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Voykit pocket guide · Canada
St. Marys
St. Marys, Ontario
Give St. Marys one night, two at most: a half-day of limestone streets, the quarry swim and the baseball hall, then move on to Stratford or London.
St. Marys is a town of about 7,300 on the Thames River between Stratford and London, built from locally quarried limestone in the 1800s and still called Stonetown. The sights are a compact downtown walk, a quarry that doubles as Canada's largest outdoor swimming pool, and the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame. It works as a one-night stop on the VIA Rail line between Toronto and Sarnia, or as a half-day detour from Stratford.
- Country
- Canada
- Local name
- St. Marys, Ontario
- Best months
- Jun–Sep for the quarry and the trail; late Sep–Oct for the stone streets without the heat
- Avoid
- Jan–Feb (cold, icy sidewalks); the quarry is closed outside summer
- Stay
- 1 night
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- CAD
- Money
- Currency is the Canadian dollar (CAD, $). Cards and tap-to-pay are accepted almost everywhere.
- Daily spend
- Budget C$90–140 excl. bed · Mid C$140–220 excl. bed · High C$220+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Rogers, Bell and Telus plus cheaper brands (Fido, Koodo, Public Mobile); prepaid SIMs in malls and stores. Canadian data is expensive — an eSIM is often cheaper.
- Emergency
- Police, fire, ambulance 911 · OPP non-emergency 1-888-310-1122 · Telehealth Ontario 1-866-797-0000
- Plugs
- Types A, B · 120 V · 60 Hz · Same as the US.
- Tipping
- Restaurant: 15–20% of the pre-tax bill.; Bar: CAD 1–2 per drink.; Taxi: 10–15%.; Housekeeping: CAD 3–5 a night.; Guide: 10–20% of the tour price.
- Water
- Tap water is drinkable; treat water from lakes and streams (giardia).
- Toilets
- Free in malls, Tim Hortons, stations and park visitor centres.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee | C$2–5 |
| Diner main (burger, fish and chips) | C$15–25 |
| Beer: draught in a pub / can at the LCBO | C$7–9 / C$3–4 |
| 5 km taxi3.1 mi taxi | C$15–20 |
| Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame entry | C$12 adult, C$10 ages 10–17, free under 10, C$35 family (2026 estimate; check current rates) |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | C$15–35 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- YXU · London International Airport
- About 45–55 min by car (check); the closest airport with scheduled service
- YYZ · Toronto Pearson
- About 2 h by car or more with Toronto traffic (check); or VIA Rail from Toronto to St. Marys station
Typical fares
- VIA Rail Toronto → St. Marys
- about C$40–60 one way, about 2 h (check)
- VIA Rail London → St. Marys
- about C$15–25 one way, about 25 min (check)
- Taxi in town
- C$10–20 for most trips (check)
Get around
The centre is walkable: Town Hall, the library, the Opera House and the river trails sit within about 15 minutes on foot. The quarry and the Baseball Hall of Fame are on the south side, 20–30 minutes on foot or a short drive. VIA Rail stops at St. Marys station on the Sarnia–Toronto line. Without a car, plan around the train and taxis; check local taxi numbers before you arrive.
See and do
Known for
- Limestone 19th-century buildings (Stonetown)
- Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame
- St. Marys Quarry swimming hole
- Grand Trunk Trail and the Sarnia Bridge
- VIA Rail heritage station (1907)
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Stratford | VIA Rail from St. Marys station (check the timetable); or by car on Highway 7 | About 30–45 min (check) |
| London, Ontario | VIA Rail from St. Marys station (check the timetable); or by car, about 40 kmVIA Rail from St. Marys station (check the timetable); or by car, about 25 mi | About 45–60 min (check) |
| Woodstock, Ontario | Car via Highway 7 and Highway 59, about 40 min | About 45 min |
| Goderich and Lake Huron | Car via Highway 7 and Highway 8, about 1 h 15 min | About 1.5 h |
| Grand Bend | Car via Highway 7 and Highway 21, about 1 h 30 min | About 1.5–2 h |
Sleep
- Downtown / Queen Street
- Walk to the Town Hall, library, Opera House and the river trail; the smallest choice of beds.
- Water Street South / quarry side
- Closest to the quarry and the Riverview Walkway; a short drive or 15-min walk from downtown.
- Highway 7 approach
- Motel-style and chain stays on the edge of town; you need a car for everything.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Thank you | Thank you |
| Excuse me | Excuse me |
| Can I pay by card? | Can I pay by card? |
| Where is the toilet? | Where is the toilet? |
| Is the quarry open today? | Is the quarry open today? |
| One ticket, please | One ticket, please |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake; 'Bonjour' first in Québec; avoid: Assuming everyone speaks English
- Queues: Line up and wait your turn; avoid: Pushing in
- Apologising: 'Sorry' is politeness, not admission of fault; avoid: Loud confrontation
- Canada vs US: Treat Canada as its own country; avoid: Calling Canadians American
- Indigenous culture: Buy from Indigenous-owned businesses and ask before photos at ceremonies; avoid: Wearing headdresses as costume
Scams and watch-outs
- The quarry is a supervised outdoor pool with a season, not a year-round swim spot: check opening dates before you build a day around it.
- VIA Rail serves St. Marys station on the Sarnia–Toronto line: check the timetable and book ahead.
- Small-town restaurants close early and some shut on Mondays: check hours the same day.
- Winter sidewalks and the river trail can be icy; the trail is not cleared like a city street.
A low-crime small town; the real risks are winter ice on sidewalks and the river trail, and swimming only when the quarry is supervised and open.
One and two days
No timed day plan for St. Marys yet. Suggested stay: 1 night. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Limestone 19th-century buildings (Stonetown)
- Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame
- St. Marys Quarry swimming hole
- Grand Trunk Trail and the Sarnia Bridge
- VIA Rail heritage station (1907)
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Town of St. Marys — Discover St. Marys: www.discoverstmarys.ca/
- Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame: www.baseballhalloffame.ca/
- VIA Rail — St. Marys station: www.viarail.ca/en/explore-our-destinations/stations/ontario/st.-marys
- Wikivoyage: St. Marys (Ontario), revision 5256300 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5256300
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
St. MarysSt. Marys, Ontario
To this address, please
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
- Police, fire, ambulance911
- OPP non-emergency1-888-310-1122
- Telehealth Ontario1-866-797-0000
No embassies in St. Marys; the US consulate general is in Toronto, and most other countries keep embassies in Ottawa.
English is the working language here; a few French speakers, no phrasebook needed.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/st-marys-ontario). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.