As you stroll down Queen Street in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, you’ll eventually come across Niagara Apothecary, a restored 19th century pharmacy belonging to the Ontario Heritage Trust and operated as a museum by the Ontario College of Pharmacists. Although only one room, you could spend ages in the museum, examining the many displays in cases and …
Category: Museums
Justina M. Barnicke Gallery at Hart House
As noted in my previous post, last night I was glad to have the unexpected opportunity to check out the University of Toronto Art Museums, the first of which was University of Toronto Art Centre at University College. I also paid a visit to Justina M. Barnicke Gallery at Hart House. While I was very …
University of Toronto Art Centre at University College
Last night I had the unexpected chance to check out the University of Toronto’s two art galleries, which are open late on Wednesday evenings (and closed weekends). I’d never been to the University of Toronto Art Centre at University College, which opened in 1996 in, uh, University College on the downtown campus. The current exhibit …
Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library
Anyone entering Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library, for the first or the hundredth time, who doesn’t say “wow” isn’t paying attention. Part of the University of Toronto, the library holds regular exhibitions in a gallery space on the main floor. The current exhibition, The Lumiere Press Archives: Photography and the Fine Press, showcases the work …
Haunted House of Wax (Niagara Falls, NY)
Alright, I admit this is playing a bit fast and loose with my definition of “museum,” but the Haunted House of Wax in Niagara Falls, New York, is an (art?) exhibit of sculptures of a kind, so it qualifies. After a serious conference day, I couldn’t resist a visit to this place across the street …
The Vault at One King West
One of the best things about my 100 Museums Challenge project is finding places in my own city that I never knew existed. The Vault at One King West in Toronto is a terrific example. Now an event venue (“Perfect for pre-reception cocktails or small corporate parties”) under One King West Hotel & Residence, the …
Casa Loma
Here are five things I learned during my afternoon at Casa Loma. 1. It is worth making your way to the third floor and climbing up the spiral stairs, if you are able, to the open-air Norman Tower, for the stunning views of Toronto. Casa Loma sits on top of the escarpment which is the …
Allan Gardens
Downtown Toronto’s indoor botanical garden, Allan Gardens (free! open every day!), is where you go when winter is too much. The main Palm House conservatory we see today (above) opened in 1910, replacing an 1879 pavilion destroyed by fire in 1902. There are five other greenhouses, including (with plants per the City of Toronto’s Allan …
Colborne Lodge
Colborne Lodge is the fourth of the ten City of Toronto Museums I’ve visited this year (after Gibson House, Market Gallery, and Scarborough Museum). Last year a friend and I had the privilege of a private tour of the interior, due to our being the only walk-ins at the time on the freezingest Sunday in …
Scarborough Museum
I’ve decided to make it a priority to visit the ten City of Toronto Museums as part of my 100 Museums Challenge this year, if at all possible. One that I’ve never been to, due to its being far out of my regular paths, is the Scarborough Museum. Kudos and warm thanks to the knowledgeable …