Unwind this Winter in Oxford
Unwind this Winter in Oxford
Looking for a relaxing and recharging get away? Visit Oxford County for nordic spas, the cheese trail, unique accommodations, cultural attractions and one of a kind activities. Avoid the crowds this winter and try something new in Oxford County.
Adventures for Adults in Woodstock
Who We Are
Just 90 minutes from the hustle and bustle of Toronto and two hours from 3 border crossings, Oxford can be found where Highway 401 & 403 meet, halfway between Waterloo and London. You may know our communities Woodstock, Ingersoll, & Tillsonburg, home to many of our residents, with the remainder enjoying rural life in our small villages and country roads.
Family Fun in Woodstock
Avoid the crowds and find the savings with a fun yet simple getaway in Woodstock. Woodstock is 10-20 minutes to rural stops (including a spot to play with goats or for teens to walk an alpaca), 15 minutes to Ingersoll (try some cheesy bites and learn about Oxford’s dairy history), Stay closer to the city to enjoy a day at an indoor playground, hiking a trail, tasting maple treats, nibbling your way through the cheese trail, or taking a dip at the hotel pool (30 minutes after eating, of course.)
Adventures for Adults in Woodstock
Recharge your batteries with a dose of relaxation and some untapped experiences. Release from reality’s responsibilities and get in the moment with a plunge at the Nordic spa, goat encounters with some ‘kids’ with character, or treat your senses as you craft a batch of soap or coffee. Sit back and sip on some brews while taking in some tunes, stay on your feet with bowling, golf simulators, or stroll through our art galleries and museums, or find a new treasure at one of our antique shops, liquidation stores, farm markets, or as your taste your way along the cheese trail. Explore your way around Oxford without combatting crowds.
Adult Fun in Oxford County | Woodstock, Ingersoll & Tillsonburg
Choose your Activity | Do something new and unwind
Find your zen or zany at these farm attractions:
Transitions Equine | 675671 16 Line, Innerkip, ON (View Map)
Time with horses brings tranquility. Join Transitions equine to learn and engage with horses guiding them through a series of tasks. It makes for a fun time while having you thinking and communicating in new ways with eachother, all the while helping you live and love the present moment.
Udderly Ridiculous Farm Life | 906200 Township Rd 12, Bright, ON (View Map)
A farm for adult adventures with goats, alpacas and now Muriel the mini highland cow. This is not a pettzing zoo but a farm that wants you to connect and appreciate farm life by meeting their zany four legged farm family. Choose from alpaca walks, goat cuddles, goat yoga, the highland cow expereince or the taste of farm life which lets you sample many activities. An opportunity for zen and zany moments with laughs along the way. Visit their website and book an experience this winter.
Zen Out at these local Ontario Spas:
Terra Nova Nordic Spa | 15 mins. North of Woodstock (View Map)
Do you want to brave the cold plunge, lounge in the relaxation spaces or spend all your time in the whirlpool, sauna and steam room? The choice is yours. Enjoy the Nordic spa basking in the sun or under the stars. Grab a beverage and snack and the café and book a spa treatment for a truly decadent day (extra perks with savings).
Elmhurst Inn & Spa | Ingersoll (View Map)
Book a pampering session at this Ontario’s Finest Inn. Use of the steam room, sauna and lounge are included with your treatments. If you want to make pampering an overnight activity packages are available for couples and friends (ahem pajama party?) including dining.
Wave Nordic Spa | Mount Elgin (View Map)
Wave Nordic is located at the stunning Oxford Hills. Unwind with their large sauna, pools at various temperatures, warming stone, steam room and relaxation areas. Book a spa treatment to round out your day and dine with country vistas in the restaurant. If attending Thursday-Saturday, book later in the day and stay for dinner at Kalos, the Oxford Hills’ fine dining restaurant also on site.
Explore the Oxford County Cheese Trail and Culinary Producers in Oxford:
The Oxford County Cheese Trail includes over 30 businesses across Oxford County (Woodstock, Ingersoll, and the rural countryside between) that are celebrating Oxford County’s dairy past and present. Each stop has a special dairy related offer to taste, purchase, or do on-site. Sample cheese at a local cheesemaker, visit a cheese museum, taste gourmet chocolate, fill your own glass bottle with milk, sample craft beer, play with goats, or shop for pottery. To plan a cheese trail visit, check out our website or ask us to help plan the perfect trip. We can assist with days of the week, store hours and drive time to help make your trip easy cheesy.
Take your trip on the trail to the next level with an Experience: Get the best seat in the house at sixthirtynine's Chef's Table Experience, learn the science of coffee roasting at Early Bird Coffee's Roasting Lab Experience, gain an appreciation for the forest while crafting a charcuterie board at Ottercreek Woodworks' Tree to Table Experience, or unwind with the art of soap making at Wild Comfort Body Care's Soap and Solace Experience.
Looking to connect with nature between meals, samples and treats? Book a guided hike with Grand Experiences.
The food scene in Oxford does not shut down for winter. The Woodstock Farmer’s Market is year-round and many unique specialty food producers call the city home including Habitual Chocolate, Early Bird Coffee, Noods Pasta, Upper Thames Brewing, Soulful Spoon and numerous bakers. Country side you can venture on the Cheese Trail for cheese, pasture raised meat, maple syrup, and gourmet goat milk ice cream. If you want to fill your freezer and pantry with locally sourced goods – check out all of our producers on Oxford Fresh.
Connect to locals and local history at our Museums and Art Galleries:
Woodstock: The Woodstock Art Gallery offers two floors of rotating exhibits offering unique exhibits of regional and national significance. The museum is known for the largest collection of Florence Carlyle’s work. The Woodstock Museum NHS is a national historic site as the original city hall (check out council chambers). Explore their rotating exhibits and displays telling the stories of the region. Also check out the Woodstock Museum’s self-guided walking tours and a tour of the Oxford County Courthouse Square.
Ingersoll: Ingersoll Cheese & Agricultural Museum, voted Top Small Museum in Ontario, tells the Area’s rich history of cheesemaking with seven buildings to explore and a giant cheese wheel. The Ingersoll Creative Arts Centre is a creative space with monthly rotating exhibits by local artists, featuring art in all styles and mediums.
Tillsonburg: Take in one of the best-surviving examples of the Aesthetic Arts movement in Canada at Annandale NHS. Step back in time by taking in their current exhibit and arrange a tour of the 1880s mansion. The Station Arts Centre is a destination for art and railroad enthusiasts with rotating exhibits and a local artisan shop. Head 30 minutes south of Tillsonburg to tour a submarine at the Museum of Naval History – HMCS – Ojibwa.
Beachville: The Beachville Museum is less than 10 minutes from both Ingersoll and Woodstock (the 1/2 way point). This museum is located in a heritage home providing local history including the local limestone quarry, the first recorded baseball game, and businesses of Beachville’s Past. IPads are provided with interpretation as you explore rooms in the home. Use the online self-guided tour of their large outdoor space and its historic elements – where did the sidewalk once lead to?
Local Live Performances and Entertainment Acts from near and far:
Ingersoll Theatre of Performing Arts (ITOPA), Theatre Tillsonburg, Embro’s Thistle Theatre, and Woodstock Theatre are local community theatres offering a wide variety of shows. Seasons typically start in September and run through April with other performers graving their stages throughout the year (e.g. Ron Sexsmith, The Mudmen, and other favourites). Spring through Fall you will also find Walter’s Music Venue in full swing with musical performances by performers from Canada and Internationally. See Upcoming Events.
Antique Markets throughout Oxford:
If vintage finds, Pinterest projects, and antiques are your jam we have options. In Woodstock Visit One of a Kind Antique Mall – Canada’s largest antique mall with 3 floors of antiques, décor & vintage. In Ingersoll visit Modern Hipster Antiques with everything from primitives to mid-century modern. The Tillsonburg Antiques Plus has a diverse mix of vendors with antique and vintage finds.
Where to Eat in Woodstock
Looking for a greasy spoon eat at a retro icon or a casual fine dining experience? A European deli or classic fish and chips? Woodstock has something for everyone.
Where to Eat in Ingersoll
From giant panzerottis to delicious little pastries, unique family restaurants to familiar favourites, Ingersoll's food scene is sure to delight.
Where to Eat in Tillsonburg
Homecooked meals and fast casual eats including authentic Dutch, Vietnamese, and Japanese items you'll love.
Retail in Woodstock
Downtown Woodstock is the perfect spot to shop for a gift, or for you. Sodapop + Marigolds, On Trend, and Roberts & Co., make gift-giving a joy with stylish women’s clothing and accessories, home décor, and luxurious items. Take care of your body, home, and the earth with products from Jarful Refillery. Head to Record Works for Oxford County’s largest selection of music and video games. Flip through the vinyl and find your new, er old, favourite record. Be sure to visit local foodie stops while in the downtown area.
Retail in Ingersoll
In Downtown Ingersoll you will find women’s wear at Hometown Style, Little Town Beauty Boutique and Roberts Ladies Wear. If you have a green thumb check out the plants and décor at Little Leaf Haven then head over to Dwell Urban Boutique a lifestyle shop with fashion, self care, sustainability items and home items. You will also find a craft shop for yarn, an old-fashioned hardware store, and several gift shops. For snacks visit the Wine Cellar and Cheese Shop (order a nosh box), the Olde Bakery Café or Heavenly Sweets. Also check out Modern Hipster Antiques. Owner Marty curates with a love for MCM but carries a wide variety of pieces from all eras to appeal to a broad array of shoppers.
Retail in Tillsonburg
Explore Downtown Tillsonburg. This small community has been able to keep retail centralized in the downtown, meaning you can park your car, go into the downtown mall and explore the streets for unique shops. Grab gourmet cheeses at Two Girls and a Cheese Shop, explore an artisan market at Betty’s Marketplace, find home décor with English and European flare at Pedlar’s Quay, plant lovers should visit local florist Twigs and Trinkets offers women’s fashion accessories and home decor. If a quilter is in your group, Cherished Pieces is a must. Minutes north of Tillsonburg you will find Coyle’s Country Store. This business has been around for decades as a small town mercantile, evolving over the years. They are known for their store-made products including roasted nuts and delicious fudge. You will also find house-packaged baking needs, snacks, gourmet goods and a large selection of giftware for all occasions. Ten minutes north (almost to Ingersoll) is the Salford area and home to Rombouts known for arteflame, flowers, décor and pottery with a European flare. Shop by appointment only. Stop at Orange Door Acres if you want to stock your freezer with pasture-raised chicken. Visit Red Dragon Dairy, a sheep’s milk cheese factory. Stop in to try their cheeses, fresh baked bread and a wide selection of locally produced goods and British imports.
Rural Liquidation Stores
In Drumbo, Norwich and Otterville you will find liquidation stores-the new small town department stores. These are shops that purchase skids of end of season, last items, and returns from places like The Bay, Costco and Amazon. They provide a valuable rural service providing a diverse mix of items that normally wouldn’t be available to purchase in a small town. If you love finding bargains check out a liquidation shop. You never know what you will find but we expect you will be impressed with the price! Twenty minutes east of Woodstock is Morrows of Drumbo (HWY 401 exit 250), and Twenty minutes east of Tillsonburg you will find Norwich’s Liquidation City, and Otterville Premium Outlets.
Looking for a place to drop your bags before heading out the door, or somewhere to cozy up and enjoy the surroundings? We’ve got you.
Woodstock | Close to Ingersoll (15 mins.) and Tillsonburg (30 mins.)
- Holiday Inn Express & Suites (View Map): Conveniently located, modern, with breakfast, pool and fitness room.
- Best Western Plus (View Map): Modern accommodations offering breakfast, pool and fitness room.
Ingersoll | Close to Woodstock (15 mins.) and Tillsonburg (20 mins.)
- Elmhurst Inn & Spa (View Map): An Ontario’s Finest Inn with spa services, fine dining in the mansion restaurant and beautiful grounds to wander including a short trail. Minutes from downtown.
- The Lofts (View Map): A stylish second floor flat above an even more stylish shop (your host). Café, diners and unique small town shops steps away.
Tillsonburg | Close to Ingersoll (20 mins.) and Woodstock (30 mins.)
- The Mill Inn & Eatery (View Map): Historic stay and great food and entertainment all under one roof. Wood finished rooms and creek view on the second floor, a restaurant known for sourcing local on the main and a pub in the basement known for live music and craft beer.
- Seven Gables Tillsonburg (View Map): Posh historic stay with modern touches in fully renovated rooms with ensuite. Minutes from cultural attractions and downtown.
Rural | Close to Thamesford (5 mins.) Embro or Ingersoll (11 mins.) Woodstock (19 mins.) Tillsonburg (32 mins.)
- Spruce Lea Gatherings (View Map): a place to gather with friends and family. Choose from 2 fully renovated, multi-bedroom units in a modern ranch on this farm property. Enjoy the grounds, gather, or get out and explore – it is your vacation. Contact us for trip inspiration based on your dream getaway.
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