The Grange

The Grange is a brick building with Georgian architecture from the early 1800s, marked by its five-part facade, double-hung windows, and a low pitched roof. The house kept its original floor plan and room arrangement, so visitors can experience the historic interior as it was designed centuries ago.

The house was built in 1817 for a prominent landowner and stands as one of the few surviving residential estates from Toronto's founding era. Later it became the first home of the city's art museum and an art school, making it central to the city's cultural development.

The house served as a private residence for prominent families and shaped life in the expanding city. You can still see how people arranged rooms and decorated spaces, showing how Toronto's wealthy lived centuries ago.

You can reach the house through the Art Gallery of Ontario, making it easy to combine a visit with other artworks and exhibitions. Take your time walking through each room to notice the details and how spaces connect to one another.

The original property featured gardens where fruit and ornamental plants were grown, spreading across a large area of the developing city. Today only the main house survives from this expansive estate, as the surrounding gardens and grounds gave way to urban expansion.