Today is Toronto’s 175th birthday (imagine fitting all of those candles on a cake?!), also known as a demisemiseptcentennial (trying saying that 5 times fast). As you may have heard today on CBC Radio’s Metro Morning, one of Toronto’s oldest buildings is the Grange, found at the south end of the AGO.
Built in 1817 by D’Arcy Boulton, the Grange is the oldest remaining brick house in Toronto. It was the first home of the Art Museum of Toronto, which would become today’s Art Gallery of Ontario. The Grange was given to the museum in 1911, and designated a national historic site in 1970.
Next time you visit the AGO, don’t forget to stop by the Grange. There are daily tours, centered on a fantastic discovery of strange objects unearthed during our recent transformation. Also, if you’re a member, you can relax in the members’ lounge with a beverage and snack. We can’t imagine a better way to celebrate our city’s birthday than with a visit to the Grange (Ended perhaps with an espresso and one of our pastry chef’s madeleines? It is a birthday after all).