Have a special knack for ceramics, shoes, textiles or period decor? This is your guide to uncovering the lesser-known hidden gems for all your niche interests.
The Aga Khan Museum's building architecture alone is a work of art
Music and dance performances, plus theatre, lectures, workshops and film screenings, coexist with the permanent collection at this museum dedicated to the history of Islamic civilizations.
The Gardiner Museum focuses on making, looking and thinking through clay and ceramics
Shoeaholics will delight in this staggering display of footwear, housed in a striking, shoebox-shaped building. Ancient Egyptian sandals, chestnut-crushing clogs and 20th-century celebrity shoes are all here!
Take a #museumselfie with a microphone from 1910, on the main floor of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation’s Toronto Broadcasting Centre, or tune in to interactive TV exhibits, plus cool archival materials from as far back as the 1930s.
The province’s member-based crafters’ organization hosts public exhibitions of artisan works, including furniture and textile sculptures, in its airy gallery. It’s also home to the Craft Ontario Shop and Inuit & Native Gallery.
Explore culturally significant artifacts at the Textile Museum of Canada
Mirroring Toronto’s diversity, over 200 global regions are represented in this downtown museum’s more than 13,000-piece collection, which includes rare religious artifacts.
Canadian art is the focus at this gallery, where you might spot iconic works and contemporary digital photographic artwork. Check for events like pay-what-you-can drop-in yoga.
Discover the art of yoga at the Art Gallery of Mississauga
Brampton’s PAMA programming runs the gamut, from regional military history to contemporary graphic novels. The gallery’s permanent art collection boasts 4,300 works, with Peel Region landscapes holding pride of place.
Find the Power Plant Contemporary Art Gallery right on the edge of the lakefront
Part of a working power plant until 1980, Harbourfront’s tall smokestack will lead you to this gallery, which celebrates more than 30 years this year. Enjoy sweeping lake views, along with thought-provoking exhibitions by leading Canadian and international contemporary artists.
If you love period shows like Downton Abbey, Spadina House captures Jazz Age Toronto as experienced by the Austin family, in a manse that’s now a museum. Discover period decor and artifacts, along with six acres of restored 1905 gardens.
Toronto-based writer, editor and content creator Helen Racanelli describes herself as “unabashedly basic.” “A food court lunch with a friend followed by a dose of mall shopping is my happy place,” she says. Favourite spots for both are Eaton Centre, Yorkdale and Dufferin Malls in inclement weather, and Stockyards or Shops at Don Mills when it’s fine out. Secret Toronto spot: Yorkville Village for “swanky shops, a cozy-chic food court and a Whole Foods.” Twitter: @helenrac
