Located at the corner of Queen St. W. and Bay St., Old City Hall is one of Toronto’s most iconic buildings. Built in 1899 and designed by E.J. Lennox, it served as Toronto’s City Hall until 1965, was designated a National Historic Site in 1989 and functioned as a provincial courthouse until April 2025.
The City is currently re-examining potential future uses for Old City Hall and preparing a feasibility study on its long-term use, including as a museum, library and other complementary functions. The findings will be presented to Council by Q2 of 2026.
60 Queen St. W. Ramp access via Albert St.
Park undercover at Nathan Phillips Square or find a nearby Green P parking lot.
Get to Old City Hall by subway, streetcar or local bus. The closest subway station is Queen and busses and streetcars stop near the intersection of Queen St. W. & Bay St. Visit TTC.ca to plan your trip.
Take the GO Train or GO Bus to Union Station, then make your way to Old City Hall on foot or by TTC. Children aged 12 and under always ride for free. Plan your trip with GO Transit.
Ride to Old City Hall with the help of Bike Share Toronto.
Ramp access is available at the Albert St. entrance only.
Elevators to the second floor are small and can only accommodate one mobility device at a time.
There are no accessible washrooms at Old City Hall. The closest accessible washrooms can be found at the Toronto Eaton Centre or Nathan Phillips Square.
Washrooms can be found on the ground and second floors.
More washrooms can be found at the Toronto Eaton Centre and Nathan Phillips Square.
Small cameras and smartphones permitted only.
Large, professional cameras and tripods are not permitted.
Old City Hall can be booked for civil wedding ceremonies, subject to availability. Learn more and inquire about hosting your special day at this historic location.
Toronto’s Old City Hall was built over 10 years (1889-1899) to replace Council Chambers at what is now St. Lawrence Market South. The third city hall in Toronto, it was designed by architect E. J. Lennox to be a beautifully imposing structure at the top of Bay St., viewable from the harbour. Constructed in the Richardsonian Romanesque style with two-tone red sandstone from across Canada, the building is adorned with carvings of animals and humans (including, reportedly, Lennox himself). The lobby’s interior features one of the city’s few secular stained-glass windows, showing “The Union of Commerce and Industry.” In 1925 a Cenotaph was erected on the lawn to honour Torontonians who died in WWI and later updated to also honour veterans of WWII and the Korean War. The Cenotaph is now the site of one of the longest-running Remembrance Day ceremonies in Toronto.
