What to do and see in Old Toronto, Canada: The Best Specialty Museums

June 16, 2021 Concepcion Newsome

We've heard Toronto described as "New York City run by the Swiss," and it's true—you can find world-class theater, shopping and restaurants here, but the sidewalks are clean and the people are friendly. The best place to start is literally at the top—the CN Tower, the tallest freestanding structure in the Western Hemisphere.
Restaurants in Toronto

1. Deaf Culture Centre

34 Distillery Lane, Toronto, Ontario M5A 3C4 Canada +1 416-203-9168 http://Deafculturecentre.ca
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5.0 based on 1 reviews

Deaf Culture Centre

2. G44 Centre for Contemporary Photography

Spadina Ave and 401 Richmond Suite 120, Toronto, Ontario M5V 3A8 Canada +1 416-979-3941 http://gallery44.org/
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5.0 based on 1 reviews

G44 Centre for Contemporary Photography

3. MZTV Museum of Television

64 Jefferson Ave, Toronto, Ontario M6K 1Y4 Canada +1 416-599-7339 [email protected] http://www.mztv.com/
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5.0 based on 38 reviews

MZTV Museum of Television

The MZTV Museum and Archive seeks to protect, preserve and promote the Receiving Instruments of Television History. Whereas other North American Museums of Broadcasting feature Programs, ours is unique in its focus on the History of the Technology, as well as on the Sets Themselves. Together with related original papers, discs, books, magazines, toys and other ephemera the collection offers some 10,000 objects to scholars and students as well as the general public. The Museum’s mandate is to exhibit the world’s most comprehensive collection of North American Television Receivers for the formative fifty-year period from the 1920s to the 1970s. The MZTV Museum also aims to tell the story of the medium and to contribute to the understanding of the impact of television on the people who watch it.

Reviewed By TorontoTourist55

As always, as a resident of the city, I find gems like this wonderful museum only when I become a "tourist" myself. What an incredible collection of Television's history is to be found at the MZTV Museum of Television. I knew that Felix the Cat was the first image shown on North American broadcasting, but to see the actual figurine of Felix, that was used in 1928, was incredible! Also on display, the 1939 New York Worlds' Fair RCA Phantom Teleceiver, in its original lucite cabinet is to step back 80 years and marvel at the new technology that so many marveled at in a day when anything seemed possible. If you've ever turned on a TV set, you owe it to yourself to see what came before modern television, the inventors, the pioneers, and the works of art that were the beginnings of what we often take for granted. Moses Znaimer, a broadcast pioneer in his own right has collected and has put on display this wonderful look back at all things of the airwaves. I recommend this museum to all, and I will return to marvel again at this marvelous collection.

4. Museum Subway Station

75 Queen's Park, Toronto, Ontario M5S 2C3 Canada
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5.0 based on 1 reviews

Museum Subway Station

5. Royal Ontario Museum

100 Queen's Park, Toronto, Ontario M5S 2C6 Canada +1 416-586-8000 [email protected] http://www.rom.on.ca
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4.5 based on 8,278 reviews

Royal Ontario Museum

Opened in 1914, the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) showcases art, culture, and nature from around the globe and across the ages. One of North America's most renowned cultural institutions, Canada's largest museum is home to a world-class collection of more than six million objects and specimens, featured in 40 gallery and exhibition spaces. As the country’s preeminent field research institute and an international leader in new and original findings in biodiversity, palaeontology, earth sciences, the visual arts, material culture and archaeology, the ROM plays a vital role in advancing our global understanding of the artistic, cultural and natural world.

Reviewed By ElTouristo61 - New York City, United States

The ROM, Canada’s largest museum, is an impressive collection of art, culture, nature and history. Plan on spending at least half a day as there are so many exhibits. The special exhibit on Jodhpur included 4 centuries of royal art, paintings, decorative art, and jewelry—an amazing journey through some of India’s cultural history. Well worth the few extra dollars for access. Equally impressive are the European and Asian sections. There is plenty for the whole family to do but keep in mind if you enter with a city pass you’ll have to pay a few extra dollars for the special exhibits.

6. Hockey Hall of Fame

Brookfield Place - Concourse Level 30 Yonge Street, Toronto, Ontario M5E 1X8 Canada +1 416-360-7765 [email protected] http://www.hhof.com
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4.5 based on 4,054 reviews

Hockey Hall of Fame

Honor the achievements of some of the greatest stars in hockey at this shrine to Canada's national sport.

Reviewed By dave4559

Recommend a stop here if you are a hockey fan, make sure you have some time to see everything, lot to see and do, son was able to shoot pucks, lots of history and the trophy room was incredible.

7. Casa Loma

1 Austin Terrace, Toronto, Ontario M5R 1X8 Canada +1 416-923-1171 [email protected] http://www.casaloma.ca
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4.5 based on 7,568 reviews

Casa Loma

Canada's majestic castle and Toronto’s premier historic attraction. In 1911, Sir Henry Pellatt engaged noted architect E.J. Lennox to help him realize a lifelong dream,the creation of an Edwardian castle on the top of a hill overlooking Toronto. It took 300 men nearly three years to complete the nearly to 200,000 square foot castle at a cost $3,500,000 (at the time). Situated on 5 acres, Casa Loma was the largest private residence in Canada. Sir Henry Pellatt with his wife Lady Mary enjoyed Casa Loma for less than ten years before financial misfortune forced him to abandon his home. The tour of the castle is self-guided. Visitors can experience the castle at their leisure with the aid of multimedia audio guides.

Reviewed By Amy_K-30229 - Chicago, United States

This was one of my favorite tourist attactions in Toronto. It's in the Annex District, the neighborhood where Margaret Atwood--author of The Handmaid's Tale--lives. The self-guided tour is very well done, you pick up a map and a telephone reciever-like device that can hang around your neck. The map shows you how to walk the property and each room has a number to type in to be able to learn about Sir Henry Pellatt and his fourtune then downfall, as well as the construction of his great castle. The basement has the movie posters of all the films/tv shows that were filmed there, as well as a tv playing the clips of each. It was great to walk through the whole castle, then make it down to the basement to recognize each room as the clips played on screen. My only disapointment was, they were setting up for a wedding in the conservatory, so we could not fully explore the room.

8. Bata Shoe Museum

327 Bloor St W (at St. George St.), Toronto, Ontario M5S 1W7 Canada +1 416-979-7799 http://www.batashoemuseum.ca/
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4.5 based on 1,323 reviews

Bata Shoe Museum

The Bata Shoe Museum: For Every Shoe There's a Story The Bata Shoe Museum is home to the world's largest, most comprehensive collection of shoes and footwear-related objects. The mission of the BSM is to contribute to the knowledge and understanding of the role of footwear in the social and cultural life of humanity. Through acquiring, conserving, researching, communicating and exhibiting material evidence related to the history of footwear and shoemaking, the Museum illustrates the living habits, the culture and the customs of people from every corner of the world.

Reviewed By 62Katie - Portland, United States

Surprising how much you can learn about history in general by focusing on one item, in this case shoes. When I visited there was a Manolo Blahnik exhibit that was great fun to peruse. The other exhibits were: All About Shoes: Footwear Through the Ages – Semi-permanent - This is the CORE of the Museum, this is where you take the time to look, read, and think about EVERY display. The Gold Standard: Glittering Footwear From Around Globe and Art and Innovation: Traditional Arctic Footwear =- both of these were interesting and informative. Excellent reminder that small museums have a lot to offer! Plus I appreciate being able to see all of the exhibits, not leaving with a feeling that I've missed something. I see I'm going to have to choose 1-2 hours or 2-3 hours so I want to mention here that you CAN do this well in 2 hours, but you could also make it closer to three hours if you wanted to. Small but well curated gift shop.

80 Gerrard St E, Toronto, Ontario M5B 1G6 Canada +1 416-977-1077 [email protected] http://arcturus.ca/
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4.5 based on 2 reviews

Gallery Arcturus

This free public art exhibit and education centre features rotating shows of mixed media, paint, collage and sculpture. Exhibits may feature work from the gallery's permanent collection as well as new works created on site. Gallery Arcturus is dedicated to exploring the nature and necessity of visual art in human endeavour. In our view, art is the attempt to perceive and communicate what is seen. Supported by The Foundation for the Study of Objective Art.

10. The Old Don Jail

550 Gerrard Street East, Toronto, Ontario M4M 1X6 Canada http://www.toronto.ca/explore-enjoy/festivals-events/doors-open-toronto
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4.5 based on 9 reviews

The Old Don Jail

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