Distillery Historic District

Distillery Historic District

Distillery Historic District
4.5
About
The Distillery District is an internationally acclaimed village of brick-lined streets and dozens of vibrantly restored Victorian Industrial buildings. It’s one of Ontario’s hottest tourist attractions and home to live theatres, galleries, fashion, design and jewelry boutiques, unique cafes and award-winning restaurants. It’s all completely closed to traffic and just a few minutes walk from downtown Toronto.
Suggested duration
2-3 hours
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The area
Address
Neighbourhood: Downtown
At the heart of Toronto, Downtown is the destination for cheap eats and fast fashion. Cut through by hip and trendy Yonge Street, the vibe here is young, with a strong student influence from the Ryerson University Campus. As a result, the Downtown area is always in flux: undergoing the construction of new facilities, with fresh retail spaces and pop-up cafes. Home to Toronto's largest indoor shopping mall, a number of vintage cinemas, and a healthy nightlife centered on the area's Distillery District bar and clubs near the East End, it's both an easygoing daytime spot and a popular party place after sunset. It also features some of Toronto's best outdoor landmarks, including Yonge-Dundas Square and the Nathan Phillips Square: perfect for a concert, a skate, or a relaxing sit-down.
Reach out directly
See what other travellers are saying
  • baroom
    Mississauga, Canada2,161 contributions
    Distillery Winter Village 2022
    Visited around 4:30PM to take advantage of free entry on Dec 13, Tue. Tickets ($11 + tax) to Distillery Winter Village are required Fri-Sun after 4PM but free all other times (not free on Dec 27-29 after 4PM). Intentionally avoided visiting on a Mon since I read that outdoor vendor cabins are closed on that day. No plans to shop or spend money, we were just after the ambience. We entered via Parliament St and stood in line for a quick photo op at the Big Heart installation. It was basically photo ops galore all the way to Trinity Square. The Distillery District was transformed into a stunning Christmas village complete with brightly lit LED stars, snowmen, lavishly decorated Christmas tree, countdown to Christmas sign, outdoor vendor cabins and more. Even Santa Claus and his elves were available for group photos near the giant tree, one only had to stand in line. There were a lot of people and it was a challenge to take photos without unwanted strangers in them. We only stayed until dusk, just dark enough to appreciate all the festive lights around us. We then made our way to Nathan Phillips Square to see more Christmas lights and decor.
    Visited December 2022
    Written December 30, 2022
  • doctorfoxtrot
    Taguig City, Philippines8,032 contributions
    So much history amidst the fun aspect
    Looking at the old brick buildings you can just learn of the history of how the place came to be. News was that the alcohol prohibition during the early era forced a renowned gangster to buy his liquor here. But history aside , there is an ongoing light festival at this place. An art exhibit goes around in different areas, nice for photo shoot . Nice to stroll around , as long as the unpredictable winter condition would cooperate . Suggest to try the artisanal beers , they are free for tasting . Or the sampler hard drinks at a minimum cost. Or the wickedly spicy chocolate drink .
    Visited February 2020
    Travelled as a couple
    Written February 22, 2020
  • Sherry W
    Cobourg, Canada851 contributions
    TO Lightfest At the Distillery
    Great dining options and lots of boutiques for shopping. We dined at El Catrin sitting inside as it was too stormy for the outdoor seating. TO Lightfest was running so a great opportunity to view some unique installations.
    Visited February 2020
    Travelled with family
    Written February 28, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
Popular mentions

4.5
8,299 reviews
Excellent
4,130
Very good
3,117
Average
860
Poor
133
Terrible
59

Dahtorq
Torquay, United Kingdom172 contributions
Sep. 2023 • Solo
Vibrant, buzzy, a lovely place to visit.. especially on an early evening as it starts to wake up…great selection of bars and food places too
Written September 29, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Anonymous855
Trabuco Canyon, California1,680 contributions
Sep. 2023 • Couples
We went there to have dinner at El Catrin and stopped for ice cream afterward at "Scooped". I wish we would have been there earlier in the day to see the historic displays! The ambiance is fantastic and there are many places to sit and enjoy. It was within walking distance of our hotel and easy to get to, very safe. I'll go back there when I return to Toronto.
Written September 25, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

susvegara
Madrid, Spain1,854 contributions
Aug. 2023 • Family
Ome of my favourite places of The city.
A bit far away from downtown but easy access anyway. It's a great place to walk around, see the little shops and maybe have a drink or dine al fresco. There's so many choices.
Find the love sign and the peace sign.
Written September 10, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

minimize940314
Los Angeles, CA3,527 contributions
Dec. 2022
Bustling. There were many people visiting the place for the Christmas activities. Access via public transportation was easy, and there were a lot of activities and shops to enjoy.
Written August 21, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

BDJV
86 contributions
Jul. 2023 • Family
We absolutely love the distillery historic district. When we went, they were having a French movie night. It was nice to walk around and visit the different shops and vendors. I highly recommend it.
Written August 4, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Teammilitello
Des Moines, IA733 contributions
Jul. 2023 • Family
The art around here is great. The buildings were built in the 1830’s. Parking was easy. I got a coffee at Balzac’s. Safe. Clean area.
Written July 21, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Stormflora
Toronto, Canada34 contributions
Jun. 2023
Mostly a hyped-up place. Really not as amazing as people made it seem like. Only visit it if you're in the area or know that there are specific events happening.
Written July 5, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

CaptDrLarry
Calgary, Canada436 contributions
Jun. 2023
This old area of Toronto, long neglected, has been refurbished with interesting art galleries, shops, restaurants and pubs and distilleries that make is a fascinating place to stroll and visit. It's easy to spend several hours here and worth returning to again, and again.
Written June 22, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Roberto Z
Alafaya, FL37 contributions
Jun. 2023
This is a very interesting place, they have shops as well as bars/restaurants for drink/ear.
It is build over old factories so the architecture is very nice
Written June 15, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Bruno T.
Toronto, Canada754 contributions
Jan. 2023
One of my favourite places in Toronto. They have a lot of options for food and one of the best places for hot chocolate as well.
Written June 10, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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DISTILLERY HISTORIC DISTRICT - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)

Frequently Asked Questions about Distillery Historic District

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