Casa Loma is one of the attractions in Toronto, Canada, a city full of history and culture! I can consider Casa Loma an architectural jewel that captivates its visitors with luxurious rooms, several staircases and incredible wooden details.
Often called “Toronto's Castle”, Casa Loma is a majestic mansion with its imposing design and somewhat clueless history. I visited this attraction in November during a beautiful sunny, frosty day!
Check out what visiting Casa Loma is like, how to buy tickets, how much it costs, what to see and the complete guide!
Casa Loma in Toronto: is it worth visiting?
History of Casa Loma
Casa Loma was built between 1911 and 1914 by businessman Sir Henry Pellatt. This tycoon was a successful industrialist with a fortune acquired through investments in hydroelectric plants and railway lines in Canada.
He wanted to build a grand residence that would rival European castles (and also its neighbor, the Spadina Mansion). He built this mansion and another house across the street AT THE SAME TIME to wait there while the main one wasn't ready.
Sir Henry Pellatt did not realize how expensive it would be to maintain and he had problems due to the First World War and the post-war depression. Furthermore, the bank that made the loans failed, which led to the confiscation of Pellatt's assets and he went bankrupt in 1923.
The house passed through several hands over the years, serving as a hotel, casino and nightclub before being turned into a tourist attraction. Today it belongs to the city of Toronto government.
How to get to Casa Loma
The translation of the name Casa Loma would be House on the Hill and it really is on a small hill with a privileged view of Toronto. The neighborhood is called Midtown, a short distance from the center. There are several transport options to get there:
Car: Casa Loma offers on-site parking or you can park on parallel streets.
Public Transport: The closest metro station is Dupont Station, and from there you can take a bus or walk to Casa Loma.
Hop-On Hop-Off tourist bus: this double-decker bus with panoramic views passes by Toronto's main attractions and has an audio guide in Portuguese so you can learn a little more about the city and interesting facts. You can enjoy it at your own pace without worrying about getting around! Book here Hop-On Hop-Off Tourist Bus Ticket
How to buy tickets to Casa Loma
As it is an attraction that is far from the center, I recommend purchasing tickets in advance, as there are a limited number of people and it is also one of the main attractions in Toronto.
>>Secure yours here ticket to Casa Loma <<
Set aside a morning to visit Casa Loma. If you follow almost 60% of the audio guide, listening to the information, etc., it will take about 3 hours.
8 Main Rooms and Attractions
Upon entering Casa Loma, visitors are transported to an era of glamor and sophistication. The details are incredible and it's no wonder that the house has been used in several Hollywood films such as X-Men, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, Chicago, Scarlet Hill, The Two Billion Dollar Suit (with Jackie Chan)… .
The mansion is made up of several notable rooms and features, several of which I showed here in the video about What to do in Toronto! Click to watch:
1 – Great Hall
The large hall welcomes visitors with an imposing staircase and luxurious decor. This is the starting point for exploring the house, as here you receive the audio guide and a map. There is also a WiFi signal here.
Here is the entrance and exit to the house, so you return to the same place. There is also a door to the outside garden area, I recommend visiting them! I was lucky to have a beautiful day, the garden is well maintained and huge, with several landscaped areas and mazes. Depending on the season, there are some events like a haunted tour on Halloween.
2 – Drawing Room
Next to this magnificent hall, there is a door to the Drawing Room, a room to relax, draw, play music… all covered in oak and with countless sofas. I fell in love with the details on the ceiling and chandeliers. This was probably a place to serve guests, perhaps even to play cards?
3 – Library and Conservatory
Casa Loma's library is a stately room with ceiling-high bookshelves, a fireplace, and impressive architectural details. I really liked the details on the ceiling and a room attached to the Library that would be the dining room. It has a small circular space that forms the tower.
A lush addition to the mansion, the conservatory features a collection of tropical plants and offers stunning views of the Toronto skyline. Furthermore, it has a beautiful dome with colorful stained glass windows! Unfortunately, when I visited, I couldn't enter this space because a wedding ceremony was taking place!
4 – Study
Leave the conservatory and go through Peacock Alley, a wooden corridor that appears well in X-Men scenes! Then turn right to enter Sir Henry Pellat's office, a small place but with very interesting objects such as a glass lamp and a detail of a metal dragon!
Next to the fireplace there are two “hidden” stairs, one leading to the basement and the other to the upper floor. There are steps throughout the house, so get ready to go to the gym lol
5 – Sir and Lady Pellat Rooms
The owners of Casa Loma had their own bathrooms and bedrooms, a status symbol of the time. Both are very different and large, with feminine or masculine details, adorned with period furniture and personal touches as well as details on the ceiling and walls.
Hers has a solarium, an area with several windows that is sunny during the day and also a huge closet.
Sir Henry Pellatt's room is much darker, covered in wood with a tiger rug, deer heads, etc. that demonstrate status. I really liked his bathroom, especially the shower with several side showers and the marble on the walls.
On this floor you will find several bedrooms, including one prepared especially for the royal family. However, Queen Elizabeth II never slept here or met the owner. Almost the same story as the owner of Harrods, right!
6 – Towers
There are 2 different towers inside the “Toronto castle”. One of them is the Norman Tower, in which there is a small exhibition about the Second World War and its top is open, allowing you to go out in the cold for an incredible view of Toronto.
The other tower is the Scottish Tower, which has no opening to the outside and has a small exhibition about mystical things like dragons, wizards, spells… I thought it looked like Scotland!
Remember that the steps are very narrow, you have to wait for someone to come down for you to go up and there are several steps. It's a little tiring, maybe people with knee problems might have difficulties.
7 – Tunnel to Stables
If you go down every floor you will find a Stables Tunnel, a unique feature of Casa Loma! This tunnel goes under the street until it reaches another Pellat house. This is the second house he built while the “castle” was not ready.
When I visited, the tunnel was decorated for Christmas, I even saw a small toy factory from Santa's helpers to the stable with the reindeer lol This decoration changes depending on the time of year. In the stables you will find an exhibition about the life of Sir Henry Pellatt and his contributions to the city.
8 – Wax Museum
In this same house you will find a garage with old cars and a room with wax statues of the actors who filmed films inside Casa Loma. There was Vin Diesel, Salam Hayek, Jackie Chan, Hugh Jackman, Patrick Stewart, Halle Berry, Samuel L Jackson…. many people! Next door, there are also some scenes from films produced in the rooms of the house.
The place is really big, no wonder the guy went bankrupt.
9 – Lady Di's car
Next to the entrance you will see a Rolls Royce Silver Cloud car that has been there since the Lady Diana exhibition. This would be the model of car she gifted to her butler. However, I cannot confirm whether it is a replica or an original. Anyway, I thought it was really beautiful!
Is Casa Loma worth visiting?
I really enjoyed getting to know the interior of Casa Loma! I understood a little better about the city's history, I saw incredible decorations and the view of Toronto is phenomenal. Not to mention that I burned a lot of calories walking, because it's gigantic lol
I don't think it's an attraction for young children, it looks more like a museum and there aren't many interesting things to it UNLESS it's during Christmas. There are certain times when you can meet Santa Claus.
With the audio guide it is very easy to understand, there are several languages available and you also receive a map with more information. It's already a souvenir.
I recommend visiting in the morning and dedicating at least 2 hours to see all the corners. After the visit, you can go to the Spadina Museum which is right next door. >>Secure yours here ticket to Casa Loma <<
More travel content in Canada coming soon, enjoy and watch the videos on YouTube!
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