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Elgin County, Ontario
St. Thomas and Port Stanley
Port Stanley's sandy Lake Erie beach, fishing harbour and lift bridge, and St. Thomas, the 'Railway City', with its life-size statue of Jumbo the elephant, a railway museum and a park on an old rail bridge.
Port Stanley sits where Kettle Creek meets Lake Erie, with a big sandy beach, a working fishing harbour and a lift bridge right in the middle of the village.
St. Thomas grew up as a railway hub. Jumbo, the famous circus elephant, was killed by a train here in 1885, and a life-size statue now stands at the edge of town.
Outdoors and nature
Trails, lookouts, waterfalls, beaches and time on the water come first.
Sights and attractions
Museums, landmarks and the places people come here for.
King George VI Lift Bridge
A lift bridge over Kettle Creek in the village.
Port Stanley harbour
A working fishing harbour with fish shops.
Jumbo the Elephant statue
A life-size statue of the circus elephant killed by a train in 1885.
Elevated Park
A park built on an old railway bridge high over Kettle Creek.
Elgin County Railway Museum
Locomotives and rail history in an old railway shop.
Markets, shops and festivals
Main streets, markets and the dates worth planning around.
Port Stanley village
Shops, ice cream and fish and chips by the bridge.
Book a tour or activity
Cruises, tours and experiences people book here. Each one goes to the operator's official page, and you can still add it to your trip.
Port Stanley Terminal Rail
Heritage train rides from the Port Stanley station along the Kettle Creek valley.
Part of our Lake Erie, Ontario guides.
Make it a weekend
Why stay the night
- Sunsets on Port Stanley's Main Beach.
- Summer theatre at the Port Stanley Festival Theatre.
- The railway sights fill a second day.
Nearby and worth the drive
Perch and the pier.
Londonabout 30 min · Guide ↗A river city with a long paved trail, a year-round market and a conservation lake.
Ready-made trips with St. Thomas and Port Stanley
Good to know
- Tourism: Elgin Tourism.
- We list only places we can check against an official source. Hours, seasons and prices change, so confirm before you go.
Photos on this page
Photo: Port Stanley Beach - Ontario, Mark, CC BY 2.0
Photo: King George VI Lift Bridge opened for boats - from north, Loozrboy from Toronto, Canada, CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo: A boat in Port Stanley harbour, Loozrboy from Toronto, Canada, CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo: The Jumbo statue in St. Thomas, Balcer, CC BY 2.5
Photo: Elgin County Railway Museum, Balcer, Public domain
Photo: The boardwalk at Elevated Park, St. Thomas, Jfvoll, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: St. Thomas City Hall on Talbot Street, Ken Lund from Reno, Nevada, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0