Someone made a map of all the gargoyles and grotesques around Toronto

Jan 25 2022, 10:15 pm

If you’ve ever found yourself walking around Toronto wondering where all of the gargoyles are (because who hasn’t, right?) then you can wonder no more.

An anonymous, yet clearly gargoyle-obsessed, individual has put together a map of all of the gargoyles and grotesques that can be found around Toronto.

For those who aren’t familiar, both gargoyles and grotesques are carved stone figures, usually with a hybrid head and body of strange or mythical creatures including demons, dragons, and animals. Gargoyles, however, are a little more practical and have water spouts in their mouths to help drain water from the building they’re attached to.

The Toronto map lays out a whopping 176 different points across the city ranging from homes to churches to banks. Not too surprisingly, the large majority can be found on older buildings in the downtown core — Old City Hall on Queen Street East has four gargoyles on it alone.

But these creatures do pop up all over the city. They can be found as far west as Bloor West Village, as far east as The Beaches, and as far north as Lawrence Park.

Although gargoyles and grotesques may not be the first thing you’d normally look for when walking around Toronto, after seeing how many there are on this map, you just might want to remember to look up once in a while and take them all in.

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