| rev:text
| - First thing that you must know: allow yourself a 1/2 day here. The admission is $20 buy you get an audio tour included with that and the audio tour comes with a wealth of information! I agree with other reviewers that it is essential for the enjoyment of the home, especially if you are a history/ architecture nerd (and, really, why would you be visiting Casa Loma if you aren't?). If you are a CAA/ AAA member, ask for the discount. It's only 10% but every little bit helps, right? I know that $20 seems steep to some but we went to the CN tower the day before Casa Loma and spent more on admission there for FAR less time at the attraction! If you view this as the half day event that it is, it's a pretty good value for a tourist destination.
The house is nothing compared to some of the grand mansions built around this time in the States (Biltmore, Hearst) but the story of the man, his dream and, ultimately, his great loss, is very interesting. Between the audio tour and the "documentary" they show, you get a lot id interesting information about Toronto and the family who dreamt about creating a smaller version of a castle in the city they loved.
As another reviewer mentioned, the audio tour is a little but difficult to follow from floor to floor (the order does not seem to be intuitive) but it's usable with a little bit of playing attention.
The gardens are also beautiful and definitely worth a stroll around. Wear comfortable shoes because there are a lot of steps in the house and on the grounds. We took the subway there and that added an additional BIG hill to walk up to reach Casa Loma but it did save us that parking expense, which others report is pricy.
If you are looking for thrills and action, this is not your stop but of you seek a peaceful, interesting 1/2 day, Casa Loma might be right up your alley.
|