Toronto Railway Museum

Online Lecture: Laying the Tracks to Victory
2023-11-16 19:00 - 20:30 (America/New_York)
Join us for “Laying the Tracks to Victory: Sergeant Biggs and the Canadian Railway Troops of the First World War,” an online lecture on November 16th!

Did you know that Canada during the 1910s had the best and most experienced trainmen in the world? These Canadian railway professionals were recruited to build & maintain thousands of kilometers of tracks on the Western Front – their great contribution is rarely discussed and is certainly a neglected part of history.
Learn about the Canadian Railway Troops of WWI that enabled the Allies to win the war with Ryan Goldsworthy of the Royal Canadian Military Institute. This lecture will be illuminated by several original artifacts related to the Canadian Railway Troops of 1914-1919, including the rare medal set and uniform of Canadian Sergeant William Thomas Biggs.

GET TICKETS HERE

ABOUT RYAN GOLDSWORTHY
Ryan Goldsworthy is a military historian and material history expert from Toronto. He is currently the Museum Director & Curator at the Royal Canadian Military Institute (RCMI). At RCMI, he has amassed the most diverse and complete collection of Canadian First World War uniforms. He was formerly an Educator and a First World War historian at The Military Museums of Calgary (TMM). He has served on several museum committees and boards of directors.

ABOUT THE TORONTO RAILWAY MUSEUM (TRM)
The Toronto Railway Museum (TRM) brings people together by telling stories of Toronto’s railway heritage. The Museum is located in the heart of downtown Toronto and is typically open year-round. TRM presents exhibits, tours, educational programs and publications that broaden the understanding and appreciation of Toronto’s rich railway history. TRM is committed to telling the stories of the railways, and welcoming conversations of its varied experiences through its lecture series, exhibits and integrated programming with a mission to learn from the past to make the future better.

Halloween at TRM
2023-10-29 12:00 - 17:00
Free! Some activities require museum admission.

On Sunday, October 29, join the Toronto Railway Museum for a family Halloween event. Get a head start on your trick-or-treating and join us for a silly, spooky story time inside the museum. Plus, explore exhibits, test drive the train simulator, and take a tour using our free audio guides!

Train Car Trick-or-Treat
Trick-or-Treat!
Pick up your TRM Trick-or-Treat passport (available by donation) to explore the museum’s train cars and get a head start on trick-or-treating. Visitors can use their TRM trick-or-treat passport to tour the museum train cars and collect some treats. Passport locations inside the museum store in Don Station and at the museum in Stall 17. While supplies last.

Spooky Story Time
Tune in for silly, spooky family story time at the Toronto Railway Museum! Join us inside the museum (admission required) and listen to some railway Halloween story books read out loud.

More details to come, stay tuned!

ABOUT THE TORONTO RAILWAY MUSEUM (TRM)
The Toronto Railway Museum (TRM) brings people together by telling stories of Toronto’s railway heritage. The Museum is located in the heart of downtown Toronto and is typically open year-round. TRM presents exhibits, tours, educational programs and publications that broaden the understanding and appreciation of Toronto’s rich railway history. TRM is committed to telling the stories of the railways, and welcoming conversations of its varied experiences through its lecture series, exhibits and integrated programming with a mission to learn from the past to make the future better.

Railway Garden Community Weeding Event
2023-10-21 09:30 - 11:30
Help the Toronto Railway Museum keep the grounds and Roundhouse Park looking great!

Join us for a morning of gardening and weeding from 9:30 am – 11:30 am. No experience required, if you have gardening tools please bring them! Limited tools will be available.

Sign up to volunteer!

Roundhouse Birthday
2023-10-15 12:00 - 17:00
The John Street Roundhouse is celebrating its 94th birthday on Sunday, October 15, 2023!
The museum and museum store are open from 12:00 pm – 5:00 pm with special guided tours and museum store offers planned:
GUIDED TOURS
Learn more about the John Street Roundhouse, its history, and its function on a guided tour. Roundhouse tours offer visitors a deeper dive into the features of the building as well as a peek behind the scenes. Tours run at 2:30 pm, 3:30pm, and 4:30 pm, and are approximately 20 minutes. Sign up at the reception desk when you purchase admission.
Museum Store
To celebrate the John Street Roundhouse’s 94th birthday, visitors can pick up a free postcard bundle from the museum store in Don Station. Commemorate the Roundhouse’s special anniversary with cards featuring the iconic building. Available while supplies last in the museum store; suggested donation $2.

The Toronto Railway Museum store carries a range of gifts, toys, souvenirs, and books. By shopping with us, you are supporting the preservation of Toronto’s railway heritage and all sales are in support of the museum. Find the museum store inside Don Station during museum hours.

Stall 17 Museum
The museum space in Stall 17 is open to visitors. Visit the museum to time-travel back to when Toronto was covered in train tracks and the John Street Roundhouse was bustling with activity! Don’t forget to test drive the train simulator. Our train simulator transports you back to the Toronto Rail Lands in the 1950s.

Thanksgiving Hours
2023-10-07 08:00 - 2023-10-11 17:00
The Toronto Railway Museum is closed on Monday, October 9, 2023.

Visit the museum in Stall 17 of the John Street Roundhouse and browse the museum store in Don Station.

Hours:
Saturday, October 7: Open, 12:00-5:00 pm
Sunday, October 8: Open, 12:00-5:00 pm
Monday, October 9: Closed
Tuesday, October 10: Closed
Wednesday, October 11: Closed
Regular hours resume on Thursday, October 12.

Stall 17 Museum
The museum space in Stall 17 is open to visitors for October 7-8, Thanksgiving weekend! Visit the museum to time-travel back to when Toronto was covered in train tracks and the John Street Roundhouse was bustling with activity! Don’t forget to test drive the train simulator. Our train simulator transports you back to the Toronto Rail Lands in the 1950s.

Museum Store
The Toronto Railway Museum store carries a range of gifts, toys, souvenirs, and books. By shopping with us, you are supporting the preservation of Toronto’s railway heritage and all sales are in support of the museum. Find the museum store inside Don Station during museum hours.

Railway Garden Community Weeding Event
2023-09-23 09:30 - 11:30
Help the Toronto Railway Museum keep the grounds and Roundhouse Park looking great!

Join us for a morning of gardening and weeding from 9:30 am – 11:30 am. No experience required, if you have gardening tools please bring them! Limited tools will be available.

Stay tuned for the registration link to sign up to volunteer!

Rail Safety Week
2023-09-16 12:00 - 2023-09-24 17:00
Celebrate the 20th annual Rail Safety Week with Operation Lifesaver and the Toronto Railway Museum!
Rail Safety Week Launch
On Saturday, September 16, join us at 11:30 am as we unveil Look. Listen. Live. rail safety decals at the Mini Train crossing in Roundhouse Park. Decals are being unveiled across the country to remind pedestrians, cyclists, and motorists to exercise caution at rail crossings. Celebrate the launch of Rail Safety Week 2023 with museum and OL volunteers and supporters at the public unveiling.
Story Time
Tune in for a Thomas & Friends story time on weekends during Rail Safety Week at 1:00 pm and 3:00 pm. Join us on the Don Station platform to follow along with Thomas as he learns valuable lessons on the dangers of not stopping at rail crossings, standing too close to the platform edge, or leaving farm gates open so that animals can wander onto the tracks. Participants will receive a copy of Stay Safe with Thomas to take home, along with other goodies from the Operation Lifesaver team.
Story time Schedule

Saturday, September 16: 1:00 pm and 3:00 pm
Sunday, September 17: 1:00 pm and 3:00 pm
Friday, September 22: 1:00 pm and 3:00 pm
Saturday, September 23: 1:00 pm and 3:00 pm
Sunday, September 24* (Tentative): 1:00 pm and 3:00 pm

Rail Safety Week Tent
Find the Operation Lifesaver team on the Don Station platform during museum hours (12:00-5:00 pm) on event days to chat more about rail safety and pick up some Rail Safety Week swag.

ABOUT OPERATION LIFESAVER CANADA (OL)
Operation Lifesaver Canada’s Rail Safety Week is critical to raising public awareness about rail safety and reminding Canadians that taking risks near tracks and trains could cost them a limb, or their life. The Toronto Railway Museum is proud to participate in this year’s campaign to raise awareness about rail safety education.
ABOUT THE TORONTO RAILWAY MUSEUM (TRM)
The Toronto Railway Museum (TRM) brings people together by telling stories of Toronto’s railway heritage. The Museum is located in the heart of downtown Toronto and is typically open year-round. TRM presents exhibits, tours, educational programs and publications that broaden the understanding and appreciation of Toronto’s rich railway history. TRM is committed to telling the stories of the railways, and welcoming conversations of its varied experiences through its lecture series, exhibits and integrated programming with a mission to learn from the past to make the future better.

Labour Day Weekend 2023
2023-09-01 12:00 - 2023-09-06 17:00
Long Weekend Hours

The Toronto Railway Museum is OPEN for Labour Day long weekend 2023. Visit the museum in Stall 17 of the John Street Roundhouse, ride the Mini Train, and browse the museum store in Don Station. Please note guided tours will not operate over the long weekend.

Hours:
Friday, September 1: Open 12:00-5:00pm
Saturday, September 2: Open 12:00-5:00pm
Sunday, September 3: Open 12:00-5:00pm
Monday, September 4: Open 12:00-5:00pm

Tuesday, September 5: Closed
Wednesday, September 6: Closed
Regular hours resume on Thursday, September 7.

Stall 17 Museum
The museum space in Stall 17 is open to visitors on Labour Day weekend. Visit the museum to time-travel back to when Toronto was covered in train tracks and the John Street Roundhouse was bustling with activity! Don’t forget to test drive the train simulator. Our train simulator transports you back to the Toronto Rail Lands in the 1950s.

Museum Store
The Toronto Railway Museum store carries a range of gifts, toys, souvenirs, and books. By shopping with us, you are supporting the preservation of Toronto’s railway heritage and all sales are in support of the museum. Find the museum store inside Don Station during museum hours.

Mini Train
The Miniature Train will run from 12:00-5:00pm (weather dependent). Tickets are sold on the platform at the Don Station ticket window.

BOARDING
Mini Train passengers are encouraged to line up along the Don Station platform 5 minutes before their ticket time slot begins. The train leaves promptly at the scheduled time. Look for the white tent and museum staff on the platform at Don Station.

Celebrate Ukrainian Independence Day
2023-08-24 15:00 - 17:00
Celebrate Ukrainian Independence Day at the Toronto Railway Museum
August 24 is the Independence Day of Ukraine. TRM stands with its brave people and has a special gift for them – a journey through the history of Canadian railways delivered in Ukrainian! TRM introduced translated audio guides, making Ukrainian the first international language available at the museum.
The project was concluded exclusively by our volunteers – thank you! The voice recording was done in public recording rooms available at the Digital Innovation Hubs of Toronto Public Library. All music and sound effects including authentic vintage train and railway station sounds were taken from royalty-free public domain archives. The first translation paved way for making railway history accessible for broader communities, because TRM plans to have its guides available in multiple international languages in the future.
Audio guides are accessible through the museum website, and available here.

Interested? Visit us on August 24 and chat with one of our Ukrainian-speaking volunteers (look for the Ukrainian flags!). If you are keen to listen through the whole outdoor audio guides, participate in our railway trivia, and win a prize!

Community Weeding Party
2023-08-19 09:30 - 11:30
Help us clean and beautify the Roundhouse Park and Toronto Railway Museum.
Saturday, August 19th
From 9:30 am to 11:30 am
At the Toronto Railway Museum (Roundhouse Park, 255 Bremner Blvd)
No expertise needed – everything growing in the space is definitely a weed!
If you have gardening tools and can bring them with you it will be much appreciated. (We have some at the Museum, but may not be enough for all volunteers.)
Water and coffee available throughout the morning. Bring refillable water bottle if you are able and remember to wear hats, sunblock, closed shoes etc.
Confirm your presence by clicking here.

Have questions? Reach us at events@trha.ca
Feel free to invite friends and family!

Online Lecture: Beyond HFR: Advancing Passenger Rail Across Canada
2023-08-17 19:00 - 20:30
Join us for “Beyond HFR: Advancing Passenger Rail Across Canada”, an online lecture on August 17!
An acronym for High Frequency Rail, HFR is one of Canada’s biggest projects yet. The goal is simple, to connect different parts of Canada by rail at faster speeds than we’ve never seen before. Join Terry Johnson, Vice President of Transport Action Canada for his presentation about the opportunities for near-term improvements to passenger rail service and the challenges facing VIA Rail today.

TICKETS AVAILABLE NOW

ABOUT TERRY JOHNSON
Terry Johnson is president of Transport Action Canada, the national advocacy organization for sustainable public transport, and the voice of train, bus and ferry passengers. He has been involved in passenger advocacy for more than a decade, starting in Southwestern Ontario where has lived since coming to Canada in 2003.

He has studied Railway Engineering at Technical University Delft, leadership with the Ivey School of Business, and has a Master’s in Politics and Economics from the University of Oxford. He is also an entrepreneur, with experience in computer science and artificial intelligence, and also volunteers with two social housing organizations, and the VIA Historical Association.

ABOUT THE TORONTO RAILWAY MUSEUM (TRM)
The Toronto Railway Museum (TRM) brings people together by telling stories of Toronto’s railway heritage. The Museum is located in the heart of downtown Toronto and is typically open year-round. TRM presents exhibits, tours, educational programs and publications that broaden the understanding and appreciation of Toronto’s rich railway history. TRM is committed to telling the stories of the railways, and welcoming conversations of its varied experiences through its lecture series, exhibits and integrated programming with a mission to learn from the past to make the future better.

Long Weekend Hours
2023-08-05 12:00 - 2023-08-09 17:00
TRM is open for the August long weekend!

There’s lots to do at the museum this summer: Explore exhibits in Stall 17 with our audio guide, test drive the simulator, take a guided tour of the park, and ride the Mini Train.

Don’t forget to select a souvenir of your visit at the museum store in Don Station!

Long Weekend Hours:
Saturday, August 5: Open 12:00-5:00 pm
Sunday, August 6: Open 12:00-5:00 pm
Monday, August 7: Open 12:00-5:00 pm
Tuesday, August 8: Closed
Wednesday, August 9: Closed
Regular hours resume Thursday, August 10.

Museum Store Anniversary
2023-07-30 12:00 - 17:00
The Museum Store at TRM is celebrating its one-year anniversary! Thanks to support from the Ontario Trillium Fund, we were able to reopen the museum store in 2022 after several years of hibernation.
Visit the museum store on Sunday, July 30 to celebrate! Browse new gifts and souvenirs, and shop special anniversary deals!
The museum store has changed a lot over the last year! From the layout and product line-up to behind the scenes infrastructure. We specially want to give a special thanks to all of our local and Canadian vendors who have helped us on our journey thus far. Thank you to:

Puce Creek
Polar Magnetics Inc.
CN Boutique
Intricate Greetings
Joseph Zhuang/JoeInc.
Toronto Popcorn Company
StortzToys Inc.
Plumleaf Press

And many more!

The museum store is open during museum hours, Wednesday-Sunday 12:00-5:00 pm, and located inside the historic Don Station.

Historic Places Days 2023
2023-07-08 08:00 - 2023-07-23 17:00
Join us July 8-23 as we discover our rich and diverse history through #HistoricPlacesDays.
SELFIE CONTEST

The National Trust for Canada is giving away a total of $2000, and over $10000 in prizes, in support of Historic Places Days. Get creative with a selfie or photo taken at the museum, and post it on Facebook or Instagram with the hashtag #HistoricPlacesDays before July 23 for a chance to win $1,000 for you and $1,000 for the tagged historic site (tag us @TORailwayMuseum)! Enter the contest today.

Courtesy of Brooklynn St

Courtesy of oaktreeb on Instagram

Visit lists
Build your dream Historic Places Days itinerary with Visit Lists! Whether you’d like to round-up your favourite local spots, or make a wish list of must-see sites across Canada, Visit Lists let you personalize your #HistoricPlacesDays.
From July 1st to 31st, you create and share your #VisitList online for a chance to win one of fifteen $500 VIA vouchers! It’s simple and easy to do with only a few short steps. To enter, set up an account on Historic Places Days, start off your one of a kind #VisitList with a catchy title, featured image, and an introduction of at least 100 words to invite online travelers to check out your amazing itinerary. Your #Visitlist should be composed of a minimum of three sites which are registered on the Historic Places Days – Every Place A Story website.
Check out two of our past Visit Lists below.
All Aboard! Visit List
Find a railway museum or heritage site near you with this Historic Places Days Visit List
Hop on board and explore these railway heritage sites and museums! From museums and heritage train stations, to operating steam railways and memorial gardens, there’s something for everyone on this Visit List. Moreover, discover the ways Canada’s railway history changed your local area with one of these Historic Places. Above all, happy exploring!
In the Neighbourhood Visit List
There’s so much to explore! Here are some of our favourite Historic Sites in the neighbourhood of the Toronto Railway Museum
Finding yourself in downtown Toronto? Wondering where to explore next? This list is here to guide your plans. While Toronto’s downtown core may look like a jungle of glittering skyscrapers at first, there are hidden pockets of history everywhere you go! These places are within an approximately hour-long walk, or a 30 minute transit ride away from the Toronto Railway Museum.
THE JOHN STREET ROUNDHOUSE
The Toronto Railway Museum is housed within the historic John Street Roundhouse. The best surviving example of a railway roundhouse in Canada, John Street was build in 1929 to service passenger steam locomotives. Discover the John Street Roundhouse’s story.

Monument to Chinese Railroad Workers Wreath-Laying Ceremony
2023-07-01 10:30 - 12:00
2023 marks 100 years since the passing of the Chinese Exclusion Act in Canada. Join our friends from the Foundation to Commemorate the Chinese Railroad Workers in Canada on July 1 at the annual wreath-laying ceremony at the Chinese Railroad Workers Memorial.
Date and Time
Pay homage to the Chinese pioneers, railroad workers, and head tax payers, and remember the legacy they left behind at 10:30 am on Saturday, July 1, 2023 at the Chinese Railroad Workers Memorial.
Located at 4 Blue Jays Way, the Chinese Railroad Workers Memorial is a 5-minute walk from the Toronto Railway Museum.
The Chinese Railroad Workers Memorial
The Chinese Railroad Workers Memorial commemorates an important part of history, and the people who made Canada’s transcontinental railway possible. Join our friends from the Foundation to Commemorate the Chinese Railroad Workers in Canada on July 1 at the annual wreath-laying ceremony at the memorial to pay homage to the Chinese pioneers, railroad workers, and head tax payers and the legacy they left behind. Learn more about the monument on the TRM blog
At the museum
Learn more about the Chinese workers who worked on building Canada’s transcontinental railway, the dangerous conditions they faced, and restrictions on Chinese immigration through The Ties that Bind exhibition, on display at the museum.
About FCCRWC
The Foundation to Commemorate the Chinese Railroad Workers in Canada is a registered charitable organization with a mission to honor and remember the Chinese Railroad Workers who played a vital role in building the first transcontinental railway (the CPR) that connected Canada geographically and politically. Our goals include promoting understanding and awareness of the significant contributions made by Chinese Railroad Workers to Canada’s history, raising awareness about the unjust Immigration Acts imposed on Chinese pioneers and their families, establishing scholarships, and supporting other Canadian charitable organizations that promote Chinese Canadian History. We are dedicated to preserving the legacy of Chinese Railroad Workers and fostering a better understanding of their contributions to Canada’s rich cultural heritage. Learn more on their website

Photo by Shaun Merritt

July Long Weekend Hours
2023-06-30 12:00 - 2023-07-05 17:00
The Toronto Railway Museum is OPEN for Canada Day long weekend 2023. There are many things to do at the Toronto Railway Museum this summer: Explore exhibits in Stall 17 with our audio guide, test drive the simulator, take a guided tour of the park, and ride the Mini Train.

Don’t forget to select a souvenir of your visit at the museum store in Don Station or post a selfie at one of our four railway murals (tag us @TORailwayMuseum).

Hours:
Saturday, July 1: Open 12:00-5:00pm
Sunday, July 2: Open 12:00-5:00pm
Monday, July 3: Open 12:00-5:00 pm
Tuesday, July 4: Closed
Wednesday, July 5: Closed

Regular hours resume on Thursday, July 6

Stall 17 Museum
The museum space in Stall 17 is open to visitors on May Long Day weekend. Stop by to enjoy your favourite exhibits or browse our most popular gift shop items. We are looking forward to welcoming you to the museum! Masks are mandatory and museum capacity is limited.

Mini Train
The Miniature Train will run from 12:00-5:00pm (weather dependent). To clarify, each Miniature Train trip will depart with limited riders to accommodate for physical distancing, and face masks are mandatory on the platform and aboard the train. Tickets go on sale at 11:30am (ET) for the day of; bookmark our Eventbrite page here.

Guided Tours
Guided tours are back for the summer at TRM! Sign up for a tour at the museum for a chance to climb aboard some of our rolling stock collection. Tours depart at 12:00pm, 1:30pm, 3:00pm, and 4:00pm unless otherwise posted. Plan your visit.

Online Lecture: A Tale of Two Tunnels Beneath the St. Clair River
2023-06-15 19:00 - 20:30
Join us for “A Tale of Two Tunnels Beneath the St. Clair River”, an online lecture on June 15!

Join Christina Sydorko, Educational Programs Coordinator at the Oil Museum of Canada, on a journey to discover the engineering marvel that is the St. Clair tunnel.

Picture this: Rail traffic is backed up and at a stand still on a frozen stormy night in the middle of winter. It is too dangerous for the Grand Trunk Railway ferries to make the river crossing in the storm and tomorrow will be lost due to ice jams. The St. Clair River crossing has become a bottleneck and delays are costing money. How can this problem be solved? The solution is digging a tunnel in the soft clay beneath one of the fastest rivers to join Canada and the United States by a ribbon of steel!

Construction of the St. Clair tunnel was an engineering marvel of its time, only to be repeated again 100 years later! The second version saw crews employing the latest laser-guided technologically-advanced tunneling machine dubbed “Excalibore” built in Toronto, Ontario.

REGISTER TO RESERVE YOUR SPACE HERE

ABOUT CHRISTINA SYDORKO
Christina is a dedicated educator who strives to create exciting and informative educational experiences. She has an Honour’s Bachelor of Arts from the University of Western Ontario and a Bachelor of Education from Windsor University with subject specialization in History and Geography. Christina spent 15 years teaching in the Lambton Kent District School Board before moving to be the full time Educational Programs Coordinator at the Oil Museum of Canada, National Historic Site in 2017. She has spearheaded the creation of the Travelling Trunks educational kits and virtual education programs at the museum with a focus on fact based education. Christina is also the recipient of the 2021 Award of Excellence in Programming from the Ontario Museum Association for virtual programs and the Lambton County Innovation Award for 2021. Christina hopes to encourage a new generation of young people to find the wonder and exciting opportunities in the physical world around them.

ABOUT THE TORONTO RAILWAY MUSEUM (TRM)
The Toronto Railway Museum (TRM) brings people together by telling stories of Toronto’s railway heritage. The Museum is located in the heart of downtown Toronto and is typically open year-round. TRM presents exhibits, tours, educational programs and publications that broaden the understanding and appreciation of Toronto’s rich railway history. TRM is committed to telling the stories of the railways, and welcoming conversations of its varied experiences through its lecture series, exhibits and integrated programming with a mission to learn from the past to make the future better.

Guided Tours at TRM
2023-06-15 12:30 - 2023-08-13 16:00
Uncover the stories of Toronto’s railways with a guided tour! The Toronto Railway Museum Roundhouse Park Tour explores how Toronto’s railways shaped the social landscape of the city since their introduction in the early 1800s. How were Toronto’s oldest communities impacted by the development of the railways? Further, what stories do our train cars tell? Join us to find out! Tours are in-depth, guided walking tours that take visitors around the museum grounds and aboard some of the rolling stock on display. Tour length is approximately 30 minutes.

Tour Schedule

Guided tours will be offered daily beginning on Thursday, June 15 and run until Sunday, August 13. Tours run at 12:30 pm, 2:00 pm, 3:00 pm, and 4:00 pm. Tours are included in the price of museum admission and visitors can register to join a tour upon arrival to the museum.

If you have any tour questions, please reach out via email manager@trha.ca or phone (416) 214-9229.

Museum Store Closure
2023-06-14 12:00 - 17:00
Please note the museum store in Don Station will be closed on Wednesday, June 14. Apologies for any inconvenience.
The museum in Stall 17 will operate as normal from 12:00-5:00 pm. The museum store will resume regular hours on Thursday, June 15.

Mini Train Season Begins
2023-06-14 12:00 - 17:00
The Mini Train is back at TRM! We’re excited to announce that the Mini Train will return to Roundhouse Park daily starting on Wednesday, June 14. Summer operations run Wednesday-Sunday until Labour Day. Please note that Mini Train operations are weather dependent.

Tickets
Mini Train tickets are sold online through Eventbrite only. Mini Train tickets go on sale at 11:30 am for the day. Passengers purchase a ticket for a designated time slot, which run every 10 minutes. Bookmark the ticket page to visit when tickets go live!

Boarding
Mini Train passengers are encouraged to line up along the Don Station platform five minutes before their ticket time slot begins. The train leaves promptly at the scheduled time. Look for the white tent and museum staff on the platform at Don Station.

Delayed Museum Opening
2023-06-10 14:00 - 2023-06-11 17:00
Please note the museum in Stall 17 of the Roundhouse will have a late opening time on Saturday, June 10 and Sunday, June 11 due to staff training.

The museum will open at 2:00 pm and close at 5:00 pm on June 10 and 11. Regular hours resume Wednesday, June 14.

Mural Unveiling
2023-05-27 12:00 - 17:00
Enjoy the newest, most colourful addition to the Toronto Railway Museum this Doors Open weekend!
TRM is unveiling four new railway murals illustrating Toronto’s railway connections, designed by artist Tori Berends. Don’t miss the opening reception on Saturday, May 27 at 12:00 pm.

Don’t miss Vintage Violin Expressions: Featuring railway-inspired music at 12:30 pm and 2:00 pm with Oleksandr Tishchenko (guitar), Olha Tishchenko (violin), and Yullia Abramova (violin).

Doors Open Toronto 2023
2023-05-27 10:00 - 2023-05-28 17:00
Join us on Saturday, May 27 and Sunday, May 28 for Doors Open Toronto!
Doors Open Toronto showcases some of the most architecturally, historically, culturally, and socially significant buildings across the city, including the John Street Roundhouse. Since 2002, TRM has hosted an open house in Roundhouse Park and the John Street Roundhouse. We’re looking forward to celebrating the kick-off of our summer season with you! Stop by for a visit and to meet some of our wonderful volunteers.

WHAT’S ON
What does Doors Open look like at the Toronto Railway Museum?

Free admission: Visitors can visit the museum inside Stall 17 of the John Street Roundhouse for free all weekend!
Model Train Show: Local model train groups display their train layouts in Stall 15 of the Roundhouse
Guided Tours: Doors Open volunteers will lead short ~20 minute outdoor tours for the public that highlight the architecture of the John Street Roundhouse.
Museum Store: The museum store inside Don Station will be open during operating hours; visitors can shop for books, toys and games, railway merchandise, and more
Park Animation: Depending on restoration volunteer availability, interactive activities like turntable or hand cart rides may be offered
Musical Performance – Vintage Violin Expressions: Featuring railway-inspired musical performances at 12:30 pm and 2:00 pm with Oleksandr Tishchenko (guitar), Olha Tishchenko (violin), and Yullia Abramova (violin).
Saturday – Vestibule Mural Launch: Enjoy the newest, most colourful addition to the Toronto Railway Museum. We’re revealing four new railway murals illustrating Toronto’s railway connections! A special thank you to SimplyTold, the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, City of Toronto, and all the TRM volunteers that contributed to making this happen with their time and/or financial contributions. Don’t miss the opening reception on Saturday, May 27 at 12:00 pm.
Sunday – Booking Signing and Author Meet and Greet: On Sunday, May 28 meet author Myrna Levy and discover her book, My Grandpa Plays With Trains. Pick up a signed copy at the TRHA booth in Stall 15 between 12:00-1:00 pm.

2023 THEME
What does a city sound like? From the chime of subway doors to hidden rehearsal studios in garages; from symphonies to church choirs; from world-renowned theatres to tiny DIY spaces, Toronto is a City of Sound.
Doors Open Toronto 2023 explores the influence and impact of music and sound on the city’s development through 150 of the city’s most architecturally, historically, culturally and socially significant buildings and sites all across the city.

May Long Weekend 2023
2023-05-19 12:00 - 2023-05-24 17:00
The Toronto Railway Museum is OPEN for May long weekend 2023. Visit the museum in Stall 17 of the John Street Roundhouse and browse the museum store in Don Station.

Hours:
Friday, May 19: Open 12:00-5:00pm
Saturday, May 20: Open 12:00-5:00pm
Sunday, May 21: Open 12:00-5:00pm
Monday, May 22: Open 12:00-5:00pm

Tuesday, May 23: Closed
Wednesday, May 24: Closed
Regular hours resume on Thursday, May 25.

Stall 17 Museum
The museum space in Stall 17 is open to visitors on May Long Day weekend. Visit the museum to time-travel back to when Toronto was covered in train tracks and the John Street Roundhouse was bustling with activity! Don’t forget to test drive the train simulator. Our train simulator transports you back to the Toronto Rail Lands in the 1950s.

Museum Store
The Toronto Railway Museum store carries a range of gifts, toys, souvenirs, and books. By shopping with us, you are supporting the preservation of Toronto’s railway heritage and all sales are in support of the museum. Find the museum store inside Don Station during museum hours.

SOLD OUT Online Lecture: Rails Across Ontario
2023-05-18 19:00 - 20:30
Join us for “Rails Across Ontario”, an online lecture on May 18!

Join us and author Ron Brown as we travel back to a time when the railway ruled the economy and the landscape. Based on Ron’s book, Rails Across Ontario, this presentation will take us to places in Ontario that retain vestiges of our railway heritage, including old stations, roundhouses and other often forgotten railway structures, as well as railway experiences you can still enjoy.

Explore historic stations, railway museums, heritage train rides, and historic bridges. Follow old rail lines along Ontario’s most popular rail trails. Find out where steam engines still puff across farm fields and where historic train coaches lead deep into the wilds of Ontario’s scenic north country. Discover long forgotten but once vital railway structures, such as roundhouses, coal docks, and water towers. Learn about regular VIA Rail routes that follow some of the province’s oldest rail lines and pass some of the province’s oldest rail lines and pass some of its most historic stations, including one that has operated continuously since 1857.

SOLD OUT

ABOUT RON BROWN
Ron Brown is a geographer and travel writer, and vice president of the East York Historical Society. He has published more than 20 books on such topics as ghost towns, back roads, and Ontario’s most unusual places, as well as several titles on Canada’s railway heritage.

ABOUT THE TORONTO RAILWAY MUSEUM (TRM)
The Toronto Railway Museum (TRM) brings people together by telling stories of Toronto’s railway heritage. The Museum is located in the heart of downtown Toronto and is typically open year-round. TRM presents exhibits, tours, educational programs and publications that broaden the understanding and appreciation of Toronto’s rich railway history. TRM is committed to telling the stories of the railways, and welcoming conversations of its varied experiences through its lecture series, exhibits and integrated programming with a mission to learn from the past to make the future better.

Museum Store Closure
2023-04-26 12:00 - 2023-05-02 17:00
Please note the museum store in Don Station will be closed on Wednesday, April 26. Apologies for any inconvenience.
Wednesday, April 26: Closed
Thursday, April 27: Open, 12:00-5:00 pm
Friday, April 28: Open, 12:00-5:00 pm
Saturday, April 29: Closed
Sunday, April 30: Closed
The museum in Stall 17 will operate as normal from 12:00-5:00 pm. The museum store will resume regular hours on Wednesday, May 3.

Online Lecture: Streetcars and the Shifting Geographies of Toronto
2023-04-20 19:00 - 20:30
Join us for “Streetcars and the Shifting Geographies of Toronto”, an online lecture on April 20!
What can photos taken by streetcar enthusiasts reveal about the changing nature of cities? This is the question explored by Brian and Michael Doucet in their book Streetcars and the Shifting Geographies of Toronto: a visual analysis of change. The Doucets carefully and meticulously rephotograph these images taken in the 1960s and 70s to bring them into dialogue with contemporary planning, policy, political and public debates.

Streetcar enthusiasts did not intend to document the major forces of change shaping cities, but their images show far more than just the vehicles. In pursuit of their hobby, these enthusiasts photographed cities in ways that very few other people did, and took pictures in parts of the city that would have otherwise gone unphotographed.

When paired with photos taken at the same locations today, these images show the subtle and not-so-subtle economic, social, demographic and spatial changes that have taken place as Toronto has transitioned from an industrial and provincial city, to one of the world’s major global metropolises. They show how these forces of change are reflected in the buildings, streets and land uses across the city.
There are many books, studies and reports that try to understand long-term changes in cities such as Toronto. Streetcars is one of the few that uses visual images as the primary way to analyse change. The Doucets aim to challenge everyone – scholars, students, planners, politicians and the wider public – to look at their cities in new and different ways.

Join us for this engaging and insightful discussion about how photography can be used to better understand cities and urban change.

TICKETS AVAILABLE HERE

ABOUT BRIAN DOUCET
Brian Doucet is the Canada Research Chair in Urban Change and Social Inclusion in the School of Planning at the University of Waterloo.

ABOUT MICHAEL DOUCET
Michael Doucet is an Emeritus Professor in the Department of Geography at Toronto Metropolitan University

ABOUT THE TORONTO RAILWAY MUSEUM (TRM)
The Toronto Railway Museum (TRM) brings people together by telling stories of Toronto’s railway heritage. The Museum is located in the heart of downtown Toronto and is typically open year-round. TRM presents exhibits, tours, educational programs and publications that broaden the understanding and appreciation of Toronto’s rich railway history. TRM is committed to telling the stories of the railways, and welcoming conversations of its varied experiences through its lecture series, exhibits and integrated programming with a mission to learn from the past to make the future better.

Long Weekend Hours
2023-04-06 08:00 - 17:00
The museum space in Stall 17 is open to visitors this Easter weekend (closed Monday).

Stop by to enjoy exhibits, kids activities, and the train simulator, or browse the museum store inside Don Station. Plan your visit.
April 8: Open, 12:00-5:00 PM
April 9: Open, 12:00-5:00 PM
April 10: Closed
April 11: Closed
Regular hours resume April 12.

Sharks vs Trains
2023-03-16 12:00 - 2023-03-17 16:00
Visit the Toronto Railway Museum on March 16 and 17 from 12:00 – 4:00pm for Sharks vs Trains!
This drop-in family program is full of games and activities designed for kids to explore the museum and beyond! Program runs throughout the afternoons and is inspired by the book by Chris Barton and Tom Lichtenheld.
Stop by and join us for drop-in activities inside the museum.
This program is included in the price of museum admission.

March Break at TRM
2023-03-11 12:00 - 2023-03-19 17:00
Visit the Toronto Railway Museum over March Break 2023!

Stall 17 Museum
The museum space in Stall 17 is open to visitors Wednesday-Sunday 12:00 pm – 5:00 pm. Stop by to enjoy exhibits, kids activities, and the train simulator.

SHARKS VS TRAINS
Visit the Toronto Railway Museum on March 16 and 17 from 12:00 – 4:00pm for Sharks vs Trains! This drop-in family program is full of games and activities designed for kids to explore the museum and beyond! Program runs throughout the afternoons and is inspired by the book by Chris Barton and Tom Lichtenheld. This program is included in the price of museum admission.
Museum Store
The museum store in Don Station is back! Join us starting Saturday, March 11 back inside Don Station to shop books, toys, and railway gifts. Learn more about the museum store.
