Fun fact: I LOVE X-Men. The X-Men were such a huge part of my childhood. From the comics to the several TV shows to the films, if it was X-Men related, I was here for it! In fact, before I named my dog Loki, I was seriously considering naming him after my all-time favorite Marvel villain, Magneto!
(What is it with me and villains?).
Speaking of Marvel, today marks day one of ACE Comic Con Midwest! (And I get to meet Marvel legends like Chris Evans and Tom Hiddleston). I can’t wait to pick up my press badge today after work. You can expect a full recap of ACE Comic Con Midwest probably on Monday.
But back to X-Men, as soon as I found out I’d be visiting Toronto, I knew that I HAD to visit Casa Loma. Aka the X-Mansion. Casa Loma is a gothic Revival style mansion and garden in midtown Toronto, that is now a museum and landmark.
What I really loved about Casa Loma is the fact that it’s a self-guided visit, so you can explore everything at your own pace. I recommend giving yourself at least two hours to truly be able to soak in all that Casa Loma has to offer.
Essentially, Casa Loma is divided into six sections: the lower level/basement, the main floor, the second floor, the third floor, the stables and the gardens/grounds. So I wanted to share with you all some of my favorite things (and photos) about each of the six parts that make up Casa Loma.
The Main Floor
The main floor of Casa Loma contains things like the Conservatory, the Dining Room and the library. The cool thing about Casa Loma is that you can rent out these rooms for your wedding. There was actually a wedding going on while I was visiting! (How cute is that set up above?).
Second Floor
The second floor of Casa Loma gave me major flashbacks to my trip to the Louvre in Paris. It instantly brought me back to when I got to explore The Napoleon III Apartments at the Louvre. (Side note: You can check out more Paris travel posts HERE!).
But like, can we talk about how gorgeous that headboard is?!
Quick side note, when visiting Casa Loma make sure to opt for the free audio guide. This is completely FREE. All you need to do is go to the front desk of the main floor and pick up your FREE audio guide. The audio guide really helps you get a feel of the history and significance of each of the rooms you visit.
Third Floor
The third floor includes The Queen’s Own Rifles of Canada Regimental Museum and the Servant’s Room among other things. The third floor definitely isn’t as visually pleasing as the first two levels but it was still neat!
(It gave me major Downton Abbey vibes).
Basement
Before heading into the basement, you have to go through this super long tunnel system. And it gave me even MORE Paris flashbacks. (Catacombs of Paris anyone?).
The “media section”, wine cellar, Cafe and gift shop are all located in the basement. The media section (that’s not the official name or anything, that’s just what I’m calling it) is filled with different movie posters from films that used Casa Loma as its filming location.
Some of the more popular movies that filmed (or had a scene or two filmed) at Casa Loma include: X-Men, Strange Brew, Chicago, The Tuxedo, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, Warehouse 13, Descendants, Twitches Too, and The Pacifier.
The Stables
The Stables essentially serve as a garage and house a bunch of cool vintage cars!
The Gardens/Exterior
I highly recommend stopping by Casa Loma if you’re ever in the Toronto area.