That Mansion on the Hill - Casa Loma - Toronto Landmark

Toronto does not have many buildings that show the rich excesses of the 'Gilded Age' and if you want to see how the 1% lived in the early part of the 20th century than this is the place.

Casa Loma - Scottish Tower

This is wonderful place to visit year round, but it is particularly nice in late Spring and Summer when the gardens on the southern terrace are in full bloom.  They also decorate for Christmas Holidays in the Grand Hall and have events throughout the year.  One of the highlights is to see the Conservatory; but that and main dining room were being used for Mother's Day Brunch when we recently visited.

Grand Fountain on the Garden Terrace

Quick Facts:

• Casa Loma commenced being built in 1911 and was substantially finished 3 years later at a cost $3.5 million at the time. Modeled after in the style of an English 19th Century county Nobes home. 
• Built by Sir Henry Pellatt; entrepreneur and one time Chairmen of 21 companies.  He founded Toronto Electric Company in 1883 and key investor in the Canadian Pacific Railroad Company and North West Land Company.  He eventually got over extended during the changing econonmy during WWI and declared bankruptcy.  Thereafter, Casa Loma changed hands many times and eventually became a tourist attraction.
• Often featured in Movies and was notably the School for the Gifted in the first X-Men movie. For a more detail history see their website or better yet visit and listen to the audio guide.

The Library

What you need to know for a visit:

• Open Daily year round from 9:30 am to 5:00 pm; except Christma Eve and Christmas Day.
• Admission is $24.00 for adults, $18.00 for Seniors(60+) / Teens (14-17), and Children (4-13) $14.00.  Admission includes an Audio Guide that explains the majority of rooms and provides a narrative history.  They are picked up from the Gift Shop in the basement.
• Located at 1 Austin Terrace, Toronto, ON, M5R 1X8 - Nearest major intersection is Bathurst & St. Clair Ave.  

Lady Pellatt's Suite

• On site parking is available for $9.00
• TTC - Casa Loma nearest Subway station is Dupont on University/Spadina Line and is about 3 blocks North, but it does involve going up 110 steps.  Someone else counted.

For more information see Casa Loma's visitor website.  

Suggestions for a better visit:

• Try to arrive early in the day to avoid the crowds and have more elbow room.  Also, you may be able to find free street parking nearby.
• Try to come on a sunny day with your SLR Camera; it is a great place to take pictures and you have some unique views of the city from the towers.  

View of Downtown Toronto

• Comfortable walking shoes, as there are countless steps and cobble stone patios. 
• If you have a Metropass you get 20% off.  If you are Toronto Resident and have a Library Card you can obtain free Passes via the MAP program; for more details see my blog. 
• Bring some light snacks/bottled water as the site only has one restaurant and it grossly over-priced for an okay salad or panini.  
• Take the 1000 foot underground walk from Casa Loma to the Carriage House.  See the stables and vintage cars.

Carriage House

Don't be that Guy and the little things:

A Merry Traveler

• There is numerous decorative motifs to keep an eye open for.  However, there is an obscene amount of graffiti in the rafters and in the towers.  Don't be 'Johnny' I was here.
• Also, the Norman Tower which is the tower that lets you go outside for a panoramic view of the city is closed for renovations and I could not find when it is expected to re-open. 

View West of the Norman Tower Under Renovation

What to do in the Neighbourhood:

• Casa Loma is situated in the Forest Hill neighbourhood and there are ample streets to walk around see gorgeous mansions/homes, which are surrounded by Old Oak Trees.  I'd suggest weaving your away homes to the NE of CASA Loma, East of Spadina Avenue and North of St. Clair.  
• I'd also suggest visiting Timothy Eaton Memorial Church at 230 St. Clair Avenue East; it is an impressive building inside and out.  

View North from the Scottish Tower 

• Get lunch or a snack in Forest Hill Village that is about 1 KM north of Casa Loma.  There is a Starbucks, Aroma Espresso Bar, Subway, Second Cup,  Hero Burger, Cobb's Bread, and What A Bagel.
• If you are looking for more restaurants including many of the chains head east on the St. Clair Streetcar to Yonge and St. Clair.  There are countless bars, pubs and my favourite Toronto book store - Book City. 
• Or go the other way on the St. Clair Streetcar to Dufferin and walk west into little Italy.  There is countless restaurants, shops, bakeries and of course Gelato. 

Comments? Thoughts? Suggestions?  Did you have a good visit?  Please be that guy who puts a comment below.

How to See Toronto Tourist Sights for Free

The Toronto Public Library in its effort to promote arts and culture in the city has partnered with Sun Life Financial to create Museum + Arts Program ('MAP') back in 2007.  We only learned of this program last year, but have now taken advantage of it several times to get free admission to the Toronto Zoo, Royal Ontario Museum, Black Creek Pioneer Village, Gardiner Museum, Bata Shoe Museum and Textile Museum.  The saving can be great, getting for example a pass to the Toronto Zoo will save a family of 4 (2 adults, 2 children) $90 dollars or $70 at the Ontario Science Centre.  

MAP Pass Front

What Toronto Sights are Available:

Available at Limited Locations (32 Branches - See Here for a List) 

• Toronto Zoo (Adult: $28.00 Senior: $23.00 Child: $18.00)
• Royal Ontario Museum (Adult $16.00 Senior/Student: $14.50 Child: $13) 
• Casa Loma (Adult $24.00 Senior/Teen: $18.00 Child: $14.00)

MAP Pass Casa Loma Back

• Black Creek Pioneer Village (Seasonal) (Adult $15.00 Senior/Student: $14.50 Child: $11.00)
• Ontario Science Centre (Adult $22.00 Senior/Student $16.00 Child: $13.00)
• Gardiner Museum (Adult $12.00 Senior $8.00 Students $6.00 Child: Free)

Admission prices are from May 1st, 2014 and subject to change.  See links to their respective sights.  

Available at All Library Branches:

• Art Gallery of Ontario
• Museum of Inuit Art
• Textile Museum of Canada
• City of Toronto Historic Museum
     a) Colborne Lodge in High Park
     b) Fort York National Historic Site
     c) Gibson House Museum
     d) Mackenzie House
     e) Montgomery's Inn
     f) Scarborough Museum
     g) Spadina Museum: Historic House & Gardens
     h) Todmorden Mills Heritage Site

The Cons and How to Get Them:

It sounds to good to be true that you can get access to all these locations for free.  The caveat is that you have to be up early on a Saturday morning and be in line for about 8:30 at an eligible library.  Passes for most attractions are limited to 3 per week and they go quickly.  In talking to librarians that some people line up as early as 6:00 am for the more coveted Zoo, ROM or Ontario Science Centre passes.  We have been in lines with 20 or 30 people at the Victoria Village Branch this Spring.  However, we have had the best luck in Winter when the line was short and we managed to get Zoo passes and we had great day. (See my old blog.)  The perk is getting up early on Saturday lends itself to getting your out of the house chores and shopping done before the crowds.  Also, the line moves rather quickly and we have never had to wait more than 10 minutes for our turn to see the librarian when it opens at 9:00 am.  Our experience is that the librarian announces what passes are no longer available and is helpful in suggesting alternatives.

Toronto Zoo - Panda

We also got passes for museums that we would never consider paying for and we had great visits to Gardiner Museum (ceramics, dishes, objets d'arts - they have piece called Monkey Symphony which is a must see) and the Bata Shoe Museum (history, fashion and customization of foot wear - it is interesting.)  The one flop and thankfully it cost us no money was the Textile Museum.  The latter takes about 30 minutes to see and has less than memorable collection in my opinion.      

Wooden Shoes - Bata Shoe Museum

Rules regarding Museum and Arts Passes:

• You must be Adult living in Toronto with a Valid Toronto Public Library Card.  (See here how to get a library card.)
• You can get one pass per week from the Toronto Public Library and the pass must be used within 3 months. If not used, the pass just expires.
• Passes are generally good for 2 adults and 2 children, see individual passes for details.
• When visiting a site you must show the MAP pass and date due receipt, your library card and ID upon request (at the venue's discretion.)  The pass holder must be present.
• Passes can not be sold or transferred. 
• For a complete list see Library's page here. 

What you Don't Get:

• Special Tours and Exhibits that have additional fees are not included such as the recent David Bowie exhibit at the AGO or the current Forbidden City at the ROM.  Additional fees apply for shows Ontario Science Centre Imax Theatre.
• Ripley's Aquarium of Canada and CN Tower is not part of this program, nor tickets to the Toronto Symphony, Theatrical Shows, Toronto Opera Company, or TIFF Lightbox.  
• It does not include parking or access to member's lounges; or features that come with annual family memberships.

Comments? Thoughts? Suggestions?  Have a favorite tourist attraction in Toronto? Please comment below.