7 historic sites to see in Toronto

Historic sites in Toronto

Museum · Yorkville

1.Royal Ontario Museum

Daniel Libeskind's crystal-shaped extension, added in 2007, juts out over Bloor Street.

Time needed

3 hours

Cost

Mid-priced

• Iconic
• History
• Kids
• Rainy day
• Architecture

Market · Old Town

2.St. Lawrence Market

The South Market hall is packed with butchers, cheesemongers, bakeries and fishmongers, and the peameal bacon sandwich from Carousel Bakery is the classic order. On Saturdays local farmers sell produce at the North Market across Front Street.

Time needed

1–2 hours

Cost

Low cost

• Food
• History
• Rainy day
• Shopping

Historic site · Distillery District

3.Distillery District

From mid-November to late December it hosts a winter village with stalls and lights.

Time needed

1.5–2 hours

Cost

Free

• Free
• Architecture
• History
• Shopping
• Couples

Castle · The Annex

4.Casa Loma

Rooms are furnished in period style, and the terraced gardens look out over the city.

Time needed

2 hours

Cost

Mid-priced

• Architecture
• History
• Kids
• Rainy day

Museum · Financial District

5.Hockey Hall of Fame

Interactive zones let visitors shoot pucks and face virtual shots in goal.

Time needed

1.5–2 hours

Cost

Mid-priced

• Kids
• Rainy day
• History

Museum · The Annex

6.Bata Shoe Museum

Designed by Raymond Moriyama to evoke a shoebox, this museum on Bloor Street holds more than 13,000 shoes and related objects spanning about 4,500 years, from ancient Egyptian sandals and Inuit boots to celebrity footwear.

Time needed

1–1.5 hours

Cost

Low cost

• History
• Rainy day
• Off the beaten path

Museum · Don Mills

7.Aga Khan Museum

Opened in 2014, the Aga Khan Museum presents the arts of Muslim civilisations from Spain to China — manuscripts, ceramics, textiles and scientific instruments — in a white granite building by Fumihiko Maki, set in formal gardens with reflecting pools.

Time needed

2 hours

Cost

Mid-priced

• Art
• History
• Architecture
• Rainy day

Grouped by area

Booking and timing

Of these 7, 1 free, 2 low cost, 4 mid-priced. None needs booking far in advance. The longest visit is Royal Ontario Museum; group the rest by area to save travel time.

How to fit them into 4 half-days

Grouped by area and kept to about four hours each, so you walk more than you ride.

• Half-day 1 (Yorkville and Old Town): Royal Ontario Museum → St. Lawrence Market, at least 4 hours.
• Half-day 2 (Distillery District and The Annex): Distillery District → Casa Loma, at least 4 hours.
• Half-day 3 (The Annex and Financial District): Bata Shoe Museum → Hockey Hall of Fame, at least 3 hours.
• Half-day 4 (Don Mills): Aga Khan Museum, at least 2 hours.

The quietest months for queues

• February: highs of 0°C (32°F), about 10 rainy days, quiet crowds. Still cold and snowy, with good skating at Nathan Phillips Square and the Harbourfront rink.
• March: highs of 5°C (41°F), about 10 rainy days, quiet crowds. Thaw and freeze alternate, bringing slushy streets and grey skies, but hotel prices stay low outside the mid-March school break.
• November: highs of 8°C (46°F), about 11 rainy days, quiet crowds. Grey and chilly, with the first snow possible; holiday markets and lights open mid-month.

The neighbourhoods they are in

• Old Town and St. Lawrence — Victorian streets, St. Lawrence Market and the Distillery District
• Yorkville — Designer shops, galleries and luxury hotels beside the ROM
• The Annex — Victorian houses, the university and Bloor Street cafés and bars
• Leslieville — Brunch cafés, vintage furniture and a village feel on Queen Street East

More of Toronto

All things to do in Toronto · Where to stay · When to go.

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