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Photo: Canmenwalker, CC BY 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons
The Wychwood Barns is a former streetcar depot converted into an establishment for art organizations. The area is now a public park, and the public may enter the main corridors of the building. The roof on the southern section of the building has been removed and the area is an experimental fruit and vegetable garden. Off the building's main corridor is a cafe and a WC. Outside of event days, the site is fairly quiet, and usually art is not displayed in the public areas. The building was built in stages from 1916 to 1921 and the facility once had over 20 tracks for the storage and maintenance of streetcars. On the western side of the "barns", you can see curving black-coloured sidewalks; these trace the path of the former streetcar tracks that used to circle the building. Inside, there are a few old photos of streetcars.
Artscape Wychwood Barns is a community centre and park in the Bracondale Hill area of Toronto. The converted heritage building was built as a streetcar maintenance facility in 1913. It now contains artist housing and studios, public green space, a greenhouse, a farmer's market, a beach volleyball court, a theatre, a dog run, and office space for many local community groups. The site is a total of 5,574 square metres.
© OpenStreetMap contributors
Built in 1916, this cute "Amsterdam"-style fire station has a three-storey main section with two bays and a tower located at the rear.
The Tollkeeper's Park
This 1835 cottage housed the family of a tollkeeper who collected tolls along Bathurst St. The cottage contains period furnishings. In the south-west corner of the park, there is an exhibit of 19th century road paving materials using logs.
The Castle Loma stables are located on the north side of this tiny park. The stable building is a fanciful, castle-style building. There was an underground passage between Casa Loma and the stables..
The Hemingway
From October 1923 to January 1924, Ernest Hemingway lived in a top-floor unit of this attractive, four-storey, brick and stucco apartment building, renamed The Hemingway after its former resident. While in Toronto Hemingway worked as a journalist for the Toronto Star newspaper. Although the building is not open to the public, there is a small oval historical plaque by the building entrance.
In 1911, financier Sir Henry Mill Pellatt decided to construct Canada's largest private residence. The resulting European-style castle is now a Toronto landmark and popular tourist attraction. Casa Loma has decorated suites, secret passages, a 250-metre long tunnel, towers, stables and beautiful 5-acre estate gardens. A self-guided digital audio tour in 8 languages (English, French, Japanese, German, Italian, Spanish, Mandarin and Korean) is available.
Adjacent to Casa Loma, this museum gives a more authentic version of Canada's history. It's also a cultural centre, hosting music and art events. Hours and admission vary with the season. Check the website for what's on, or call their event hotline at +1 416-338-3888.