Unusual Things To See in Toronto

If you live in Toronto or are visiting the city, you have probably seen Toronto’s major attractions such as the CN Tower, Royal Ontario Museum, Ontario Science Centre, Ripley’s Aquarium and the Art Gallery of Ontario. These are must-see attractions, but Toronto has some unusual places to see that you’ll want to capture on your Instagram account. Read further to learn about these unusual things to see in Toronto.

Leslieville’s Dollhouse

Located at 37 Bertmount Avenue in the Leslieville neighbourhood, the “Dollhouse” has been attracting attention for the past ten years. A private residence whose front yard is packed full of popular dolls and cartoon characters. Some dolls are replaced with doll figures that are appropriate to the season (see the snowmen in the above photo). It’s a house like no other and has to be experienced to be believed. Bermount Avenue is north of Queen Street East and east of Jones Avenue.

Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library

Whether you are passionate about books or not, this is the kind of place that you don’t want to miss while in Toronto. Unfortunately, many people do. Part of the University of Toronto, this library is a must-see attraction because you can find some of the most rare books in the entire world. The great part about the experience here is any visitor can request to view these rare books. Just to give you a taste of what you can find here, some of the holdings include: Shakespeare’s First Folio, Charles Darwin’s annotated proof sheets of The Power of Movement in Plants, Newton’s Principia and the Nuremberg Chronicle. Located at 120 St. George Street, 2nd floor.

The Danforth Music Hall

This 100-year-old music venue holds a special place in the hearts of Torontonians, and it might become one of your favourites too. There’s a bunch of events happening at this intimate venue all the time, much beyond the scope of music concerts. If you’re a sports person (or you just want to have an interesting experience), you might be able to score tickets to one of the boxing matches at the hall. Who knows, maybe you’ll get inspired by the Rev MMA guys to enroll in a boxing program.

The Cineforum

If you’re visiting Toronto and you want to see a movie, but you’re tired of a traditional movie theatre, this is definitely the place for you. The owner of the Cineforum, Reg Hartt, turned his living room into a tourist attraction in 1992. The screening room seats a maximum number of 20 people, so it’s a very intimate experience. The most interesting part about this experience is Mr. Hartt gives his guests a lecture at the beginning and at the end of each movie, and he’s known to be very boisterous. He’s also known to yell at his guests who ask him to screen modern movies.

Gibraltar Point Lighthouse

For lighthouse enthusiasts, Toronto has a lighthouse right downtown. You’ll find the Gibraltar Point Lighthouse on the southwestern part of Centre Island. Apparently, it’s haunted by the ghost of John Paul Radelmüller, the lighthouse keeper who was murdered there many years ago.

Hanlan’s Point Nude Beach

Located on Toronto Islands, just west of Centre Island, you’ll find Hanlan’s Point Nude Beach. For a one kilometre stretch at the south end of the beach, clothing is optional. Signs are posted to show where the beach starts and ends so you’ll know where you can legally strip down at this beach. Hanlan’s Point is accessed by the Centre Island ferry.

Toronto’s Half House

Yes, you’ve read that right! There’s an actual half house in the City of Toronto. If you are in downtown Toronto, you’ll want to see why this building is considered one of the unusual things to see in Toronto. The half house resulted when one of the owners of this semi-detached home refused to sell his property along with the owner of the adjoining semi-detached home to a developer. The new purchaser had his half of the house demolished, which left the remaining half standing. You’ll definitely have a double take as you pass by this house. You’ll find the half house at 54 1/2 St. Patrick Street, just north of Queen Street West.

Toronto is a rich city with an abundance of culture. Go beyond visiting the main attractions so that you can get a real feel for the city. By checking out these unusual things to see in Toronto, you’ll experience something out of the ordinary that you’ll remember in the years to come.