Small Museums in Toronto: Quirky Picks Sorted by Interest

The museum is at 327 Bloor Street West, on the southwest corner of Bloor and St. George streets, a one-minute walk from St. George subway station. It says admission is free for everyone on Sundays. Inside are a collection of 15,000 shoes and related artefacts and 4,500 years of footwear history in four rotating galleries. The fall exhibition, Brilliant: The Art of Beaded Footwear around the World, opens October 22 with more than 85 meticulously crafted objects that illuminate the delicate nature of beadwork. Our pick for anyone who has ever looked at a pair of boots and wondered who made them.

The museum sits in the John Street Roundhouse National Historic Site, a short walk from the CN Tower, Rogers Centre, Ripley’s Aquarium and Union Station. Since 2010 it has shared Toronto’s rail and transit experience with local residents and visitors, and it operates year-round. Not able to visit in person? It hosts free online Second Tuesday Talks, and the November 10, 2026 talk is From Harbour to Home: An Intro to Toronto’s Rail Lands. Toronto Public Library cardholders can also book a free pass through tpl:map, which lists the museum among its participating attractions.

The site describes itself as Canada’s oldest purpose-built Post Office still in operation. The Town of York Historical Society operates it as a museum, National Historic Site, stationery gift shop and authorized full-service dealer for Canada Post. Admission is by donation. We love a museum where you can post a postcard before you leave.

Campbell House was built in 1822 for Sir William Campbell, Chief Justice of Upper Canada, and visitors can explore a Georgian era home. In 1972 it was moved to Queen Street from Adelaide Street to save it from demolition, with money raised by the Advocates’ Society, and it is now run by a charity. The events page lists a Needlefelt Painting Workshop on November 14, 2026, with fibre artist Cathy Disbrow.

This restored 1858 townhouse was the final home of William Lyon Mackenzie, Toronto’s first mayor and leader of the 1837 Rebellion. It features nineteenth-century furniture, an 1845 printing press and artifacts from its former print shop. The City describes it as a tiny former row house surrounded by skyscrapers in the heart of downtown Toronto. While the historic part of the house is under restoration, drop-in workshops are offered in the printshop. Pair it with a lunch break nearby and you have a tidy downtown afternoon.

A 19th-century farmhouse between the high rises of North York, with an 1850s kitchen to step back into. The City says it offers visitors an opportunity to taste, smell and touch history, and its story follows David Gibson, a Scottish immigrant, land surveyor, farmer, politician and rebel.

Built in the 1830s to shelter travellers, the inn is on the southeast corner of Dundas Street West and Islington Avenue. The City lists weekly farmers’ markets, hearth cooking demonstrations and community art exhibits.

The heritage site opened to the public in 1967 as part of East York’s contribution to the celebration of Canada’s centennial. The Helliwell family settled here in 1821 and established a brewery and distillery. Today the grounds include a 9.2 hectare Wildflower Preserve, which makes it a museum and a nature walk in one trip.

Four heritage buildings make up this museum in Thomson Memorial Park. The Cornell House shows rural village life circa 1914. The McCowan Log House was built in the 1830s and is furnished to portray settler life in the 1850s. Pair it with a stroll through the park, and bring someone who likes a good story about how a community grew.