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List of museums in Toronto facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Toronto is a big city in Canada, and it's home to many different kinds of museums. These museums are places where you can explore history, art, science, and so much more. You can find museums about farming, beautiful artworks, fashion, food, and even military history. There are also historic houses that show you what life was like long ago, and living museums where people act out history! You can also visit museums about trains, science, and textiles (like fabrics and clothes).

Museums You Can Visit Today

Here's a list of some of the cool museums you can visit in Toronto right now. This list doesn't include online-only museums, even if they are based in Toronto.

Name Image Neighborhood Type Summary
48th Highlanders Museum Exterior front facade of St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church Entertainment District Military (regimental) This museum tells the story of the 48th Highlanders of Canada, a military regiment. It has been located in St. Andrew's Church since 1997.
Aga Khan Museum Exterior facade of the Aga Khan Museum Don Mills Art Explore amazing art and culture from Muslim civilizations around the world.
Art Gallery of Ontario Exterior front entrance facade of the Art Gallery of Ontario at dusk Grange Park Art One of the biggest art museums in North America! It has Canadian and European art, sculptures, and modern art. It also includes The Grange, a historic home.
Art Gallery of York University Exterior view of the Accolade East Building at York University York University Heights Art This gallery at York University shows contemporary (modern) art.
Art Museum at the University of Toronto Discovery District Art This museum at the University of Toronto focuses on contemporary art. It combines two galleries: the Justina M. Barnicke Gallery and the University of Toronto Art Centre.
Bata Shoe Museum Exterior facade of the Bata Shoe Museum from across the intersection Discovery District Fashion Discover the history of shoes from all over the world, from ancient times to today!
Black Creek Pioneer Village View of several heritage buildings at Black Creek Pioneer Village York University Heights Living Step back in time to the 1800s! This is a "living history" museum with old buildings and people dressed in period costumes.
Campbell House Museum Front exterior facade of Campbell House Museum Grange Park Historic house Visit this historic house from 1822, which also has an art gallery.
Canadian Language Museum Front exterior facade of the Glendon Gallery building Lawrence Park Language Learn about the many languages spoken in Canada and how languages are studied. It's located at Glendon College.
Casa Loma Exterior of Casa Loma, June 2012.jpg Casa Loma Historic house This grand castle-like estate was finished in 1914 and became a museum in 1937.
Colborne Lodge Exterior back facade of Colborne Lodge Swansea Historic house A historic house museum that dates back to 1836. The City of Toronto runs this museum.
Enoch Turner School Exterior front entrance of the Enoch Turner School Corktown Living Experience what school was like in the Victorian era (mid-1800s) in this old schoolhouse.
Fort York Birds-eye-view of Fort York Fort York Military This old fort has buildings from the late 1700s and early 1800s. It's a museum about the War of 1812 and often has historical re-enactments.
Gardiner Museum Exterior front facade of the Gardiner Museum Discovery District Art This museum is dedicated to ceramic art, from ancient pottery to modern sculptures.
Gibson House Exterior facade of the Gibson House Willowdale Historic house This historic house from 1851 became a museum in 1971. The City of Toronto runs it.
Hockey Hall of Fame Exterior front entrance facade of the former Bank of Montreal/Hockey Hall of Fame building Financial District Sports A must-see for hockey fans! It celebrates the greatest players and moments in ice hockey history.
Mackenzie House Exterior front facade of Mackenzie House Garden District Historic house This house, built in 1830, became a museum in 1936. It's run by the City of Toronto.
Market Gallery Exterior north facade of St. Lawrence Market South St. Lawrence Multiple Located inside St. Lawrence Market, this gallery has changing exhibits about Toronto's history, art, and culture.
Montgomery's Inn Exterior back facade of Montgomery's Inn The Kingsway Historic house This historic inn was completed in 1832 and is now a museum run by the City of Toronto.
Museum of Contemporary Art Toronto Canada Exterior eastern facade of the Tower Automotive Building from the ground Junction Triangle Art Also known as MOCA, this museum showcases modern art. It used to be called the Museum of Contemporary Canadian Art.
MZTV Museum of Television Liberty Village Media See a collection of historic television sets and other cool TV items.
Ontario Science Centre Aerial view of the Ontario Science Centre from the northeast Flemingdon Park Science A fantastic place to explore science! It has exhibits on geology, nature, space, music, technology, and more.
Osborne Collection of Early Children's Books Exterior main entrance to the Toronto Public Library's Lillian H. Smith branch Grange Park Literature Located in the Lillian H. Smith branch of the Toronto Public Library, this museum has changing exhibits of old children's books, art, and documents.
Power Plant Exterior of The Power Plant Harbourfront Art A gallery that focuses on contemporary (modern) art.
Queen's Own Rifles of Canada Regimental Museum Interior view of the exhibits at the Queen's Own Rifles of Canada Regimental Museum Casa Loma Military (regimental) This museum tells the story of The Queen's Own Rifles of Canada regiment. It's located on the third floor of Casa Loma.
Redpath Sugar Museum View of Redpath Sugar Refinery from Lake Ontario Harbourfront Food Learn about how sugar is made and the history of the sugar industry in Canada. It's located at the Redpath Sugar Refinery.
Riverdale Farm View of a wind wheel near two 19th century wooden structures at Riverdale Farm Cabbagetown Agricultural/historic farm This is a working farm that shows what farm life was like in Ontario from the 1860s to the 1920s.
Royal Canadian Military Institute Museum Exterior east/front facade of the Royal Canadian Military Institute Grange Park Military See a collection of weapons, uniforms, medals, and other military items from around the world.
Royal Ontario Museum Exterior facade of the Royal Ontario Museum from across the intersection of Bloor Street and Avenue Road Discovery District Multiple One of Canada's largest museums! It has exhibits on dinosaurs, ancient cultures, East Asian art, European history, and Canadian history.
Royal Regiment of Canada Museum View of a steel black-coloured archway with the words Fort York Armoury written in the centre of the arc. The exterior of the armoury is visible in the background Fort York Military (regimental) This museum covers the history of The Royal Regiment of Canada and is located in the Fort York Armoury.
Scarborough Museum Exterior facade of Cornell House, with other buildings of the Scarborough Museum in the background Bendale Historic houses Explore the local history of Scarborough with a 1910s period house, a log house from the mid-1800s, and a carriage works. The City of Toronto runs it.
Spadina House Exterior back/east facade of the Spadina House Casa Loma Historic house A historic mansion that shows how four generations of a family lived through different time periods. The City of Toronto runs it.
Textile Museum of Canada Bricked exterior facade of the main entrance to the Textile Museum of Canada Discovery District Textile Discover fabrics, ceremonial cloths, clothing, carpets, and other items made from textiles from around the world.
The Image Centre Exterior facade of The Image Centre at night, with blue and yellow lights illuminating the top portion of the building Garden District Art Run by Toronto Metropolitan University, this centre has galleries for photography, new media, and film.
Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library Interior view of the mezzanine from several storeys above the first floor, at the Thomas Fisdher Rare Book Library Discovery District Literature See changing exhibits of rare books, art, and documents from its amazing collections.
Tollkeeper's Cottage Museum Exterior view of a white wooden building from the 19th century Wychwood Park Historic house This heritage museum from the 1800s shows what a tollkeeper's cottage looked like in the 19th century.
Todmorden Mills View of a red-brick path, with a red-bricked mill that has chimney stack built in its centre to the side of the path Old East York Multiple This site includes a local history and industry museum, an art gallery, and a theatre. The City of Toronto runs it.
Toronto Dominion Gallery of Inuit Art Financial District Art Located in the Toronto-Dominion Centre, this gallery has a collection of beautiful Inuit art.
Toronto Police Museum and Discovery Centre Toronto Police Headquarters July 2012.jpg Discovery District History (law enforcement) Learn about the history of the Toronto Police Service at their headquarters.
Toronto Railway Museum Roundhouse Park Toronto.jpg CityPlace Railway Explore the history of trains and railways at Roundhouse Park.
TD Gallery at the Toronto Reference Library Exterior front/southwest entrance facade of Toronto Reference Library Yorkville Literature Located in the Toronto Reference Library, this gallery has changing exhibits from its collections.
Fourth York Post Office Exterior facade of buildings on the north side of Adelaide Street. Two 19th century brick buildings to the left/west next to a 21st-century glass building. Old Town History (postal) This is a historic working post office and museum.
Zion Schoolhouse Exterior facade of the Zion Schoolhouse Don Valley Village Living This is a "living history" museum where you can learn about education in a one-room schoolhouse built in 1869. The City of Toronto runs it.

Museums That Move Around

Some museums don't have a single building. They create exhibits that pop up in different places!

  • Myseum of Toronto: This "pop-up" museum creates exhibits in various locations across the Greater Toronto Area. It celebrates the history of local communities, cultures, and spaces in Toronto.
  • Theatre Museum Canada: This museum currently hosts exhibits in different venues around Toronto. It plans to have a permanent home in the King Blue condominium development in the Entertainment District in the future.

Museums That Used to Be Here

Some museums used to be in Toronto but have either moved or closed down.

Museums That Moved Away

These museums used to be in Toronto but have since moved to other cities.

Name Image Type Year Opened Year Left Toronto New Location Summary
Canada's Sports Hall of Fame Stanley Barracks.jpg Sports 1955 2006 Calgary, Alberta This famous Canadian sports museum was in Toronto from 1955 to 2006. It moved to Calgary in 2011 to make way for BMO Field.
Canadian Air and Space Museum AVRO-Arrow-Downsview.JPG Aviation 1997 2011 Springwater, Ontario This museum's collection was put into storage in 2011 after its location in Downsview Park closed. It found a new home at Edenvale Airport in Springwater, Ontario, in 2019.

Museums That Are Closed Now

These museums in Toronto have closed down.

Name Image Type Opened Closed Summary
Canada's Design Museum The former Toronto Stock Exchange building Design 2012 2019 This museum was located inside the original Toronto Stock Exchange building.
CBC Museum Entrance to the CBC Museum Media 1994 2017 This museum was located in the Canadian Broadcasting Centre.
Children's Own Museum Children's 1997 2002 This museum for kids started as a temporary exhibit and later moved to the McLaughlin Planetarium.
McLaughlin Planetarium McLaughlin Planetarium in 2008 Planetarium 1968 1995 This building, where you could learn about space, closed in 1995. The University of Toronto now owns it.
Museum of Inuit Art Inuit30.jpg Art 2007 2016 This museum was located in Queen's Quay Terminal.
Olympic Spirit Toronto Sports 2004 2006 This museum was all about the Olympics. Its building is now used for TV studios.
Toronto Maritime Museum Maritime 1958 2008 This museum, which was about ships and the sea, closed in 2008.

See also

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