Type: Museum

This house, built in 1837, was the home of John Howard, one of Toronto’s first architects, as well as a city engineer and surveyor, and his wife Jemima. It sat at the south end of a 165-acre estate they called “High Park.” The Howards bequeathed the estate to the City of Toronto in 1873. The house is now a museum within the park restored to the style of the latter half of the nineteenth century.

Programming:

Conservation/Preservation:

Architecture

A rare Regency cottage built in 1837.

Artefacts

Contains many original furnishings, artefacts, and some of Howard’s watercolours of early Toronto.

Public Programming:

Tours and educational programming

A wide variety of workshops, educational programs and community events for all ages on the lives of the Howards and their legacy of High Park.

Seasonal Events

Christmas in the Park (from late November to early January), includes tours and workshops concerning the history of the cottage.

Colborne Lodge Gardens (from early April through summer); focuses on recreated gardens surrounding the cottage.

Volunteer/Internship/Placement Opportunities:

Opportunities are available through the City of Toronto- contact administration for more information.

Address & Contact Information:

High Park
Toronto, ON

Mailing Address
55 John St.
8th Floor
Metro Hall
Toronto, ON

Phone: (416) 392-6916
Email: clodge@toronto.ca
Website: http://www.toronto.ca/culture/colborne.htm

Hours of Operation:

Open

Mid-January, February, April, Friday – Sunday, 12pm – 4pm
March (with the exception of March Break), Thursday – Sunday, 12pm – 4pm
March Break, Monday – Sunday, 12:30pm – 4pm
May – end of August, Tuesday – Sunday, 12pm – 5pm
September, Saturday – Sunday, 12pm – 5pm
October – December, Tuesday – Sunday, 12pm – 4pm
Christmas Eve, New Year’s Eve, 12pm – 3pm (except in 2012, when these holidays fall on a Monday)

Closed

Mondays (except during March Break)
Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Year’s Day, Good Friday

Key Words: architecture, settlement