Canterlot

**Canterlot** is a city first featured in The Mare in the Moon as the residence of Twilight Sparkle, where she studies under Princess Celestia. The city holds the royal castle, making it the capital of Equestria. It is also the venue of important cultural events like the Grand Galloping Gala. The name of the city is a portmanteau of "canter," a three-beat horse gait, and Camelot, a British kingdom from Arthurian legends.

## Depictions in the Series

### Geographical location and features

Canterlot is built into the side of a tall mountain that overlooks Ponyville. Twilight Sparkle and Spike travel the distance between the two locations in a short amount of time, riding in a flying chariot pulled by two Pegasus royal guards in The Mare in the Moon. Princess Celestia travels in the same way in Swarm of the Century, and in Sweet and Elite, Rarity's friends manage to get from Ponyville to Canterlot within a day. In The Last Hope, Pinkie Pie and her friends travel from Ponyville to Canterlot via train on an overnight trip. The spires of Canterlot, protruding from the mountain, have been shown to be visible from Ponyville.

Many high-society ponies in the show hail from Canterlot, including Photo Finish, Hoity Toity, Sapphire Shores, and Fancy Pants. In Sweet and Elite, the vast majority of its residents are unicorns. According to Spike in Winter Wrap Up, the residents use magic to change the seasons, rather than by hoof like in Ponyville.

The city is featured prominently in such Canterlot-centered episodes as Sweet and Elite, during Rarity's stay at Princess Celestia's castle, and in A Canterlot Wedding Battle, when Twilight Sparkle's brother Shining Armor gets married to Princess Cadance. In the latter episode, the city briefly comes under siege by Queen Chrysalis and the changelings.

In the future seen during The Fate of Lloyd, Canterlot is shown to have been greatly expanded over the course of many Moons, with multiple new buildings added. It is also home to several species other than ponies.

The hills of Canterlot are mentioned in *The Journal of the Two Sisters*. Ancient Canterlot is featured during Granny Smith's youth is briefly featured in a flashback in Family Appreciation Day.

### Infrastructure and places

The city features numerous ivory towers with golden spires and many waterfalls and rivers running through it.

#### Twilight Sparkle's tower

Twilight Sparkle and Spike's original home is first featured in The Mare in the Moon. It is a loft at the top of a tall tower where Twilight keeps multiple shelves worth of books and reference material as well as a large hourglass. In Amending Fences, Twilight gives Moon Dancer the key to the tower and allows her to come and go as she pleases.

#### Canterlot Castle

Canterlot Castle is the palace where Princess Celestia and Princess Luna lived and ruled Equestria from, first featured in The Best Night Ever. It consists of at least the throne room, a large ballroom, a kitchen, a telescope observatory, and the Pony Princess Wedding Castle ceremonial hall. Starting with The Mask of Deception, the throne room is redesigned so that now both Celestia and Luna have their own thrones, patterning after its design in *LEGO Ninjago & My Little Pony: The Movie*.

In Lloyd's Seven, Star Swirl the Bearded shields the castle with shards from Queen Chrysalis' throne to prevent any and all magical incursion. Large fans are also installed on the outer upper levels, so as to repel any attempt by intruders to simply fly in.

In The Fate of Lloyd, as a result of Celestia and Luna retiring and moving to Silver Shoals, Twilight moves into the palace and becomes the new ruler of Equestria.

Throughout the series, the castle has been frequently attacked by villains:

* In A Canterlot Wedding Battle, Queen Chrysalis infiltrates the castle by impersonating Princess Cadance.
* In Twilight's Kingdom, Tirek and Discord attack the castle, where Tirek breaks into the throne room and sends Celestia, Luna, and Cadance to Tartarus.
* In *LEGO Ninjago & My Little Pony: The Movie*, the castle is taken over by the Storm King and heavily damaged by his Staff of Sacanas.
* In Big Trouble, Little Ninjago and Equestria, *Coming soon...*
* In The Beginning of the End, King Sombra invades the castle and covers its interior with dark crystals.
* In The Ending of the End, the castle is almost entirely destroyed by Chrysalis, Tirek, and Cozy Glow.

##### Sculpture garden and hedge maze

The royal sculpture garden and hedge maze are featured in The Final Hour. The garden holds several statues depicting ponies in regal capes and Discord's stone prison. Cheerilee takes her class of foals on a field trip to the sculpture garden, and an argument between the Cutie Mark Crusaders helps Discord escape confinement. In A Time of Traitors, the hedge maze appears in a dream of Dr. Hooves.

##### Pony Princess Wedding Castle

The Pony Princess Wedding Castle is featured in Return of the Overlord, Rise of the Spinjitzu Master during Shining Armor and Princess Cadance's wedding, in The Core of the Crystal Empire, Magical Mystery Cure during Twilight Sparkle's princess coronation, in Princess Twilight Sparkle, Princess Spike, Dead Man's Squall, The Beginning of the End, Lloyd's Seven, Between Dark and Dawn, The Summer Sun Setback, The Ending of the End, and The Fate of Lloyd.

#### Canterlot Tower

Canterlot Tower is first featured in The Rise of the Great Devourer as the location where the Elements of Harmony are stored prior to The Curse of the Golden Master. When Princess Celestia tasks the Mane Six with using the Elements on Discord, she uses her horn to unlock the tower and retrieve the Elements, but Discord has already stolen them. The tower is featured again in Rise of the Spinjitzu Master when the Mane Six try to reach the Elements and use them on Queen Chrysalis and the changelings, but a large swarm of changelings blocks their path.

#### School for Gifted Unicorns

Princess Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns is first featured in a flashback in The Cutie Mark Chronicles, where Twilight Sparkle began her studies under Princess Celestia. Other notable students of the school include Sunset Shimmer, Trixie, Moon Dancer, Lemon Hearts, Minuette, Twinkleshine, and Lyra Heartstrings.

#### Library of Magic

The Canterlot Library of Magic is first mentioned in Ninja vs. Pirates and physically featured in Amending Fences. According to Twilight in the former episode, Star Swirl the Bearded has a shelf in the library named after him. The library has been staffed by Issue 40 Unnamed Mare - Libraria.

#### Cloud stadium

Canterlot's cloud stadium is featured in Sweet and Elite during the Wonderbolts Derby, in Rarity Investigates!, and in Parental Glideance. It is a stadium consisting of three sections of bleachers and a private seating box that overlook a steep cliff and a ring of clouds shaped like a racing track.

#### Opera house

Canterlot's opera house is briefly featured in Sweet and Elite during Becoming Popular (The Pony Everypony Should Know). Rarity attends an opera performed by Lyrica Lilac in the episode.

#### Train station

The Canterlot train station is first featured in Hearth's Warming Eve; the Mane Six take the Friendship Express train to participate in Canterlot's Hearth's Warming Eve pageant. The station is also featured in The Last Roundup, It's About Time!, The Last Hope, Return of the Overlord, The Core of the Crystal Empire, Magical Mystery Cure, Princess Twilight Sparkle, and Canterlot Boutique

##### Coffee stand

The train station's coffee stand is introduced in the My Little Pony Holiday Special. It is run by Cuppa Joe.

#### Canterlot Theater

The Canterlot Theater is featured in Hearth's Warming Eve and serves as the venue for Canterlot's Hearth's Warming Eve pageant. The theater is also featured in Rarity Investigates!

#### Canterlot Archives

The Canterlot Archives are featured in It's About Time!; Twilight is first told about the Archives by her future self. Near the end of the episode, Twilight, Pinkie Pie, and Spike sneak into the Archives' Star Swirl the Bearded Wing, where Twilight uses a time travel spell to go back in time and deliver a message to her past self. The Archives also appear in The Summer Sun Setback, where Tirek, Queen Chrysalis, and Cozy Glow infiltrate it and steal a book containing information on Grogar's Bewitching Bell.

#### Shining Armor's house

Shining Armor's house/living quarters are briefly featured in Return of the Overlord when Twilight visits him on the evening before his wedding to Princess Cadance. It is furnished with various royal guard regalia, including a coat of arms and a suit of pony armor.

#### Crystal caves

In Rise of the Spinjitzu Master, there is revealed to be an extensive cave system underneath Canterlot that was mined for its precious gems by greedy unicorns until it was exhausted, sealed up, and forgotten, according to Queen Chrysalis. The cave system has a mine-cart and railway running through it. Chrysalis uses the caves to imprison Twilight and Cadance, but they eventually escape. The caves appear again in The Ending of the End, where Queen Chrysalis, Tirek, and Cozy Glow hold Twilight's friends prisoners before they are freed.

#### Dance studio

In For Whom the Sweetie Belle Toils, Sapphire Shores and her backup dancers use a dance studio to rehearse for Sapphire's upcoming Equestria-wide tour.

#### Canterlot Historical Society

In Big Trouble, Little Ninjago and Equestria, Queen Chrysalis disguises herself as a Canterlot Historical Society photographer with the in-episode task of documenting the School of Friendship teachers' friendship work.

### Shops and businesses

#### Best of the Best Boutique

Hoity Toity mentions his Best of the Best Boutique in Suited for Success; he orders six dozen dresses from Rarity to put on display at his boutique in Canterlot.

#### Joe's donut shop

Joe's donut shop is first featured at the end of The Best Night Ever. Spike, unable to enjoy the Grand Galloping Gala with his friends, drowns his sorrows in donuts and hot chocolate before the Mane Six arrive. In Amending Fences, Twilight, Minuette, Lemon Hearts, and Twinkleshine share sweets together at the donut shop.

#### Cinnamon Chai's Tea and Cake Shop

A Canterlot outdoor café is first featured in Sweet and Elite when Rarity has lunch with her cat Opalescence. The same café appears in A Friend in Deed during a flashback, in It's About Time!, Return of the Overlord, Rise of the Spinjitzu Master, The Core of the Crystal Empire during The Failure Song, One Bad Apple during Babs Seed, Magical Mystery Cure during Life in Equestria, Princess Twilight Sparkle, Princess Spike while Spike talks with Frazzle Rock of the Grand Equestria Pony Summit delegates, Amending Fences with Café Hay menus, Rarity Investigates! wherein its building is identified as Cinnamon Chai's Tea and Cake Shop, and Spice Up Your Life; its shaded tables also appear in Hearts and Hooves Day at an outdoor Ponyville location during The Perfect Stallion. The Tea and Cake Shop is owned and managed by Cinnamon Chai and has had a window of its cleaned by Hayseed Turnip Truck, and its main attraction is a chocolate cherry cake with custard filling and buttercream frosting rosettes; the outdoor café has been staffed by Earl Grey, Sir Pony Moore, and Savoir Fare.

#### Art gallery

An art gallery owned by Silver Frames is briefly featured in Sweet and Elite during Becoming Popular (The Pony Everypony Should Know). At Silver Frames' request, Rarity attends the gallery opening and brings it a lot of attention.

#### Auction house

An auction house owned by Golden Gavel is briefly featured in Sweet and Elite during Becoming Popular (The Pony Everypony Should Know). At Golden Gavel's request, Rarity attends a charity auction and brings it a lot of attention.

#### Curio shop

At the beginning of Blackout, Trixie gallops through an alley and enters a curio shop, where she persuades the shopkeeper to sell her the Alicorn Amulet for a sack of bits.

#### House of Enchanted Comics

The House of Enchanted Comics is mentioned in Power Ponies as the store where Spike purchases a magically-enchanted Power Ponies comic book.

#### Restaurant

An unnamed restaurant is featured in Amending Fences when Twilight, Spike, Moon Dancer, Minuette, Lemon Hearts, and Twinkleshine have dinner together. Starlight Glimmer also makes a brief appearance, her face hidden behind a menu.

#### Canterlot Carousel

Canterlot Carousel, the Canterlot branch of Rarity's Carousel Boutique, is first featured in Canterlot Boutique. Rarity debuts her "Royal Regalia" line of dresses here and hires Sassy Saddles to serve as the store's manager. The boutique is also featured in Rarity Investigates! and Forever Filly.

#### Restaurant Row

Restaurant Row is a street in Canterlot featured in Spice Up Your Life. It is made up of numerous restaurants, most of which have been rated by Zesty Gourmand's three-hoof rating system, and described by Rarity as "the absolute best place for fine dining in all of Equestria". Restaurants located on this street include The Smoked Oat and The Bake Stop.

#### The Tasty Treat

The Tasty Treat is an initially-failing Canterlot restaurant featured in Spice Up Your Life. It is owned by Coriander Cumin and Saffron Masala and serves very exotic foods. When Rarity and Pinkie Pie are summoned by the Cutie Map to solve a friendship problem, The Tasty Treat is briefly retooled to serve the same food as other restaurants on Restaurant Row, but Coriander and Saffron return it to its original state at the end of the episode. It is also featured in The Point of No Return.

### Social events

Canterlot's most prominent social event is the Grand Galloping Gala, a formal royal ball held in Canterlot Castle and attended only by select ponies, which is mentioned in The Ticket Master and Suited for Success and featured in The Best Night Ever and Make New Friends But Keep Discord.

Another high society event is the Canterlot Garden Party, also held on the castle grounds. Featured in Sweet and Elite, it is a very exclusive event that, according to Rarity, is second to only the Grand Galloping Gala. In Hearth's Warming Eve, a pageant depicting the founding of Equestria is put on by the Mane Six. In the season four premiere, Canterlot holds a new Summer Sun Celebration, stated to be the first such event since the one in Ponyville in the pilot episodes. In The Summer Sun Setback, the last Summer Sun Celebration is held, whereupon Twilight creates a new event to replace it, the "Festival of the Two Sisters".

Other various events held in Canterlot include the Wonderbolts Derby in Sweet and Elite, the Equestria Rodeo in The Last Roundup, the National Dessert Competition in The Last Hope, the Grand Equestria Pony Summit in Princess Spike, and the Friendship Festival in *LEGO Ninjago & My Little Pony: The Movie*.

### Miscellaneous features

In Family Appreciation Day, Granny Smith mentions "all the tea in Canterlot".

In Canterlot Boutique, Rarity is featured in the front cover of *Cosmare* magazine.

In A Christmas Tail, an old-timey fictionalized version of Canterlot is featured in the storybook *A Christmas Tail*.

## Depiction in *LEGO Ninjago & My Little Pony: The Movie*

In *LEGO Ninjago & My Little Pony: The Movie*, the first Friendship Festival is held in Canterlot, and the city comes under attack by the Storm King's forces. After Twilight and her friends defeat the Storm King, she uses the Staff of Sacanas to repair the damage done to the city, and the Festival resumes. In the film, Canterlot is given a redesign and expansion, especially the area surrounding the castle.

## Notable characters

### Residents

* Coriander Cumin
* Discord (formerly)
* Fancy Pants
* Gallus
* Hoity Toity
* Jet Set
* Joe
* Kibitz
* Lemon Hearts
* Luster Dawn (formerly)
* Lyra Heartstrings (formerly)
* Minuette
* Moon Dancer
* Night Light
* Perfect Pace
* Photo Finish
* Prince Blueblood
* Princess Cadance (formerly)
* Princess Celestia (formerly)
* Princess Luna (formerly)
* Professor Gully Trotter
* Royal guards
* Saffron Masala
* Sapphire Shores
* Sassy Saddles
* Shining Armor (formerly)
* Spike
* Spring Rain
* Sunset Shimmer (formerly)
* Tempest Shadow (sometimes)
* Twilight Sparkle
* Trixie (formerly)
* Twilight Velvet
* Twinkleshine
* Upper Crust
* Zesty Gourmand