Montgomery’s Inn
As of May 1, general admission is permanently free at all 10 Toronto History Museums. Some exhibitions and events may carry a separate charge where noted.
Built in the 1830s to shelter travellers, Montgomery’s Inn brought people together from the surrounding area and beyond over food, drink, games, and more. More than 170 years later, it’s still doing just that. This lively museum gives visitors the opportunity to see how a 19th-century Canadian inn was run from ballroom to bedrooms, with a kitchen and bar still in full working order.
Go behind the scenes and hear the diverse stories of people who traversed the grounds from Chinese market gardeners to an employee who escaped his enslavement in the United States through the Underground Railroad.
Come for the history, stay for the pub nights, ghost stories, live music, dancing, and more. Weekly farmers markets bring neighbours together over freshly-baked bread and seasonal fruits and vegetables; while Sunday teas, hearth cooking demonstrations and community art exhibits offer a wider range of experiences that look at the past, present, and future of the neighbourhood.
Montgomery’s Inn gathered communities around food, drink, news and laughter. Keep that spirit alive today: there’s always something happening at the Inn.
Admission
General admission is free. Some exhibitions and events may carry a separate charge where noted.
Hours of Operation
Wednesday: 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Farmers’ Market open 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Thursday to Sunday: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Please see the Farmers’ Market tab for more information on the Virtual Farmers’ Market and to place an order.
Free Guided Tours
Timed 45-minute tours are offered Wednesday to Sunday.
Wednesday
Tours at 11 a.m. and 6 p.m., mini visits from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Thursday and Friday
Tours at 11 a.m., 1 p.m., 3 p.m. and 4 p.m.
Saturday and Sunday
Tours at 11 a.m., 1 p.m., 2 p.m., 3 p.m. and 4 p.m.
COVID-19 Health and Safety Measures
As of March 21, 2022, Ontario has lifted provincial masking provisions for Museums and Heritage Services with the City of Toronto. In addition, the City’s mandatory mask by-law is no longer in effect. The general public is not required to wear a mask but may choose to wear a mask in any settings they wish and will be supported in doing so. Museum visitors are treated with respect and understanding, regardless of their decision to wear a mask.
On-Site Services
- Free public parking
- Public washrooms with changing facilities
- Partial accessibility
- Please call 416-394-8113 for specific accessibility questions
- Outdoor picnic area in Tom Riley Park
By Car
Drive to the south-east corner of Islington Avenue and Dundas Street West. Free parking is available off Montgomery Road.
By Transit
Take the Bloor/Danforth subway line to Islington station and either walk north or board the Islington 37 northbound bus. For specific TTC route and schedule information call 416-393-4636 (INFO) or visit the TTC website.
Location
Montgomery’s Inn was once part of a 400-acre farm which supplied food for the Montgomery family, guests of the inn and for retail sale. Much of this land continued to be farmed by tenant farmers through the 1940s. Though the farm is long gone, we celebrate the Inn’s agricultural roots once again by offering farm-fresh produce for sale.
Market Location and Hours
The Farmers’ Market is open for outdoor shopping 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. every Wednesday.
The virtual market continues to operate.
How to Shop the Virtual Market
The Virtual Farmers’ Market in partnership with Montgomery’s INNovators is in operation. Orders placed online (Fridays 9 a.m. to Mondays 9 p.m.) will be available for curbside pick-up between 2 and 6 p.m. every Wednesday.
Please email montinn@toronto.ca or call 416-394-8113 for more information.
Farmers’ Market Toolkit for Heritage Sites
For the past ten years, Montgomery’s Inn has run a successful farmers’ market program. The market has proven to be of great benefit to the museum, the local community and participating vendors.
Using Montgomery’s Inn as a case study, this how-to guide is aimed at heritage sites and community museums in the province of Ontario, with the goal of encouraging more sites to consider a farmers’ market at their location. Please email montinn@toronto.ca to receive a PDF copy of the Farmers’ Market Toolkit for Heritage Sites.
Montgomery’s Inn was designed in the Loyalist or late Georgian architectural style, and was deemed Classical because it had been inspired by ancient Greek and Roman architecture. Features such as the centre-hall plan, the symmetrical balance of the building and the fanlight over the front door are typical. The Inn is built of rubble stone and was originally covered with pebble-dashed stucco, finished, or “coined,” on the corners to give the appearance of cut stone.
After Thomas Montgomery’s death in 1877, the contents of the building were sold at auction. The furnishings in the museum are either donated or purchased pieces of Canadian, American and English origin and reflect those of a conservative country innkeeper. The paint colours on the walls and woodwork are similar to the original colours, which were discovered by scraping down to the original coat of paint in each room.