Museums and Culture

Canada's natural history museum, in the castle-like Victoria Memorial Museum Building, with dinosaurs, a blue whale skeleton, minerals and live animals. General admission is free for everyone on Thursdays from 5 pm to 8 pm; every visitor still needs a free ticket. The museum is closed on Tuesdays.

Canada's national museum of military history on LeBreton Flats, with tanks, aircraft and moving galleries about the country's conflicts. General admission is free every Thursday from 5 pm to 7 pm, when the museum stays open until 7 pm; reserve a free timed ticket. Other days it is open 9 am to 5 pm.

A major national museum with the Canadian History Hall, the First Peoples Hall and the Canadian Children's Museum, right across the river from Parliament Hill. General admission is free for everyone every Thursday from 5 pm to 7 pm; everyone needs a free timed ticket, and special presentations are excluded. The building is fully wheelchair accessible.

Canada's national art museum, in a striking glass and granite building on Sussex Drive with views of Parliament Hill. Admission is free every Thursday evening from 5 pm to 8 pm, with art activities and tours; a free timed ticket is required. From September 14, 2026 to March 31, 2027 the Gallery is closed on Mondays.

A small City of Toronto gallery on the second floor of St. Lawrence Market, in the room that was once Toronto's first City Hall council chamber, with changing exhibits on the city's art and history. General admission is free. Open Wednesday to Sunday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., closed on statutory holidays. Enter by the main Front Street doors and take the elevator or stairs up.

A grand family home at the top of the Baldwin Steps, next to Casa Loma, restored to show life in Toronto in the 1920s and 1930s, with lovely gardens. General admission is free; the house is seen by free guided tour (Wednesday to Friday at 12:15, 1:15, 2:15 and 3 p.m., with an extra morning tour on weekends). The house is open Wednesday to Sunday and the gardens daily, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. There is no parking on site.

The 1793 birthplace of Toronto and site of the 1813 Battle of York, with Canada's largest collection of original War of 1812 buildings. General admission is free, including 45 minute guided tours on the hour from 11 a.m. (last tour 3 p.m.). Open Wednesday to Sunday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.; some special events cost extra. Mostly outdoors with paved paths inside the walls, though a few buildings have stairs.

Take a free guided tour of Ontario's grand 1893 legislature at Queen's Park, with its carved stonework, chamber and historic halls. Building tours leave every 30 minutes during opening hours: Monday to Thursday 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Daily building tours are free; a few special events, like afternoon tea, are paid. You can book on the Legislative Assembly website.

On the 5th floor of the Toronto Reference Library, this room is styled like Sherlock Holmes' study and holds one of the world's great Arthur Conan Doyle collections. The library itself, with its huge open atrium, is worth the visit. All are welcome and entry is free; library hours are Monday to Friday 9 a.m. to 8:30 p.m., Saturday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. Some special collections materials are unavailable through January 2027 due to building maintenance.

The City's archives put on free exhibits of historic photos, maps and records that show how Toronto grew. Current displays include early Public Works roadway photographs (until March 31, 2027) and a community project on the memory of Chinatown (until February 26, 2027). Open Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is free.

A photography gallery and research centre on the Toronto Metropolitan University campus, showing changing exhibitions drawn from its large photo collections and from artists around the world. Admission is free, and free drop in tours run Wednesday at 1:30 p.m. and 6 p.m. and Thursday to Saturday at 1:30 p.m. Open Wednesday 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. and Thursday to Saturday 12 p.m. to 6 p.m.; it sometimes closes between exhibitions, so check before you go. Wheelchair accessible.

The university's art museum runs two free galleries on the downtown campus: the University of Toronto Art Centre in University College (15 King's College Circle) and the Justina M. Barnicke Gallery in Hart House (7 Hart House Circle). Expect thoughtful contemporary and historical exhibitions in beautiful heritage buildings. Admission is always free; open Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. and Wednesday 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. Both galleries are wheelchair accessible.