Museum of Toronto will move into a permanent home at 2 Queen Street East, marking a major milestone in the institution’s growth and in the city’s evolving cultural landscape. The Museum is set to open its doors in spring 2027, supported by a $35 million transformational gift from philanthropists Diane Blake and Stephen Smith.
With this gift, Blake and Smith will have contributed in excess of $50 million since 2014, when Museum of Toronto was founded and established as a not-for-profit charitable organization. This extraordinary gift allows the organization to open many new discussions that will support the growth of this incredible resource for Toronto. The Museum is actively seeking conversations with other potential partners who share our vision, including individuals and foundations, the business community, and all levels of government.
The new location establishes Museum of Toronto as a permanent civic institution dedicated to telling the stories of the city through the voices of the people who shape it. Partners on this project include Superkül, a local architecture and design firm retained to design and conceptualize the adaptive reuse of a former Bank of Montreal space, construction by mform and project management from Avison Young. The space will also showcase Museum of Toronto’s new visual identity by Bruce Mau Design.
“It’s been a privilege to collaborate with the passionate people behind Museum of Toronto to help realize its first purpose-designed space,” said Meg Graham, Partner at Superkül. “Our city is defined by its diversity, its topography, and its vitality. From the Museum’s open, street-level galleries to its flexible spaces for immersive programming, the design will reflect those qualities and give artists, storytellers, and curators a dynamic platform to bring Toronto’s histories to life. This will be a museum of and for Toronto, through and through.”
The new building will debut the inaugural permanent city history exhibition, This Toronto of Ours: A City in Six Parts, alongside a dynamic slate of rotating temporary exhibitions. The first special exhibition, Lights, Camera, T.O.: Toronto on Film, will explore the city’s deep and often overlooked role in film and production, bringing together stories, voices, and moments that have shaped Toronto’s on-screen identity.
“This is a defining moment for Museum of Toronto,” said Heidi Reitmaier, CEO. “For over a decade, we’ve worked with experts and communities across the city to tell Toronto’s stories in ways that reflect the diversity and complexity of our city. This transformational gift allows us to take the next step, to create a permanent home where our history can be shared, experienced, and questioned. At a time when Toronto is changing rapidly, creating space for connection and a shared sense of belonging is more important than ever.”
Blake emphasized the importance of investing in institutions that reflect the city’s identity and future.
“Toronto is one of the most dynamic cities in the world, yet we never created the space to fully tell and celebrate our own history,” said Blake. “We believe deeply in Museum of Toronto’s vision and in the importance of building a lasting cultural institution that reflects this city. This is about creating something enduring that will serve Toronto for generations to come.”
Located in the heart of downtown Toronto at one of the city’s most prominent intersections, Museum of Toronto’s new home will significantly expand its reach and visibility, offering a central, accessible space for exhibitions, programming, and community engagement.
The move represents a critical step toward realizing the Museum’s long-term vision of becoming a globally recognized, inclusive city museum.
Towards this aim, Museum of Toronto and the City of Toronto have recently formalized an alliance to explore future programmatic collaboration and opportunities to partner on projects. “As a global cultural capital, Toronto deserves top tier institutions able to compellingly and comprehensively tell the city’s stories. With this development, Museum of Toronto will amplify our city’s stories, histories and heroes,” said Pat Tobin, General Manager of the City of Toronto’s Economic Development and Culture Division. “We’re proud to support Museum of Toronto, and work together to bring the city’s story to life. They’re creating a beautiful free space for Torontonians, where residents and visitors alike can all meet, hang out, learn and be inspired.”
