Casa Loma: Toronto’s Fairytale Castle

• Author: ClaireB
• Accommodation: Toronto

Growing up in England I had the privilege of visiting many a castle and stately home, and though I made out I found them boring as a child, secretly I loved exploring these big old homes and their gardens! So, as an adult visiting Toronto there was one historic site I just had to see:
Casa Loma; Toronto’s very own castle!

If you know any Spanish you’ll know that Casa Loma means ‘hill house’, and that’s exactly where you’ll find this European influenced castle; set on a slight hill, just north of The Annex neighbourhood, which, anyone will agree is a somewhat odd place for a castle!

Of course when Casa Loma was built it was one of only a few residences in this part of Toronto as the city hadn’t grown to the sprawling depths that it has today. Even so, a castle?! Casa Loma is thanks to financier Sir Henry Pellat who made his money in early Canadian companies such as the Toronto Electric Light Company and Canadian Pacific Railway. As a young man he travelled around Europe and saw many fine castles that inspired him to build his own here in Toronto, so starting in 1911 he invested a massive $3.5 million into construction, hiring famous Canadian architect E.J. Lennox to design it for him.

It took three years to build the castle but in 1923 Sir Henry was forced to leave with financial problems. The castle became a luxury hotel for a little while and then a popular nightspot, but by 1936 there were thoughts of demolishing it. Luckily it was bought out and converted into a museum, and it’s been a museum and tourist attraction ever since re-opening in 1937.

From the moment you enter Casa Loma you can really get a feel for what Sir Henry was trying to achieve. The high ceilings, hand carved wood panelling, flags, and ornate details have all been restored to how they were when the castle was first built, and it’s furnished with beautiful period furniture too, much of which has come from Europe.

As a child I always loved exploring the nooks and crannies of the big old stately homes, and wandering around Casa Loma I discovered that it’s those quirky details that still interest me! The castle’s two towers for example, are accessed via a part of castle that was never completely finished, so with the bare wood it feels as though you’re creeping around somewhere you shouldn’t be! However, this isn’t the case, the towers are open to the public and the views (especially from the Norman Tower) are pretty spectacular as you get to see the Toronto skyline and a great deal more.

Another quirky feature of Casa Loma is the underground tunnel, linking the castle to the stables. This would surely make Casa Loma the envy of any Bond villain who could quickly and secretly run the length of the 800 feet (244 metres) tunnel, undetected, 18 feet (5.5 metres) below ground!

And when you get to The Stables at the other end of the tunnel you’ll appreciate even more why this castle cost so much to build; even the stables are grand and luxurious, by stable standards! With beautiful mahogany horse stalls and Spanish tiles on the floor, the horses who stayed here were well looked after!

On a nice day the gardens should be explored too as they’re among the best in Toronto and cover an area of 5 acres. The landscaping includes formal planting as well as areas with wild flowers and grasses, and there are fountains and sculptures to discover too. Make sure you also visit the Carriage Room as there’s a collection of historic carriages on display there.

All in all I would recommend Casa Loma to anyone with a morning or afternoon to spare, as whether you’re young or old there are features and exhibits here that will interest all ages! And if you enjoy this kind of thing, the historic