Casa Loma, Historic Museum, Toronto

Toronto claims to have an "authentic" castle. Sir Henry Pellet, a railroad baron, built this home for himself and his wife in the 19th century. It is a copy of several buildings back in his native Scotland. Sir Henry went bankrupt building this edifice. Today, the City of Toronto maintains it as a museum. The rooms are stunning; the wood panelling in various rooms is remarkable for detail, as are the plaster ceilings. There are such modern features as running heated water in the bathrooms for sinks and tubs, modern flush toilets, even electric lighting [the indoor swimming pool is off limits for safety reasons], and a tunnel leading to the coach house half a kilometer away. Sir Henry was ahead of his time. Today it is a venue for weddings and events, seasonal plays and pageants [Christmas, Easter, Thanksgiving, Halloween], a new posh and expensive restaurant open to the public, and, of course, tours, sightseeing and picture taking. Situated on a precipice, it overlooks the city that is splayed out below all the way down to Lake Ontario.
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