Lambton Family HubThings to Do in Petrolia with Kids
Petrolia is Canada's Victorian Oil Town — the small central-Lambton community where the world's oil industry actually began, wrapped in gingerbread-trimmed heritage streets. Today it's a genuine day-trip delight: live theatre at the Victoria Playhouse, working 1860s oil fields you can still tour, a Saturday market, and a brand-new splash pad. Here's where to take the family, with a link and directions for every spot.
Upcoming events in and near Petrolia
Family events, activities, and programs happening soon. Updated through the week.
Browse events →Places to go in and around Petrolia
Tap any spot for its official page or directions. The market and parks are free; the theatre and oil-heritage sites charge admission or take donations.
In town
Victoria Playhouse Petrolia
A 400-seat professional theatre inside Victoria Hall — a stunning 1889 National Historic Site — right downtown. Family musicals and comedies through summer and fall.
Petrolia Farmers' Market & downtown
A Saturday market in the heart of one of Ontario's prettiest Victorian main streets — local produce, baking, and crafts, with heritage shops and cafés to wander after.
Bridgeview Park & splash pad
A riverside park with big green space, a ball diamond, and a pavilion — plus the town's brand-new splash pad for hot afternoons.
Where the world's oil industry began
This is the real thing: Petrolia and neighbouring Oil Springs are home to the first commercial oil field in the world (1858) — still pumping today with 1860s technology, and on a UNESCO World Heritage track. A genuinely one-of-a-kind day out.
Petrolia Discovery
A working 1860s oil field you can walk through, home to the world's largest operating rig (running since 1903). Guided tours bring the boom-town story to life for kids and grown-ups alike.
Oil Museum of Canada
Built on the site of North America's first commercial oil well (1858) — a National Historic Site, with hands-on exhibits and the neighbouring Fairbank field, the world's oldest oil company, still pumping next door.
Petrolia is about 25 minutes southeast of Sarnia, its own town in central Lambton County — closely tied to the Oil Springs and Oil City heritage corridor next door. Nearby: Forest and Wyoming.