In the historic part of downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada is North America's only full sized castle. The castle was built in 1911 by architect E.J. Lennox for Sir Henry Pellatt. The castle is in the Edwardian style, and it cost nearly 3.5 million dollars to build. 300 men took three years to build the 2,000 square foot castle. The castle is on a 5-acre property and is the largest private home in Canada.
Sir Henry and his wife lived at Casa Loma for ten years until they experienced financial difficulty, and they were forced to leave their home.
Casa Loma was one of my favorite sites that I visited when I was in Toronto. The castle has four floors and an 800 foot tunnel that leads to the stables, garage and the hunting lodge of Sir Henry. The main floor has a massive hall that looks like a grand hall from an estate in England. There is a large library, dining room, great room and a billiards room. Sir Henry loved gardening and plants. On the main floor is a large conservatory with a fountain, marble flooring and an incredible stained glass domed ceiling.
Visitors can tour the suites of Sir Henry and his wife. Each suite has a bathroom with original amenities, a bedroom and other rooms used to relax and entertain guests. On the top floor, visitors can see the Queen's Own Rifles Museum, and there is a nice view of the hunting lodge from the Austin Room. Sir Henry himself was a member of the Queen's Own Rifles, and he became a commanding officer and was knighted for his service.
After the Pellatt's left the castle served has a luxury hotel for a short time in the 1920's. The original sign is located in the tunnel system. During World War II, the castle hid sonar for U boat detection.
Visitors can also take a stroll through the gardens that are on the property. From the balconies visitors of a view of the Toronto city skyline. The tours are self guided, and you can either pick up a headset that describes each room.
Casa Loma has been a main location to film movies. Some movies that have been filmed there are: The Pacifier, Crimson Peak, X-Men, Chicago, Twitches Too, Goosebumps (TV series), Hemlock Grove (TV) and The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones (TV). Casa Loma also features a vintage car collection in the garage.
Casa Loma is a must see site in Toronto. For a family of four, it will cost close to a 100 dollars, but it is well worth it. To be able to learn about the history of North America's only full sized castle is well worth it.
