The Atlas Obscura Guide To Toronto

47 Cool, Hidden, and Unusual Things to Do in Toronto, Ontario

Updated April 3, 2023

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Unusual Attractions in Toronto

The Bilio-Mat

Toronto, Ontario

The Monkey's Paw

A book collector's dream, this Toronto bookstore has the world's first "Biblio-Mat," a random book vending machine.

The Winter Garden Theatre.

Toronto, Ontario

Winter Garden Theatre

A botanically themed auditorium blooms within the world’s last operating double-decker theater.

View of Casa Loma from the garden

Toronto, Ontario

Casa Loma

A 98-room castle in the middle of Toronto that bankrupted a 19th century electricity multimillionaire.

Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library

Toronto, Ontario

Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library

One of Canada's most incredible rare book collections holds hundreds of thousands of gorgeous tomes that the general public can touch.

This peacock was part of the 2017 holiday show. Its tail feathers are made from kalanchoe and echeveria.

Toronto, Ontario

Allan Gardens Conservatory

The Victorian-era greenhouse is stuffed with tropical plants, and open 365 days a year.

You could fit a lot of Ninja Turtles in there.

Toronto, Ontario

Sewers of Toronto

A well-preserved network of cavernous tunnels have spent silent centuries removing Toronto's waste.

Extinct woolly rhino skull.

Toronto, Ontario

SkullStore Oddity Shop

A collection of human remains, animal body parts, and other macabre curiosities all legally for sale.

Crazy Doll House on Bertmount Ave.

Toronto, Ontario

Leslieville's Crazy Doll House

This Toronto garden collects stares and tchotchkes in equal measure.

See All 47 Things To Do in Toronto

Cool Places to Eat & Drink in Toronto

Toronto, Ontario

Redpath Sugar Refinery Museum

In the back of a bustling factory lurks a quiet museum honoring the history of Canadian sugar manufacturing.

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Architectural Oddities 8

Parks 7

Collections 7

Animals 5

Plants 5

Art 4

Gardens 4

Statues 4

Libraries 4

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Stories About Toronto

Before artist Courtney Senior launched International Art and Found Day in 2020, she would regularly leave packages with this message around Toronto.

Inside the World of 'Art Dropping'

Why you should be on the lookout for free paintings this March 12th.

by Hannah Steinkopf-Frank

This Janice Poon creation is an eerily accurate dish of ortolan bunting, made out of marzipan. The method of killing and eating the tiny European songbirds is infamously cruel, and France has outlawed eating them.

The Food Stylist Who Creates Hollywood's Unreal Dishes and Drinks

Hearts made out of brioche and braised human legs are on the menu.

by Paolo Espanola

September 29, 2020

Ringuette at the Bickford Centre, a Toronto school board property, decorated with murals by indigenous artists.

How an Indigenous Chef Fights for Food Sovereignty

Johl Whiteduck Ringuette wants to give indigenous Canadians control over their own food.

by Sono Motoyama

Bejeweled mojari are from Hyderabad, early or mid-1800s.

Walking the Walk With a Professional Shoe Conservator

The past, present, and future of footwear, from an expert charged with keeping soles intact.

by Jessica Leigh Hester

January 2, 2018

Toronto's Island Baseball Fields Are Now Home to Some Fish

Lake Ontario runneth over at the moment.

by Erik Shilling

An artist's rendering of the worm.

Found: The Fossil of a Giant, Extinct, 400-Million-Year-Old Worm

It went unnoticed in a museum for years.

by Erik Shilling

February 21, 2017

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