List of museums in Toronto

There are a variety of different museums in Toronto. Types of museums located in Toronto include agricultural museums, art museums, fashion museums, food museums, history museums (including historic houses and living museums), military museums (including local regimental museums), railway museums, science museums, and textile museums.

Current museums

The following is a list of museums current located in Toronto. The following list does not include virtual museums that do not have physical galleries, regardless if they're based in Toronto.

Name Image Neighborhood Area[note 1] Attendance Type Summary Ref.
48th Highlanders MuseumEntertainment DistrictOld TorontoMilitary (regimental)Regimental museum for the 48th Highlanders of Canada. The museum has been situated in St. Andrew's Church since 1997[1]
A Space GalleryFashion DistrictOld TorontoArtArtist-run contemporary art gallery[2]
Aga Khan MuseumDon MillsNorth YorkArtMuslim arts and culture[3]
Applewood Shaver HomesteadEatonvilleEtobicokeHistoric houseHistoric house museum situated in a homestead dating back to c. 1850s[4]
Art Gallery of OntarioGrange ParkOld Toronto974,736 (2018)ArtGallery of Canadian and European art, with a collection that includes decorative arts, contemporary art, and sculptures. The museum also includes The Grange, a historic home used as an art space and lounge by the museum.[5][6]
Art Gallery of York UniversityYork University HeightsNorth YorkArtGallery of contemporary art. A university museum of York University, it is housed in the university's Accolade East Building.[7]
Art Museum at the University of TorontoDiscovery DistrictOld Toronto63,393 (2018)ArtA university museum for contemporary art, comprising the adjacent Justina M. Barnicke Gallery at Hart House, and the University of Toronto Art Centre at University College. The two galleries were formerly separate entities before they were amalgamated into the Art Museum at the University of Toronto in 2014.[8]
Bata Shoe MuseumDiscovery DistrictOld Toronto110,334 (2018)FashionHistory of footwear from around the world[9]
Black Creek Pioneer VillageYork University HeightsNorth York141,000 (2017)LivingA living history museum situated in North York. The property contains a number of early-to-mid 19th century buildings.[10][11]
Campbell House MuseumGrange ParkOld TorontoHistoric houseHistoric house museum that is situated in a house dating back to 1822. The building was converted into a historical house in 1974. The building also includes an art gallery[12]
Canadian Language MuseumLawrence ParkOld TorontoLinguisticsPromotes the languages of Canada and the scientific study of languages. Situated within Glendon Gallery building of Glendon College, an English/French bilingual college of York University[13]
Canadian Sculpture CentreDistillery DistrictOld TorontoArtContemporary Canadian sculpture gallery, operated by the Sculptors Society of Canada
Casa LomaCasa LomaOld Toronto350,000Historic houseA historic house museum situated in an estate completed in 1914. The estate was converted into a historical house in 1937.[14]
Cedar Ridge Creative CentreWoburnScarboroughArtArt centre with exhibit gallery situated in a house dating back to the mid-19th century. The house was conveted to an art centre in 1978.[15]
Colborne LodgeSwanseaOld TorontoHistoric houseHistoric house museum situated in a building dating back to 1836, and reopened as a historic house in 1890. The museum is operated by the City of Toronto government[16]
Doris McCarthy GalleryHighland CreekScarboroughArtA contemporary art gallery of the University of Toronto Scarborough[17]
Enoch Turner SchoolCorktownOld TorontoLivingA living history museum of a Victorian-era period schoolhouse. The museum is housed in a schoolhouse dating back to 1848. The building was converted into a living history museum in 1970.[18]
Etobicoke Civic Centre Art GalleryEatonvilleEtobicokeArtThe gallery is housed in the centre block of the Etobicoke Civic Centre[19]
First Floor Gallery & Architecture and Design GalleryDiscovery DistrictOld TorontoArtThe First Floor Gallery and the Architecture and Design Gallery are two university art galleries managed by the University of Toronto's John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape and Design, and located at 1 Spadina Crescent. It features exhibitions of architecture, landscape architecture, urban design and allied design fields
Fort YorkFort YorkOld TorontoMilitaryFort York was a defensive fortification, featuring buildings from the late-18th to early 19th century. Operated by City of Toronto government, it is presently used as a War of 1812 museum, featuring exhibits and historical re-enactments. The fort was reopened for public use by the city in 1934.
Gallery ArcturusGarden DistrictOld TorontoArtFree, public contemporary art museum with rotating exhibits as well as workshops[20]
Gardiner MuseumDiscovery DistrictOld TorontoArtCeramic art
Gibson HouseWillowdaleNorth YorkHistoric houseThe historic house museum is situated in a house dating back to 1851. The building was converted into a heritage house in 1971. The museum is operated by City of Toronto government
Hockey Hall of FameFinancial DistrictOld Toronto256,754 (2017)SportsIce hockey hall of fame[21]
InterAccessDovercourt ParkOld TorontoArtMedia arts[22]
Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre GalleryDon MillsNorth YorkArtThe gallery at the Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre houses contemporary art with an East Asian perspective[23]
Koffler Centre of the ArtsTrinity-BellwoodsOld TorontoArtContemporary arts centre housed in the Artscape Youngplace building
Lakeshore Grounds Interpretive CentreNew TorontoEtobicokeArtsFree exhibit and gallery spaces, workshops, & interpretive tours[24]
Mackenzie HouseGarden DistrictOld TorontoHistoric houseHistoric house museum built in 1830. The building was re-purposed into a heritage museum in 1936, and is operated by the City of Toronto government
Market GallerySt. LawrenceOld TorontoMultipleChanging exhibits of Toronto's history, art and culture, located inside St. Lawrence Market
Mercer UnionWallace EmersonOld TorontoArtArtist-run contemporary art centre
Montgomery's InnThe KingswayEtobicokeHistoric housePeriod historic inn situated in an inn completed in 1832. The museum is operated by the City of Toronto
Morris and Sally Justein Heritage MuseumLawrence ManorNorth YorkCultural/ethnicLocated in the Baycrest Centre for Geriatric Care, exhibits of Judaic heritage and culture[25]
Museum of Contemporary Art Toronto CanadaJunction TriangleOld Toronto30,000 (2018)ArtAlso known as MOCA. Formerly known as the Museum of Contemporary Canadian Art[26]
MZTV Museum of TelevisionLiberty VillageOld TorontoMediaHistoric television sets and memorabilia[27]
Neilson Park Creative CentreMarkland WoodEtobicokeArtIncludes two galleries for exhibits of contemporary fine arts and crafts[28]
OCAD University GalleriesGrange ParkOld TorontoArtArt galleries managed by the OCAD University art school, includes its Graduate Student Gallery
Ontario Science CentreFlemingdon ParkNorth York900,225 (2018)ScienceThemes include geology, nature, astronomy, music, technology, anatomy, communications[29]
Open Studio GalleryFashion DistrictOld TorontoArtArtist-run printmaking centre[30]
Oral History MuseumGlen ParkNorth YorkHistory (oral)Oral histories of different ethnic peoples of Canada, combining the spoken word with photographs, multi-media and computer simulation[31]
Osborne Collection of Early Children's BooksGrange ParkOld TorontoLiteratureLocated in the Lillian H. Smith branch of the Toronto Public Library, changing exhibits of books, art, documents and more from the collection[32]
Power PlantHarbourfrontOld Toronto77,243 (2018)ArtContemporary art gallery[33]
Queen's Own Rifles of Canada Regimental MuseumCasa LomaOld TorontoMilitary (regimental)Regimental museum of The Queen's Own Rifles of Canada, located on the third floor of Casa Loma
Redpath Sugar MuseumHarbourfrontOld TorontoFoodSugar manufacture and industry in Canada, located at the Redpath Sugar Refinery
Reuben & Helene Dennis MuseumHumewood–CedarvaleYorkCultural/ethnicLocated in Beth Tzedec Synagogue, it contains Jewish art, ceremonial objects and history[34]
Riverdale FarmCabbagetownOld TorontoAgricultural/historic farmWorking heritage farm with an 1860s to 1920s Ontario focus
Royal Canadian Military Institute MuseumGrange ParkOld TorontoMilitaryFeatures guns, swords, spears, other weapons from around the world, badges, uniforms, medals, art, miniatures, photographs and other military memorabilia. Located at the Royal Canadian Military Institute.
Royal Ontario MuseumDiscovery DistrictOld Toronto1,440,000 (2018)MultipleIncludes dinosaurs, Near Eastern and African art, East Asian art, European history, and Canadian history[35]
Royal Regiment of Canada MuseumFort YorkOld TorontoMilitary (regimental)Regimental museum covering the history of The Royal Regiment of Canada, located in the Fort York Armoury.
Ryerson Image CentreGarden DistrictOld TorontoArtOperated by Ryerson University, includes gallery spaces for photography, new media, installation art and film
Saint Mark's Coptic MuseumSteelesScarboroughArtCoptic and Christian art, icons, coins, crosses, manuscripts, pottery, woodwork[36]
Scarborough MuseumBendaleScarboroughHistoric housesLocal history, 1910s period house, mid-19th century log house, carriage works, operated by the City of Toronto government[37]
Spadina HouseCasa LomaOld TorontoHistoric houseHistoric mansion reflecting four generations and periods, operated by the City of Toronto government
Taras Shevchenko MuseumHigh Park NorthOld TorontoBiographicalLife and works of Ukrainian poet Taras Shevchenko[38]
Textile Museum of CanadaDiscovery DistrictOld Toronto29,190 (2018)TextileIncludes fabrics, ceremonial cloths, garments, carpets, quilts and related artifacts[39]
Thomas Fisher Rare Book LibraryDiscovery DistrictOld TorontoLiteratureChanging exhibits of books, art, documents and other literary works from its collections
Tollkeeper's Cottage MuseumWychwood ParkOld TorontoHistoric house1800s heritage museum, an example of tollkeeper's cottages in Ontario during the 19th century
Todmorden MillsOld East YorkEast YorkMultipleIncludes local history and industry museum, art gallery, theatre, operated by the City of Toronto government
Toronto Dominion Gallery of Inuit ArtFinancial DistrictOld TorontoArtLocated in the Toronto-Dominion Centre, collection of Inuit art, a cooperative project of Cadillac Fairview and the Toronto-Dominion Bank[40]
Toronto Police Museum and Discovery CentreDiscovery DistrictOld TorontoHistory (law enforcement)Museum on the history of the Toronto Police Service. The museum is located at the Toronto Police Headquarters[41]
Toronto Railway MuseumCityPlaceOld TorontoRailwayLocated at Roundhouse Park[42]
TD Gallery at the Toronto Reference LibraryYorkvilleOld TorontoLiteratureChanging exhibits from its collections in the TD Gallery. Located in the Toronto Reference Library[43]
Toronto Scottish Regiment MuseumNew TorontoEtobicokeMilitary (regimental)Regimental museum covering the history of The Toronto Scottish Regiment (Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother's Own)
Toronto Sculpture GardenSt. LawrenceOld TorontoArtSmall park with changing sculpture exhibits[44]
Fourth York Post OfficeOld TownOld TorontoHistory (postal)Historic working post office and museum[45]
Ukrainian Museum of Canada, Ontario BranchHarbord VillageOld TorontoCultural/ethnicLocated in the St. Vladimir Institute, Ukrainian art, folk art, clothing, jewelry, religious objects, heritage and culture[46]
Zion SchoolhouseDon Valley VillageNorth YorkLivingA living history museum for education, situated in a one-room schoolhouse built in 1869 (period restorations c. 1910). Operated by the City of Toronto Cultural Services.[47]

Non-permanent museums

Myseum of Toronto is a "pop-up" museum that provides exhibitions throughout the Greater Toronto Area, and does not have a physical location. It attempts to celebration the evolution of local communities, cultures, and urban and natural spaces of Toronto.[48]

Theatre Museum Canada presently hosts travelling exhibits in various venues in Toronto. The museum's administrative offices are located in Toronto. In 2011, the museum announced it would move into a permanent facility at 355 King Street West. The museum would be situated inside the King Blue condominium development in the Entertainment District.[49]

Former museums

Relocated

The following table includes museums whose facilities were formerly located in Toronto, although have since moved beyond the city limits.

Name Image Type Year opened Year closed in Toronto New location Summary
Canada's Sports Hall of Fame Sports 1955 2006 Calgary, Alberta The Canadian hall of fame and museum was located at Exhibition Place from 1955 to 2006. It was situated in the former officers' quarters of New Fort York (pictured) from 1955 to 1957, the Press Building from 1957 to 1961, and the Hall of Fame building from 1961 to 2006. The hall of fame museum was closed in 2006 to make way for BMO Field. The organization reopened its hall of fame museum in Calgary in 2011.
Canadian Air and Space Museum Aviation 1997 2011 Springwater, Ontario The museum's collection put in storage in 2011, after the closure of its facility in Downsview Park. The museum's office is presently based in Mississauga-based offices of the Greater Toronto Airports Authority. In 2019, a permanent home for the museum was found at Edenvale Airport in Springwater, Ontario. The museum will be renamed the Canadian Air and Space Conservancy upon its reopening.

Defunct

The following list includes former museums in Toronto that were closed.

Name Image Type Opened Closed Summary
Canada's Design Museum Design 2012 2019 Housed within the original Toronto Stock Exchange building, the museum was operated by Design Exchange
Canadian Motorsport Hall of Fame Museum Sports Temporary home for the museum for the Canadian Motorsport Hall of Fame was situated at Downsview Park.
CBC Museum Media 1994[note 2] 2017 Located in the Canadian Broadcasting Centre
Children's Own Museum Children's 1997 2002[note 3][50] Originally opened as a temporary exhibit at the Harbourfront Centre, it was later relocated to the McLaughlin Planetarium in 1998.
McLaughlin Planetarium Planetarium 1968 1995 The building was closed in 1995, and was later sold to the University of Toronto in 2009. The university has announced plans to demolish the structure to make way for additional facilities.
Museum of Inuit Art Art 2007 2016[51][52] Located within Queen's Quay Terminal. Not to be confused with the Toronto Dominion Gallery of Inuit Art (see table on current museums).
Parliament Interpretive Centre Military 2012 2015 Built atop the First Parliament Building of Upper Canada. The museum was opened from 2012 to 2015 as a part of War of 1812 bicentennial celebrations, and focused on the settlement of York during the war.
Olympic Spirit Toronto Sports 2004 2006 An Olympics-themed sports museum. It was located in 35 Dundas Street East. Its building is presently used as the television studios for Rogers Communications' Citytv and Omni Television.
Toronto Free Gallery Art 2004 Non-profit activist gallery. Opened in 2004, and relocated buildings in 2008.
Toronto Maritime Museum Maritime 1958 2008 Established as the Marine Museum of Upper Canada, it was located at Stanley Barracks, it moved to a building at Queens Quay in 1999, before closing in 2008.

See also

Notes
  1. Area refer to former lower-tier municipalities of Metropolitan Toronto. The lower-tier municipalities of Metropolitan Toronto were amalgamated to form the new City of Toronto in 1998, after the upper-tier government of Metropolitan Toronto was dissolved. The use of the term Old Toronto is a retronym used to refer to the pre-1998 lower-tier City of Toronto.
  2. The collection was started in 1960
  3. Physical museum closed in 2002. Its collection remains in storage.

References
  1. "48th Highlanders Museum". 48highlanders.com. Canadian Armed Forces. 2010. Retrieved September 28, 2019.
  2. "A Space Gallery". aspacegallery.org. A Space Gallery. Retrieved September 28, 2019.
  3. "Aga Khan Museum". Retrieved October 12, 2020.
  4. "The Applewood Shaver Homestead". applewoodshaverhouse.ca. Applewood Shaver House. Retrieved September 28, 2019.
  5. "The Art Gallery of Ontario". Retrieved October 12, 2020.
  6. "Exhibition and museum visitor figures 2018". The Art Newspaper. 311: xv. April 2019.
  7. "Art Gallery of York University". Retrieved October 12, 2020.
  8. "By the numbers" (PDF). Art Museum at the University of Toronto 2017–2018 Annual Report. University of Toronto. 2018. p. 12. Retrieved September 28, 2019.
  9. "BSM 2018 Annual Review". Bata Shoe Museum. 2019. p. 16. Retrieved August 3, 2019.
  10. "Black Creek Pioneer Village". Retrieved October 16, 2020.
  11. "Toronto and Region Conservation Authority" (PDF). Toronto 2018 Budget. City of Toronto. 2018. p. 2. Retrieved September 28, 2019.
  12. "Welcome to Campbell House Museum". Retrieved April 6, 2020.
  13. "Canadian Language Museum". Retrieved October 16, 2020.
  14. "About Casa Loma". casaloma.ca. Liberty Entertainment Group. 2018. Retrieved September 28, 2019.
  15. "Cedar Ridge Creative Centre". toronto.ca. City of Toronto. 2019. Retrieved September 28, 2019.
  16. "Colborne Lodge". City of Toronto. Retrieved October 18, 2020.
  17. "Doris McCarthy Gallery". University of Toronto Scarborough. Retrieved October 20, 2015.
  18. "Enoch Turner Schoolhouse Foundation". Retrieved October 18, 2020.
  19. "Etobicoke Civic Centre Art Gallery". City of Toronto. 2019. Retrieved September 28, 2019.
  20. "About Us". arcturus.ca. Gallery Arcturus. 2019. Retrieved September 28, 2019.
  21. "Official Site". Hockey Hall of Fame. Retrieved April 10, 2020.
  22. "Official site". InterAccess. Retrieved April 10, 2020.
  23. "Gallery". Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre.
  24. lakeshoregrounds.ca
  25. Baycrest Museum
  26. "2018 by the Numbers" (PDF). Museum of Contemporary Art Toronto Canada Annual Report 2018. Museum of Contemporary Art Toronto Canada. 2019. Retrieved September 28, 2019.
  27. mztv.com
  28. neilsonparkcreativecentre.com
  29. "Performance Target Discussions" (PDF). Annual Report 2017–2018. Ontario Science Centre. 2018. Retrieved August 3, 2019.
  30. openstudio.ca
  31. ohmuseum.ca
  32. Osbourne branch Toronto Public Library
  33. "Annual Reports". thepowerplant.org. The Power Plant. 2019. Retrieved September 28, 2019.
  34. Tezedec Synagogue website
  35. "The Royal Ontario Museum Draws Highest Attendance Numbers in its History" (Press release). Royal Ontario Museum. May 2, 2018. Retrieved August 17, 2018 – via rom.on.ca.
  36. copticmuseum-canada.org
  37. Scarborough Museum
  38. Taras Shevchenko Museum
  39. "By the numbers". Annual Report 2017–2018. Textile Museum of Canada. 2018. p. 13. Retrieved August 3, 2019.
  40. TD Bank Arts
  41. Toronto Police Museum and Discovery Centre
  42. "Toronto Railway Museum". Retrieved October 24, 2020.
  43. "Branch Summary Statistics: January to December 2017" (PDF). 2017 Annual Performance Measures and Benchmarks. Toronto Public Library. April 30, 2018. p. 20. Retrieved September 29, 2019.
  44. "Toronto Sculpture Garden". City of Toronto. Retrieved April 10, 2020.
  45. "Toronto's First Post Office". Town of York Historical Society. Retrieved April 10, 2020.
  46. umcontario.com
  47. "Historic Zion Schoolhouse". North York Historical Society. Retrieved April 7, 2020.
  48. "Toronto Stories". Myseum. Retrieved April 10, 2020.
  49. Gee, marcus (July 14, 2017). "The King-Spadina boom: What's behind the growth at Toronto's hottest intersection". The Globe and Mail. The Globe and Mail Inc. Retrieved September 29, 2019.
  50. Gordon, Andrea (October 16, 2011). "Children's Own Museum to return – on wheels". The Toronto Star. Torstar Corporation. Retrieved September 29, 2019.
  51. "'Small but mighty' Canadian Museum of Inuit Art closing its doors". Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. April 19, 2016. Retrieved May 30, 2016.
  52. "Museum of Inuit Art". May 29, 2016. Retrieved May 30, 2016.
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