Distillery District

The Distillery District is a restored industrial site in Toronto featuring about 40 heritage buildings constructed from red brick in the 1800s, arranged along cobblestone streets and lined with original factory structures. Today the grounds contain restaurants, shops, galleries, and performance spaces within the repurposed production buildings.

The site began operations in 1832 as a distillery and expanded into one of North America's largest spirits producers throughout the 1800s. After production ceased, the original buildings underwent conversion into residential and cultural spaces.

The district serves today as a gathering place for visual and performing artists who exhibit and perform in renovated industrial spaces throughout the area. You encounter galleries, live music venues, and studios where local creative work happens regularly.

The site is designed as a pedestrian zone with limited vehicle traffic and has many cafés, restaurants, and shops scattered throughout the grounds. Plan to wear comfortable shoes and allow adequate time to walk through the different areas and buildings.

At its peak the distillery produced over two million gallons of whisky annually, supplying large portions of North America with spirits. Visitors today can observe the scale of this enormous production capacity reflected in the size and arrangement of the factory buildings.