Winter’s on its way out; it’s time to get a head start on exploring. Guide yourself with our specialized itineraries, or contact one of Toronto’s many tour operators to delve deeper into this multifaceted metropolis. And don’t forget to check out previous Yours to Discover posts, here: Day One, Day Two, Day Three.
MUSEUM SHOWPIECES
Must-see art and artifacts at the city’s preeminent institutions.
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- <a href="http://www.where.ca/toronto/guide_listing~listing_id~816.htm" target="_blank">The Bata Shoe Museum</a> has an oft-changing but always intriguing display of historical footwear, including 2,500-year-old basket-work shoes from Egypt (pictured) and socks worn by Napoleon Bonaparte. More modern styles are currently reflected in an exhibition of shoes donned by Canadian musicians such as Drake and Shania Twain.
- Fetish Items
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- Two highlights at the <a href="http://www.where.ca/toronto/guide_listing.cfm?listing_id=819" target="_blank">Gardiner Museum</a> are right in the lobby—Jean-Pierre Larocque’s patchwork <em>Head #1</em> and <em>Head #2</em> sculptures. But do venture further inside this paean to ceramic art and view its splendid assemblage of Italian Commedia dell’Arte figurines, as well as French artist Georges Jeanclos-Mossé’s exquisite <em>Boat for St. Julien</em> (pictured).
- Clay Faves
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- The best known masterpiece at the <a href="http://www.where.ca/toronto/guide_listing.cfm?listing_id=4952" target="_blank">Art Gallery of Ontario</a> might be Rubens’ <em>Massacre of the Innocents</em>, but there are many other works to see. Paul Kane’s <em>Scene in the Northwest—Portrait of John Henry Lefroy</em> (pictured), for example, is quint-essentially Canadian. Or, seek out the works of modern visionaries, including Gerhard Richter, Michael Snow and Betty Goodwin.
- Viewing Pleasure
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- Whether you like prehistoric mammals or medieval knights, there’s sure to be something to catch your eye at the <a href="http://www.where.ca/toronto/guide_listing.cfm?listing_id=820" target="_blank">Royal Ontario Museum</a>. One of the most awe-inspiring pieces is the <em>Paradise of Maitreya</em> (detail pictured), a Buddhist wall painting from Yuan Dynasty China. similarly eye-catching are a massive Barosaurus skeleton and 12th-century bronze sculpture of Shiva Nataraja.
- Artifacts for All
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Enhance your experience at the Art Gallery of Ontario and Gardiner Museum by joining docent-led collection tours, free with admission. The AGO’s hour-long highlights tour runs daily at 1 p.m., while the Gardiner offers a tour at 2 p.m. every Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday. The Bata Shoe Museum and the ROM provide guides for groups of 10 and 20 or more visitors, respectively; call in advance to arrange.
Stay, Dine, Do