List of National Historic Sites of Canada in Toronto facts for kids
Toronto is a big city with lots of history! Did you know it's home to many special places called National Historic Sites? These are important spots in Canada that tell us about our past. There are 37 of them right here in Toronto, and the very first one, Fort York, was named way back in 1923.
These sites are chosen because they represent important moments, people, or events in Canadian history. You might see special plaques (signs) around the city that mark these places. They help us remember and learn about the stories that shaped our country.
Some of these historic sites are even part of Canada's national park system, managed by Parks Canada. For example, Bead Hill in eastern Scarborough became part of the Rouge National Urban Park in 2019. This means it's extra protected and cared for!
The names of these sites are officially chosen by the Historic Sites and Monuments Board. Sometimes, these official names might be a little different from what people usually call them.
Exploring Toronto's Historic Sites
Here's a list of some of the amazing National Historic Sites you can find in Toronto. Each one has a unique story to tell!
| Site | Built | Named Historic Site | Location | What Makes It Special | Image |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Annesley Hall | 1903 | 1990 | Toronto 43°40′04″N 79°23′35″W / 43.66778°N 79.39306°W |
This was the first building specifically made for women living on a Canadian university campus. It's a great example of the Queen Anne Revival style of architecture. |  |
| Balmoral Fire Hall | 1911 | 1990 | Toronto 43°41′09″N 79°23′38″W / 43.685833°N 79.393870°W |
This fire hall is a rare example of the Queen Anne Revival style used for a fire station. It shows how even everyday buildings had unique designs back then. |  |
| Bank of Upper Canada Building | 1825 | 1977 | Toronto 43°39′06.54″N 79°22′15.5″W / 43.6518167°N 79.370972°W |
This old bank building from the early 1800s shows how Toronto grew into a major business hub. The Bank of Upper Canada played a big role in developing the region. |  |
| Bead Hill | 1600s | 1991 | Toronto 43°48′14.77″N 79°8′24.4″W / 43.8041028°N 79.140111°W |
This archaeological site in Rouge National Urban Park holds the only known remains of a 17th-century Seneca village in Canada. It's a window into Indigenous history. |  |
| Birkbeck Building | 1908 | 1986 | Toronto 43°39′2.54″N 79°22′40.49″W / 43.6507056°N 79.3779139°W |
This four-storey office building shows what financial institutions looked like before World War I. It blends old styles with new building methods of its time. |  |
| Eaton's 7th Floor Auditorium and Round Room | 1930 | 1983 | Toronto 43°39′39″N 79°23′00″W / 43.660929°N 79.383302°W |
Located in the old Eaton's department store, these rooms are stunning examples of Art Deco and Streamline Moderne design. They were created by famous French architects. |  |
| Chapel of St. James-the-Less Anglican Church | 1861 | 1990 | Toronto 43°40′10.4″N 79°22′8.32″W / 43.669556°N 79.3689778°W |
This chapel is a beautiful example of High Victorian Gothic Revival architecture. It represents the small, detailed chapels built in Canada during that era. | .jpg) |
| Eglinton Theatre | 1936 | 1993 | Toronto 43°42′15.96″N 79°24′38.66″W / 43.7044333°N 79.4107389°W |
This cinema is considered one of the best examples of Art Deco style in Canadian theatre design. It's a reminder of the golden age of movies. |  |
| Elgin and Winter Garden Theatres | 1914 | 1982 | Toronto 43°39′11″N 79°22′45″W / 43.65306°N 79.37917°W |
These are the last remaining "double-decker" theatres in the world! They were built for vaudeville shows and designed by the famous Thomas W. Lamb. |  |
| Fort York | 1793 | 1923 | Toronto 43°38′20.50″N 79°24′12″W / 43.6390278°N 79.40333°W |
This is where Toronto began! It was the main defense for early York (now Toronto). Today, it's a museum with the largest collection of buildings from the War of 1812 in Canada. |  |
| Fourth York Post Office | 1835 | 1980 | Toronto 43°39′06.65″N 79°22′14.34″W / 43.6518472°N 79.3706500°W |
This was the first post office to serve Toronto when it became a city in 1834. It's one of the oldest buildings in Canada built specifically as a post office. |  |
| George Brown House | 1877 | 1976 | Toronto 43°39′21″N 79°23′42″W / 43.655825°N 79.39502°W |
This was the home of George Brown, who started The Globe and Mail newspaper and was one of the Fathers of Confederation. It's also linked to the Underground Railroad movement. | .jpg) |
| Gooderham and Worts Distillery | 1859-1927 | 1988 | Toronto 43°39′2.628″N 79°21′35.17″W / 43.65073000°N 79.3597694°W |
This site has 40 historic distillery buildings! It shows the history of Canada's distilling industry and Toronto's industrial past. Now it's a popular area with shops and restaurants. |  |
| Gouinlock Buildings / Early Exhibition Buildings | 1904-1912 | 1988 | Toronto 43°37′58″N 79°24′58″W / 43.63278°N 79.41611°W |
These five buildings at the Canadian National Exhibition (CNE) are the best examples of early 20th-century exhibition buildings in Canada. |  |
| Heliconian Hall | 1876 | 2008 | Toronto 43°40′19.03″N 79°23′36.04″W / 43.6719528°N 79.3933444°W |
First a church, this building has been a unique arts club for women since 1923. It's a special place for painters, writers, and musicians. |  |
| John Street Roundhouse (Canadian Pacific) | 1931 | 1990 | Toronto 43°38′27″N 79°23′09″W / 43.640862°N 79.385925°W |
Near Union Station, this is Canada's best surviving example of a roundhouse, where trains were turned around. Today, it's home to a railway museum and other businesses. | _National_Historic_Site_of_Canada_-turntable.jpg){kind=small} |
| Kensington Market | 1815 | 2006 | Toronto 43°39′17.18″N 79°24′02.44″W / 43.6547722°N 79.4006778°W |
This vibrant neighbourhood is known for its narrow streets and unique shops. Since the early 1900s, it has welcomed many immigrant communities, making it a symbol of Canada's multiculturalism. |  |
| Maple Leaf Gardens | 1931 | 2007 | Toronto 43°39′44″N 79°22′49″W / 43.66222°N 79.38028°W |
Built for the Toronto Maple Leafs, this arena is famous in ice hockey history. For 70 years, it hosted major sporting events, concerts, and political gatherings. |  |
| Massey Hall | 1894 | 1981 | Toronto 43°39′15″N 79°22′44.50″W / 43.65417°N 79.3790278°W |
A gift to Toronto from a wealthy industrialist, this concert hall is one of Canada's most important cultural places. It's known for its amazing sound quality. |  |
| Metallic Roofing Company Offices | 1897 | 1984 | Toronto 43°38′21.01″N 79°25′37.76″W / 43.6391694°N 79.4271556°W |
This unique building was decorated entirely in pressed metal! It was taken apart in 1982 and is being held for future reconstruction. |  |
| Montgomery's Tavern | 1837 | 1925 | Toronto 43°42′34″N 79°23′56″W / 43.7095°N 79.3990°W |
This was the site of a rebellion led by William Lyon MacKenzie during the Upper Canada Rebellion. This event helped lead to more responsible government in the colony. |  |
| Mount Pleasant Cemetery | 1876 | 2000 | Toronto 43°41′47″N 79°23′06″W / 43.696351°N 79.384882°W |
This cemetery is a beautiful example of 19th-century naturalistic design. Many grave markers here tell stories of important people and times in Toronto's history. | .jpg) |
| Old Toronto City Hall and York County Court House | 1899 | 1984 | Toronto 43°39′9″N 79°22′54″W / 43.65250°N 79.38167°W |
This building is one of Canada’s best examples of Richardsonian Romanesque architecture. It shows how prosperous and fast-growing Toronto was in the late 1800s. |  |
| Old Toronto Post Office / Old Bank of Canada | 1853 | 1958 | Toronto 43°39′00″N 79°22′35″W / 43.64999°N 79.376355°W |
This building is a notable example of Greek Revival architecture in Canada. It once served as a post office and later as a bank. |  |
| Osgoode Hall | 1832 | 1979 | Toronto 43°39′08″N 79°23′08″W / 43.65222°N 79.38556°W |
This building houses the Law Society of Upper Canada and courts. It symbolizes the legal system in Ontario and is known for its beautiful interiors. |  |
| Royal Alexandra Theatre | 1907 | 1985 | Toronto 43°38′51″N 79°23′15″W / 43.64741°N 79.38750°W |
One of the last theatres of its kind built in Canada, this theatre has been a central part of Toronto's social and cultural life for over a century. | .jpg) |
| Royal Conservatory of Music | 1881 | 1995 | Toronto 43°40′4.7″N 79°23′46.50″W / 43.667972°N 79.3962500°W |
This building was originally the first home of McMaster University. Since 1962, it has housed the Royal Conservatory of Music, a key place for music education in Canada. |  |
| St. Anne's Anglican Church | 1908 | 1996 | Toronto 43°39′2.24″N 79°25′50.35″W / 43.6506222°N 79.4306528°W |
This church has unique paintings from 1923 by ten famous artists, including three members of the Group of Seven. |  |
| St. George's Hall (Arts and Letters Club) | 1891 | 2007 | Toronto 43°39′28.13″N 79°22′57.51″W / 43.6578139°N 79.3826417°W |
Since 1920, this hall has been a meeting place for artists, writers, musicians, and actors. It's been very important for artistic activities in Canada. |  |
| St. Lawrence Hall | 1850 | 1967 | Toronto 43°39′01″N 79°22′20″W / 43.65028°N 79.37222°W |
For many years, St. Lawrence Hall was Toronto's main social and cultural center. It's considered one of the finest public buildings from the 19th century in Canada. | .jpg) |
| The Grange | 1817 | 1970 | Toronto 43°39′11.25″N 79°23′32.7″W / 43.6531250°N 79.392417°W |
This historic Georgian manor is one of the few surviving homes of important citizens from early York. It's also the oldest brick house still standing in Toronto. |  |
| Spadina | 1866 | 2019 | Toronto 43°40′44″N 79°24′29″W / 43.679023°N 79.40815°W |
This country estate was transformed into a grand Edwardian home. It offers a glimpse into how wealthy families lived in Toronto's past. |  |
| The Studio Building | 1914 | 2005 | Toronto 43°40′24″N 79°23′10″W / 43.67325°N 79.386083°W |
This building was an early Canadian artists’ studio, designed for painter Lawren Harris. Many famous Canadian artists, including members of the Group of Seven, lived and worked here. |  |
| Toronto Island Airport Terminal Building | 1939 | 1989 | Toronto 43°37′55.01″N 79°23′44.65″W / 43.6319472°N 79.3957361°W |
This is one of the very first airport terminals funded by the Department of Transport. It's likely the oldest operating airport terminal of its kind in Canada. |  |
| Union Station (Canadian Pacific and Grand Trunk) | 1927 | 1975 | Toronto 43°38′43″N 79°22′50″W / 43.64528°N 79.38056°W |
This is Canada's best example of a classical Beaux-Arts railway station. It's the largest of the grand city stations built when railways were booming and Toronto was becoming a modern city. | .jpg) |
| University College | 1859 | 1968 | Toronto 43°39′44″N 79°23′45″W / 43.66222°N 79.39583°W |
One of the oldest college buildings in Canada, this site is important for the development of public universities in Canada and the growth of the University of Toronto. |  |
| Women's College Hospital | 1883 | 1995 | Toronto 43°39′42″N 79°23′15″W / 43.661686°N 79.387497°W |
This hospital was founded when it was hard for women to get medical training. It focuses on women's health and the role of women as healthcare providers, symbolizing their contributions to medicine. |  |
More to Explore
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List of National Historic Sites of Canada in Toronto Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.