Head to the 14th floor of U of T's Robarts Library (access often open to public) for a panoramic view of the entire downtown core. Completely free, completely unknown to tourists.
Neighbourhood: The Annex · Address: 130 St George St, Toronto, ON · Hours: Mon–Fri 8:30 AM – 11:00 PM | Sat 9:00 AM – 10:00 PM | Sun 10:00 AM – 10:00 PM · Phone: (416) 978-8450
Why Visit
Catch one of the best unobstructed skylines in Toronto from Robarts Library's 14th floor, all for free and with barely any crowds. The cityscape looks especially epic through the geometric concrete windows.
What Makes It Unique
Unlike the famous CN Tower or City Hall, Robarts gives you a view that's actually from within the city core, not above or beside it, and you’re staring straight at downtown landmarks through brutalist porthole windows. Plus, there's no ticket line, and students mostly ignore the view altogether.
The 14th floor of Robarts Library at the University of Toronto contains one of the best free views in the city — a panoramic observation available to anyone who walks through the library's main entrance and takes the elevator up. The view sweeps north from U of T's St. George campus toward Bloor Street and beyond, east toward the downtown core and the CN Tower, and west across the Annex neighbourhood's Victorian roofscape. On a clear day the entire downtown skyline is visible from a height and angle that most observation experiences in the city — all of which involve paying for elevator tickets — don't offer.
Robarts Library, completed in 1973 and designed by Mathers and Haldenby, is itself one of Toronto's most significant and divisive architectural statements — a building often described as Brutalist, with a distinctive pyramid silhouette clad in precast concrete panels rising 14 floors above the St. George campus. It was nicknamed Fort Book and The Peacock by critics, and has since accumulated a dedicated following among architectural enthusiasts. The building is now considered a significant example of late modernist institutional architecture.
The library's interiors are worth exploring beyond the view. The main reading room on the lower floors is a serious research environment with monumental scale — high ceilings, long reading tables, and the quiet of a working academic library. The Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library, housed in a separate building adjacent to Robarts, holds one of the finest rare book and manuscript collections in Canada, including a first folio of Shakespeare and multiple Gutenberg-era printed books.
Access to Robarts Library's upper floors is generally available during library operating hours, though specific floors may require U of T identification during exam periods when all available seating is occupied by students. During summer months when the academic calendar is lighter, access is easiest. The library is a 10-minute walk from Spadina or Museum subway stations.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can anyone visit Robarts Library in Toronto?
Robarts Library at the University of Toronto is primarily a research library for students and faculty. Members of the public can enter the building and access many floors during library hours. The 14th floor view is the main visitor attraction. During exam periods (April, December), access may be more restricted due to student demand for study space.
What is the view like from Robarts Library?
From the upper floors of Robarts Library, the view encompasses the U of T St. George campus, the downtown Toronto skyline and CN Tower to the east, and the Annex neighbourhood's Victorian roofscape to the west. The elevated angle provides a perspective on the urban landscape that is different from dedicated observation points, and the working library setting gives the view an unusual quality.
What is the architecture of Robarts Library?
Robarts Library was completed in 1973 and designed by Mathers and Haldenby. It is widely described as Brutalist, with a pyramidal massing and precast concrete cladding. Nicknamed Fort Book and The Peacock, the building is now recognized as a significant example of late modernist institutional architecture and has a dedicated following among architectural photographers and enthusiasts.
What is the Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library?
The Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library adjacent to Robarts houses one of the finest rare book and manuscript collections in Canada, including a Shakespeare First Folio, Gutenberg-era printed books, medieval manuscripts, and significant Canadian literary archives. Public visitors can request supervised access to the reading room to examine specific items.