The best thing about Toronto is its hidden gems. The city’s rich history and cultural diversity give it such an interesting topography. Every nook and cranny has a story to tell, it’s like a fractal of adventure. Below we’ve compiled a list of best-hidden gems in Toronto to explore. Many of these are either places that you walk by every day, that just deserve a closer look. Some are even common tourist areas, that have more to reveal than the usual ‘Gram.
Planning a visit to the City? Be sure to check out our -> 12 of the Best hotels in Toronto for Families
The Best Hidden Gems in Toronto to Explore:
Table of Contents:
Osgoode Hall
What lies beyond the iron fence? Located at one of the busiest intersections in Toronto, very few ever look beyond the iron gates. Hidden behind the fence is one city’s oldest buildings and home to the Superior Court of Justice.
Starting in 1828 the Law Society of Upper Canada acquired the property. Osgoode Hall has been a hub for legal activity. Walking behind the iron gates transports you away to a time long passed. A cobbled stone walkway takes you around the stately, Palladian-style building. The inside, which is also open to the public, is even more beautiful than the outside. There are intricate floor designs and high vaulted stained glass ceilings.
Make sure to pay a visit to the 2 libraries. The Great Library has an amazing plaster ceiling. Whereas the American Room is smaller. With its walls covered with floor-to-ceiling wooden shelves filled to the brim with books. There’s an iron staircase to the second floor and a beautiful stained glass roof. Do keep in mind the library is an actual reference library that is in use. So be mindful and keep your voices down.
Ireland Park
Toronto has a great waterfront. There’s an abundance of parks, restaurants, shops and public spaces. Including, hidden away beneath the shadow of the Canada Malting Silos at the west end of Queen’s Quay is one of our favourite hidden gems in Toronto, Ireland Park.
This haunting memorial commemorates the men, women and children who fled Ireland during the great famine in 1847. The park marks the spot where they first landed in Toronto. 5 bronze statues capture the emotion of the Irish as they first arrived in Toronto. Mirroring a similar piece in Dublin of their departure.
There is also a large structure built with large slabs of Limestone imported from Kilkenny Ireland engraved with the names of those who died in 1847 relating to the event. The park also offers great views of the Toronto skyline and being right beside the Billy Bishop Airport, is a great place to watch the planes take off and land.
Kensington Market
Kensington Market is the favourite of many people to visit in Toronto. Its rich history and collection of eclectic stores draw tons of visitors daily. Especially on pedestrian Sundays, when Kensington’s streets can get packed.
What many may not know is Kensington is also home to 3 secret neighbourhoods, a Superkul cottage and one of the best views of the Toronto skyline.
The first hidden neighbourhood Kensington Place is located just off Kensington Ave in the alley by the Mona Lisa. Fitzroy Terrace and the Superkul Gradient house are located just south of Kensington Place. The last neighbourhood Glen Baillie Place is off Spadina Avenue, just south of St Andrew street.
You can also access it by following the parking lot on south St Andrew street as well. To get one of the best views of the Toronto skyline, head all the way to the roof of the parking structure off St Andrew. There’s a great lookout point, where you’ll great panoramic view of the city from North to South.
Booking.comChesterhill Lookout
Voted as one of Toronto’s best make-out spots. The Chesterhill Lookout is one of the best places to take in the Toronto skyline. Truly a great hidden gem in Toronto. Chesterhill is located at the end of a small neighbourhood street just north of Broadview station.
The lookout juts out over the Don Valley below. Looking south gives amazing views of the Toronto skyline and the iconic Price Edward Viaduct. Come at sunset for especially beautiful views, as the sun goes down over the Toronto skyline
401 Richmond Building
This non-descript-looking brick building is one of our favourite hidden gems in Toronto. The 401 Richmond Building is an old lithography factory, located in the northwest section of the Entertainment District.
The building acts as an arts and culture hub for Toronto, being home to several galleries, cafes, shops and an eclectic collection of microenterprises. Receiving a Heritage Designation 2007, the building maintains its soaring high ceilings, exposed wooden beams, and creaking wooden floors.
Walking through the halls will take you back in time. There are so many hidden treasures in this building, from the beautiful courtyard surrounded by lush ivy-covered walls to wooden bridges linking parts of the building together. This building is truly a great place.
Corktown Common & Underpass Park
These two parks were built as part of Toronto’s initiative to revitalize its waterfront. The Corktown Common is designed to protect the area from the flooding of the Don River. Its gentle meandering paths and rolling hills provide a unique getaway from the city.
Right next door, Underpass Park is one of the best places in Toronto to see great street art. With its unique location under the overpasses above, each of the 50 columns that support the overpasses have been uniquely decorated by local street artists.
Check out other great places to take your Toddler in Toronto here -> Top things to do with a toddler in Toronto
The Daniel’s Building
As its address, 1 Spadina Crescent, may imply. Calling The Daniel’s Building a hidden treasure may be a stretch. The building sits in the centre of a roundabout on Spadina ave just north of College. On one of the busiest streets in the city. But as with many on this list, we feel many pass by this building without knowing its rich history with the city and the beauty within.
Built as a church in 1875 in Gothic revival style, the building was home to the University of Toronto’s Knox College from 1887 to 1914. Since then it has served as an Army Barracks, a hospital, a research lab, home to a school newspaper and eventually to its current state as the home to the University of Toronto’s school of architecture.
The building’s 2013 renovations have won several awards for excellence in design, conservation and reuse. The renovations completed in 2017, beautifully integrate the old historical parts to new contemporary additions.
Jennifer Kateryna Koval’s’kyj Park
Located only a few minutes from Downtown, the Port Lands are an often overlooked part of the city. Many think of the area as mostly abandoned brownfields and industrial land. However, the Port Lands contains several hidden gems such as Cherry Beach, Hearn Power Generation Plant, The Leslie Spit and Jennifer Kateryna Koval’s’kyj Park.
Also known as The Polson Pier Skyline View, Jennifer Kateryna Koval’s’kyj Park is located at the very end of Polson st. This tiny park packs a big punch. Located along the water, this tiny park offers one of the best views of the Toronto skyline. Facing west towards the city, this is probably the best place to catch the sunset over the skyline. Also make sure to stay till dark too, as the city lights up and reflects along the waterfront.
The Carpet Factory
The Distillery District is a favourite place to visit in Toronto. The old factory, with its red bricks and green trim, transports you to a time long ago. What many don’t know, is a similar old factory located at the northwest corner of Liberty Village.
As the factory’s namesake implies, it was home to the Toronto Carpet Manufacturing Company Limited. Built in 1899, the building was considered to be “state of the art” at the time. With its massive 12-24′ ceilings held up by heavy timber columns and beams. The buildings’ steam-generated heating system is still in use to this day.
Though smaller than the Distillery, the Carpet Factory still covers a city block. The smaller buildings are built to form a cloister around the main building. This creates a ton of great corridors to get lost in. There’s even a hidden ping-pong table just behind Caffino, at the north end of the property.
Cloud Gardens
(To note: as of 2021 the Cloud gardens are closed while the Bay Adelaide centre is under construction)
Tucked away in a small section of the downtown core, Cloud Gardens is one of Toronto’s best-hidden gems to explore. This 0.6-acre piece of land was given to the city in the 1980s as part of the Bay Adelaide centre.
It is the only public park in the financial district and packs a lot into such a tiny piece of land. As the name implies, the park makes use of the land’s vertical space. The park contains a series of ramps alongside a monument to Toronto’s construction workers.
At the top of the ramps, there is a 5 story waterfall, a grate platform and the entrance to one of the 3 conservatories in Toronto. This rainforest conservatory is only open from 10 am to 2:30 pm on weekdays. Which is too bad, since it is the perfect getaway from the city.
St Patrick’s Market and Square
Many walk by this ‘Market’ building on Queen West not knowing its history with the city. Dating back to 1836, St Patrick’s market is Toronto’s second oldest market after St. Lawrence Market. The land was donated by Mr. D’Arcy Boulton. On the condition that it be used for a market square in perpetuity. By 1837 a temporary structure is built and the market opened. Since then the building has had several iterations. The current building was built in 1912 after the previous market building was destroyed by fire.
Designated a Heritage Site in 1975, the market has had various owners from a slaughterhouse to food market companies. In 2019, the city reclaimed the property in hopes of converting it back to a hub for the community that it once was. Behind the market is a tiny square, purchased by the city in hopes of increasing the popularity of the market. These days it acts as a serene getaway from the busy streets of Queen West.
Podium Green Roof
Toronto’s top tourist attraction is the Toronto sign located at Nathan Phillips Square, what many don’t know about is one of the best-hidden gems to explore right behind it. Located on the upper deck of the Square is The Podium Green Roof.
The 35,000 sqft podium was revitalized in 2010 to encourage environmental sustainability and provide an urban oasis in the middle of the city. The Podium Green Roof is the largest public green roof in the city and has been carefully curated to provide visitors with a kaleidoscope of colours throughout the seasons.
The elevated platform also provides great views of the city, Old City Hall and close-up views of the distinctive curved towers and saucer-shaped council chambers cradled in between.