Appointments are not necessary for visits to the Research Hall, however they are recommended.
Please provide at least 48 hours notice. Appointments ensure the following services:
• Guaranteed access to the Research Hall.
• Most materials can be ordered and delivered in advance.
• Assistance and advice from archives staff before your visit.
Due to limited capacity, groups of four or more are required to book an appointment.
Preparing for a visit
Prepare your research
Requesting materials
- Request or identify the type of material you wish to see before an appointment.
- For appointments, box requests should be submitted at least 48 hours in advance.
- A maximum of five archival boxes can be ordered prior to the appointment.
- Additional material may be retrieved during the appointment. This may take between 30 to 60 minutes.
Copying materials
- You may bring a phone or camera to copy materials and/or a USB stick to save material from microfiche and film.
- You may bring your own pencils and writing material. Pens are not permitted in the Research Hall.
- Photocopying services are not available.
Registering as a Researcher
Using the Archives is free, but you must register as a user before you can access materials. You can register upon your arrival.
Upon arrival you will be asked to:
- Complete a Researcher Registration Form
- Provide a piece of ID with your name and address on it
Every time you visit the Archives, please:
- show your registration card to staff
- follow our Research Hall guidelines for handling fragile historical materials
Booking an appointment
Please provide at least 48 hours notice for the following daily time-slots:
Hours of Operation:
Monday to Friday: 9 a.m. – noon and 1 p.m. – 4 p.m.
The Research Hall is closed from noon – 1 p.m.
To book an appointment please contact us.
Once your request is received, Archives’ staff may contact you for further information. Most materials can be ordered within 48 hours. Oversized materials or materials with access conditions may take longer to retrieve.
Services available
The following services are available at the Toronto Archives Research Hall:
Access to original archival records
- Researchers can order up to five boxes at a time using our database. Please provide 48 hours notice for appointments.
Microfilm material
Self-service access to microfilm and fiche:
Shelved material
Self-service access to materials located on Research Hall shelves:
- Printed copies of former Toronto Council minutes from 1834 to 1997 and Metro Toronto Council minutes f1953 to 1995.
- Building Permit indices from 1882 to 1926.
- A few collections have not been fully entered into our online database and can only be searched using paper finding aids.
- The Archives’ library contains many published materials directly relating to the history and development of Toronto.
Records available
An overview of the Archives’ collection is found in What’s in the Archives.
The following records are unavailable at the Archives and may be available elsewhere:
