If you’ve made the sensible decision to self-quarantine and practice physical distancing by staying at home, then it’s only a matter of time before you start missing the outside world. Cafes, malls, restaurants, retail shops for clothing, accessories and more, the local watering holes – these are a few things that are bound to pop into your mind, not to mention the freedom of going wherever you want, whenever you want.
Luckily, there are a few places in Toronto that you can enjoy from the safety of your home. Here are a few sights that you can view if you have electricity and an internet connection:
- Royal Ontario Museum
The biggest museum in the province, Royal Ontario Museum is temporarily closed (due to the global COVID-19 emergency). However, you can still enjoy the inside of the museum, thanks to Google Street View. Sit back and enjoy a sample of the Museum’s collection here.
- Bata Shoe Museum
Started by museum founder Sonja Bata, the collection is an ever-growing assemblage of footwear that are, in their entirety, rare artifacts non-pareil. Have a look at the museum’s online exhibit entitled Standing TALL: The Curious History of Men in Heels.
- Casa Loma
Rightly dubbed “Toronto’s Majestic Castle”, Casa Loma is a 20th century mansion designed in the Gothic Revival style. While the mansion and it’s gardens are temporarily closed due to the pandemic, you can experience a mini-tour on their website. Choose from different floors, stables and automotive museum.
- Art Gallery of Ontario
Not a full-blown art attack but still worth eyeballing (since we can’t move out of our houses – nothing beats the real thing though), AGO has a splendid collection on display via Google Arts & Culture. Have a look at the 41 collections here, and don’t miss their website collection.
There are a lot more online experiences that Toronto offers – don’t miss the Toronto Public Library’s online offerings, the 3D tours or the 3D Stanley cup experience by the Hockey Hall of Fame or a VR tour of Ontario’s Legislative Assembly at Queen’s Park.
