the hubby was great and bought one of those city passes that includes a bunch of famous toronto sights and casa loma was one of 'em. we followed advice and went early in the morning on a weekday to avoid the crowds. it wasn't too busy - parking is $3/hr - but there were a lot of school kids running around. the grounds are beautiful - lots of flowers and greenery and lovely fountains and sculptures - and the inside architecture was cool. i'm not sure if i'd pay regular price for admission (i think there were coupons for discounted admission in our hotel lobby if you don't opt for the city pass) but we spent about 3 hours listening to the free audio tour and wandering around. most interesting stuff on the 1st and 2nd floor, 3rd floor is mostly a museum with stairs to get to the top of one of the towers (the view is worth it!).
mr. pellatt's life was a little sad ultimately - was one of the most rich and charitable people in canada - but had to auction off all of his belongings and died penniless. because of that while the architecture is beautiful and they did a great job restoring it (still in the process), the furniture is unfortunately mostly not original.
summary: like the hearst castle of canada 'cept you can conquer it in a few hours. run by the kiwanis club - having money go to a charitable non-profit that preserves historical sites like this spot rocks. :)