A real 98-room Gothic Revival castle in the middle of Toronto. Sir Henry Pellatt built it in 1914 — complete with a fountain courtyard, soaring towers, opulent gold-draped rooms, and underground tunnels connecting to the stables. One of the most cinematic buildings in Canada, and it's right here.
Neighbourhood: Annex · Address: 1 Austin Terrace, Toronto, ON · Hours: Mon–Sun 9:30am–5pm · Price Range: $$ · Phone: (416) 923-1171 · Editorial status: Not yet verified
Casa Loma is Toronto's only real castle — think turreted towers, secret passages, and antique-filled rooms you can actually wander. You’ll get dramatic architecture, plus panoramic skyline views from the battlements.
Unlike Toronto’s stately homes or museums, Casa Loma feels straight out of a European movie set but was built by a whimsical millionaire just steps from the subway. No other attraction here lets you explore actual underground tunnels, a thousand-horsepower vintage car collection, and climb narrow spiral stairs high above the city — all in one visit.
Casa Loma is a 98-room Gothic Revival castle sitting on a hilltop in Toronto's Annex neighbourhood — a genuinely remarkable building that manages to be simultaneously grandiose, historically fascinating, and completely incongruous with the Victorian rowhouses that surround it. Sir Henry Pellatt, a financier and military enthusiast who had made his fortune building early electrical infrastructure across Canada, commissioned the castle in 1906 and construction was completed in 1914. It was — and remains — the largest private residence ever built in Canada.
Pellatt's ambitions produced a building of extraordinary detail: a Great Hall with 18-metre oak-beamed ceilings, a library with carved walnut panelling, the Conservatory with its elaborate glass dome, and two towers — the 30-metre Sir Henry's Tower and the 27-metre Lady Pellatt's Tower — each with spiral staircases leading to rooftop observation decks with some of the finest views of Toronto available anywhere in the city. The underground tunnel connecting the castle to the stables (where the horses had heated floors, mahogany stalls, and tiled skylights) is one of the most distinctive features — about 250 metres of stone-walled passage with the vaguely conspiratorial feel of a film set.
Pellatt lost the castle in 1924 when financial reversal and tax arrears forced him to sell. The city briefly considered demolishing it; instead, the Kiwanis Club of West Toronto has operated it as a public attraction since 1937, making it the oldest continuously operating historic house museum in Canada. The castle has appeared in over 40 films and television productions — you'll likely recognize it from Guillermo del Toro's Crimson Peak.
Seasonal programming is exceptional: Halloween escape rooms (sold out weeks in advance), murder mystery dinners, and the holiday Gingerbread Festival. Check casaloma.ca for current events before visiting.
Adult admission is approximately $40, seniors (60+) $35, youth (ages 14–17) $30, children (ages 4–13) $25, and under 4 free. An audio guide is included in the admission price. Special events (escape rooms, murder mystery dinners) are ticketed separately and often sell out. Book at casaloma.ca.
Allow 1.5–2.5 hours for a self-guided visit of the main castle rooms, towers, tunnel, and stables. The audio guide adds depth and context to each room. Photography enthusiasts and history fans may take longer. The castle grounds and fountain courtyard are also worth exploring after the main building.
Yes — Casa Loma is one of Toronto's most distinctive and underrated attractions. A genuine 98-room Gothic castle with rooftop views, underground tunnels, and lavishly decorated rooms is not something most visitors expect to find in Canada's largest city. The views from the towers alone are worth the admission price.
The two towers (Sir Henry's and Lady Pellatt's) for the city views, the underground tunnel to the stables, the Great Hall and Library, the Conservatory with its glass dome, and the stables themselves — which are arguably as fascinating as the castle. The seasonal escape rooms (Halloween) and murder mystery dinners are excellent if you can get tickets.
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