Walk: Riverdale Farm and the Toronto Necropolis in November

The Meeting House

Riverdale Farm — A Quiet Overcast Walk

I arrived at Riverdale Farm on an overcast afternoon, the kind of soft grey light that smooths every texture into something calm and unhurried. The walk in from Winchester Street felt muted — damp paths, quiet trees, the heritage barns holding their warm reds and browns without any sharp contrast.

The buildings looked especially good in the flat light. Brick, wood grain, old paint, all evenly lit and steady. The animals moved slowly, settling into the stillness of the day, and the whole upper level had that quiet, low-palette rhythm overcast weather creates.

Down by the ponds, the light shifted.

The clouds thinned just enough for sunlight to break through in a brief, warm spill across the water and the surrounding paths. Reflections brightened, colours surfaced, and the scene transformed for a few minutes — a small, sudden lift from grey into soft gold.

Riverdale Farm Entrance Sign

You pass beneath a simple yet elegant iron arch bearing the farm’s name — ‘RIVERDALE FARM’ — a modern entry marking this historic site in Cabbagetown.

Riverdale Park West

Black Squirrel in Autumn Leaves

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Rooster at Riverdale Farm

Overview of the Paddocks

Heritage Cow in Autumn Leaves at Riverdale Farm

Through the Fence — Cattle in the Paddock

The Donnybrook Ruins at Riverdale Farm

Donnybrook Ruin stands beside the cow paddock. It was originally a two-storey building, but a tower and the main floor is all that remains today.

Horse at the Feeding Pen, Riverdale Farm

Toronto Horses

Riverdale Farm Path

Meeting House Tunnel (the covered passage)

Autumn Path Under the Meeting House

Red Maple Leaf on the Bench — Cabbagetown in Late Fall

Leaf Cluster on Ivy

Cabbagetown Pathway with Old Stone Wall Leading to the Meeting House Tunnel

📚 Donnybrook Ruins

Tucked just west of the Meeting House tunnel sits one of Riverdale Farm’s quiet historical surprises: the Donnybrook Ruins. These stone walls are all that remain of a 19th-century industrial building once connected to the old Don Valley brickmaking industry. Over time, the structure collapsed and was partially reclaimed by the ravine, leaving behind textured stone fragments that now sit half-hidden in ivy and understory.

Today the ruins offer a small, atmospheric detour — a piece of early Toronto industry softened by decades of growth. From the farm paths, you can glimpse the remaining walls through the trees, especially in autumn when the colours open up the view. It’s a subtle landmark, but one that adds a layer of quiet history to the Cabbagetown landscape.

Historic Monkey House at Riverdale Farm

Island House sits in the middle of the lower pond. It housed many different kinds of birds and animals during the 80 years of the zoo.

Path Up to the Pig and Poultry Barn

Late November Flower

White Picket Fence

I followed the winding paths back up through the farm and exited through the north gate.

Toronto Necropolis

Across Winchester Street, the Toronto Necropolis sits waiting, a quiet continuation of the walk. By the time I reached the entrance, the sun was fully out, casting clean, warm light across the Victorian monuments and sharpening the contrasts between stone, shadow, and sky.

A simple loop — farm to cemetery, overcast to sun — connected by changing light and two spaces that sit beautifully side by side.

The Farm, As It Was Drawn Then

This black-and-white illustrated map of Riverdale Farm is a small artifact from an earlier era. Produced in the early 2000s, it reflects how the City of Toronto once presented the site: hand-drawn buildings, winding paths, and a simple layout linking the farm directly to the Necropolis across Winchester Street. Long before updated signage and digital mapping, this was the visual guide visitors held onto — a quiet snapshot of how the farm was interpreted two decades ago. Note, almost everything is the same now - the goats are next to the sheep paddocks now..

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Black-and-white illustrated map of Riverdale Farm in Toronto, showing entrances from Winchester Street and the surrounding paddocks, barns, ponds, and historic buildings. The map includes labelled structures such as Simpson House, Francey Barn, the Meeting House, the Residence, and the pig and poultry barn, along with pathways and animal enclosures. The Toronto Necropolis Cemetery is shown just north of the farm.

Part of an ongoing series of walks exploring Toronto’s streets, neighbourhoods, and small details along the way.