Online Exhibit: On The Rails
2024-01-01 08:00 - 2024-12-31 17:00 (America/New_York)
The Toronto Railway Museum is pleased to announce the launch of On the Rails: The Experiences of Toronto’s Railway Workers, a new digital exhibit. The online project is available to the public beginning on June 2, 2023 and was developed with funding from the Digital Museums Canada investment program.
On the Rails explores the unique and everyday challenges of Toronto’s past and current railway workers. Hop aboard to discover the jobs of Canada’s sleeping car porters, the behind-the-scenes duties at Union Station, and other first-hand experiences of railway professionals. On the Rails presents these narratives through interviews, photos, and artifacts.
EXPLORE THE ONLINE EXHIBIT HERE

Weekend Story Time
2024-03-23 14:00 - 2024-04-29 16:00
Join us at TRM for Weekend Story Time!
Join us for story time at the museum on Saturdays and Sundays this spring for story time! Tune in for railway-themed stories, then explore the museum with a kids’ guide activity book.
Saturdays: 2:00 pm – 5:00 pm
Sundays: 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Weekend Story Time is included with museum admission and runs all afternoon, pending volunteer availability.

April Guided Tours
2024-04-03 12:00 - 2024-04-28 16:00
Spring has sprung at TRM! Join us daily Wednesday-Sunday in April for a guided tour.
TRM Tours
Explore more at TRM and take a guided tour of the museum’s locomotives and rolling stock on display. Get up close to the artifacts that help us tell stories of Toronto’s railway past.
Tours are approximately 30-minutes, included in the price of museum admission, and take place outdoors.
Tour Schedule
Tours run daily Wednesday-Sunday at 12:30 pm, 2:00 pm, 3:00 pm, and 4:00 pm.
* No tours Thursday, April 18.
Join A Tour
Visitors can sign up for a guided tour at the admission desk inside Stall 17. Please note tours are subject to weather conditions and volunteer availability. Please call the museum 416-214-9229 for most up-to-date schedule.

Weeding Party April
2024-04-20 09:30 - 11:30
Help us clean and beautify Toronto Railway Museum and Roundhouse Park!
Meet your community, do good, and get outside on Saturday, April 20! Join the TRM team from 9:30 am – 11:30 am for a volunteer weeding party.
All are welcome. No expertise needed – everything growing thing in the space is definitely a weed!
If you have gardening gloves and tools and can bring them with you it will much appreciated. (We have some at the Museum, but may not be enough for all volunteers.)
Notes: Bring refillable water bottle if you are able and remember to wear hats, sunblock, closed-toe shoes etc.
Sign up to volunteer here
Have questions? Reach us at events@trha.ca

Thank you to our friends at Toronto Parks, Forestry, and Recreation and the Steam Whistle Brewery for their support of this TRM initiative.

May is Museum Month
2024-05-01 12:00 - 2024-05-31 17:00
Celebrate all May is Museum Month at TRM! Stay tuned for updated events in May, including Doors Open Toronto.
About May is Museum Month/Mai, Mois des Musées
May is Museum Month/Mai, Mois des Musées is an annual program run by the Ontario Museum Association celebrating the contributions of Ontario’s over 700 museums, 37,000
volunteers and 11,000 workers. It coincides with International Museum Day, on May 18th, organized by the International Council of Museums (ICOM) to showcase the impact that museums have on their communities. With this year’s theme being “museums for education and research”, we are encouraging individuals across Ontario to consider the vital contributions museums make as spaces of cultural understanding, learning and innovation.

About International Museum Day (May 18)
Every year on May 18 since 1977, ICOM has organized International Museum Day (IMD). On this day, participating museums plan creative events and activities related to the IMD theme, engage with their public, and highlight the importance of the role of museums in their communities. This year’s theme focuses on museums for education and research, and highlights the impact of museums as “dynamic educational institutions fostering learning, discovery, and cultural understanding”.

Sunday Story Time
2024-05-05 13:00 - 2024-06-30 16:00
Join us at TRM for Sunday Story Time!
Join us for story time at the museum on Sundays in May and June for story time! Tune in for railway-themed stories, then explore the museum with a kids’ guide activity book.
Sundays: 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Weekend Story Time is included with museum admission and runs all afternoon, pending volunteer availability.
Please note there will be no story time on Sunday, May 26 as it is Doors Open Toronto.

Weeding Party May
2024-05-17 14:00 - 16:00
Help us clean and beautify Toronto Railway Museum and Roundhouse Park!
Meet your community, do good, and get outside on Friday, May 17! Join the TRM team for a volunteer weeding party.
All are welcome. No expertise needed – everything growing thing in the space is definitely a weed!
If you have gardening gloves and tools and can bring them with you it will much appreciated. (We have some at the Museum, but may not be enough for all volunteers.)
Notes: Bring refillable water bottle if you are able and remember to wear hats, sunblock, closed-toe shoes etc.
Sign up here
Have questions? Reach us at events@trha.ca

Thank you to our friends at Toronto Parks, Forestry, and Recreation and the Steam Whistle Brewery for their support of this TRM initiative.

Long Weekend Hours
2024-05-18 12:00 - 2024-05-22 17:00
The Toronto Railway Museum is OPEN for May long weekend 2024. Visit the museum in Stall 17 of the John Street Roundhouse, ride the Mini Train, and browse the museum store in Don Station.

Hours:
Saturday, May 18: Open 12:00-5:00pm – celebrate Asian Heritage Month with us!
Sunday, May 19: Open 12:00-5:00pm
Monday, May 20: Open 12:00-5:00pm

Tuesday, May 21: Closed
Wednesday, May 22: Closed
Regular hours resume on Thursday, May 23.

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.

Mini Train
The Miniature Train will run from 12:00-5:00pm (weather dependent). Tickets available for purchase onsite at Don Station. Please note the Mini Train will have a delayed start time on Saturday, May 18 to accommodate the Asian Heritage Celebration event starting at 1:00 pm.

Asian Heritage Month Celebration
2024-05-18 13:00 - 14:30
Join us to celebrate Asian Heritage Month on Saturday, May 18 at 1:00 pm.
The event will be held outdoors at the Toronto Railway Museum, and all are welcome to attend!
The celebration will feature speeches from representatives from all levels of government and several performances, including a local children’s choir, Lion Dance, and a Shaolin Grandmaster demonstration. Attendees can learn more about and celebrate the Chinese community through the One Heart, One Canada photo exhibition.
Event is free to attend!

Doors Open Toronto 2024
2024-05-25 10:00 - 2024-05-26 17:00
Join us on Saturday, May 25 and Sunday, May 26 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

Friends and Partners: Visit our friends at their booths in Stall 15. Operation Lifesaver Canada, artist Joseph Zhuang, and more!

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, and railway merchandise. Stop by to check out the special Doors Open offers – only available this weekend!

Mini Train: The Mini Train will be running Doors Open weekend! Mini Train rides are separately ticketed and will operate weather permitting. Buy tickets at Don Station

Park Animation: Depending on restoration volunteer availability, interactive activities like turntable or hand cart rides may be offered
More activities to come, stay tuned!

2024 THEME
We’re excited to connect with this year’s Doors Open theme, Hidden Histories. Toronto’s railway past can be experienced first-hand at the John Street Roundhouse. Visitors can explore exhibits highlighting Toronto’s railway workers past and present, and learn more about life at the Roundhouse on a guided tour.
Under the streets, behind closed doors and in our own backyards lays another Toronto; a city filled with Hidden Histories. From ancient Indigenous footpaths along the shoreline of glacial Lake Iroquois, to lost rivers, to Canada’s oldest surviving queer space, the story of Toronto is one told through its many pasts and voices. For Doors Open Toronto 2024, visitors will engage with the forgotten or often-overlooked sites and stories of Toronto.

Mini Train Closed
2024-06-08 12:00 - 17:00
Please note the Mini Train will be closed Saturday, June 8 for staff training. Mini Train operations will resume on Sunday, June 9.

Wednesday-Sunday Mini Train operations begin Wednesday, June 12 and will run until Labour Day.

Mini Train is weather and track-condition permitting. Please call the museum (416)214-9229 for most up-to-date operations schedule.

Delayed Museum Opening
2024-06-08 15:00 - 2024-06-09 17:00
Please note the museum in Stall 17 of the Roundhouse will have a late opening time on Saturday, June 8 and Sunday, June 9 due to staff training.
Please note the Mini Train will be closed Saturday, June 8 for staff training. Mini Train operations will resume on Sunday, June 9. Full-time, 5-day operations of the Mini Train begin on Thursday, June 13!
The museum will open at approximately 3:00 pm and close at 5:00 pm on June 8 and 9. Regular hours museum resume Wednesday, June 12.

Museum Store Closure
2024-06-15 12:00 - 17:00
Please note the museum store in Don Station will be closed Saturday, June 15, 2024. We apologize for any inconvenience.

Museum Store Closure
2024-06-20 12:00 - 2024-06-21 17:00
Please note the museum store in Don Station will be closed Thursday June 20th and Friday 21st. We apologize for any inconvenience.

CANCELLED - Weeding Party June
2024-06-22 09:30 - 11:30
NOTICE: THIS EVENT HAS BEEN CANCELLED.
Help us clean and beautify Toronto Railway Museum and Roundhouse Park!
Meet your community, do good, and get outside on Saturday, June 22! Join the TRM team for a volunteer weeding party.
All are welcome. No expertise needed – everything growing thing in the space is definitely a weed!
If you have gardening gloves and tools and can bring them with you it will much appreciated. (We have some at the Museum, but may not be enough for all volunteers.)
Notes: Bring refillable water bottle if you are able and remember to wear hats, sunblock, closed-toe shoes etc.
Sign up link coming soon!
Have questions? Reach us at events@trha.ca

Thank you to our friends at Toronto Parks, Forestry, and Recreation and the Steam Whistle Brewery for their support of this TRM initiative.

Long Weekend Hours
2024-06-29 12:00 - 2024-07-01 17:00
The Toronto Railway Museum is OPEN for June / July long weekend 2024. Visit the museum in Stall 17 of the John Street Roundhouse, ride the Mini Train, and browse the museum store in Don Station.

Hours:
Saturday, June 29: Open 12:00-5:00pm
Sunday, June 30: Open 12:00-5:00pm
Monday, July 1: Open 12:00-5:00pm

Tuesday, July 2: Closed
Wednesday, July 3: Closed
Regular hours resume on Thursday, June 4.

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.

Mini Train
The Miniature Train will run from 12:00-5:00pm (weather dependent). Tickets available for purchase onsite at Don Station.

Tribute to Nation Builders Ceremony
2024-07-01 10:30 - 12:00
The Chinese Railroad Workers Memorial commemorates an important part of history, and the people who made Canada’s transcontinental railway possible. Located a 5-minute walk from the Toronto Railway Museum, please join us and our friends at the Foundation to Commemorate the Chinese Railroad Workers (FCCRWC) in Canada on July 1.
FCCRWC is hosting their annual wreath-laying ceremony on July 1 at 10:30 am.
All are welcome, learn more here.

CTHF Pop-up at Don Station
2024-08-03 12:00 - 2024-08-04 17:00
Canadian Transit Heritage Foundation will have a pop-up booth at the museum store Don Station. They will be selling books related to Canadian Transit, be sure to check them out!

Modal Music at the Toronto Railway Museum
2024-08-05 12:00 - 17:00
Labyrinth Ontario and the Toronto Railway Museum are partnering to co-present a unique listening and learning experience that is open to all! This Civic Holiday, stroll through Toronto’s Roundhouse Park, take a ride on the mini steam train and enjoy the live music of our fantastic trio.

Labyrinth Ensemble musicians Sadaf Amini (santur), Naomi McCarroll-Butler (saxophone/clarinet), and Yang Chen (percussion) will be performing modal music inspired by transience and travel.

The performances will be held at 12:30 – 1 pm and 2:00 – 2:30 pm. Please note the mini train will not run during these times.

You can find the performance right across from Don Station, our museum store!

Supported by: Canada Council for the Arts

Naomi McCarroll-Butler

Sadaf Amini

Yang Chen

March Break 2025
2025-03-08 12:00 - 2025-03-16 17:00
The Toronto Railway Museum will be open from March 8-16, 2025, for March Break. Bring your family to Roundhouse Park and enjoy activities, tours, and special guests throughout the week. All activities are included with regular admission.

Highlights include:

March 14-16: Operation Lifesaver will be giving out free activity books to visitors.
Volunteer guides will be providing tours of the rolling stock in Roundhouse Park on Saturdays and Sundays.
March 14 & 16: Story Time, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
March 15: Local artist pop-up in the gallery.

The newly renovated TRM Gift Shop will be open at Don Station, featuring new products and special discounts.

Easter Chocolate Tasting
2025-04-19 14:30 - 15:30, 2025-04-20 14:30 - 15:30 | Toronto Railway Museum, 255 Bremner Blvd, Stall 17, Toronto, Ontario, M5V 3M9, Canada
Hop into a vintage train car and embark on a one-of-a-kind Easter chocolate tasting adventure. Let the charm of this historic train setting transport you through the world of artisanal Canadian craft chocolate with our Easter Chocolate Express. With the guidance of a chocolate tasting expert, you will discover the origins of chocolate and its journey through history before indulging in a curated flight of craft chocolates and learn how to taste like a true connoisseur. Best of all, take home your own chocolate tasting kit to relive the experience and make many more memories as sweet as chocolate.
Features

1 chocolate tasting kit per 2 people featuring

4 full-size bars of artisan chocolates made by local Canadian craft chocolate-makers (dark and milk)
High quality raw cacao from a premium cacao supplier
Reusable chocolate tasting mat and flavour wheel
All packaged in a lovely gift box perfect to take home

Guided tasting on the history, making and tasting of chocolate – learn how the experts taste chocolate!
Be part of a unique chocolate tasting experience inside a vintage railway car.
Complimentary access to the Toronto Railway Museum after the tasting

Dietary Restrictions
The tasting is vegetarian, gluten-free and nut-free, but is not dairy-free due to the milk powder in milk chocolates. Please mention any dietary restrictions in the ‘Dietary restrictions’ field when booking a tour.
Location
Toronto Railway Museum
(accessibility note: some stairs required to access railway car)
Event Dates
April 19 (Sat), 2.30 – 3.30pm
April 20 (Sun), 2.30 – 3.30pm
Price
$55 per person (tickets sold in pairs)
Kits are sized for 2 people, so if you have an odd number of people, invite a friend and gain yourself some (chocolate) brownie points!
Visit https://tastytourstoronto.com/easter-sweets-chocolate-tours/ to purchase tickets.

Mother's Day Chocolate Tasting
2025-05-10 14:30 - 15:30, 2025-05-11 14:30 - 15:30 | Toronto Railway Museum, 255 Bremner Blvd, Stall 17, Toronto, Ontario, M5V 3M9, Canada
Make this Mother’s Day extra special by boarding our Mother’s Day Chocolate Express, a one-of-a-kind tasting experience in a charming vintage train car. Let the historic ambiance transport Mom into the world of artisanal Canadian craft chocolate, where she’ll be guided by a chocolate expert through the captivating stories and flavours of chocolate. To top it off, she’ll take home her kit of tasting tools and surplus chocolate so she can recreate the experience and make even more sweet memories.
Note that this event focuses on the darker spectrum of chocolate and is best for those who appreciate quality dark chocolate or are open to broadening their horizons beyond the standard supermarket brands like Lindt and Nestle!
Features

1 chocolate tasting kit per 2 people featuring

4 full-size bars of artisan chocolates made by local Canadian craft chocolate-makers (dark and milk)
High quality raw cacao from a premium cacao supplier
Reusable chocolate tasting mat and flavour wheel
All packaged in a lovely gift box perfect to take home

Guided tasting on the history, making and tasting of chocolate – learn how the experts taste chocolate!
Be part of a unique chocolate tasting experience inside a vintage railway car.
Complimentary access to the Toronto Railway Museum after the tasting

Dietary Restrictions
The tasting is vegetarian, gluten-free and nut-free, but is not dairy-free due to the milk powder in milk chocolates. Please mention any dietary restrictions in the ‘Dietary restrictions’ field when booking a tour.
Location
Toronto Railway Museum
(accessibility note: some stairs required to access railway car)
Event Dates
May 10 (Sat), 2.30 – 3.30pm
May 11 (Sun), 2.30 – 3.30pm
Price
$55 per person (tickets sold in pairs)
Kits are sized for 2 people, so if you have an odd number of people, invite a friend and gain yourself some (chocolate) brownie points!

CLOSED
2025-06-25
We will be closed June 25th for an event in the park. We will reopen JUne 26th.

Grand Reopening - TRM Shop at Don Station
2025-08-22 11:00 - 17:00
You’re invited to our grand reopening of the TRM Shop at Don Station. Now, more than ever, we’re excited to be showcasing local Canadian products from artists including Wendy Tancock, GoTomago, Lawrence Bernstein, Raymond Besinger, Joseph Zhuang in addition to a long list of local authors.
Remarks will take place at 11:30am and there will be retail discounts and special offers to celebrate the museum’s 15th anniversary throughout the day. The shop will be open daily through Labour Day from 12pm to 5pm.

Operation Lifesaver
2025-09-20 12:00 - 17:00
Volunteers from Operation Lifesaver will be at the Toronto Railway Museum on September 20. Join us at Don Station to learn about the importance of rail safety in Canada through fun activities and giveaways.

Second Tuesday Zoom Talk: How Rail Industry Knowledge Informs Heritage Preservation
2025-10-14 19:00 - 20:00
Second Tuesday Zoom Talk: How Rail Industry Knowledge Informs Heritage Preservation
Historic locomotives and railcars can be mysterious and challenging objects, but there are similarities between the 19th and 21st century rail industry that provide historians context for preservation. Join Chris Fox for a lively discussion of his experience in maintaining heritage rolling stock using his industry knowledge that he’s compiled throughout his rail career.
About our speaker:
Christopher Fox is an experienced and widely respected professional in the rail industry with a career spanning 30 years. He worked as a railway mechanic for Bombardier and GO Transit for over 10 years, before moving on to the operating trades at GO Transit for the past 15 years.
He also works with the VIA Historical Association and the Halton County Radial Railway, where he has helped to maintain and restore various heritage cars and locomotives including the VIA 6917 (owned by the TRHA).
He enjoys anything mechanical. When he’s not working on trains or engines, he enjoys fishing, snowmobiling, and spending time with his children.
About the series:
The Toronto Railway Museum hosts guest speakers online via the Zoom Webinar platform the Second Tuesday of each month. These talks are free and open to the public, with a suggested donation of $10 to support future programming. The Toronto Railway is a registered Canadian charity (838626943RR0001) and charitable tax receipts will be issued for donations over $25.

Second Tuesday Zoom Talk: From Platform to Battlefield: Toronto’s Union Station and Canada’s World War Soldiers
2025-11-11 19:00 - 20:00
Ryan Goldsworthy will explore the importance of Toronto’s railway network to Canada’s World War efforts. Anchored by Union Station, a major transportation hub, Toronto’s rails moved tens of thousands of soldiers, and millions of munitions and supplies towards the front. He will explain how the logistics of locomotives and steel rails enabled our nation’s overseas contributions. He will also touch upon some of the human stories seen on crowded platforms with waving loved ones looking on.
About our speaker:
Ryan Goldsworthy, the new Curator of the Toronto Railway Museum (TRM), is a seasoned museum professional with 15 years of experience working with museum collections across Canada. A graduate of the University of Toronto and Queen’s University, Ryan is a published Canadian historian and material culture expert from Toronto. He has served on several museum boards and committees, and he has supervised many museum and material studies students.
He was previously the Museum Director & Curator at the Royal Canadian Military Institute (RCMI), one of Canada’s oldest and largest military history museums. He significantly enhanced their museum, collection, and profile which included the cultivation of one of the most diverse and complete collections of Canadian military uniforms in existence. During his work, he developed a special interest for the Canadian Railway Troops of the First World War. He has also worked for the City of Toronto as the Manager of Collections & Research where he led the City’s first indigenous repatriation project.
He was formerly an Educator and Historian at The Military Museums of Calgary, and he has worked with the Royal Ontario Museum’s arms and armour collection.
About the series:
The Toronto Railway Museum hosts guest speakers online via the Zoom Webinar platform the Second Tuesday of each month. These talks are free and open to the public, with a suggested donation of $10 to support future programming. The Toronto Railway is a registered Canadian charity (838626943RR0001) and charitable tax receipts will be issued for donations over $25.

Second Tuesday Zoom Talk: Driving the Rails with Ford in 1925
2025-12-09 19:00 - 20:00
Second Tuesday Talk: Driving the Rails with Ford in 1925
In 1925, Ford of Canada organized an epic crossing of Canada by road in celebration of their 21st anniversary, and the launch of a new version of their ubiquitous Model T car. Over the course of 44 days and more than 7,700 kilometers, Ford videographer Ed Flickenger, newspaperman J. L. Scrymgeour, and others, including local car dealers, and occasionally Canadian highway promoter Dr. Perry Doolittle, drove from Halifax to Vancouver. When the roads ran out, they fitted their car with train wheels and drove along the tracks, covering more than 1,300km by rail. Footage of the trip was made into a silent documentary, Across Canada with Ford.
Join Dumaresq de Pencier for a special live screening with commentary of this film, and a snapshot of the grand and often perilous adventure that was Canadian driving and rail travel in the 1920s.
About our speaker:
Dumaresq de Pencier is an award-winning museum researcher, television presenter, exhibit developer and guide, and has had a lifelong interest in the history of vehicular technology. He is currently the Exhibit & Special Project Coordinator for the Canadian Automotive Museum. In his spare time he writes tabletop games and volunteers for the Canadian Tank Museum and Ottawa’s Cold War Collection.
About the series:
The Toronto Railway Museum hosts guest speakers online via the Zoom Webinar platform the Second Tuesday of each month. These talks are free and open to the public, with a suggested donation of $10 to support future programming. The Toronto Railway is a registered Canadian charity (838626943RR0001) and charitable tax receipts will be issued for donations over $25.
