The history behind Toronto’s Casa Loma and what to expect for the holidays

Casa Loma is a Toronto landmark that almost all city residents can recognize. You may have attended a show, an escape room, a holiday celebration, a wedding, or dinner at Casa Loma, but do you know its fascinating history? Let’s break it down.

How Casa Loma came to be

We have to go back to 1859 when Sir Henry Pellatt, who would eventually build Casa Loma, was born in Kingston, Ont. Pellatt is considered “the dreamer behind Toronto’s famous heritage site.”

As a partner in his family business, Pellatt and Pellatt, Sir Henry Pellatt was a “visionary.”

In the same year that Thomas Edison developed steam-generated electricity, Sir Henry Pellatt realized that supplying electricity could be a major money maker, founding the Toronto Electric Light Company in 1883, which would be Pellatt’s major source of income.

According to Casa Loma, Pellatt was inspired by his travels to Europe. He claimed visiting Europe gave him the “love for fine art and architecture,” which would eventually translate into his vision for his future castle.

In 1911, Pellatt finally drew up plans with Canadian architect E.J. Lennox to build his dream home, Casa Loma.

The project took a whopping three years and $3,500,000 to build, surpassing every other private home in North America at the time.

This “home” was truly something we just don’t see anymore, built with secret passageways and defensive architecture just like castles you’d hear about in fantasy stories or stories of eras past.

Pellatt’s big bucks could not sustain Casa Loma forever, though. Pellatt and Pellatt went further and further into debt as the years went on, which eventually forced Pellatt to give up his home.

To this day, Casa Loma remains one of the only “true castles” in all of North America.

Later years

Architect William Sparling saw an opportunity and took it, putting forward a proposal to convert the Casa Loma house to a luxury hotel just one year after Pellatt left. Thus, the Casa Loma Hotel opened in 1926 and lasted until 1929.

In 1933, the City of Toronto took ownership of the property as $27,303.45 was owed in taxes. Yikes.

There were plenty of suggestions for new uses of the building. Many suggested a high school, a museum, or an art gallery. None of the projects would pan out, and the City of Toronto event considered demolishing the landmark. It remained vacant from 1933 to 1937 while they figured out what to do.

The Kiwanis Club of West Toronto began operating Casa Loma as a tourist attraction in 1937. The agreement continued all the way to 2011, and in August 2011, the new Casa Loma Corporation was formed.

In the present day, the City of Toronto owns Casa Loma, a very popular attraction with tours and a luxurious steakhouse, and it is used for private events such as weddings.

Holiday season

It’s the most wonderful time of the year, and Casa Loma celebrates accordingly.

From stunning holiday displays and lights to a 20-foot tree in the Great Hall, along with eight trees around the property, the castle turns into a Holiday wonderland from Dec. 5, 2025, to Jan. 3, 2026.

Whether you’re going for a festive show or just to see the holiday lights, tickets are available to purchase online beforehand for $45.

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