One of Toronto's most original public spaces — The Bentway runs 1.75km under the Gardiner Expressway, transforming dead infrastructure space into a park, art gallery, events venue, and in winter, a skating trail that winds between the expressway columns. Concerts, markets, film screenings, and outdoor exhibitions make it the city's most unexpectedly vibrant public space.
Neighbourhood: Fort York / Liberty Village · Address: 250 Fort York Blvd (access via Strachan Ave or Fort York Blvd), Toronto, ON · Hours: Always open | Skating trail: mid-December – early March (free skate rental available) · Price Range: Free · Phone: (416) 304-0222 · Editorial status: Not yet verified
Where else in Toronto can you skate under a highway, catch open-air art installations, and hit up a night market all in one spot? The Bentway flips a chunk of the Gardiner Expressway into an actual hangout with a constantly changing lineup of events.
The Bentway isn't just a park—it's a reclaimed slice of urban infrastructure you literally hang out underneath. Unlike any other Toronto green space, it merges skate trails, art, and live events between concrete pillars and highway noise, creating a city space you'll never find in Trinity Bellwoods or High Park. The ever-rotating programming means every visit feels different.
The Bentway is one of Toronto's most original public spaces — a 1.75-kilometre linear park and events venue that runs beneath the Gardiner Expressway, transforming what was previously dead infrastructure space into a genuinely vibrant cultural destination. The space includes a skating trail that winds between the expressway columns in winter, an open-air gallery for art installations, a performance venue for concerts and theatre, and flexible public space for markets, film screenings, and community gatherings.
The programming is the key to the Bentway's success — it operates as a year-round cultural institution rather than a passive park. Summer brings outdoor fitness classes, film nights, and art exhibitions. Winter transforms the space into one of the city's most unusual skating experiences. The architecture is deliberately industrial — the exposed concrete columns and overhead expressway create a dramatic setting that no conventional park can replicate. Located between Strachan Avenue and Bathurst Street, the Bentway connects Fort York, Liberty Village, and the waterfront, making it both a destination and a connector.
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