Spadina House, located at 285 Spadina Road, has an uphill battle (yes, it’s located on a steep and eroding hill, but that’s not what I’m talking about). Spadina House is situated beside Casa Loma, one of Toronto’s most frequented tourists destinations, and while Casa Loma does mention Spadina House to its visitors, it often gets the cold shoulder from drive-by-tourists, adhering to a strict tour bus schedule.
Growing up in downtown Toronto, I probably visited Casa Loma approximately five times before the age of sixteen. From school trips, to winter galas, to weddings - it was a popular destination. Unfortunately, I did not discover Spadina House until my early twenties and even then, it took me months to enter. While training for the Toronto Marathon, I would run up and down the steps that led to Spadina House multiple times a week. One afternoon I finally decided, sweaty and out of breathe, to check the place out. To be completely and grossly unoriginal, ‘it was love at first sight’. My first trip through Spadina House uncovered a new, exciting and nerdy weakness for me: the Historic Home.
Spadina House energized me and gave me the surprising rush of being able to snoop through a neighbours’ private residence, while taking a trip back to the late 1800s and early 1900s! (I know I’m not alone with this 'snooping' excitement, as a fellow Public History student touched on this idea earlier in the week). On my first tour, I felt as if I had literally stepped inside a restricted household, where at any moment I would run into a family member and have to explain who I was and how I got in. This often led to a detailed inner-monologue and meticulous mental role-playing on my behalf, as I toured through the house. Maybe I could be Nana, the children’s playful nanny who flirts excessively with the chauffeur, but dates the butler? Or Nana, the severe and irritated cook who fumbles around in the root cellar only to find out that we are out of turnips and guests are arriving in two hours? Or Nana, the dependable gardener who tends to the Austin’s Palm Room and Orchard, but who occasionally takes samplings home to her personal garden? …
… but I digress …
My point was (I believe), visit the little museums, the ones lurking in the shadows and hiding behind stonewalls. For me, my first visit to Spadina led to a growing respect for historic homes and a volunteer opportunity with the Children’s Program at Spadina House. Eventually, it opened doors for me to become a Docent, teaching and exploring the house with other curious and excited guests, who were often surprised by what they found in the house beside Casa Loma!
Growing up in downtown Toronto, I probably visited Casa Loma approximately five times before the age of sixteen. From school trips, to winter galas, to weddings - it was a popular destination. Unfortunately, I did not discover Spadina House until my early twenties and even then, it took me months to enter. While training for the Toronto Marathon, I would run up and down the steps that led to Spadina House multiple times a week. One afternoon I finally decided, sweaty and out of breathe, to check the place out. To be completely and grossly unoriginal, ‘it was love at first sight’. My first trip through Spadina House uncovered a new, exciting and nerdy weakness for me: the Historic Home.
Spadina House energized me and gave me the surprising rush of being able to snoop through a neighbours’ private residence, while taking a trip back to the late 1800s and early 1900s! (I know I’m not alone with this 'snooping' excitement, as a fellow Public History student touched on this idea earlier in the week). On my first tour, I felt as if I had literally stepped inside a restricted household, where at any moment I would run into a family member and have to explain who I was and how I got in. This often led to a detailed inner-monologue and meticulous mental role-playing on my behalf, as I toured through the house. Maybe I could be Nana, the children’s playful nanny who flirts excessively with the chauffeur, but dates the butler? Or Nana, the severe and irritated cook who fumbles around in the root cellar only to find out that we are out of turnips and guests are arriving in two hours? Or Nana, the dependable gardener who tends to the Austin’s Palm Room and Orchard, but who occasionally takes samplings home to her personal garden? …… but I digress …
My point was (I believe), visit the little museums, the ones lurking in the shadows and hiding behind stonewalls. For me, my first visit to Spadina led to a growing respect for historic homes and a volunteer opportunity with the Children’s Program at Spadina House. Eventually, it opened doors for me to become a Docent, teaching and exploring the house with other curious and excited guests, who were often surprised by what they found in the house beside Casa Loma!
1 comment:
I know exactly the feeling you mean! I think if you share my passion for historic homes you'll really enjoy Eldon House. Anytime you want to see some other pretty amazing older homes in London just let me know and we can trespass together.
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