McMichael Gallery Closed Until About 2029: What to See in Kleinburg and Vaughan Instead

The McMichael Canadian Art Collection, the Kleinburg gallery known for the Group of Seven, has closed its doors for a long redevelopment. If you had a spring visit planned, or a group that wanted a day in the Humber valley with a gallery at the centre of it, the plan needs a rewrite. This guide is written from the curb, for readers planning a Vaughan limo day or an outing from Toronto, and for readers who simply want to know what is open and where the paintings have gone.

Is the McMichael Gallery closed, and until when?

That is the position as of October 2026, from the gallery's own website. The site lists a "Grounds & Trails" section but does not say what the status of the grounds is during the closure, so do not plan a visit around walking the property without checking with the gallery first. We have not verified whether any outdoor areas are open, and we would rather say that plainly than guess.

What the McMichael is still doing

A closed building does not mean a closed institution. The gallery's site continues to promote several things, and some of them are useful if you are planning a trip.

• The shop, which has its own link from the main site.
• Online content: the magazine, the David Hartman Artist Film Series and the Collection Database.
• School programs, in-school and virtual, are promoted on the site, although it does not confirm what is currently available.
• Membership and donations, both listed.
• Events elsewhere: the McMichael hosts Art Toronto Opening Night on 29 October 2026, from 6 to 10 p.m., for which admission is required. The site does not give the venue in the text we reviewed, so check the event listing.

The collection is also on the move. Touring exhibitions are listed for 2026 and 2027, including Meryl McMaster's Bloodline at the Canadian Museum of History in Gatineau from November 2026 to September 2027. If you want to follow the collection, those are the venues to watch.

Where the Group of Seven paintings are in the meantime

The most important item for most readers: the McMichael states that This Land: The Group of Seven and their Contemporaries opens at the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto on 22 November. The ROM is at 100 Queen's Park, and its exhibitions page, rom.on.ca/whats-on/exhibitions, is where the dates, tickets and any member previews will be posted. We have not independently confirmed the end date or ticket terms, so we do not quote them.

Two other options are worth knowing. The Art Gallery of Ontario in downtown Toronto shows Canadian art, including Tom Thomson and the Group of Seven, and our guide to the AGO and Kensington Market covers the practical side of getting there. For a Gatineau trip built around the McMaster show, see the Canadian Museum of History in Gatineau.

Of the three, the ROM is the closest substitute for the McMichael's Group of Seven experience, and it is a short trip for anyone staying in Toronto. See our guide to the ROM and Yorkville for a downtown museum day.

Getting to Kleinburg by car

Even with the gallery closed, Kleinburg is a pleasant village on the edge of Vaughan, and some visitors still make the trip for the Humber valley and the nearby Kortright Centre. Distances here are by road, rounded, and times are typical off-peak figures. The 400-series highways and the roads in northwest Vaughan slow down at the commute and on Friday afternoons.

If you are arriving by air, our Pearson airport limo pickup includes flight tracking, and a direct run to Kleinburg is a natural first stop for visitors who want the countryside before the city. From Union Station, see our Union Station car service.

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Kortright Centre for Conservation: the nearest real alternative

If you want to keep the Kleinburg plan, Kortright is the strongest option nearby. The Toronto and Region Conservation Authority's Kortright Centre is at 9550 Pine Valley Drive in Woodbridge, with more than 16 km of hiking trails open year-round and a visitor centre, and it sits on 325 hectares of woodland. Admission is by advance booking, rain or shine.

As of 2026 the centre lists its public hours as 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily, adult admission at $8.30 plus HST and parking at $6.25 plus HST, with payment by credit or debit. Members of the Conservation Parks pass enter free. Pets must be on a leash and are not allowed in the visitor centre, and bicycles are not permitted. A few trail sections are wheelchair accessible, and the site has an accessibility map.

It is not a gallery, and it will not replace the McMichael for anyone who wants Canadian art. But it is a good spring or autumn outing for walkers and for families with children, and it is a short drive from Kleinburg. Check the centre's page for the latest hours and fees before you go; the numbers above are the 2026 figures at the time of writing.

A half-day plan for Kleinburg and Vaughan

This plan assumes a car on an hourly booking and a start from downtown Toronto or Pearson.

1. Pickup in Toronto or at Pearson. Leave mid-morning to avoid the worst of the commute.
2. Kleinburg village (about an hour). Walk the village core on Islington Avenue near the gallery site, and have a coffee or lunch. Opening hours of individual shops and restaurants change, so we do not list them.
3. Kortright Centre (1.5–2 hours). A trail loop and the visitor centre. Book the ticket in advance.
4. Return to Toronto, or on to Vaughan's other attractions. If the group wants a theme-park evening, see Canada's Wonderland. If the group wants a banquet hall or a dinner in the area, our Vaughan limo service page covers the city.

Booked by the hour, this trip suits our hourly chauffeur service or a private tour, and the exact vehicle and timing are confirmed at booking.

The curb reality in Kleinburg

The McMichael's address is on Islington Avenue, a main road through the village, and the gallery is closed to the public, so there is no visitor drop-off to describe there. If you are meeting someone in the village, the usual approach applies: agree on a landmark, expect short stops, and let the chauffeur find a safe spot. The chauffeur confirms the exact stopping point on the day.

At Kortright, the booking system and the gatehouse manage entry, and the site lists parking at a per-vehicle fee. Cars go into the parking area, and the chauffeur confirms the pickup point with you on the day. The Kortright site posts road notices for Pine Valley Drive, so look at them before you travel.

Families, schools and groups

Families with children will find Kortright the easiest option, because the trails are flexible and a short loop suits young children. Child, toddler and booster seats are available when requested at booking, which matters on highway trips of 30–45 minutes.

School groups are a different case. The McMichael promotes school programs on its site but does not confirm what is currently available, and Kortright runs its own education programs for schools. For a group of 12–14, an Executive Sprinter is the right vehicle; for 20–30 passengers, an hourly mini-coach or party bus with the exact vehicle confirmed at booking. Alcohol rules follow Ontario law and are confirmed at booking, and school and graduation trips are strictly alcohol-free.

For passengers with reduced mobility, the Kortright accessibility map and the trail signs are the best guide to which sections are suitable. Tell us at booking so the stopping point and the plan reflect it.

Weather and the season

Kleinburg and the Humber valley are at their best in the late spring and the autumn colours. Winter is quieter. The valley roads can be icy, and a half-day outdoor plan loses its charm in sleet.

If the weather turns, move the plan indoors: the ROM, the AGO and Vaughan's indoor attractions are all within reach, and the trip from Kleinburg back to downtown Toronto is about 44 km. Because the gallery cannot be the rainy-day fallback this year, the best alternative is to treat the downtown museums as the main event and Kortright as the sunny-day add-on.

Honest alternatives: transit, your own car or a chauffeur

For these trips, the answer depends on the destination.

If you are going to see the Group of Seven at the ROM, take the subway and save the fare: downtown is the one place where Toronto transit is the better choice. The chauffeur makes sense when the destination is Kleinburg or Kortright, when you are a group, or when you are coming from the airport with luggage.

Booking a chauffeur for Kleinburg and Vaughan

Booking takes a minute online. Enter the pickup address, the time and the number of passengers, and the booker shows the all-in fare for the exact route and vehicle before you pay. It is a fixed fare, quoted before you book.

Cancellation: more than 72 hours' notice, no charge; 72 hours or less, 10%; 48 hours or less, 50%; 24 hours or less or no-show, 100%, measured from the scheduled pickup time.

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Related reading: the Aga Khan Museum and Don Mills is another culture afternoon in Toronto's north end, and the wider attractions and events guides and the blog have more.