A pedestrian underpass tunnel painted floor-to-arch in full rainbow spectrum — one of Toronto's most joyful and photogenic hidden spots. Tucked into a ravine trail in Scarborough, it's a favourite of cyclists, dog walkers, and photographers who stumble upon it mid-trail and can't quite believe it's real. The inside continues the mural further, making it a complete immersive colour experience.
Neighbourhood: Scarborough · Address: Milliken Park trail network, Scarborough, Toronto · Hours: Open 24 hours (dawn to dusk recommended) · Price Range: Free · Editorial status: Not yet verified
It’s a rare spot where you can actually walk through a spectrum of colours that are painted across every inch of the tunnel, making it feel like you’ve stumbled onto a surreal art installation mid-hike.
Unlike Toronto’s more famous murals or legal street art alleys, the Rainbow Bridge Tunnel is deep inside a suburban Scarborough ravine, and almost entirely unknown unless you really explore on foot or bike. The rainbow mural extends overhead and underfoot, so you’re literally surrounded, not just passing by a painted wall.
Lower Bay Station is one of those places that makes even longtime Torontonians do a double take. You come in through perfectly ordinary Bay Station on Line 2, with trains screeching in and people rushing for transfers, and directly beneath all of that is a completely intact subway platform that’s been sitting mostly unused since 1966. Not ruined, not stripped down, not turned into a museum in the polished sense — just there. Fluorescent lights, tiled walls, long sightlines, old-school TTC proportions, and that uncanny feeling that the next train should arrive any second, except it never does. It only carried passengers for six months. The TTC had built Lower Bay as part of a U-shaped routing experiment that would let trains move in a more flexible loop between lines, but it confused riders and didn’t work well in practice, so they shut it down quietly and went back to a simpler setup. What’s left now feels less like an abandoned station and more like a paused one. That’s the weird part. It doesn’t have the decayed drama people imagine when they hear “ghost station.” It’s cleaner than that, more preserved, more eerie. It feels like the city forgot to press play again. If you get in during Doors Open Toronto, do it. This is absolutely one of the strangest public spaces in the city. You walk down and the sound changes first — everything gets softer, more hollow, more mechanical. Then the platform opens up in front of you and it’s all repeating columns, yellow edge strip, tunnel mouths fading into black at both ends. The lighting has that old fluorescent hum that somehow makes the whole place feel more cinematic, not less. Photographers love it for obvious reasons, but even if you’re not carrying a camera, it’s worth walking the full length of the platform just to feel how the perspective shifts. Stand in the middle and look down the line: it’s pure Toronto mythology. You might also recognize it without realizing why. Lower Bay gets used constantly for film shoots, TV, commercials, music videos — basically anytime a production needs a subway platform they can control without shutting down active service. If you ever see production notices posted around Bay Station, there’s a decent chance something’s happening below your feet. A couple practical things. Public access is limited, so don’t just show up on a random weekend expecting to get in. Doors Open Toronto in May is the reliable chance, and yes, people line up early, so go when it opens if you don’t want to spend half your morning waiting. Admission is free when it’s open. Transit couldn’t be easier since you’re literally already at Bay Station, and that small absurdity is part of the appeal — one of the city’s most atmospheric places is sitting right under thousands of commuters who never see it. If you like urban history, architecture, or spaces that feel slightly unreal, Lower Bay is absolutely worth the effort. It’s quiet, controlled, and oddly moving. No train comes. That’s the whole magic of it.
The rainbow-painted tunnel is located within the Milliken Park trail network in Scarborough, Toronto. The easiest access is from the Milliken Park Recreation Centre at 4 Milliken Blvd — follow the paved trail north into the ravine trail system. It can also be accessed from Steeles Avenue. The tunnel sits under a road or rail embankment and connects two sections of the trail.
The rainbow mural is a community art installation, part of Toronto's broader effort to animate underpasses, tunnels, and grey infrastructure with public art. The bold full-spectrum rainbow arch transforms what would otherwise be a utilitarian concrete passage into a landmark. It's become one of Scarborough's most photographed and beloved community art pieces.
Yes — the tunnel is on a paved multi-use trail and is accessible year-round. The trail is popular with cyclists and pedestrians in summer, and the rainbow arch against snow in winter creates a particularly striking photo. The park trails may be slippery in winter; check conditions before cycling.
Milliken Park has extensive trail networks along the Highland Creek system, sports facilities, and green space. The area connects to a broader ravine trail network. The nearby Milliken GO Station makes it accessible from downtown Toronto. Scarborough Town Centre is a short drive for food and shopping after the visit.
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