Stamped!

U of T

University of Toronto

The St. George campus spans the eras: University College's Romanesque Revival main building is a National Historic Site, Hart House and Soldiers' Tower are Gothic, and Robarts Library is a Brutalist giant nicknamed 'Fort Book'.

  • 5Buildings
  • 3Traditions
  • 1859Oldest · University College
  • 1973Newest · Robarts Library

Planning the visit

  • Fly intoToronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ)

    Pearson is northwest of downtown. The UP Express train runs from the airport to Union Station, where the subway goes north to the campus.

  • Getting aroundWalking / TTC Subway

    The campus sits in downtown Toronto beside Queen's Park. Queen's Park, Museum and St. George subway stations all lie along its edges.

  • Colors and teams

    Everyone calls the university 'U of T', and its students belong to colleges such as University College, Trinity and Victoria.

5 buildings to stamp

  1. University College
    Photo: Dillan Payne, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

    University College

    15 King's College Circle, Toronto, ON

    Frederick William Cumberland designed University College's main building, completed in 1859. The Romanesque Revival landmark on King's College Circle is a National Historic Site of Canada.

    Built
    1859
    Architect
    Frederick William Cumberland
    Style
    Romanesque Revival
    Today
    College building
  2. Hart House
    Photo: The original uploader was SimonP at English Wikipedia., CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

    Hart House

    7 Hart House Circle, Toronto, ON

    One of the earliest student centres in North America, financed by Vincent Massey and named for his grandfather Hart Massey. The Collegiate Gothic complex wraps around a quadrangle and has hosted student debates since it opened.

    Built
    1919
    Architect
    Henry Sproatt
    Style
    Collegiate Gothic
    Today
    Student activity and cultural centre
  3. Soldiers' Tower
    Photo: Gatorfan252525, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

    Soldiers' Tower

    7 Hart House Circle, Toronto, ON

    This 43.6-metre Gothic Revival bell tower, attached to Hart House, honours university members who served in the World Wars. It holds a carillon of 51 bells.

    Built
    1924
    Architect
    Henry Sproatt and Ernest Ross Rolph
    Style
    Gothic Revival
    Height
    44 m (143 ft)
    Today
    War memorial and carillon
  4. Convocation Hall
    Photo: User Sm 108 on en.wikipedia, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

    Convocation Hall

    31 King's College Circle, Toronto, ON

    A domed rotunda whose radial auditorium has been compared to the Sorbonne's grand amphitheatre and Oxford's Sheldonian Theatre. Every convocation ceremony from all three campuses is held here.

    Built
    1907
    Architect
    Darling and Pearson
    Style
    Edwardian Baroque
    Today
    Convocation and event venue
  5. Robarts Library
    Photo: Jason Zhang, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

    Robarts Library

    130 St. George Street, Toronto, ON

    A Brutalist tower on a triangular footprint, with triangles repeated throughout. Its imposing look earned it the nicknames 'Fort Book' and 'the Peacock'.

    Built
    1973
    Architect
    Mathers & Haldenby; Warner, Burns, Toan & Lunde
    Style
    Brutalist
    Today
    University library

3 traditions to check off

Stamped! keeps these as a checklist, so you can tick each one off on the visit.

  • Reznikoff's Gargoyles

    University College's best-known ghost story says stonemason Ivan Reznikoff was killed by a rival while the building was going up in the 1850s. Visitors can look for the two gargoyles said to show the rivals' faces near UC's southwest corner, where a door is said to bear an axe mark.

  • The Weeping Stone Face

    Campus ghost lore includes a carved stone face at Hart House that is said to have wept water from one eye. Visitors to Hart House can look for the face among its Gothic stonework.

  • Soldiers' Tower Carillon

    The 51 bells of the Soldiers' Tower carillon honour university members who died in the World Wars, and they ring out for free public recitals and around convocation. Listen from the Hart House Circle lawn or the University College quadrangle.

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