List of museums in Toronto facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Toronto is a super cool city with tons of amazing museums! Imagine exploring everything from ancient dinosaurs to futuristic science, or stepping back in time to see how people lived long ago. There are museums about art, history, fashion, food, and even sports. You can find places that show off beautiful paintings, old houses, military stories, and awesome trains. Get ready to discover some incredible spots in Toronto!

Awesome Museums to Explore
Museums on the Move or Closed
- Museums That Moved Away
- Museums That Are No Longer Open
Images for kids
See also

Awesome Museums to Explore

Here's a list of some fantastic museums you can visit in Toronto right now. They all have real buildings and exciting things to see!

Art and Culture Museums

Aga Khan Museum

The beautiful exterior of the Aga Khan Museum.

This museum in Don Mills celebrates the amazing arts and cultures of Muslim civilizations. You can see beautiful artworks, ancient artifacts, and learn about different traditions from around the world. It's a great place to explore history and creativity.

Art Gallery of Ontario

The Art Gallery of Ontario at sunset.

Located in Grange Park, the AGO is one of the biggest art museums in North America! It has a huge collection of Canadian and European art, including paintings, sculptures, and decorative items. You can also visit The Grange, a historic home that's part of the museum.

Gardiner Museum

The unique building of the Gardiner Museum.

Right in the Discovery District, this museum is all about ceramic art. You'll see incredible pottery, dishes, and sculptures made from clay from different cultures and times. It's fascinating to see how artists use this material.

Museum of Contemporary Art Toronto Canada

The modern Tower Automotive Building, home to MOCA.

Known as MOCA, this museum in the Junction Triangle showcases modern art. It's a place where you can see new and exciting artworks from today's artists. It used to be called the Museum of Contemporary Canadian Art.

Power Plant

The Power Plant Contemporary Art Gallery by the waterfront.

Found by the Harbourfront, The Power Plant is a contemporary art gallery. It features new and interesting art from artists around the world. It's a great spot to see what's new in the art world.

Royal Ontario Museum

The Royal Ontario Museum, a landmark in Toronto.

The ROM, in the Discovery District, is one of Canada's largest museums! It has something for everyone, from giant dinosaur skeletons and ancient Egyptian mummies to amazing art from East Asia and artifacts from Canadian history. You could spend all day exploring here!

Textile Museum of Canada

The entrance to the Textile Museum of Canada.

This museum in the Discovery District is dedicated to textiles. You can see beautiful fabrics, ceremonial clothes, garments, carpets, and quilts from different cultures and times. It shows how important textiles are in art and history.

Toronto Holocaust Museum

The Toronto Holocaust Museum.

Located on Bathurst Street, this museum is a place for learning and discussion about the Holocaust. It helps visitors understand this important part of history and its lessons for today.

History and Living History Museums

The Village at Black Creek

Historic buildings at Black Creek Pioneer Village.

Step back in time at this living history museum in North York! You can explore buildings from the early to mid-1800s and see what life was like for pioneers. Sometimes, there are even people dressed in old clothes showing how things were done.

Casa Loma

The grand exterior of Casa Loma.

This historic house museum is like a real-life castle in Toronto! Completed in 1914, it was once a private home and became a museum in 1937. You can explore its secret passages, beautiful gardens, and grand rooms.

Enoch Turner School

The historic Enoch Turner School House.

In Corktown, this living history museum is an old Victorian-era schoolhouse from 1848. It was turned into a museum in 1970. You can imagine what it was like to go to school over a hundred years ago!

Fort York

An aerial view of Fort York.

Fort York is a historic military site in Old Toronto. It has buildings from the late 1700s and early 1800s. It's now a museum about the War of 1812, with exhibits and sometimes even historical re-enactments.

Mackenzie House

The historic Mackenzie House.

This historic house museum in the Garden District was built in 1830. It became a museum in 1936 and tells the story of William Lyon Mackenzie, Toronto's first mayor.

Riverdale Farm

A wind wheel and historic structures at Riverdale Farm.

Located in Cabbagetown, Riverdale Farm is a working heritage farm. It shows what farm life was like in Ontario between the 1860s and 1920s. You can see farm animals and old buildings.

Scarborough Museum

Cornell House, part of the Scarborough Museum.

This museum in Bendale focuses on local history. It has a 1910s period house, a mid-19th century log house, and other historic buildings. It's a great way to learn about Scarborough's past.

Spadina House

The beautiful Spadina House.

Near Casa Loma, Spadina House is a historic mansion that shows how four generations of a family lived through different time periods. It's operated by the City of Toronto.

Todmorden Mills

A red-brick path leading to a mill at Todmorden Mills.

In Old East York, Todmorden Mills is a cool place with a local history and industry museum, an art gallery, and a theatre. It tells the story of the area's past.

Zion Schoolhouse

The historic Zion Schoolhouse.

This living history museum in Don Valley Village is a one-room schoolhouse built in 1869. It's set up to look like a school from around 1910, offering a fun way to learn about old-time education.

Science, Sports, and Unique Museums

Bata Shoe Museum

The unique exterior of the Bata Shoe Museum.

In the Discovery District, this museum has an amazing collection of footwear from all over the world and throughout history. You'll see shoes from ancient times to modern designs!

Hockey Hall of Fame

The grand entrance to the Hockey Hall of Fame.

If you love hockey, this is the place for you! Located in the Financial District, it's a hall of fame and museum dedicated to ice hockey. You can see famous trophies, learn about legendary players, and even try some interactive games.

MZTV Museum of Television

The MZTV Museum of Television building.

In Liberty Village, this museum has a collection of historic television sets and cool memorabilia. It's a fun look at how TV has changed over the years.

Ontario Science Centre

An aerial view of the Ontario Science Centre.

The Ontario Science Centre in Flemingdon Park is a fantastic place for kids! It has hands-on exhibits about geology, nature, astronomy, music, technology, and more. You can explore and learn through play.

Toronto Police Museum and Discovery Centre

The Toronto Police Headquarters, home to the museum.

Located at the Toronto Police Headquarters in the Discovery District, this museum tells the story of the Toronto Police Service. You can learn about law enforcement history in the city.

Toronto Railway Museum

Trains at Roundhouse Park, home of the Railway Museum.

At Roundhouse Park in CityPlace, this museum is all about trains! You can see historic locomotives and learn about the history of railways in Canada.

Museums on the Move or Closed

Some museums in Toronto have either moved to new locations or have closed down over the years.

Museums That Moved Away

Canada's Sports Hall of Fame

Stanley Barracks, an early home for Canada's Sports Hall of Fame.

This museum was in Toronto from 1955 to 2006, celebrating Canadian sports heroes. It moved to Calgary, Alberta, and reopened there in 2011.

Canadian Air and Space Museum

A model of the AVRO Arrow, a famous Canadian aircraft.

This aviation museum was in Downsview Park until 2011. Its collection was put into storage, and it later found a new home at Edenvale Airport in Springwater, Ontario. It's now called the Canadian Air and Space Conservancy.

Museums That Are No Longer Open

CBC Museum

The entrance to the former CBC Museum.

This museum, located in the Canadian Broadcasting Centre, was open from 1994 to 2017. It showcased the history of Canadian broadcasting.

McLaughlin Planetarium

The McLaughlin Planetarium building in 2008.

This planetarium was a popular spot from 1968 to 1995, where people could learn about space and stars. The building closed in 1995.

Museum of Inuit Art

An example of Inuit art.

This art museum was open from 2007 to 2016 and focused on Inuit art. It was located in Queen's Quay Terminal.

Images for kids

The 48th Highlanders Museum is inside St. Andrew's Church.
The Accolade East Building at York University, home to an art gallery.
1 Spadina Crescent, where two university art galleries are located.
The Glendon Gallery building, home to the Canadian Language Museum.
The historic Campbell House Museum.
The historic Colborne Lodge.
The Etobicoke Civic Centre, which houses an art gallery.
Gallery Arcturus, a contemporary art museum.
The historic Gibson House.
The historic Montgomery's Inn.
Inside Artscape Youngplace, near the Koffler Gallery.
St. Lawrence Market, where the Market Gallery is located.
Students looking at art at OCAD University Graduate Student Gallery.
The Lillian H. Smith branch of the Toronto Public Library, home to a special book collection.
Exhibits at the Queen's Own Rifles of Canada Regimental Museum.
The Redpath Sugar Refinery, home to the Redpath Sugar Museum.
The Royal Canadian Military Institute.
The Fort York Armoury, where the Royal Regiment of Canada Museum is located.
Cornell House, part of the Scarborough Museum.
The façade of the Taras Shevchenko Museum.
The Image Centre at Toronto Metropolitan University.
Inside the Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library.
The historic Tollkeeper's Cottage Museum.
The Toronto Police Headquarters.
The Toronto Reference Library, home to the TD Gallery.
The Toronto Sculpture Garden.
The Fourth York Post Office.
Traditional Ukrainian embroidery at the Ukrainian Museum of Canada, Ontario Branch.