5 hidden parks and gardens in Toronto to escape from the city

Toronto is home to a number of hidden parks that offer an undisturbed escape from highly developed city streets. These are great places for secluded lunch picnics or just stealing away a bit of serenity in the midst of the bustling metropolis.

Here are some hidden parks in Toronto.

Ireland Park

Eerie but beautiful, this lakeside park is tucked at the foot of Bathurst, it's haunted by a collection of age-bitten sculptures that commemorate the 38,000 Irish famine victims who arrived here in the late 1800s, making it a spooky place to disappear for a few hours.

Craigleigh Gardens Park

A gothic-style entrance gives this park near Bayview and Bloor an air of secrecy, and once you're inside there aren't usually many people around, so the place feels all your own.

Toronto Sculpture Garden

Across the street from St. James Cathedral, this tiny park (it's only 25 by 30 metres) is a hidden outdoor showcase for some pretty fascinating artwork. The exhibits change over time, so every time you stop in, it's a totally different vibe.

Diversity Garden Park

There's an unexpected pocket of nature behind City Hall. Secluded in the middle of our concrete downtown core, the former parking lot is a blooming community garden that symbolizes and promotes diversity. 

Osgoode Hall

You might call this one hidden in plain sight given it's location at Queen and York streets, but thanks to the tall trees and foreboding steel fence, this idyllic downtown space is often the picture of quiet tranquility while the city bustles away in the background.