Toronto's Old and New City Hall and Nathan Phillips Square
Toronto City Hall is a striking landmark featuring a modern architectural design which sharply contrasts the Romanesque Architecture of the adjacent Old City Hall
The adjacent new and old Toronto City Halls overlook Nathan Phillips Square, a popular gathering place for locals and visitors alike. The modern design of the New City Hall which opened in 1965, stands in sharp contrast to the 1899 architecture of the adjacent Old City Hall.
The new Toronto City Hall islocated on a large tract of land north of Queen Street West and west of Bay Street, which was the site of Toronto's first Chinatown. Much of Chinatown had to be displaced to the northwest in order to accommodate the new City Hall.
The modern design was created by Finnish architect Viljo Revell along with associates Heikki Castren, Bengt Lundsten, and Seppo Valju who won a contest to come up with the best design. The modern design consists of a rectangular base from which two curved towers rise to different heights. The circular council chambers are constructed on top of the rectangular base in between the two towers. The tallest tower reaches 27 stories (326 feet).
In front of the City Hall is a courtyard called Nathan Phillips Square featuring a reflecting pool which is used as an outdoor skating rink during the winter months, as well as the Peace Garden which serves as a memorial to the bombing of Hiroshima. The square features a weekly farmers' market, the winter festival of lights and is also used for concerts and art displays.
In stark contrast to the new Toronto City Hall and surrounding buildings, the Old City Hall sits next door and features Romanesque Architecture including a 340 foot clock tower complete with gargoyles and the third largest clock in the world. Built in 1899 this historic Toronto Building now serves as the Ontario Court of Justice.
For anyone interested in architecture, both old and new, Toronto's City Halls are a great place to explore.
Facts For Your Visit
Fee: No
Address: 100 Queen St W, Toronto, ON M5H 2N2, Canada
Phone: (416) 203-2600
Official Website: Toronto City Hall
Directions
| TTC Subway Line | Nearest Station | Walking Time |
|---|---|---|
| Yonge-University-Spadina | Osgoode or Queen Station | 3-4 Minutes |
How to get to Toronto City Hall by TTC Subway
No Bus required. From Osgoode Station walk east along Queen Street West or from Queen Station walk west along Queen Street West. Nathan Philips Square and the Toronto City Hall is located on the north side of Queen Street West about half way between these two stations.
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Reviews
Rated out of 5
In the summer there's lots of festivals and events here, check out their local listings to choose which event to go to. The location is big enough but dated. The design is old and may have worked in the mod era but not really world-class now. It is a government office so expect government office type services and level of customer service. Some are nicer than others but not an uncommon occurrence in these types of work unfortunately. Overall, go there if you want a photo of the "Toronto" sign, to complete a government related transaction, or to attend an event. Otherwise, the building next door is more instagrammable-worthy.
Robin - 8 days ago
In the summer there's lots of festivals and events here, check out their local listings to choose which event to go to. The location is big enough but dated. The design is old and may have worked in the mod era but not really world-class now. It is a government office so expect government office type services and level of customer service. Some are nicer than others but not an uncommon occurrence in these types of work unfortunately. Overall, go there if you want a photo of the "Toronto" sign, to complete a government related transaction, or to attend an event. Otherwise, the building next door is more instagrammable-worthy.
Always a good place all year round. You will often find festivals concerts and other activities. Great in winter for ice skating. Be ware of the evil seagulls, specially if you just bought food at one of the parked food trucks. Somtimes I wonder if they are a team... you buy some fries get chased by seagulls drop the fries and buy them again... 😅
Osama Verse-Atile Hussain - 13 days ago
Always a good place all year round. You will often find festivals concerts and other activities. Great in winter for ice skating. Be ware of the evil seagulls, specially if you just bought food at one of the parked food trucks. Somtimes I wonder if they are a team... you buy some fries get chased by seagulls drop the fries and buy them again... 😅
Joe Nemec - 16 days ago
Veronica Hui-Rodriguez - 24 days ago
Very crowded, but it is a nice place to get your photo taken in front of the Toronto sign. May have to wait for people to get out of the way on a busy summer day. Beautiful area to relax in and take in the view of the City Hall and enjoy the sights. Food trucks provided a great snack while we visited. Great place to visit!
Roman Blevins - 26 days ago
Very crowded, but it is a nice place to get your photo taken in front of the Toronto sign. May have to wait for people to get out of the way on a busy summer day. Beautiful area to relax in and take in the view of the City Hall and enjoy the sights. Food trucks provided a great snack while we visited. Great place to visit! 
Video
Photo Gallery
Panoramic view of Nathan Phillips Square showing both the old and new City Hall cc licensed photo by Paolo Costa Baldi 
A view of Nathan Phillips Square with Toronto's Old City Hall in the background cc licensed photo by -Jerome- 
Ice skating at dusk in front of the old City Hall cc licensed photo by Benson Kua 
Toronto City Hall and Fountain at Night cc licensed photo by Benson Kua 
Nathan Phillips Square and the Toronto City Hall at Christmas cc licensed photo by Alex Guibord -
Old City Hall cc licensed photo by Arbron -
Old City Hall cc licensed photo by Arbron -
Old City Hall cc licensed photo by Arbron -
Old City Hall cc licensed photo by Arbron -
Toronto City Hall cc licensed photo by Photographing Travis -
EmergSecPol 026 cc licensed photo by bettie_xo -
EmergSecPol 027 cc licensed photo by bettie_xo -
EmergSecPol 028 cc licensed photo by bettie_xo -
EmergSecPol 029 cc licensed photo by bettie_xo -
EmergSecPol 025 cc licensed photo by bettie_xo
