R.C. Harris Water Treatment Plant

This palatial art-deco building in Toronto, looks like a museum, but is actually a water treatment plant. Surprisingly, the inside of the building is similarly elegant, with cavernous halls and marble passages, all full of filtration equipment. This opulence has earned the building the nickname “Palace of Purification.” The grounds are a popular place to play fetch with your dog, near the tiny ‘dog friendly’ end of the Beach area. The grounds of the plant, named for Rowland Caldwell Harris the Commissioner of Works for the City of Toronto, was built between 1932 and 1941 and is today open to visitors. Despite its age, the plant still purifies 45% of the water supply of Toronto and the surrounding county.