Have you ever dreamed of spending Christmas at a castle? Turns out there’s a good reason why it’s the plot of about a hundred Hallmark holiday movies: Christmas at a castle happens to be pretty darn magical! Well, I’ve got some good news for you… you can have your own castle Christmas experience without flying to Scotland, winning the lottery, or marrying a prince. You just have to head to Toronto’s very own Casa Loma!
Casa Loma is one of those iconic buildings that every Torontonian must visit at least once. Built by architect E.J. Lennox from 1911-1914, the Gothic Revival-style mansion was the home of financier and soldier Sir Henry Pellatt from 1914 until only 1923 – it was the Great Depression and Pellatt, who was struggling financially, was no longer able to afford the home. The castle had a brief stint as a luxury hotel and nightclub in the late 1920s, but ever since 1937, it’s been in operation as a museum and tourist attraction. You may remember my post from last summer about my visit to Casa Loma Gardens, their seasonal outdoor restaurant. Recently, Casa Loma reached out to invite us to the media preview of their Holiday Lights Tour, and I’m so excited to share this enchanting experience with you all!
With its awe-inspiring facade and historic grandeur, Casa Loma is pretty spectacular all year round, but it positively dazzles in December. Running until January 4, their annual Holiday Lights Tour takes visitors all throughout the castle grounds, which are dressed to the nines with festive decorations, whimsical installations, and millions of glittering lights. And she’s not just a pretty face: the Holiday Lights Tour is a fully immersive and interactive experience! You’ll get to meet your favourite holiday characters, be serenaded by Victorian carolers, watch a live magic show, and get a tour of Santa’s workshop… you may even meet the jolly old man himself!
The tour starts at the southwest corner of Casa Loma, at the intersection of Davenport Road and Walmer Road. On-site parking is available for $20, with additional parking available at George Brown College (just south of Casa Loma, off Macpherson Avenue.) You still have to pay to park at George Brown, but it costs less and is only a short walk from the castle! While the Holiday Lights Tour has some indoor components, it’s mostly outdoors, so be sure to dress warmly.
The tour starts in Fantasy Land: a magical pathway illuminated with thousands of twinkling lights in every colour of the rainbow.
The next stop on the tour is Whoville. I was so excited to meet my personal hero, The Grinch! Hey, let’s be honest… even the jolliest of us can feel a little Grinchy once in a while, am I right?
Then it was onto Candy Cane Lane, which leads you up a grand staircase towards the castle. It started snowing around this time, which only made an already magical evening even more magical. Come January, I’ll be sick of the snow… but December is a whole different story!
After reaching the top of the staircase, we headed inside for the first indoor portion of the tour: a series of festively decorated rooms, each one merrier than the last. There were giant snowmen, teddy bears, toy soldiers and unicorns, all set against a series of whimsical backdrops.
My favourite room, naturally, was this real-life Candyland.
After warming up for a bit, we headed back outside to the next stop on the tour: Casa Loma’s central courtyard. If you read my post about Casa Loma Gardens, this area may look familiar to you: it’s the same spot where the restaurant is located in the summer. Here, we enjoyed a live magic show by Spencer Scurr, snapped a photo with a larger-than-life toy soldier, and listened to Christmas songs sung by a Victorian caroling quartet.
Next, we headed into Ebenezer Scrooge’s house, where we were greeted by Scrooge himself! This entire section is an immersive tribute to A Christmas Carol, from live actors to passages from the story printed on the walls.
The next portion of the Holiday Lights Tour is located in Casa Loma’s infamous underground tunnels. All bedecked in Christmas lights and festive decorations, the tunnels lead visitors into Santa’s workshop, where you can watch the hardworking elves in action.
It’s here that we were introduced to the one-and-only Mrs. Claus! Santa may get all the recognition, but I think we all know that Mrs. Claus is probably the one doing all the hard work… am I right?
Then it was onto the reindeer stables, where we were treated to a harmonious rendition of “It’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas” by these impressively realistic animatronics.
And then we reached the grand finale of the Holiday Lights Tour… a visit with Santa himself! While we waited for our turn to see Saint Nick, we admired this gorgeous vintage carriage overflowing with presents. Those elves have been hard at work!
Santa was sitting on a regal red and gold throne flanked by ornately decorated Christmas trees, and he couldn’t have been nicer! I don’t think you’re ever officially too old to ask Santa what you want for Christmas, so I asked him for a tropical vacation. Not that the snow isn’t breathtakingly beautiful, but, you know…
Until that tropical vacation comes, I guess I’ll just have to settle for a snowy Canadian winter. As long as it stays this pretty, I can’t complain too much! With the gently falling snowflakes and the twinkling holiday lights, this was the picture-perfect scene to end our visit to Casa Loma.
The Casa Loma Holiday Lights Tour runs daily until January 4, from 5:30pm to 10pm (last admission is at 9pm.) Santa will be there every day until December 24. Tickets can be purchased online or on-site, but you save $5 when booking online. Adult admission is $50 online or $55 onsite; children 3 and under are free (note strollers are not permitted.) Thank you to Casa Loma for inviting us to this scintillating holiday event – it was the perfect way to light up our December!
Have you been to any holiday light shows this year? I’d love to hear any recommendations!
Our experience at Casa Loma was generously hosted by Liberty Entertainment Group. As always, all opinions and thoughts are entirely my own.
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