “Big Splash” Waterpark
  Water slides and wave pool
• Funworx at Bingemans
  Mostly for kids, but the (indoor) high ropes course is fun for all ages
• Canoeing the Grand
  If you have a whole day at your disposal, definitely do the West Montrose start, which leaves from the kissing bridge.
• Chicopee
  It’s our local ski hill. It’s alright. Half-off lift tickets if you come 6:45pm or later. If it’s not snowing, they also have mountain bike trails, disc golf (frolf), high ropes course and other fun things.
• Chicopee TubePark
  Separate from the ski hill, go here to launch you and yourselves down a hill in a rubber tube. If it’s NOT snowing out, try the ziplines
• Conestoga Horseback Adventures
  Waterloo Region might not have the rolling acreage of our western provinces, but you can still spend an afternoon on a trail-ride.
• Colby Shooting Club
  Archery/Gun range / lessons
• Kwartzlab Makerspace
  Do you want to make something? It’s basically a workshop with all sorts of tools you can use to realize your project’s visions. CNC mill, welding, sewing, laser cutting, woodworking tools and so on.
• AMF / Frederick Bowling
  Our favourite alley in town, a 10 pin classic.
• Max’s Sports World
  Mini Golf (2x 18 holes outdoors), Driving Range, Bubble Soccer, Archery War, Batting Cages
• Conestoga Sailing Club
  untested
• BATL axes
  Throw some axes
• K/W Rally Club
  Try navigational rallying! See parts of southern Ontario you normally wouldn’t venture to, while solving challenges and practicing precision driving. If you’ve got a car and a friend, it’s great fun!
• Act!ve Gym @ Crown Plaza
  A gym, but also with squash courts, a tiny indoor mini-golf course, five-pin bowling, an arcade and more.

Bored? Games!

• Moody’s Games Attic SS
  Available ONLY to Stiplosek Properties tenants. You’ll have to talk to us!
• Adventurer’s Guild Cafe
  Great place to gather with friends and enjoy a board game whilst chowing down on well-crafted sandwiches.
• Round Table
  Locations in Kitchener & Guelph (untested)
• Games on Tap
  Untested
• Crossroads
  Untested

You’ll Never Leave - Escape Rooms

Escape Rooms are all the rage, with good reason. A fun challenge for you and your friends.

• Pountine’s Bunker SS
  Available ONLY to Stiplosek Properties tenants. You’ll have to talk to us! 
• Adventure Rooms
  Three rooms locally, all are a good time. The first to appear in the region. The Mayor’s Office is our favourite.
• K/W Escape
  Very good for medium/large groups, the rooms have fun decor/themes with space to move around. Unfortunately, the games rely very heavily on combo locks. They also offer games like scavenger hunts you can play in your car!
• Complex Rooms
  Untested. There used to be a physical location, which we never got to. Now, they offer play-at-home games. We'll get around to trying that...
• Exitus
  Untested, Guelph
• EscapeWorx
  All the rooms tested thus far are very dark, which makes playing harder and less fun. There are some neat contraptions.
• Breakout Escapes
  Untested, Cambridge
• Fantescapes
  Untested, Guelph
• Trapped
  We can so far only attest to the Guelph location (there is a Waterloo location). Trapped is nice in that it uses a lot more technology in the puzzles, so it's not just locks and combinations. It's fun.

Movement

• Tri-Cities Flow Arts & AcroYoga $0
  Fan of Cirque du Soliel? Want to try some adagio or acro yoga? Poi, hoop, cyr wheel and things on fire.
• HepCat! Swing Dance
  Mondays; lessons followed by an open party to try your new steps.
• Contact Improv
  Tuesdays Evenings

Two Wheeled Trails & Trouble

Or one, if you’re into unicycling.

• The Hydrocut $0
  Ontario’s premiere single track MTB destination. If you have a mountain bike, you’ll have a blast. Visit the website first to make sure the trails are open!
• K-Dub Polo Club
  Try Bike Polo! If you have a bike and helmet, you should try this. Is it fun? Yes. Absolutely Yes.
• Puslinch Lake $0
  Behind the OnRoute rest area outside Cambridge, you’ll find Puslinch Lake (Rumoured home of Justin Bieber). It has some nice trails, including a poorly signposted series of single-track. But if you can find your way, you’ll have a great time. Also good for walking around the ponds.
• Iron Horse Trail <MILL> $0
  With the southern terminus near the Rockway Golf Course, it connects Victoria Park and Waterloo park, making it easy to traverse the cities on bike/foot without dealing with cars too much. In fact, it's often easier and faster to bike this path than drive.
• Cambridge-Paris Rail Trail $0
  Starting in Galt, about 44km round-trip, this mostly-flat gravel trail follows the Grand River, with neat sites along the way, like abandoned mills and train bridges. With a terminus in Paris, it makes for a nice jaunt leads to baked goods, ice cream, and classic south-western Ontario architecture.
• McLennan Park / Mt. Trashmore $0
  It has a fun ‘bike park’ with a pump track and some fun twisty downhill runs.

Fun Activities

• Donkey Sanctuary
• African Lion Safari
• CTRL V
  Virtual reality gaming destination; you can have many of your friends playing in a single game, together. If you just can't wait for the metaverse to really take hold.
• Grand River Cruises
  Untested
• Waterloo Central Railway
  Worth doing, but low replayability factor.
• Cambridge Butterfly Conservatory
  Butterflies inside, year-round. All of the colours!
• Pinup Arcade Bar $ University/King
  $5 entry fee will get you in to play classic arcade games to your heart’s content. The older pinball games are the greatest!
• iDarts
  A space with fancy electronic dartboards and pool tables
• iBowl
  The last of the indoor mini golf in the area, along with 5-pin & 10-pin bowling, and a classic arcade that still dispenses redeemable tickets!
• AOK
  Untested, video games.
• K/W Humane Society $0
  Go visit the creatures.
• KW Gaming Centre
  Bingo Hall. Even if you don't care for bingo, being in the place certainly is an exprience: everyone is very serious about thier dabbers. (Protip: get your own dabber from a dollar store before going)
• Frederick Billiards
  Tucked away, it’s the best place to play some pool.
• Chicago’s
  Pool hall with mediocre food, but lots of sports to watch, and off-track betting.
• Geocaching
  Not exactly exclusive to the region, but a great way to get you exploring all the parts of the area that you wouldn’t otherwise find. To get started, visit www.geocaching.com . It may become an addiction. You’ve been warned.

Take a Hike $0

Outdoor spaces in the area that are great places for a walk, hike, stroll or picnic

• Kitchener Golf
  We have two public courses, Doon Valley & Rockway. Listed under "take a hike," because there's a lot of walking after a little white ball. Unless you take a golf cart, which is way more fun, but way less excercise.
• Downtown Art Walk
  If you like art and walking in (not too-) urban areas, check out the guide to downtown Kitchener Art.
• Huron Natural Area
  Home to a pond where you might be lucky enough to see a beaver, and a “natural” playground. Lots of relatively easy trails and free yoga some evenings during the summer.
• Homer Watson Trail
  Winding along the Grand River, see the locations of famous images of the region (especially in the autumn). About a 3km there & Back. Also, see the ruins of a flour mill and find some neat geocaches.
• Victoria Park <MILL>
  Have a stroll onto Roos Island
• Rockway Gardens
  THE cliche place to take your outdoor prom photos. The gardens are lovely.
• McLennan Park / Mt. Trashmore
  It has walking trails (you can see the whole region from the top) and tobogganing slopes (which have been made much less fun because of litigious idiots and fear).
• Grand River / Walter Bean Trail
  Of particular note is a section from the 401 to Wilson Ave, meandering behind a golf course and alongside old mill ruins.
• Schneider's Bush
  Varied trails through forests and fields.
• Snyder’s Flats
  Through former gravel pits, this is a great place to go with the dogs; some people can be found swimming on summer days
• Waterloo Park
  Significant for the critters that live there; a little zoo. Also, soon is a boardwalk alongside the Perimeter Institute.
• Woodside Historic National Park
• Laurel Creek Conservation Area
  A beach without leaving town. Paid admission, some camp sites. A lake (okay, a flooded former forest) that you can canoe / paddleboard in. If you look the right way, you'll be tricked into beliving you're actually out of town.
• Petersburg Crown Lands
• GeoTime Trail
  A trail in a suburb-surrounded tree forest. If you walk around the trail the correct way, plaques will tell you about the history & geology of the area.

Art, Galleries & Media

• Gallery double t
  Tucked behind a house uptown, it’s a small gallery, but with nice art, and the venue itself is worth stopping in
• Cambridge Centre for Arts
• Homer Watson House & Gallery
  Dedicated to perhaps our most prominent local painter, you will find lots of art of the region, along with plenty of classes for your artistic side.
• K/W Art Gallery $0
  Our local headquarters for curated art exhibitions, located beside the Centre in the Square. See if you can get signed up for the occasional vault tour.
• Clay & Glass Gallery $0
  One of our local architectural gems, this space can be entered without admission to see regularly rotating showpieces. It also has a very nice gift shop.
• Button Factory
• Art District Gallery
  Unfortunately, the physical gallery space has closed, but the website promises pop-up shows around town
• Princess Cinema & Princess Twin
  The spot for non-Hollywood releases and classics like The Room (bring spoons) and Rocky Horror Picture Show (bring rice)
• Apollo Cinema
  B movie bingo! Cheap thrills!
• Rusty Nail Comedy $$$
  Tucked in Kitchener location of the Crazy Canuck (down the hall from the Apollo, under the ServiceOntario), it's a gem that it seems nobody knows about. Actual comedy celebrities! Being funny!

Museums

• Joseph Schneider Haus <MILL>
  A National Historic Site at the end of Mill street. Pay attention to special events with live music and baked goods in one of the region’s oldest houses.
• The Museum
  The first two floors are kids friendly interactive exhibits, with the tops floor dedicated to travelling shows. Also watch for special events mingling tasty treats and learning!
• Waterloo Region Museum / Doon Heritage Village
• City of Waterloo Museum
  Located in Conestoga Mall, the hours are terrible. But if you do find yourself there when its open, the rotating thematic exhibits are worth the stop.
• Mennonite Story (St. Jacobs)
• Optometry Museum
• Fashion History Museum (Cambridge)
  The what? Think this won’t interest you? You’ll be surprised. An interesting museum that tackles our history from an interesting angle.
• Cambridge Galleries

Events spaces, theatres & productions

• Centre in the Square
• Drayton Entertainment
• Shakespeare Festival
• Maxwell’s Concert House
• Starlight Social Club
• The Boathouse (Victoria Park)
• Kitchener-Waterloo Little Theatre
• Registry Theatre
• KW Children's Drama Workshop
• KW Musical Productions
• The Aud (Kitchener Auditorium)
  Home to the Kitchener Rangers (Hockey) and the K/W Titans (Basketball), plus many events from food festivals to the RV show.

Resources

• The Libraries
  Because our region refuses to be a single entity, we have multiple library systems. First, visit the Kitchener Public Libraries It’s more than just books! The central location has an art gallery, available 3D printers, free movie screenings, VR and so much more! You can take out movies and borrow musical instruments! Craving more still? Try…
• Waterloo Public Library
• Architecture Library (in the UW Architecture Building in nearby Galt)
• WLU Library
• UW Dana Porter Library (The “sugar cube”)
• Idea|Exchange (Cambridge Libraries)
  You’ll want to check out ALL of the locations. It’s totally beyond books. With art galleries and really nifty architecture, you’ll love everything the libraries offer.
• Community Centres
  Each neighbourhood in town has a community centre that puts on different events throughout the years, provides resource like internet and clothing swaps, and put on classes and activities for all ages.
• City Hall (Kitchener)
  Yes, it’s the administrative hub of where we live. BUT it also has a skating rink out front, two (small) art galleries, a cafeteria with a view of the city from the 10th floor, and is home to so many events throughout the year.
• St. Jacob’s Market
  The big one at the far side of waterloo, attracts tourists from all over. There are many food vendors, so be careful if you go hungry.
• Kitchener Market
  The local one. Get all your fresh food needs. Hectic, but not as much a tourist trap.

Date Ideas (possibly ridiculous)

The “i” Do experience
Hop on our local streetcar, the iOn. Get off at UW station, and head to University Plaza for some iPotato (Shawarma Poutine!). Then, go one stop further to the R&T station and navigate to iDarts for darts and billiards. Back on the iOn for a tour of the region’s ‘spine,’ transferring to a bus at Fairview Mall. Take buses to the iBowl for bowling (5 & 10 pin) and indoor mini-golf. And then, get back to Mill Station and transfer on a bus headed for Sunrise Centre and the iShawarma.

Events

• Blues Festival (early August, downtown Kitchener)
• Busker Festival (late August, uptown Waterloo)
• Doors Open (locally, mid-September, throughout Waterloo Region)
• Oktoberfest
• Steel Rails
• Nerd Nite
• Jazz Fest
• Comic Con
• Grand River Film Festival