Allan Gardens Conservatory

Even on Toronto’s most bitterly blustery days, it’s balmy inside the Allan Gardens Conservatory. Its greenhouses are home to orchids, bromeliads, cacti, succulents, and—beneath a soaring glass dome—banana trees and palms. The horticultural center first sprouted in 1858, with a five-acre plot of land donated to the Toronto Horticultural Society by the politician George William Allan. A new crop took root when the Palm House dome opened in 1910. Over the years, branching greenhouses have been tacked on to its sides, so the whole structure now spans 16000 square feet. The garden has been the site of political activism, too. Visitors who arrive in December or early January might encounter the Conservatory’s holiday flower show.