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    Gibson House Museum

    4.6 (8 reviews)

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    Gibson House, North York, ON.

    My father is a history enthusiast and, whilst growing up, my parents took me to visit many of Toronto's historical houses that operate as museums. Now, as a fully fledged adult, I visited Gibson House, on a whim, one cold, windy afternoon in early April 2022. Located in Willowdale, steps from Mel Lastman Square/ North York Centre subway station, Gibson House is the nineteenth century farm house of the Scottish immigrant, surveyor, farmer and politico David Gibson and his family. I booked an $8 ticket online and took the guided, yet interactive tour, with one other member of the public. The experience starts with the viewing of a short film about what land acknowledgements truly mean in the larger context of a colonial history. The tour itself distances itself from any past romanticism of the early Canadian "settlers" and is clearly attempting to incorporate a 360° view of the time period, through the dismantling of a largely British and male-dominated POV. Per the City of Toronto, "Gibson House recognizes the complex settler colonial history and, beginning in 2022, will be working with Indigenous partners and staff to tell this story through an Indigenous lens." The house itself is simple. It has been stripped of a lot of the genteel decor pictured in older reviews. There is some much needed repair to be done but I am certain that current budgets do not allow for it. The Gibson House is clearly in the midst of transition to become a museum that reflects a more encompassing history. I hope that this objective is fully realized and that the house can be preserved and utilized as a vehicle for this objective. My tour guide was friendly and informative. I got a lot out of my visit and I will continue to pursue my ongoing reeducation in the history of this land. I was very lucky that the other person on the tour with me was a professional historian in his own right and so I really received a 2-for-1 tour experience. Do not book a tour of Gibson House expecting period costumes and romanticized notions of a gentler time. Go and learn something unexpected while having your eyes widened and mind opened at the same time.

    Jennifer K.

    Thanks for Doors Open, I have a chance to visit Gibson House Museum without paying an admission but without any tours available during that 2 days. The "House" itself was built in 1851 is really well maintained and decorated with furniture and details of the time period. Walking through the rooms give visitors ideas of how the life over 150 years ago! There is limited free parking on the site. Finding the actual museum though is a little tricky as it is not really located directly on Yonge Street and surrounded by condominiums.

    Entry was free. We arrived at 12:00pm on a Thursday and they had about 4 free parking spots on their driveway. It felt like we stepped back in time and enjoyed exploring the 2 floor house.

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    Illuminarium Toronto

    Illuminarium Toronto

    2.9(8 reviews)
    14.0 kmDistillery District

    We went for the double feature of the Wizard of Oz and the Lite Brite show, and I must say, it was…read morea unique experience that was enjoyable. The moving animated story of Wizard of Oz projected onto all the walls was interesting and visually pleasing. You have 2 hosts, narrating and guiding the audience through the story which lasts about 30 min. Definitely a unique format to present and view a story, and I could see the little children really enjoying this. The Lite Brite show was also pretty neat as well with different themed features (dinosaurs, space, under water...etc) with interactive game components are narrated by the same hosts who was part of the Wizard of Oz earlier. May not be everyone's cup of tea, but for our groups of a pre-teen and 4 young at hearts, we had a good time.

    If you're considering this venue for an event, don't…read more At a recent private event, crowd control was severely mismanaged. On site, security and event organizers confirmed Illuminarium made the call to just let people get their own items at coat check, which I've never seen before. This resulted in hundreds of guests shoving into the area and tossing their tags. Items were thrown around and confrontations broke out when people realized their coats were being taken. It was chaotic, unsafe and some, including myself, who stayed until early morning to look for their items, lost their coats and left in freezing weather conditions. Since the event, Illuminarium has focused on blaming other attendees for potential theft. They concluded they could not identify on security footage in the chaos, as expected. The issue was not about theft or coat check risk, that can happen at any event. This was clearly a logistical failure and mistakes can always happen. However, after several emails, Illuminarium has closed the issue without taking any responsibility, offering any apology or resolution of any kind. Based on their responses, I'm no longer expecting a resolution, but I hope sharing this helps others avoid a similar experience.

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    Illuminarium Toronto
    Illuminarium Toronto
    Illuminarium Toronto

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    Casa Loma

    Casa Loma

    3.7(409 reviews)
    10.2 kmCasa Loma

    I recently attended a wedding at Casa Loma and was absolutely blown away. The service was…read moreexceptional from start to finish. The staff was professional, attentive, and incredibly accommodating. The castle itself felt like something out of a fairy tale. The outdoor tent was stunning, and every detail of the grounds added to the experience. Between the beautiful waterfall, lawn games, signature drinks, and breathtaking views, there was always something to enjoy. The food was far beyond what you would expect from a typical wedding menu. My husband ordered the Chilean sea bass, and I had the ribeye. Both were cooked perfectly and absolutely delicious. My favorite appetizers were the coconut shrimp, dumplings, and burger sliders. Every bite was memorable. I also appreciated how well maintained the venue was throughout the event. The restrooms remained clean and fully stocked all evening, which says a lot about the level of care and attention to detail. Casa Loma was beautiful during the day, but it became truly magical after sunset. I would love to return for a daytime tour to experience the castle in a completely different way. If you're ever visiting Toronto, I highly recommend checking out the restaurant or attending an event here. If the restaurant menu is anything like what was served at the wedding, you're in for a treat. 10/10 experience. The food, service, and atmosphere were unforgettable.

    If you are a history buff and like to see architecture and interior choices of the rich I would…read morerecommend this place. At most looking at everything takes about 2 hours. The rooms are cool and the info displayed for each zone is riveting. The best moment I had was being downstairs where the stables were and seeing Lady Pellatt's wedding dress. I talked with the museum attendant who shared an interest in sewing and we discussed clothing choices of the time. The only complaint is with the bathrooms. I got there when it opened and used the bathroom early on. I must know, why was there fecal particles on the toilet seat already? So my only critique is that the public bathrooms need to be cleaned better.

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    Casa Loma - One of the guest bedrooms

    One of the guest bedrooms

    Casa Loma - Bedroom with seating area

    Bedroom with seating area

    Casa Loma - There was a ballroom gala inside.

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    There was a ballroom gala inside.

    Immersive Van Gogh Exhibit - https://boeloot.com/products/van-gogh-in-summary-canvas

    Immersive Van Gogh Exhibit

    3.1(45 reviews)
    14.5 km

    This exhibit is now version 2 for 2025. I didn't go to the original, but this version was really…read morenice and fun. It was a bit overpriced, but the movie, videos and effects were very immersive and a lot of fun. I enjoyed how they tried to tell a story through video - it was art in and of itself. Customer service was also friendly, informative and helpful. Worth a trip!

    I was able to visit the Van Gogh Exhibit twice. They got 3/5 for hospitality/customer-service, but…read moreif not for that, the exhibit itself would be 2/5. The first time I went was as a Drive Through Experience during the Spring of 2021. Unfortunately the experience was very lackluster. You go through all the trouble of booking a time slot, and when you arrive, not only is there no space to enter, but there is no free parking as you have to wait for the cars ahead of you to go through. Its basically a drive through, but they should have accounted for having X number of cars during time period Y. When we finally started driving through, there was no real explanation of the exhibits or paintings, just a projected screen, and when we wanted to stop to take photos, we were told we had to keep moving. I'd previously made a review explaining this, however the manager (or someone in charge) contacted our group and offered to give complimentary tickets for the summer as they were back to in-person. Thats the only reason for the 3/5. As for the in person, yes there was social distancing circles, but they didn't do much as everyone freely moved around the whole time without staff intervening. Again, no real explanation for the photos as they were projected, just projected images accompanied by music. If the exhibit wasn't titled Van Gogh, you might not even know it was his paintings being projected.

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    Immersive Van Gogh Exhibit
    Immersive Van Gogh Exhibit - The tour starts here!

    The tour starts here!

    Immersive Van Gogh Exhibit

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    Gibson House Museum - museums - Updated July 2026

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