Trinity and Mill Street in the Parliament and Front St. vicinity

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North America’s best preserved collection of Victorian industrial architecture is located in this historic enclave in downtown Toronto. Formerly the Gooderham & Worts Distillery (founded in 1832), The Distillery has been developed as a centre for arts, culture and entertainment. It is filled with galleries, artist studios and workshops, boutiques, retail stores, restaurants, bars and cafés.

In 1831, James Worts invested in a piece of property along Toronto’s shoreline with the intention of establishing his own milling business. Together with his brother-in-law, William Gooderham, what began as an elementary milling operation flourished into Canada’s landmark distillery - the Gooderham & Worts Distillery. By 1871, the Gooderham & Worts distillery produced almost half of Ontario’s total spirit production and exported its whisky and spirits to Canadian markets - even New York.

In 1926, the Gooderham & Worts Distillery was merged under the parent company of Hiram Walker-Gooderham & Worts Ltd. Small amounts of Gooderham & Worts-brand whisky and rum as well as antifreeze continued to be produced at the Toronto distillery until all production ceased in 1990.

In November, 2001 Cityscape Development Corp. and Wallace Studios purchased the property for $15 million, breathing new life into the region. The 13-acre site, complete with forty-five 19th century buildings, is now the subject of careful restoration efforts and its new name - The Historic Distillery District - embraces the site’s rich historical and architectural legacy. Today the picturesque, pedestrian-only village houses over a hundred tenants including: galleries, museums, rehearsal halls, boutiques, retail shops, artist studios, restaurants, bistros and cafés. The Distillery bustles with activity day and night. You can catch live music, outdoor exhibitions, fairs and special events at the Distillery year 'round.

The Historic Distillery District continues to be the destination of choice for international filmmakers. The cobblestone paths, grid-street design and the best-preserved collection of Victorian Industrial architecture in North America have established District as the most attractive movie and television filming site in Canada. Recent productions shot at the site include Chicago, X-Men, The Recruit and The Hurricane.

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