The McMichael Canadian Art Collection

Wonderful place to spend a morning, afternoon or both. I can't wait to go back and what new Canadian collections they are presenting. The cafe has tasty food that incorporates locally sourced ingredients, but book ahead so you don't have to wait for a seat!

I truly love this gallery. I always check ahead to make sure the exhibits are ones I will enjoy. The gallery, the grounds, artwork, sculptures are beautiful. But this may have been my last visit. Why am I paying for parking and admission only to have to endure rude staff?

I do not claim to be knowledgeable in art so I am not going to talk about the artwork. My 5 star review comes from someone who went to the gallery on a whim and really enjoyed it! It is such a beautiful gallery sitting on beautiful grounds. With a place that is not that far from the city, it feels like you've escape from the busyness of life. It is a calming place to be. I enjoyed the guided tour of the gallery. (At the time, they had the Maud Lewis collection up, and the guide did a really good job telling her story.) The lunch at their restaurant was lovely. With a 1 year old daughter, we bought a one year membership. We now randomly go, sometimes simply just to be somewhere my daughter can wander safely with a beautiful backdrop. (We go first thing in the morning so it's not too busy.)

Great place to visit. They have a good collection of Canadian art from the group of seven and other native artists. Overall, I really enjoyed my visit here.Now some observations. The lighting in some of the areas is so dim that I literally had to go within a foot of the art work to see it. Which also brings up a good point - you can walk right up to the paintings and see the brush strokes and colours up close because they are not cordoned off to the public.Due to the small venue, don't be surprised if you have to weave through some crowds when it gets busy. I went on a Saturday and it was fairly busy so I had to wait several minutes to look at some of the paintings that caught my eye. Most of the paintings are small enough that when two people are admiring it there is not enough room for you to get a good look due to space restrictions and the dim lighting. Not a deal breaker but an annoyance nonetheless.In summary, I would recommend this place if you are looking for something different to do near the GTA. One more thing - the cost of two adults is the same as a family of four (if the kids are 18 and under) so bring your kids.

This is one of my favorite galleries. Every time my husband and I come to Toronto for Christmas holidays, we visit McMichaels. The quality of the exhibits are amazing, they are very well curated. We learn something new every visit. The gift shop is great for buying meaningful and beautiful gifts. I recommend this gallery to everyone whenever I have a chance.