A hundred meters from Queen Station, you can already see it—the old Toronto City Hall. Grand, weathered, and standing proud amid the rush of glass towers, it remains one of the city’s most iconic landmarks.
Built in 1899, it was once the largest civic building in North America, a Victorian-era masterpiece that cost over $2.5 million to complete. Its architect, E.J. Lennox, poured his life into every stone and arch but was denied public credit by the city council. In quiet defiance, Lennox secretly carved his name into the building’s intricate details, ensuring history would not erase him.
Inside, marble floors, stained glass windows, and hand-painted murals reflect Toronto’s early years. The 240-foot clock tower—often called Toronto’s own Big Ben—has watched over generations of city life, from parades and protests to countless New Year’s Eves.
Court artist Karen, who has sketched trials here for over two decades, recalls how the old courtrooms felt alive. “Almost every courtroom here had a window,” she said. “You could actually feel light.”
For decades, Old City Hall served as the Ontario Court of Justice. But since April 2025, its courtrooms have closed, leaving the building at a crossroads. According to Karen Carter, the city’s director for Museums and Heritage, the vision is to transform it into Toronto’s central museum—a public hub connecting the city’s many cultural spaces.
City Hall and Nathan Phillips Square sit just steps away, making it a fitting location for a new chapter of civic life. Once a place of rulings and records, Old City Hall may soon become a place of stories—where Toronto’s past continues to speak to its future.
