15 Famous Buildings In Toronto, Canada

1. John P. Robarts Research Library

Commonly known as Robarts Library, John P. Robarts Research Library is the University of Toronto Libraries’ main humanities and social sciences library. It is also the biggest library in the university. The building was named after the former Premier of Ontario, John Robarts, and was opened in 1973. This Toronto structure is one of the prominent examples of brutalist architecture. Because of its intimidating exterior, the famed library has earned the nicknames The Peacock and The Turkey over the years.

John P. Robarts Research Library

Address: 130 St George St, Toronto, ON M5S 1A5, Canada

Website: John P. Robarts Research Library

2. Gooderham Building

Toronto has its own flatiron building in the form of the Gooderham Building on Wellington East Street. This prominent red-brick structure is a historic office building and was completed in 1892. It serves as the vantage point of some of the city’s iconic views—the skyline of Front Street and the Financial District. The building was formerly a shorter structure named the Coffin Block, and the current structure was designed for influential distiller George Gooderham, Sr. Gooderham Building is currently owned by The Commercial Realty Group.

Gooderham Building

Address: 49 Wellington St E, Toronto, ON M5E 1C9, Canada

3. Rogers Centre

Originally known as SkyDome, Rogers Centre is a stadium in downtown Toronto just close to Lake Ontario. It is the home base of Major League Baseball’s Toronto Blue Jays. The building is most often a sports venue, but it is also where major events such as conventions, concerts, trade fairs, and many more are held. The iconic structure opened in 1989 and held its original name until 2005 when it was purchased by Rogers Communications which owns the Blue Jays.

Rogers Centre

Address: 1 Blue Jays Way, Toronto, ON M5V 1J1, Canada

Website: Rogers Centre

4. Ryerson Student Learning Centre

One of the most captivating buildings in Toronto is Ryerson Student Learning Centre. It is also one of the fairly new structures to have made this list, being constructed in 2015. The building displays a glass facade and has eight levels. It serves as a learning and creative space and every level even have its own characteristics to invite all kinds of student collaborations. Whether it’s an open, sleek space for group meetings or a quiet, dense space for concentrations, it’s all present in this stellar building.

Ryerson Student Learning Centre

Address: 341 Yonge St, Toronto, ON M5B 1S1, Canada

Website: Ryerson Student Learning Centre

5. Aga Khan Museum

In the North York area of Toronto is where you’ll find the Fuhimiko Maki-designed Aga Khan Museum. This building is a museum home to Islamic art, Muslim culture, and Iranian art. It is also the first museum in the west that is dedicated to Islamic artworks. This Toronto landmark was named after His Highness the Aga Khan who is the spiritual leader of Shia Ismaili Muslims. This 17-acre (6.8-ha) point of interest opened its doors on September 2014 and shares the site with the city’s Ismaili Centre.

Aga Khan Museum

Address: 77 Wynford Dr, North York, ON M3C 1K1, Canada

Website: Aga Khan Museum

6. CN Tower

The CN is probably one of the most iconic symbols of Toronto and maybe even in all of Canada. The “CN” stands for “Canadian National”, the railway that built the tower on what used to be railway lands. This famous tower in Toronto was completed in 1976 and it currently stands at 553 meters tall (1815 feet) and it held the record for the world’s tallest free-standing structure until the Burj Khalifa overtook that record in 2007. It attracts more than 2 million visitors annually and is one of the seven wonders of the world.

CN Tower

Address: 301 Front St W, Toronto, ON M5V 2T6

Website: CN Tower

7. Massey Hall

Massey Hall is one of Canada’s most legendary performing arts centres and is a National Historic Site. The famous Toronto building is located downtown and it was originally designed to be a hall for people to enjoy music and shows of a non-religious variety. Massey built the hall for his son Charles who loved music and as such, wanted the poor and rich alike to be able to enjoy the venue making tickets as affordable as $1 when it opened in 1894.

Massey Hall

Address: 178 Victoria St, Toronto, ON M5B 1T7

Website: Massey Hall

8. Royal Ontario Museum

The Royal Ontario Museum (or ROM for short) is one of the largest museums in North America and the largest in Canada. It brings in a million guests a year to its doors, and their large selection of art, world culture and natural history makes it the most visited museum in the country. There are more than 6 million items on display from dinosaurs and minerals to African art and Canadian history.

Royal Ontario Museum

Address: 100 Queens Park, Toronto, ON M5S 2C6

Website: Royal Ontario Museum

9. Casa Loma

Casa Loma is a gothic-style castle built on a hill. The mansion was originally built for wealthy financier Sir Henry Pellat but it is now a historic house museum and a Toronto landmark. This iconic Toronto building was built between 1911 and 1914 and the home’s uniqueness has since led it to be seen in several works of television and movies like X-Men, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World and The Pacifier. During the 1920s, the home served as a hotel for wealthy Americans looking to drink legally, and during WWII, the stables were used as an area for the production and development of sonar.

Casa Loma

Address: 1 Austin Terrace, Toronto, ON M5R 1X8

Website: Casa Loma

10. Toronto City Hall

Toronto City Hall is one of the city’s most distinctive landmarks and is obviously the seat of the local government. The building opened in 1965 and was built around the area that was the former Chinatown space. Toronto City Hall hosts several events each year such as new year celebration and festival of lights celebration. It is also a popular filming location for TV and movies including Resident Evil: Apocalypse and the Handmaid’s Tale. Also interestingly enough the Devon Corporation’s headquarters from Pokemon bears an uncanny resemblance to Toronto City Hall.

Toronto City Hall

Address: 100 Queen St W, Toronto, ON M5H 2N2

Website: Toronto City Hall

11. Union Station

Union Station is not only the largest train station in the city but it is also a cultural landmark. The station is listed as a National Historic Site since 1975 and it serves up to 250,000 passengers a day. The station is also connected to the streetcar system in Toronto and serves as a passage point between Toronto Pearson International Airport making it a central area for getting around the city.

Union Station

Address: Toronto, ON M5J 1E6

12. Commerce Court

Commerce Court is one of four office building complexes located in Toronto’s financial district. It is home to the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CIBC) and the first of the four buildings was built in 1931. The 34-storey limestone structure of the first building was the tallest in the Commonwealth until the 1960s and it was considered pretty opulent for the time. Since then, three other buildings were added to Commerce Court solidifying its place in Toronto’s skyline.

Commerce Court

Address: 199 Bay St, Toronto, ON M5L 1L5

Website: Commerce Court

13. Art Gallery of Ontario

The Art Gallery of Ontario is a great way to spend an afternoon looking at some amazing works of art from Canada and around the world. The Art Gallery of Ontario has around 95,000 works of art from all around the world spanning from the 1st century to modern day masterpieces. The gallery measures around 45,000 sq meters (480,000 sq feet), making it one of the largest by land mass, in North America. The art gallery was founded in 1900 and it currently has an artist in residence program showcasing talent from all kinds of art mediums.

Art Gallery of Ontario

Address: 317 Dundas St W, Toronto, ON M5T 1G4

Website: Art Gallery of Ontario

14. Cathedral Church of St. James

Cathedral Church of St. James is home to the oldest congregation in the city. The parish was established in 1797 with the construction of the cathedral as we know it today, being built in 1850. The Cathedral Church of St. James is located in downtown Toronto and it is built in gothic-revival style architecture. This Toronto landmark building was used as a hospital during the war of 1812 until it was robbed and destroyed American troops and in 1849 much of it was destroyed in the Great Toronto Fire.

Cathedral Church of St. James

Address: 106 King St E, Toronto, ON M5C 2E9

Website: Cathedral Church of St. James

15. Roy Thomson Hall

Roy Thomson Hall is located downtown in the entertainment district and it is the home of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra. With an odd circular design, Roy Thomson Hall certainly stands out as an interesting piece of architecture. The name was originally going to be the “New Massey Hall” until it received funding from Roy Thompson to complete it’s building, thus the building bears his name. The hall is one of the main venues for the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) and was also the venue for a state funeral for Canadian politician Jack Layton in 2011.

Roy Thomson Hall

Address: 60 Simcoe St, Toronto, ON M5J 2H5

Website: Roy Thomson Hall

Sights of Toronto

Toronto has tons of landmarks that are both parts of the cultural landscape of the city but also of the country. Don’t miss out on these iconic places that make Toronto a cool and fascinating city next time you’re visiting.