I was so delighted to visit Casa Loma in Toronto this past weekend. I was fortunate to get to visit because I was invited to Canada’s Best 100 Restaurants. It was a very quick trip but as usual, in true mom who has alone time fashion, I was able to pack in as much as possible. Including going to Casa Loma. Who knew there was a castle in the middle of a downtown metropolis??

Originally I was going to go to the Royal Ontario Museum, which is a favourite of mine. But I am really glad that I searched for spooky/witchy things to do in Toronto because it was amazing. And so creepy!

I have done quite a few creepy/witchy travels over the years and I plan to share more about them because my travel and experience blog posts are some of my most read and shared.

I went to Casa Loma on a sunny and bright spring afternoon. Meanwhile it was snowing back home in Winnipeg and I am showing up to tulips fully in bloom and blossoming trees everywhere.

Rising above the city on a hill, Casa Loma feels like something pulled from another world. Stone walls. Towering turrets. Hidden passageways. It doesn’t feel like Toronto. It feels like a memory of somewhere older.

Casa Loma was built between 1911 and 1914 as the dream home of financier Sir Henry Pellatt, a man driven by ambition and imagination.

Inspired by European castles, he set out to create something extraordinary. It is a Gothic Revival mansion with nearly 100 rooms, sprawling gardens, and architectural details that felt both regal and theatrical. At the time, it was the largest private residence in Canada.

But like many grand stories, it didn’t last. After less than a decade of living in the castle, Pellatt was forced to leave due to financial hardship, brought on by shifting economic conditions and rising costs. The dream unraveled almost as quickly as it was built.

The castle stood empty for years. Then transformed into a hotel, a gathering place, a relic of something that once was.

Today, Casa Loma is a historic landmark and one of Toronto’s most visited attractions, drawing hundreds of thousands of visitors each year. But beyond its history, there’s something else people notice.The feeling. It’s enchanting but also spooky.

Long corridors that seem to stretch just a little too far. Rooms that feel like they’ve witnessed something. A stillness that isn’t quite empty. Some say it’s just atmosphere. Others aren’t so sure. Stories of unexplained sounds, shifting doors, and lingering presences have followed the castle for years adding to its reputation as one of the more haunted places in Canada. I got many a vibe while wandering through its numerous hallways and winding stair wells. Many a whiff too with very physical clairalience scents throughout. Particularly the underground tunnels, the “Vault” and the top of the tower turrets.
But then as creepy as it was, I also was completely enamoured with the blossoms from massive magnolia trees, spectacular chandeliers and an old time feeling you only get from a place like this.
Casa Loma is more than architecture. It’s a story of desire. Of building something beautiful and ambitious,
and the cost that sometimes comes with it. It’s romance, but not the soft kind. The kind that lingers. The kind that leaves traces. Haunting romance if you will. Very on brand for me these days.

And that’s why it still draws people in. Not just to see it but to feel it. Some places don’t just exist, they hold memory and massive energy. When you walk through Casa Loma, it almost feels like it remembers you too.

Something to note is the gardens were shut down as they were under construction. As was the garden conservatory which was unfortunate because I know that would have been spectacular. But it was all set up for a proposal and I got to have a nice peek inside. Soooo cutesy 🥺🖤