Downtown Ingersoll offers up a variety of attractions in a concentrated area on the south and north side of the Thames River. To the north you will find a scratch bakery, iconic local chip truck and brewery. To the south are the more heavily concentrated downtown streets of Thames, King, Charles and Oxford. If you come on a Saturday, during the warmer months, you will find a farmer's market on the corner of King and Oxford Streets (town hall/library).
Getting here and around: Train and bus service comes to Ingersoll. In town there are two cab companies serving the community. Much of the community is walkable and there are cycling routes, trails and lanes throughout town. If coming by car, we suggest parking the car in the free all day parking lot at 39 Charles St (3 minute walk to Thames St S.). If your group likes to park closer you will find plenty of 2 hour parking street side and in the Oxford Street lot between Charles and King Streets. In the North end of Downtown there is plenty of parking in plaza and shop parking lots. If you want to get those steps in, or drive to your ne next stop, there are more places to explore outside of the downtown.
#1: Small Town Shops
If you want to explore independent small shops you will find them here. You can pick up gourmet goodies (for two legged and the four- legged family members), several women's clothing shops, a craft shop, a huge selection of pottery, games, puzzles, jewelry, home decor, antiques, bakeries and a brewery. Browse the list of businesses below this article and "heart" your favourite stops to add them to your trip builder.
#2: Cafe, Cocktails or Carbs
After exploring downtown hop into one of several restaurants and cafes. What is your craving? Choose from soup, sandwich, pub eats, Thai, diner specials, charcuterie nosh box for a picnic, a local chip truck, sweet treats or noshing with cocktails. You will find restaurants peppered throughout downtown on Thames St and King. Explore our list below and heart the stops you want to add to your itinerary.
#3: ITOPA (Ingersoll Theatre of Performing Arts)
On the main downtown intersection (Thames and Charles St) you will find the Ingersoll Theatre of Perfomring Arts (ITOPA). Experience the incredible local talent, on and off the stage, that come together each season at ITOPA. This local theatre in Ingersoll presents a variety of plays to please all tastes, in an intimate atmosphere. From drama and mysteries, to comedies and musicals, enjoy a show and support local arts in the comfort of the sloped stadium seating with great acoustics. The stage hosts performances September-June. Come for a week-end matinee or evening performance.
#4: Steps from Culture or Nature
Now that you have explored downtown you have options. Head out to the Ingersoll Cheese and Agricultural Museum and the Creative Art Centre for a culture fix, or get outdoors with a trail hike. Getting to these adventures can be done by foot or by bike or vehicle.
The Thomas Ingersoll Trail is a park trail network that connects Downtown Ingersoll to the Creative Arts Centre and Cheese Museum. To complete this hike it is a 2 km walk from downtown (one-way). This walk is primarily paved and travels through 4 parks. If driving, instead you can park at the Ingersoll Creative arts Centre, beside Victoria Park (with large playground and splashpad) or at the Ingersoll Cheese Museum (with a cheesy playground, creek views and picnic shelter). There are public washrooms at the Ingersoll Cheese Museum (in the main building and also parks washrooms by the street entrance).
If you crave nature you can hike the John Lawson Trail a 2.75 KM hike through meadow, savannah, treed areas along the Thames River. The main trail entrance is a 10-minute walk from the downtown intersection of Thames and Charles St (or drive and park). Beside the trail entrance is the Kiwanis mini put and the Ingersoll Pipe Band Hall. If you are lucky some evenings, you can hear the pipe band practicing. The Trail is 2.75 KM (with shorter trail loop options). If hiking the John Lawson trail note there is no public washroom. If travelling with fido though, you will find a dog park.
If your outdoors involves a fairway, you can also play a mature heritage golf course right in town plus several other nearby destination courses.
#5: Ingersoll Creative Arts Centre and Ingersoll Cheese Museum
Two cultural institutions can be found in neighbouring Ingersoll parks. The Ingersoll Creative Arts Centre is a local arts cooperative that started over 50 years ago. Today you will find artists on site including potters, quilters, fibre artists and painters. Visitors can explore the rotating gallery, gift shop or sign up for classes to try their hand in a variety of mediums. If driving, you want to enter Centennial Lane off of Wellington Street. Centennial lane continues from the Arts Centre to the museum, but the connecting bridge is for pedestrians only (6 min walk).
Ingersoll is known as The Town Built on Cheese so it's only right that there be a museum dedicated to it! Learn the history behind Oxford County's cheese making past from the country's first cheese making school to a ginormous 7300lb wheel of cheese made in town. More than that, learn about the other interesting parts of Ingersoll's history from its connection to Laura Secord to the town's important role along The Underground Railway. You'll be amazed by the history.
#6: Stay the Night
This itinerary provides more than a day's entertainment. Add to that the nearby rural attractions and towns there is plenty to do. You can definitely plan a 2-3 day stay in the area. Ingersoll offers several accommodation options including the Historic Elmhurst Inn (with mansion restaurant and spa) and the fully renovated Comfort Inn. Choose where to lay your head then plan out your trip.
Use the "My Trip" heart icon to save stops for your own custom itinerary. Access your "My trip" itinerary in the top right menu on this website. Keep exploring the site for ways to extend the trip making the most of your visit. Copy the "My Trip" link to save, share or hit the road with a ready to go map and all stop details.
