Casa Loma, Gothic Revival house museum in midtown Toronto, Canada
Casa Loma is a Gothic Revival mansion of rough grey ashlar stone on the Davenport hill in midtown Toronto. Its central section rises into a tall tower with a steep roof, beside a massive round tower with a crenellated parapet; a rounded bay with tall windows and a pointed-arch entrance arcade projects at the front.
A financier commissioned this residence at the beginning of the twentieth century, employing hundreds of workers over several years. Financial difficulties forced him to leave the house less than a decade after its completion.
The name is Spanish for "Hill House", referring to the Davenport Hill escarpment where Henry Pellatt bought land in 1903 and registered it in his wife Mary's name. The mansion has served as a filming location and can be rented in the evenings after the museum closes, and it is a popular venue for wedding ceremonies.
The residence opens daily in the morning and closes in the late afternoon, with visitors able to secure entry online or on site. Ramps and elevators allow wheelchair users to reach most areas, though some towers require climbing stairs.
In the former stables beneath the main building, scientists worked during the second world war on developing underwater sound technology. Visitors today can walk through these rooms and see the environment where this secret research took place.
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