Allan Gardens

Allan Gardens
Aerial view of Allan Gardens from Jarvis Street
TypePublic park
Location160 Gerrard Street East, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Coordinates43°39′42″N 79°22′28″W / 43.66167°N 79.37444°W / 43.66167; -79.37444
Opened11 September 1860 (1860-09-11)
EtymologyGeorge William Allan
Owned byMunicipal government of Toronto
Managed byToronto Parks, Forestry and Recreation Division
StatusOpen all year
Public transit access College
 506   75 
Websitetoronto.ca/parks
TypePart IV
DesignatedJul 14, 1986

Allan Gardens is a public park and conservatory located in the Garden District of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The property includes a playground, off-leash dog park, and a 1,500 square metres (16,000 sq ft) conservatory with six greenhouses.

The park originated from lands donated to the Toronto Horticultural Society by George William Allan in 1858, with the horticultural society officially opening a gardens there in 1860. In 1864, the municipal government of Toronto acquired the lands surrounding the gardens, although it allowed the horticultural society to maintain it in return for permitting its public use. The conservatory was later acquired by the municipal government in 1888. The park and the gardens were initially known as the Horticultural Gardens until 1901 when it was renamed after Allan. A fire ravaged and destroyed a three-storey pavilion at the park in 1902. However, a new conservatory building, the Palm House was later completed on the property in 1910. The park has become a popular gathering place for protest since the mid-20th century.