While I was researching where to go on our trip to Toronto, one building really stood out to me: Casa Loma. The Edwardian building jumped out at me, because it’s the only castle in a bustling metropolis, so it obviously stands out. The 98 room castle was built in the early 1900s by a wealthy Canadian Businessman named Sir Henry Pellatt who wanted to flaunt his wealth in the burgeoning city. Unfortunately, his lavish spending on the castle, several bad investments, and the first World War spelled financial ruin for him, and some of what he had planned to add such as the indoor swimming pool and bowling alleys were never completed. Casa Loma briefly served as a luxury hotel and has been the filming site for several movies and TV shows such as Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows, X-Men, Pulp Fiction, and it was also the castle shown in Disney’s Beauty & the Beast Live Action adaptation.
I highly recommend purchasing a CityPASS in every city it’s available in, like Toronto, because you’ll save 36% on all of the city’s most popular destinations! They can be purchased at any CityPASS location, such as Casa Loma!
These 30 photos are sure to inspire you to visit this famous Canadian landmark and see for yourself how the other half lived in the early 1900s.
The Exterior of the castle was very impressive, and was one of the first parts of the castle that was completed. We spotted a number of mythical creature motifs around the castle such as a unicorn and what looked like a griffin. Can you spot them?
The Ballrooms and Library were built to seat more than 100 people for dinner parties. These rooms lead out onto a gorgeous terrace with a view of the city that would have been unmatched before the time of skyscrapers and high-rises. During our visit, we overhead someone discussing wedding plans with one of the staff members, and I think this would be the perfect spot to be married. The room with the fountain and plants even has a gorgeous stained glass ceiling that illuminates the room in an almost magical way. I could’ve spent an entire day photographing these rooms!
The Living Quarters were perhaps the most impressive part of castle. Sir Henry’s wife, Lady Mary had exquisite taste in decor, and the original furniture and textiles have been well preserved over the century. I think one of the most striking rooms in the entire castle was her golden sitting room shown below, with brocade curtains, tassel trim, and a ceramic chandelier with a pink tea rose motif over gold paint. The handwoven rug in that room was also one of the most brilliant rugs I’ve ever seen, and I heard someone mention that it took more than a year to create. The Pellats spent more than $3.5 Million dollars in the 1910s building and decorating this castle, which is equivalent to nearly $25 Million dollars today.
If you’re feeling adventurous like we were, climb up a few stories of spiral staircases to the highest point of the castle and head out on the roof, which offers a phenomenal view of Toronto’s skyline. This vantage point is one of the best in the city for capturing all of the beautiful buildings Toronto is famous for. Once you’ve taken enough photos to last a lifetime (not that I spent 20 minutes up on the roof taking photos or anything), head down to the lowest point of the castle and walk the 800 foot tunnel to the stables which also look like a castle, and grab a bite to eat in the castle’s cafe. We tried the waffles pictured below with fresh fruit, whipped cream, and Canadian Maple Syrup, and it was absolutely out of this world!
Did these photos inspire you to visit Casa Loma in Toronto? If so, please share this post or pin a few images to Pinterest! Thank you so much for reading!
xAnnie Fairfax
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Jessica Malinowski says
So beautiful!
Tara H says
Such a beautiful building/interior!