The largest city in Canada is definitely worth a visit, and that’s in part because of the incredible museums in Toronto!
Not only are the museums very interesting, but there’s also a large variety of things you can see at them. There are museums where you can see art or learn about history. But at the same time, there’s also a museum about ice hockey and there’s one where you can see paintings through immersive exhibits.
This large variety of museums means there’s definitely one you’ll like, but it also means it can be hard to choose where to go. I made this guide to the best Toronto museums to help you decide which one you want to visit when you’re in the city.
Best Museums in Toronto
Royal Ontario Museum
The Royal Ontario Museum is one of the best and largest museums in Canada and North America.
You can find a very diverse permanent collection at this place.
For example, you can see art here, and there are many objects that relate to nature and culture.
What’s great too is that the museum’s collection includes objects from all around the world.
You can see a lot of paintings at the museum, and there are also clothes, objects related to product design, and many other objects.
Also, you can see dinosaurs, meteorites, and many other historic objects here.
In total, the museum has a collection that includes more than 6,000,000 objects and there are many different galleries that all focus on something else.
Address: 100 Queens Park, Toronto, ON M5S 2C6
Hockey Hall of Fame
Do you like sports? Then, you can go to the Hockey Hall of Fame.
This is a place where you can learn a lot about the popular sport of ice hockey when you are visiting the city of Toronto.
At this place, you can find a great collection of all kinds of hock-related artifacts.
Also, this place is where you can see the famous Stanley Cup.
Besides that, the museum has exhibits through which you can learn about the different teams and players of ice hockey which is very interesting.
The hall was founded in the year 1943 and you can find the Hall of Fame on Yonge Street, near many other sights in the city of Toronto.
Address: 30 Yonge St, Toronto, ON M5E 1X8
Beyond Monet Toronto
If you want to learn more about the works of the famous artist Monet, you can go to Beyond Monet.
At this museum, which has various locations throughout North America, you can see the works of art of Monet in a completely different way.
Instead of looking at his paintings, at Beyond Monet, you can see the paintings through very immersive exhibits.
There are digital projections on the walls, ceiling, and floor of this space, which is amazing. Because of this, the art is all around you, which means you feel as if you are part of the art.
Also, what’s great is that the works of art move, this adds a whole different dimension to experiencing the art of the artist.
What’s great too is that you can better appreciate the colors through these digital projects, as the room is completely dark.
Art Gallery of Ontario
The Art Gallery of Ontario is another one of the largest art museums Toronto, Canada, and the continent of North America.
At this gallery, you can find a collection of more than 90,000 different works of art.
You can find this gallery in Grange Park, which is a neighborhood in Downtown Toronto.
The museum’s permanent collection spans a very large period of time. In total, you can see works from the last 2000 years at this place.
Also, what’s great is that the museum’s collection consists of works from all over the world.
For example, there are works by artists from Europe, Oceania, Canada, and many others.
Address: 317 Dundas St W, Toronto, ON M5T 1G4
Casa Loma
Casa Loma is a mansion and garden that you can find in midtown Toronto.
It is a historic house museum that dates back to the year 1914. And in the past, this was the home of Sir Henry Pellatt, a famous Canadian financier.
The building has a Gothic Revival architectural style that is very interesting and very beautiful to see.
Nowadays, this is a museum that you can visit. Through this, you can see the building from the inside and learn about the past.
Also, what’s interesting to know is that the mansion was used as a film location for a variety of movies and TV series.
The mansion has many different rooms that are very beautiful to see. For example, the Oak Room is one of the most beautifully decorated rooms of the mansion that you definitely have to check out!
Address: 1 Austin Terrace, Toronto, ON M5R 1X8
Bata Shoe Museum
The Bata Shoe Museum is another great museum in Toronto to visit. This is a museum that is completely dedicated to footwear, which is very interesting as it is such a specific subject.
You can find this one on the campus of the University of Toronto.
At this place, you can find a collection of footwear from Sonja Bata’s personal collection. This is a collection of footwear that includes shoes that were collected from about 1945 to 1975.
In total, there is a permanent collection of about 13,000 shoes at this museum. Some of the shoes that you can see here are almost 5,000 years old.
Furthermore, you can see other shoe-related memorabilia at this museum as well.
Address: 327 Bloor St W, Toronto, ON M5S 1W7
Toronto Railway Museum
Want to learn about railways when you are in Toronto? Then, you should definitely check out the Toronto Railway Museum.
At this museum, you can learn about the history of trains and rail in the city of Toronto.
You can learn about the people that worked in this industry as well.
At the museum, you can see a lot of historic objects that relate to the railways in Toronto.
For example, you can go here to see very historic trains.
Also, there are interactive exhibits at the museum. For example, there is a train simulator.
Another activity that can be great to do at this place is a guided tour.
Address: 255 Bremner Blvd, Toronto, ON M5V 3M9
Campbell House Museum
The Campbell House Museum is a historic house museum that you can find in downtown Toronto.
You can find a house here that was constructed in the year 1822, and it was the home of Sir William Campbell and his wife.
This house has a beautiful Georgian architectural style that is beautiful to see.
You can go for a walk in the city and check out the exterior of the building. This is a great activity if you like architecture.
Besides that, a variety of art exhibitions take place here throughout the year.
For example, you can see beautiful Canadian contemporary art here.
Moreover, the works that you can find here vary in type. For example, there are paintings, sculptures, and other objects.
Address: 160 Queen St W, Toronto, ON M5H 3H3
Museum of Illusions
The Museum of Illusions in Toronto is one of the most fun museums in Toronto.
At this museum, you can find many different rooms that all contain very fun illusions.
One of the best illusions that you can find here is one where one person appears to be tiny while the other person appears to be very large.
Furthermore, there are rooms where it looks like you are walking on the ceiling or the wall.
These different illusions are great to see when you go here with friends.
Also, the different illusions are very fun to capture in a photo. So if you want to take fun photos when you are in Toronto, you should consider going to this museum as well!
Address: 132 Front St E, Toronto, ON M5A 1E2
Textile Museum of Canada
The Textile Museum of Canada is a museum that is completely focused on textiles.
You can find a large collection of textiles at this place.
There are many different patterns, colors, and materials that you can see here.
In total, the permanent collection of the museum contains close to 12,000 textiles.
And what’s amazing is that these textiles come from all around the world.
Furthermore, the collection of textiles spans a period of about 2,000 years.
Because of all of this, there is a huge variety of objects that you can see at the Textile Museum of Canada. And this variety makes visiting this place a lot of fun.
Also, what’s great is that there are many different types of events that you can see at the museum. For example, there are lectures, workshops, and performances.
Address: 55 Centre Ave, Toronto, ON M5G 2H5
Spadina Museum
The Spadina Museum is a historic house museum that you can find at Spadina Road.
You can see a historic mansion here that was built in the year 1836.
At the museum, you can learn about what the mansion looked like in the past.
There are different rooms at the museum where you can see the historic interior of many times in history. You can see interiors from the 1860s till the 1930s at this place, so there are many different styles visible here.
For example, you can see Art Nouveau style, Art Deco, and much more here.
Furthermore, there is a beautiful garden that surrounds the mansion. This garden is perfect if you want to go for a relaxing walk when you are in Toronto.
Address: 285 Spadina Rd, Toronto, ON M5R 2V5
Toronto Police Museum and Discovery Centre
You can go to the Toronto Police Museum & Discovery Centre when you are traveling to the city of Toronto.
This is a museum that you can find at the headquarters of the police in downtown Toronto.
At the museum, you can learn about the history of the police in the city.
There are many displays at this place with historic objects through which you can learn about the city’s Police.
You can do a self-guided tour of the museum and learn a lot of new things by yourself.
Or you can go here and do a guided tour. These are only available for groups of at least 10 people.
Keep in mind that if you want to visit the museum, you have to book a visit ahead of time.
Address: 40 College St, Toronto, ON M5G 2J3
Enoch Turner Schoolhouse
The Enoch Turner Schoolhouse Museum is a historic museum in Toronto located in a historic building from the year 1848.
You can find a one-room school at this place that was created by Enoch Turner.
This school was created to educate children that lived in a poor neighborhood of Toronto.
This was the first free school in the city of Toronto, and the class started with about 250 students.
It can be very interesting to visit the historic building because of its history.
Also, the building is great to see because of its architectural style. It features a Gothic Revival style that is very beautiful.
What’s interesting is that the schoolhouse served as a film location for several productions.
Address: 106 Trinity St, Toronto, ON M5A 3C6
Gibson House Museum
The Gibson House Museum is a museum that you can find on Yonge Street. It is a museum that is operated by the City of Toronto.
This is a historic house museum that was built in the year 1851 by David Gibson, a Scottish immigrant who played a role in the Rebellion of 1837.
At the house, you can learn about David Gibson, which is very interesting.
Also, you can see historic furniture and historic design at this house.
So if you want to learn about history, you can go to this place when you are visiting the city of Toronto.
You can do a tour of the museum and learn about the house from an expert guide.
Address: 5172 Yonge St, Toronto, ON M2N 5P6
Gardiner Museum
The Gardiner Museum is a very interesting museum that is completely dedicated to ceramics.
It is a museum that you can find on the campus of the University of Toronto.
The permanent collection of the museum includes more than 4,000 different ceramic objects.
For example, you can see the most wonderful pieces of porcelain at this place.
What’s interesting is that the collection includes a lot of pieces from all around the world. Also, the collection comprises very historic pieces from very old societies.
Also, there are exhibitions with contemporary ceramics that are wonderful to see.
If you want to learn about everything there is to know and see about ceramics, this is one of the Toronto museums you should go to!
Also, there are public tours at the museum that are very interesting.
Address: 111 Queens Park, Toronto, ON M5S 2C7
Scarborough Museum
At the Scarborough Museum, you can learn about the history of Scarborough, a district of the city.
This museum has a collection of items that together tell the story of the district and the people that live in the district.
You can go here to learn about stories, attend events, and see historic objects.
Also, what’s great is that you can visit this museum for free. There is no general admission fee. However, keep in mind that some exhibitions may be paid exhibitions.
Address: 1007 Brimley Rd, Toronto, ON M1P 3E8
Markham Museum
The Markham Museum is an open-air museum that you can find in Markham, a city that you can find very close to downtown Toronto.
At this place, you can learn about the city of Markham through a lot of interesting exhibits.
You can find old buildings, historic artifacts, and much more at the Markham Museum.
In total, there are about 30 different historical buildings at this open-air museum.
For example, there are barns, a train station, houses, and there is much more.
By going to this museum, it feels as if you step back in time and visit the city of Markham like it was in the past.
The buildings that you can see here differ in age, and the oldest building dates back to the beginning of the 19th century.
Address: 9350 Markham Rd, Markham, ON L3P 3J3
Mackenzie House
The Mackenzie House is a historic building that you can find in the city of Toronto.
This is the last home of William Lyon Mackenzie, who was the first mayor of Toronto.
The Mackenzie House is a house that was built in the 1850s.
Nowadays, it is a museum that the city of Toronto operates.
At the museum, you can learn about what life was like in the 1860s, and you can see interesting historic furniture here.
Furthermore, the museum often has interesting education programs through which you can learn even more about life during that time.
Also, the museum can be great to see from the outside when walking in the city if you like historic architecture.
Address: 82 Bond St, Toronto, ON M5B 1X2
MZTV Museum of Television
The MZTV Museum of Television is a museum where you can learn about all kinds of objects that relate to television history. To be more specific, you can learn about receiving instruments at this place.
The collection of the museum includes many historic televisions and through these, you can learn a lot of new things.
Address: 64 Jefferson Ave, Toronto, ON M6K 1Y4
Ontario Science Centre
The Ontario Science Centre is one of the best interactive science museums in the city of Toronto.
There are many different permanent exhibitions at the science center through which you can learn about different scientific principles.
For example, there is one exhibition that is completely dedicated to the scientific method and scientific research.
Also, there is one exhibition that focuses on Earth’s life. Here, you can learn about coral reefs, rainforests, and other habitats.
Another exhibition of the museum focuses on space. Here, you can see a few moon rocks and there is a planetarium where you can see films about the universe.
Besides that, there are often fun and educational events that you attend at the museum.
Address: 770 Don Mills Rd., North York, ON M3C 1T3
Museum of Contemporary Art Toronto Canada
Contemporary art lovers pay attention! You can go to the Museum of Contemporary Art Toronto.
At the museum, there are very interesting temporary exhibitions of contemporary art.
These exhibitions showcase art from American, Canadian, and international artists. Furthermore, the different types of art that you can see here vary a lot, which makes the museum very interesting.
Also, what’s great is that the exhibitions of the museum often change. Because of that, you can often see new things here.
Address: 158 Sterling Rd #100, Toronto, ON M6R 2B7
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Toronto Museums Tips
If you are on a budget when visiting Toronto museums, here’s a tip for you!
Many of the museums in the city have days and times during the week during which you can visit them for free.
For example, you can visit the Museum of Contemporary Art Toronto for free every Friday night.
I recommend checking out the website of the museum that you want to visit to see if there are free admission days for that museum.
As you see, the museums in Toronto you can visit are incredible! I hope I helped you decide which one you want to visit when you’re in the city.