Textile Museum of Canada, Textile museum in downtown Toronto, Canada

The Textile Museum of Canada in downtown Toronto presents around 15,000 objects from different eras and regions around the world. The collection ranges from ancient ceremonial garments to modern pieces and shows the diversity of handcrafted textile production.

The museum was founded in 1975 as the Canadian Museum of Carpets and Textiles and was first housed in Mirvish Village. It later moved to its current downtown location, where it developed into a leading institution for textile arts.

The museum's name changed from the Canadian Museum of Carpets and Textiles to the Textile Museum of Canada as its holdings grew beyond carpets. Its Canadian Tapestry: The Fabric of Cultural Diversity project puts 7,000 artifacts online, with a second phase adding 3,500 more. Lectures, round-table discussions, workshops, music and dance performances, hands-on demonstrations and public tours run alongside the exhibitions.

The museum sits at 55 Centre Avenue, near Dundas Street and University Avenue in downtown Toronto, a short walk from St. Patrick subway station. Its galleries, the H.N. Pullar Library and the museum shop are reached from the same entrance, so a visit can be combined with the nearby Art Gallery of Ontario. The building is wheelchair accessible.

Inside the museum is the H.N. Pullar Library, a specialized research collection focused on traditional handcrafting techniques. There, those interested can explore the world of artisanal textile work in depth, away from industrial mass production.