Casa Loma

Henry Pellatt made a fortune bringing hydroelectric power from Niagara to Toronto and spent much of it on Casa Loma, built between 1911 and 1914 to a Gothic revival design by E.J. Lennox: ninety-eight rooms, an eight-hundred-foot tunnel to the stables, secret passages behind the panelling, and one of the first private lifts in the country. It cost around three and a half million dollars. Pellatt's business collapsed, the city raised his taxes sharply, and he left in 1924 having lived there under ten years, with the contents auctioned. The city took it over and it now operates as a museum and event venue, used constantly for filming.

What you actually see

• The Gothic revival rooms - conservatory, library, oak room and suites.
• The tunnel - an eight-hundred-foot passage to the stables and carriage house.
• The towers - Scottish and Norman towers with city views.
• The secret passages - hidden stairs behind panelling in the study.

When to go

Year-round; the castle runs seasonal programming including Halloween and Christmas installations. Weekday mornings are calmest. Gardens open roughly May to October.

Honest expectations

Much of the original furniture was auctioned in 1924, so rooms are furnished with period pieces rather than Pellatt's own. It is heavily used for events and parts can be closed. Tickets are expensive.

Nearby

The Distillery District lies southeast; High Park is west.