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What: Hockey Hall of Fame, Toronto

Online address: https://www.hhof.com

Walk in off the street, go past the restaurants and the clothing store and down the escalator, and you’d never know that the Stanley Cup, hockey’s most cherished prize, is in this downtown Toronto office complex. The sight of a black and gold Zamboni with the Boston Bruins’ logo is the first indication you’ve reached hockey heaven.

The Hockey Hall of Fame, which moved from its cramped, lakeside location to expanded quarters at BCE Place four years ago, is a repository of hockey history. But it’s no stuffy, hands-off museum. Interactive exhibits, an interesting mix of artifacts and well-labeled exhibits make any visit fun.

The hall is divided into zones devoted to a theme. The dressing room zone is a full-scale recreation of the Montreal Canadiens’ old dressing room at the Forum, complete with rolls of tape stacked on a table and folded shirts at each player’s seat. The marquee zone remembers the grand old buildings used by the original six teams and includes a fascinating display of masks worn by goalies over the years, from Jacques Plante’s prototype to the artistically ornamented masks used today. The history zone tells the origins and evolution of the game, complete with old skates, pants, pads and moth-eaten jerseys.

The broadcast zone allows would-be announcers to call play-by-play of a game, while the rink zone allows would-be Wayne Gretzkys to test their shots or budding goaltenders to test their bravery. Everywhere, interactive displays bring to life the game and the people who have played it.

The highlight is the great hall, which is in a beautifully restored 19th-century bank building. Here are portraits and biographies of each member of the hall as well as all the league’s trophies. The original Cup, too delicate to be paraded around each year, resides under glass in what was the bank vault. Nearby glass cases house the Stanley Cup ring won by the late Bob Johnson for coaching the Pittsburgh Penguins in 1991, a locket awarded to a member of the 1912 champion Quebec Bulldogs and a watch won by a Quebec player in 1913. It’s required viewing for any serious hockey fan.

The Hall is open seven days a week, although the hours change seasonally and are longer in the summer. Admission is $10 Canadian for adults (about $7.50 U.S.) and $5.50 for kids and seniors.

Can’t sneak a visit to Toronto into a business or vacation trip? The hall is online, with a wealth of information for casual fans and those doing serious research. The cyberstore sells books, clothing and other souvenirs, making it the next-best thing to being there.