10 Exciting museums in Toronto to explore in 2024
As Canada’s largest and most diverse city, Toronto offers many attractions for every taste. It’s also a great place to explore Canadian culture and rich history by exploring Toronto’s museums and galleries. Because when it comes to museum treasures, Toronto delivers on every level. Whether you’re into sports or dinosaur bones or want to learn more about the history of footwear, the museums in Toronto will keep you busy.
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Museums in Toronto
When it comes to museums and cultural heritage, Toronto is a great place to learn more about Canadian history. The city is like a collection of cultural hubs that each tell a story of the past. Here are some of my favourite Toronto museums to explore on your next visit.
Royal Ontario Museum (ROM)
100 Queen’s Park, Toronto | website
The Royal Ontario Museum, known as the ROM, is Canada’s largest museum and one of the best museums in Toronto. Founded in 1914, it has grown into one of the top cultural institutions in North America. It is home to a world-class collection of 13 million artworks, cultural objects and natural history specimens, housed in 40 gallery and exhibition spaces.
Here, you can explore an impressive collection of dinosaur bones and fossils, Egyptian mummies, Roman and Greek antiquities, and Chinese and Japanese art. The ROM also houses works by Canadian First Nation artists and functions as Canada’s field research institute to advance our understanding of the artistic, cultural, and natural worlds. Like many other museums, the ROM is located in a historic building with a contemporary glass addition, making it a unique place to visit.
Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO)
317 Dundas Street West, Toronto | website
The Art Gallery of Ontario, known as the AGO, is one of the largest art museums in North America. It has an outstanding permanent exhibition of close to 100,000 works of art, including works by Indigenous Canadian and African contemporary artists to European masters. There are also frequent temporary exhibitions of famous international artists like Van Gogh and Monet.
The gallery also offers educational programs where you can explore and discover your creative side with art classes for all ages. AGO is also home to photography exhibits and fine art, making it a must-see museum in Toronto for art lovers. In 2008, the gallery underwent a major expansion designed by Frank Gehry, making it one of the most photographed spaces in the city.
Aga Khan Museum
77 Wynford Drive, Toronto | website
The Aga Khan Museum is the first museum in the Western world dedicated to Muslim culture and Islamic artifacts. It is housed in a sleek, modern building designed by the famous architect Fumihiko Maki. The Aga Khan Museum complex is in the North York neighbourhood, surrounded by formal gardens and a park.
The museum houses over 1,000 rare objects and artifacts from the private collections of His Highness the Aga Khan, the Institute of Ismaili Studies in London and Prince Sadruddin Aga Khan. These include personal items like manuscripts, ceramics, medical texts, portraits, textiles, musical instruments and many other objects from the Iberian coast to China.
Casa Loma
1 Austin Terrace, Toronto | website
If you love visiting historic homes, you must visit Casa Loma. Also known as the Toronto Castle, it was once the private residence of the financier Sir Henry Pellatt. Constructed in the Gothic revival style inspired by many European castles Pellat visited during his travels, Casa Loma is one of the city’s top tourist attractions, event venues and one of my favourite museums in Toronto.
Sir Henry spared no expense in building his castle until the outbreak of World War I put a dent in his plans. Eventually, he was forced to sell his beloved home due to financial difficulties. Today, you can tour the former residence, walk along the 800-foot tunnel that takes you to the impressive stables and admire incredible views of the city from the formal gardens.
Hockey Hall of Fame
30 Yonge Street, Brookfield Place, Toronto | website
Whether you’re a hockey fan or want to learn more about Canada’s national sport, the Hockey Hall of Fame is the place for you. It houses the most extensive collection of hockey memorabilia in the world, including the Stanley Cup, hockey’s championship trophy. Ironically, the last time Toronto’s hockey team—the Maple Leafs—won the cup was in 1967. While Toronto has many sports teams, you can always top up your Hockey Hall of Fame experience with a hockey game when you’re in town.
The museum offers interactive exhibits and a hockey simulation where you can practice shoot-outs against animated hockey greats. There are also hockey-themed movies and trivia, themed exhibits, and even a replica of an NHL dressing room. You can also check out trophies and hockey-related merchandise as you immerse yourself in an authentic Canadian sports experience. This is one of the unique museums in Toronto that you won’t find elsewhere.
Ontario Science Centre
770 Don Mills Road, Toronto | website
For every kid growing up in Toronto, a school visit to the Science Centre is a rite of passage. The Science Centre is where science comes to life, and kids can get their hands-on interactive settings meant to inspire passion for the adventure of discovery.
From science, human anatomy, geology and nature to live science demonstrations, a state-of-the-art planetarium and a replica rainforest. Kids can play and explore in more than 500 hands-on experiences across eight exhibit halls. This makes the Science Centre one of the most fun museums in Toronto, especially for those who like a less traditional setting.
Bata Shoe Museum
327 Bloor Street West, Toronto | website
The Bata Shoe Museum is like a candy store for shoe lovers. The museum has the most extensive collection of shoes and footwear-related items, amounting to more than 13,000 pieces. This museum offers a unique opportunity to explore over 4,500 years of footwear history. The extensive collection of everything shoes is housed in an equally impressive building spread over five floors.
Here, you can learn about the evolution of footwear and its role in society throughout history. There are thousands of shoes on display at any time, ranging from Chinese bound-foot shoes, ancient Egyptian sandals and clogs to glamorous platforms and buttoned boots. You can check the exhibition highlights on the museum’s website and learn more about the shoes.
Gardiner Museum
111 Queen’s Park, Toronto | website
The Gardiner Museum collections focus on two types of ceramics: earthenware and porcelain. Here, you can explore over 4,000 items from across the globe, including Inuit ceramics, English delftware, Chinese and Japanese porcelain, and pieces from the Ancient Americas.
Like many other museums in Toronto, this one offers hands-on classes, programs and workshops while supporting local artists and promoting a deeper understanding of ceramic arts.
Museum of Illusions
132 Front Street East, Toronto | website
Unlike the displays at any other museum in Toronto, nothing is what it seems at the Museum of Illusions. The museum combines entertainment and education, offering over 80 illusions, holograms, installations, and exhibits. Here, you can explore various sensory and proprioceptive experiences, from defying the laws of gravity to problem-solving games and visual illusions.
Like the Ontario Science Centre, the Museum of Illusions uses fun to teach and engage. Kids and adults can enjoy the infinity rooms, the Vortex tunnel, rotated rooms, illusions, brainteasers, puzzles, impossible knots and many more. If you’re into brain games and tricks-of-the-eye displays, this is the place for you.
Textile Museum of Canada
55 Centre Avenue, Toronto | website
As the name suggests, the Textile Museum is the only museum in Canada dedicated to exploring the human experience through textiles. It has a permanent collection of more than 13,000 textiles from around the world, covering over 2,000 years of textile history. Many of the museum’s items often make special appearances in other museums in Toronto as part of temporary exhibitions.
In addition to housing numerous fabrics, carpets, garments, specialty clothes, and carpets, the museum offers lectures, workshops, seminars, and tours. It also offers educational guides, monthly Textile Teach-ins, and events around contemporary art practices. The museum also offers curated exhibitions of contemporary and historical artifacts and a reference library of materials focused on non-industrial textiles.
Final thoughts on museums in Toronto
Toronto’s vibrant cultural scene makes it one of the best places to explore museums and galleries. The city also hosts numerous cultural festivals and events throughout the year that offer temporary exhibitions, art installations, and pop-up displays throughout the city. One of the best public programs for exploring the city is the Doors Open Toronto initiative, held each May. Each year, you can explore different locations on a self-guided tour.
Many museums in Toronto, including those mentioned here, offer free admission during this special event. It’s an excellent opportunity to discover incredible and unusual places in Toronto, many of which are typically closed to the public. If you love museums and culture, this is your sign to book your trip to Toronto today.
