Nathan Phillips Square

Nathan Phillips Square is the large urban plaza in front of Toronto City Hall, at Queen Street West and Bay Street. It is Canada's largest city square, covering 4.85 hectares. The square is paved with concrete slabs and features a reflecting pool that becomes an ice rink in winter, a permanent stage, and several sculptures including Henry Moore's 'Three Way Piece No.2: Archer'. It hosts concerts, a weekly farmers' market, art displays, and the winter Cavalcade of Lights festival.

Don't miss

• The reflecting pool, which becomes a skating rink in winter with skate rentals available.
• Henry Moore's abstract bronze sculpture 'Three Way Piece No.2: Archer' (1966).
• The Peace Garden, a memorial to the Hiroshima bombing, with a stone pavilion, fountain, and eternal flame lit by Pope John Paul II.
• The Freedom Arches – three concrete arches spanning the reflecting pool, with a piece of the Berlin Wall at the base of the central arch.
• The Spirit Garden, created for Truth and Reconciliation, featuring a monument listing Ontario's 18 residential schools and a turtle sculpture by Anishinaabe artist Solomon King.
• The elevated concrete walkway that connects to City Hall and extends across Queen Street to the Sheraton Hotel.

Tickets & tours

Ways to visit Nathan Phillips Square

Cheapest way inToronto Essentials Tour: Old Town & Downtown Highlights (PWYC)4.8★ · 43 travelers~2 hoursFree cancellationFrom$4 per personSee dates →Most bookedToronto Premium Driving Tour with CN Tower & Boat Cruise4.7★ · 884 travelers~4 hoursFree cancellationFrom$128 per personSee dates →Private & flexibleToronto Ghost Hunt: Dark History Self-Guided Game4.9★ · 15 travelers~2 hoursFree cancellationFrom$8 per personSee dates →

Know before you go

• Smoking is prohibited in the entire square.
• A cycle station with storage for 380 bicycles and shower facilities is available.
• The square regularly hosts art exhibits, concerts, rallies, and annual events like Nuit Blanche and the Cavalcade of Lights.

A bit of history

The area was once part of a poor immigrant neighbourhood known as the Ward, first settled by Black families and later by Jewish and Chinese immigrants, becoming Toronto's first Chinatown. After World War II, the city acquired and demolished the area to build the civic square. The ice rink opened in November 1964, rushed to completion before a municipal election. The rest of the square and City Hall formally opened in September 1965. The Henry Moore sculpture was purchased by public subscription after city council rejected its cost. In the 21st century, a major revitalization added a green roof garden, a cycle station, and a seasonal fountain.