This is a national historic site.Many written and interactive displays. There are guided tours in the premises every hour starting 11 am and last one is at 4 pm that will give you a glimpse of the York Regiment life and details on US - British war of 1812. Entry fee : FREE Parking: Available right outside the visitor centre at the site under Gardiner highway.Rate is $1 per half an hour.

I recently had the opportunity to visit Fort York, located at 250 Fort York Blvd in downtown Toronto, and it was an experience I won't soon forget! I was amazed to discover that there's a heritage site right in the heart of the city. I was fortunate enough to join a free tour group in the morning, and our guide provided a captivating explanation of the site's history, detailing each building with great care. It was truly fascinating to learn about the lives of the soldiers and how they managed to survive during that time period. Fort York, spanning over 43 acres, is a preserved archeological park that holds great significance. It served as a battleground where British soldiers, First Nations warriors, and Upper Canadian militiamen joined forces to defend against the United States during the War of 1812. The infamous Battle of York that took place here marked a dark and dramatic chapter in the city's history. The site offers an immersive multimedia experience that brings the past to life. Fort York aims to include Indigenous narratives and stories, drawing from primary sources such as military records, letters, memoirs, and oral accounts. This adds a valuable perspective to our understanding of the individuals from historically deserving communities who played a pivotal role in the defence of York (Toronto) and Upper Canada during the war. Overall, my visit to Fort York was a truly enlightening and enriching experience. The staff were knowledgeable and friendly, and the exhibits were thoughtfully curated. I highly recommend a visit to this historical gem in the heart of Toronto!

Interesting historical site, glad they've preserved some original buildings! Be sure to visit the small visitor center as well. I spent about 2hrs here as I read most of the exhibits fully. Can't beat a museum site with free admission :)

I really enjoyed my visit. Entrance was free and there was almost nobody there so I got to explore the site and history in peace. Which is actually a really interesting glimpse in the history of Toronto. With the old buildings and walls still in tact or restored. All of this in the middle of the city. It takes an hour or so to fully explore. Definitely recommend!

This is a great place to take kids. My son really enjoyed it. The re-enactments were fantastic, some of the best I have seen. The staff were very friendly, even to kids. It was fairly quiet when we went so we didn't feel rushed at all. The visitor's center was top notch. I would take any visitor that's new to the city to see it. The downtown location makes it easy to get to and there are plenty of signs.

what a wonderful place to visit. it is a hidden gem - in a way - while the place is quite visible, the entrance is rather hard to find and away from popular thoroughfares. Admission is free, and guided tours are offered on top of the hour. I really recommend taking a guided tour, it really enriches the experience. the guides are very knowledgeable about history of the site. While most of the original Fort York was destroyed by Americans in 1813, some buildings were restored, while others added. you can see how ordinary soldiers and officers lived, and learn about their everyday activities and pastimes. There are also exhibits displaying archeaological discoveries from the site, uniforms, weapons and guns from the era and many maps. There is also a gift shop. The visitors centre near by is also worth visiting, with interesting temporary displays.

Love this place and all the green on the land. Lots to do here for festivals. Or just come and sit for a picnic.

Loved the experience. Got to know about the wars between America and Canada Natives/Britain. The museum gives you a glimpse into the lives of soldiers, arms & ammunition and the defense strategy. They hold periodic parade and shows during the summer and fall time. During summer there is an open theatre movie show which goes on for 3 weeks with 2/3 movies a week. That is a nice experience. It has been made free to visit the historical sites but with some restrictions on timing. Be sure to visit the official site to know the most recent updates on timing and any specific activity scheduled..

Interesting enough historic landmark. Large territory with a few old barracks demonstrating the life led by the British soldiers stationed there some 200 years ago. There's also a new visitors centre building located outside the gates with a few informative exhibits. You can spend an hour - hour and a half here.

I am always amazed how in North America, with the little history (the colonial one) there is, they always make an enjoyable experience out of it. We did a guided tour and our guide, Sam, was very informative, friendly and nice. Too bad we did not know it closes at 4pm on the weekends so we did not have enough time to see it all but will definitely be back, a truly interesting piece of Canadian history and a nice info session about the history of Toronto as well!

Gorgeous visitor centre is free to the public. Friendly and knowledgeable staff. This is a hidden gem of our nation’s history in a beautiful city. Tour was interesting and worth the price.

Colin gave us a fantastic tour of Fort York. He was a great storyteller and was able to answer all of our follow up questions. Very knowledgeable! Taking the outdoor tour is highly recommended!

Did a self guided tour on the weekend and had a wonderful time learning about Fort York.

The new visitor and interpretive centre adds a lot to the historic site. As of June the museum is free and definitely worth seeing. Do check the website before going as sometimes the visitor centre is closed for events, or the outdoor fort has festivals or other events going on.

Nice place to relax and unwind

Every Torontonian should visit this important historic site. At 43 acres, it's the largest Canadian collection of historic buildings relating to the War of 1812. There is also a wonderful display that explains of the involvement of the First Nations people who sided with the British to fend off the Americans. Be sure to take the live guided tour offered by the informative and enthusiastic guides. Pro tip: Toronto residents can get FREE pass from their local library.

We are visiting from the UK & were looking for a historical interest place to visit. This place is really clean, well laid out & super interesting from a historical perspective! There are multiple buildings with a range of artefacts, photographs and displays with very fine attention to detail. There was even a historian ‘Emily’ who was very knowledgeable & helpful with information about the site. Dressed in costume she was friendly, providing lots of descriptive detail about the wider Canadian / US history. I thoroughly recommend this place a visit.

Perfect spot for days when you want to be transported back in time.

Beautiful, scenic area with good tasks for walking and cycling, proximity to Lake, green P parking under Gardner for $12 overnight.

March break is a good time to visit as admissions are free. Many historical structures were preserved and staff were friendly.

Lots of paid parking out front. Lovely, modern exhibit that orients you to the site before seeing the historic buildings. Does require some walking so bring comfy shoes.

2018 Recipient of the Governor General's Medal in Architecture. A state-of-the-art orientation centre for one of Toronto's most important historical landscapes. Will visit again soon!

I think the Visitor Centre is an awfully nice place to work, really easy to get to by TTC.

Great free place to go. Specially if you're into military history. The entrance can be a bit confusing. Make Sure to go through the Visitors' Centre first and then onto the Fort. The visitors' centre's entrance is on the side under the highway and you can go into the Fort through the shop. We went with kids in 3rd and 1st grade. They did say it was boring but I think it was just for the sake of it because we arrived at 11am and only left at 4pm. They specifically enjoyed the craft activities (more than 1h there!) and the games (badminton, croquet and other) Make sure to take snacks and food if you plan to stay long, they have both indoor and outdoor places to sit down to eat.

Very nice tour. The guide was very knowledgeable and made the experience much more interesting. I recommend a visit to this important historical site. With the tour guide, it will be a plus plus.

Didn't get to see much of the historic site, although there was a barracks open for an art gallery. Cool venue for the field trip festival and looks like there's a lot to learn about our military history. Great spot to watch a show though!

Very interesting! Highly recommended! Great tour. Friendly staff. Easy to get to on the streetcar and a short walk under the Gardiner. Visiting Toronto on holidays? You must take a few hours to visit Fort York. And its free.

Went to Fort York with Family between xmas and NYE. We were all surprised how much fun it was - the historic buildings and displays are great for all ages - in our case, from 76 to 9. Was not crowded at all, like a surprise oasis right downtown. Fresh air, history, fantastic brickwork and barrels of gunpowder; a great afternoon. As an added bonus, totally free - just walked up the stairs from the Bentway and in through the fort gates (entrance right at the end of the Bentway skating path in winter). Has its own (paid) parking area under the Gardiner Expressway, near the entrance. A simple, low pressure family downtown destination. Has washrooms and a gift shop. A destination that is neither commercialized nor stuffy. Note - the paths/lawns between buildings are prone to swarming by wild geese when we were there - robust footwear recommended. Also - we were surprised to find the historic buildings all heated, a real bonus in winter. They gave us gingerbread that had been baked on site just before we arrived, and a great impromptu chat about the historic kitchen. Most of the buildings were not staffed (just displays), but the staff we did meet were great.

Came to visit during an open house day (where it is free admission!!). This little gem is surrounded by highways and condos, but the grounds itself are well kept. Get ready to walk into these historic buildings and get a whiff of the old timey smells. And if you’re lucky, you’ll smell some burning fire food which will lead you to the kitchen where one of the staff is recreating food from a very old cook book! There’s a small gift shop that offers beverages at the beginning, and they offer guided tours. My fave part was probably solo exploring and learning about the old school ammunition used (there was a grape shaped ammo for canons) and looking down the barrels of large rifles. Well worth a quick visit to learn a bit more about Fort York!

Visited Fort York today. Had a amazing time. Staff were friendly and welcoming. Will be back for another visit before the end of summer. Today was a speed run. Whole experience was overwhelmingly positive. There is plenty to do around that area as well. Under the bridge is a picnic area with WiFi! Plenty of green, clean, up kept pasture to sit on by yourself with friends or family. Water fountain and washrooms all in close proximity. You could easily spend many many hours there. Did I mention…its FREE!!!

Pleasant, informative, well-preserved/restored. Free guided tour with a well-informed historian every hour. Free activity. From an American perspective, it presents a slightly different viewpoint of the War of 1812 and the other immigration and border conflicts btw US and Canada. For example, the museum mentions there were almost 500,000 US troops (presumably including all militia, regular troops, and I'm not sure what else operating in N. America as well as the Navy) and then maybe 10000 Canadian militia, 1000 First Nation warriors and a few thousand British regulars. Not really in context. The Museum also doesn't really present the fact that the Treaty of Paris that ended the American Revolution included the area the British wanted to make into a First Nation homeland - which would have all come from US territory, none from Canadian/British. It also features a panel depicting the various invasions on both sides but fails to mention the Battle of New Orleans and US occupation of Florida (where we get the name Jacksonville - look it up). So, a bit lopsided presentation. The Royal Ontario Museum has basically a limited version of this. Also depicts immigration without mentioning the fact there is, according to the Washington Post, net immigration out of Canada into the US. It does mention the US Civil War and Confederate attacks originating from Canada to attack the Union while at the same time emphasizing the roll Black Canadians played in resisting US and other rebellions (i.e., Mackenzie revolt) in Canada. Little inconsistency, there right?

A beautiful historical site to visit. The entry is free and you learn a lot. A must visit! Fort York constituted the primary defensive position in early York (Toronto). The present buildings erected between 1813 and 1815 to replace those destroyed during the American occupations of York in 1813, are among the oldest in Toronto important surviving examples of British military architecture. At the turn of the 20th century. the fort was threatened with demolition. The fight to save it led to one of the first victories of the Canadian heritage movement. The fort was bought by the city in 1909 and restored between 1932 and 1934 as part of Toronto's centennial celebration.

A great place to be to know the history of Toronto. In our POV it must be visited. The surroundings aren’t maintained properly.

This is such a cool experience, surrounded by downtown Toronto and near the municipal airport, you can travel back in time to visit Fort York briefly. And for FREE! And learn about Toronto's earliest history. We saw a rifle demonstration and several exhibits in each of the buildings.

I went to Fort York for the Remembrance Day ceremony. This is one of my favourites as they go out of their way to honour those who served in wars as far back as 1812. (Not just the soldiers either) The service was touching as usual and there was a nice reception afterwards in the first with stories of different groups. If you are ever offered the war cake definitely try it, it’s delicious.

Nice urban spot close to the lake. Has space for picnic and a park just walking around :) the kids enjoyed also watching the train and playing some ball

Nice open and shaded area for outdoor workouts and chilling.

Beautiful venue! Super clean washrooms. This was a great spot for an outdoor movie

The Americans attacked it and we still survived. You'll see barracks, weapons, furniture, clothing, food, drinks and historic accounts of the 1812 war.

Really like this place. We frequent it quite often during the summer esp when there's something going on. I've never witnessed the firing of the canon's but friends have told me it's really cool. The ground are big and lots of space to walk. Being a foodie, I usually go to the old kitchen to listen to the cooks talk and demo various cooking methods and dishes.

Great place to take the kids, love the history lessons. Before going you must check the free tour schedule, shame to miss them, they really make a difference & there are 4 different ones! I recommend the Barracks one because you get to have a food sample in the kitchens.. Cool! There are some amazing events that happen on the grounds, festivals, food🍱 exhibits & powows, that are great for families & adults. The grounds are extensive & have trees🌳, but if it's a day event, take a hat👒, sunglasses😎 & sunblock! If you want to eat in the area, your surrounded by condos, you will have to walk a few blocks north on Bathurst for food🍔. Parking available by meter, not too bad unless it's a festival, then you have to park off front street, better to take the Bathurst street car which drops you off on front street. They have an ice rink for the winter⛄, its fairly new, more of a trail style rink. You could probably roller blade in the summer. Check the website for listings.

Hard to believe this site was actually once along the shore, now somewhat inland with land infill to support a growing city. A great combination of 1812-era building and artefacts and more modern information. There is apparently a guided tour, but I didn't available myself of that, and just wandered around myself with the provided map. Was a little strange to otherwise have just a single employee dressed in presumably period attire in the kitchen of one of the buildings, who provided an engaging insight. Would have either expected no such encounters, or otherwise additional people around the site.

Always something going on. The cannon is a little loud during the summer though

Walk around the fort wherever you want. Each building is accessible and has much to see. Great history lessons around every turn. My most memorable things: the rifle so big it should be an artillery weapon; climbing downstairs into the basement of one of the officers’ buildings; the large cannons positioned along the walls; reading about the medics and medical equipment with much of it on display; the video reenactment of the battle; seeing the maps and miniature models of the fort and surrounding area. Lots to explore if you’re curious like me.

(Translated by Google) Record parts of the early battles between the United States and Canada (Original) 记载美加之间早期争斗的局部

The algorythym is off balance needs be balanced for all my children I need gather my family together as unity go back to the stars

Interesting place, quiet spot.

Very cool to revisit well preserve Canadian history.

Good social distanced tour

Haven't been here in a few years, and can't go now because of Covid and the border. But this was a well restored site, with excellent staff who provided lots of information. Well worth a visit if you are in Toronto and are at all interested in history.

Nice place. Simple quite area

Beautiful morning walks around the outside of the fort leading to lakeshore.

Great place to visit and learn about history.... Give yourself extra time... Bring a picnic..

Great skyline and chill vibes

Great for various events and to picnic outside of it!!

If you love history, Toronto history, Canadian history or just a good historical - tour then check it out. This place is in amazing condition and is worth a visit. There is a ton of green space outside of the site, so make sure to bring a lunch and enjoy a picnic.

Very poor...I know that Canada doesn't have the same history as european countries, but even considered this, this is scarcely interesting. The soldiers were just a few and continued to do the same exercises for dozen minutes, we expecting some kind f parade but after a while we quit and started to visits the building. We were really disappointed to know that they are not original but just replicas. I visited the original Athens Acropoli for the same price...

National Aboriginal Day June 21st. 2018 Fort York Grounds

This is a beautiful park that was recently renovated. There’s loads of people hanging out in the green spaces. There’s a bridge with stairs and a ramp from Wellington. There’s also an access point on Strachan and Fork York Blvd so it’s easy to get to. There’s bathrooms available at the Fort York museum when it’s open otherwise there’s no men nearby.

Really enjoyed our visit during our Honeymoon! Wished we had more time!

Interesting place

Great place to spend time with your family and learn more about history of our city Toronto. There are so many hidden places like this site across the city we should explore. Deffenately worth to visit.

Close to the bentway good Toronto history

This is a nice National Historic Site. I went here while I was in Toronto and was satisfied with my experience. I walked into this fort and went on a tour, which was pretty good. It went through the barracks, officer’s quarters, armory, and fortifications. The tour guide was very detailed and informative, which was nice. The fort is also very well preserved. After I went on the tour, I left the fort, satisfied with my experience. I gave this fort five stars because it’s very well preserved and has a lot of cool historical stuff.

Beautiful place no matter the time of the year. Lots of open space; so you can maintain social distancing in all scenarios. Right next to The Bentley. The historical site itself tells a story of its own. Definitely worth a visit.

This historical site lets you visit the fort buildings built by the British and Canadians to defend the town against military attacks. In addition to the historical buildings outfitted with historical fittings and furniture, there's also a small museum with artifacts, and a gift shop. There are guided tours as well as performances by staff in uniform during summer that you should check out. This is a great place to go and learn about a part of the history of Canada. It doesn't seem to get too busy, so it's good for going at your own pace.

Historical Fort right near the Toronto waterfront. Host many events like concerts and outdoor movie screenings. A beautiful place to visit on a nice day.

Great place to unwind and enjoy a nice walk!

Pretty important to the colonial history of Toronto...and a great connection to the past.of our city. Often interesting activities and the best remembrance day service in toronto, in my opinion.

The new welcome center is awesome

Friendly

Piece of history bang in core downtown

Very good for history

Walk through the past. Transports you to an era where valour was the most important virtue.

This is a really cool place to visit on a day when the weather is decent (u can check out different buildings on the grounds). Very informative and interesting and nice visitors center. Much more than what i expected from the Google info

Super informative and interesting!

It's nice! Good little date resource right next to the bentway

Fun and educational place to visit with great staff.

This such a cool place. It's hard to believe it was built to deter the U.S from attempting to engage in conflict in Canada.

What a lovely place to visit. You can just walk around and enjoy the view, workout in nature, or have a picnic in the middle of the city. Not to mention that this historic site holds many stories of times gone by which can be recounted by taking a tour!

Walking tour only with advanced booking band and musket Demonstations

Fort York is an impressive experience. The walking tour is educational, cultural and informative. Part of Canada's history is on full display with live firing drills and marching bands. You can see blockhouses, officers quarters and much more. A short distance away from Bathurst St & Fort York Blvd.

Guided tour of the walls of the fort gave a good overview of the history.

A walking tour with guide and several buildings were open. Our tour guide was knowledgeable and knew her history of the Fort and the time period. The music and musket demonstration was great!

Reasonably interesting 45min tour, with enthusiastic guide. Recommend dropping into the building with some 19th/20th century government posters

The most important place is Toronto downtown......if it did not exist, Toronto probably would have not been started.

One of the best historical sites I've had the pleasure of visiting

Very nice to see historical places like this being preserved for future generations to see. Gives you good insight as to what life was like back then.

Offers a good insight into the war of 1812. Could be good fun with children. Overall I preferred my time downtown in the city, as I have seen many forts like this one in the past.

Great festival Space in the heart of downtown!! I visit every year for Vegandale Festival and there's tons of fresh, open space! The festival boasts a stage w tons of space to dance and room for a wide variety of amazing vendors. There are no bathrooms on site, but stations are set up, including handwashing stations. Not to mention, the IG- worthy props and greenery throughout! Love this space!

Nice place. Should have actually hired a park/trail planner to design the outdoor space. This is not enough to accommodate the growing community.

There is not ample parking space, so please be aware.

(Translated by Google) Learn the history of Toronto. (Original) 토론토의 역사를 알수 있다.

A 43-acre, 19th-century military fortification archeological park in the Fort York neighbourhood of downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada. This is where British soldiers, First Nations warriors, and Upper Canadian militiamen fought against the United States to capture Toronto in the War of 1812.

A nice trip for an afternoon. The visitors centre was nice and the experiential war of 1812 exhibit was well done. Informative tour guides, plus free lemonade. Low ceilings in a lot of the historic buildings though!

Was at a Pow-Wow here to mark Indigenous Month. Fort York is very historic and well maintained. Clean and beautiful. Great for walks too. *****

I went when it was free (May 2022), and for a free outing it was very fun. I am not sure if I would pay for the experience which you can go through quite quickly without a tour (only 5 or 6 buildings) but it was nice. We tagged along with a tour group at the end and the guide working at the fort was very knowledgeable and explained very thoroughly the everyday lives of the soldiers. In a nutshell the place is cabins, guns, replica uniforms, and old furniture and everyday objects the soldiers used.

We loved it. It's a walk through the olden days and history. Each fort houses there's something to check out for. The welcome center has the hidden gem. It has an interactive walk through of what happened when the Americans attacked the fort. We almost missed that part, because we started with the fort visits first instead of going to the welcome center. It was free for when we visited in summer of 2022.

The parking lot should be navigate to 250 Fort york and 2$ per hour. I assume that the best way to explore this site is to book a guided tour. It is nice to know some history of Toronto as well.

Small little visitor area with a few exhibits. There is much more in the fort itself. This is a good place to kick off a visit to the fort.

I recently visited Fort York and it was such an incredible experience. The historical significance of the place is truly remarkable. It was fascinating to learn about the role it played in defending Toronto during the War of 1812. The staff were so knowledgeable and friendly, making the visit even more enjoyable. I highly recommend checking it out if you're ever in the area.

Wonderful experience, nice tour, great maintenance of this place. Recommend for a afternoon family trip!

Even though we had such a hard time finding the place 🙈 the experience was better than we could expect. The kids had a fabulous time feeling connected to such an amazing snippet of history in the middle of modern day Toronto. I love that they connected the dots for me about black influence. Watching my children's mouth open in excitement as they read the historical references of black influence made this my favorite way to end the year. They were intrigued about everything from the strange looking "creepy basement"😅 to what may look like a bowling ball but were definitely not an item to play with 😁. Oh and let's not forget the amount of time different historical pieces reminded my son of something he saw in Minecraft. We Loved it. We were immersed into the stories and artifacts. We loved ending the year by looking back in a historical time way past covid and feeling humbled to be here at this point in time even after enduring a lock down.

Interesting historical place, well preserved. Free and the tour was great.