Museums and Culture

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.

A leading public gallery for contemporary art, set in a former power station on the waterfront at Harbourfront Centre. Admission is free all year. Open Wednesday to Sunday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.; closed Monday and Tuesday. Wheelchair accessible, with an elevator to both levels.

MOCA fills a converted 1919 factory near the Junction Triangle with five floors of contemporary art. Admission is free on the first Sunday of every month, and on the Friday of each month's first full weekend from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. (tickets can be booked online). The ground floor is always free, visitors 18 and under are always free, and other times are paid.

A one of a kind museum on Bloor Street devoted to footwear, with shoes and boots from thousands of years of history and cultures around the world. Admission is free for everyone on Sundays, when the museum is open from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. Children 4 and under and Indigenous visitors are free every day; other days are paid for most visitors.

Canada's national ceramics museum, across from the ROM, with pottery and porcelain from ancient Americas to contemporary clay art. Admission is free for everyone on Wednesdays after 4 p.m. (open until 9 p.m.), with no registration needed. Visitors 18 and under, students with ID and Indigenous visitors are free every day; other visitors pay at other times.

Canada's largest museum of world culture and natural history, known for its dinosaur galleries and the striking Crystal entrance on Bloor Street. Admission to most galleries is free for everyone on the third Tuesday of every month from 4:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Advance tickets are required (no walk ins) and are released two weeks before; special exhibitions cost extra. Other times are paid.