Downtown Core, Toronto

The huge Eaton Center is located at the north end of the CBD. With its own subway station this ultra-modern shopping complex extends over several blocks and is continually being renovated and enlarged. Strangers can quite easily lose their way in the bewildering maze of department stores, specialist shops, boutiques, restaurants, cafeterias and snack bars which crowd the different levels above and below ground. There is hardly a specialty from anywhere in the world which cannot be found for sale here. The original Eaton department store opened in Toronto in 1869 and grew into an enormous retail business.

Dominating the spacious Nathan Philips Square with its bronze sculpture "The Archer" by Henry Moore is the still highly acclaimed new City Hall, designed by the gifted Finnish architect Viljo Revell and built in 1965. It consists of two arc-shaped high-rise blocks (20 and 27 stores high respectively), wrapped around a lower central building topped by a flattened cupola (housing the chamber in which meetings of the Toronto and Greater Toronto councils are held).

The five-story red brick and glass encased Toronto Reference Library was completed in 1979, one of architect Raymond Moriyama's acknowledged masterpieces. Mounting a wide-ranging program of cultural events the library has become a popular focus for the activities of Toronto's middle class intelligentsia.

The Canon Theatre (formerly the Pantages Theatre) in downtown Toronto is best known for it's production of The Phantom of the Opera which ran for over 10 years. The Canon Theatre began its life in 1920 as a combination vaudeville and motion picture theatre in the Pantages theatre circuit. The theatre itself has been restored and now seats 2,200 people.

Le Royal Meridien King Edward Hotel In Toronto was opened in 1903 as the King Edward Hotel. It's owner, George Gooderham was the richest man in Toronto at the time. Famous guests of the Le Royal Meridien King Edward Hotel have included the Beatles and Mark Twain.Le Royal Meridien King Edward Hotel is a high class luxury hotel and in 1975 was named a historical site.

The Old City Hall (as it is called) in Toronto is a magnificent stone building dating from the end of the 19th C. Following the completion of the new City Hall near by, various branches of the Justice Department (including the Law-Courts) were transferred to the old building.

Osgoode Hall (1835-55), a former law-courts situated immediately west of the new City Hall in Toronto, was named after Upper Canada's first High Court Judge. Its gardens, bounded by heavy iron railings, have a special charm, especially in the spring.

Located in Toronto, the Armen Art Gallery collection features North American Native Art. Within the collection is Woodland, Haida works including, paintings, carvings, jewelry and more.

The Young Peoples Theatre is a professional theatre for children and adults. A variety of shows are put on from October through May.The theatre also runs drama classes for children.

The Hummingbird Centre for the Performing Arts (formerly the O'Keefe Center) (close to Union Station) in Toronto is a theatre with a long established reputation for the performing arts.

St James Cathedral is the fourth church built on this site. The tower stands 306 feet and is a landmark in the St Lawrence neighbourhood . The current church was built after a fire destroyed the former in 1849.

The Toronto Police Museum and Discovery Centre features exhibits on crime fighting and the history of policing in Toronto. Some exhibits even feature real evidence from crime scenes of famous cases.

Allan Gardens in Toronto feature a wide variety of exotic plants. The glass Victorian greenhouse, known as the Palm House, was built in 1909.

Elmwood Spa is a full service health spa in Toronto. The spa offers a full array of services for both women and men.

The St Lawrence Centre for the Performing Arts is home to the Centre Stage Company and also provides space for a variety of events.

The Thomson Gallery on Toronto contains works by 19th and 20th C Canadian artists, including members of the Group of Seven, Emilly Carr, and more.

The Toronto Sculpture Garden mounts two exhibits a year, one in May and the other in October. The garden has been operating since 1981.