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    Nathan Phillips Square

    4.2 (113 reviews)

    Nathan Phillips Square Photos

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    Glenn C.

    Toronto Review 2/Many: I was at this lovely park/square many times, as it was across the street from the hotel I was staying at with someone else, the Sheraton Centre Toronto. Outside of this, we went a handful of times to walk through, and our Toonie Tours guide stopped here as well. The design of the new city hall, which apparently was inspired by the Canadian flag, was interesting, and the large sign was nice to photograph. Outside of this, I saw a handful of people playing chess, and the water turns into a nice-looking skating rink in winter. Overall, it's a nice little area and a place that I would visit often if I lived around here as a place to relax.

    Nia D.

    During our day of exploring areas of Toronto, we stopped by Nathan Phillips Square to check it out. It was a beautiful day for a Friday afternoon that was originally forecasted for rain and cooler weather - ended up being very sunny and warm. When we arrived, we saw some games taking place over in the field area. I went over to ask a player what was going on and he let me know it was an annual rugby tournament in support of a local charity and for us to stay and watch. He was a great example of the kind, welcoming demeanor we typically experienced throughout our visit in Toronto. We stayed for a bit to watch, took a photo "with" the Toronto sign that's there and then headed to the next spot on our self guided tour. A good place to relax, people watch and have lunch in a public square.

    Siyu T.

    Ice skating rink with beautiful views near Eaton mall too. They had free skating rentals on Saturday for the holidays and it was a nice experience and vibe to skate together in celebration!

    Taste of India festival stage
    Somya S.

    Food, performances and the crowds.. oh the Humanity. Went after 9 pm and it was still crowded. Had food and dessert .. really should not have done so! Oh well! They are on tomorrow as well.

    Gayan P.

    I don't know Nathan, but his Square is a solid spot for communities to gather. A great space to visit, whether for events or just to take it all in.

    Kristen H.

    Lovely little outdoor square with the iconic Toronto sign. Great spot for pictures. Right next to Eaton center so conveniently located off the path. For the holidays they've got a lovely light show at night. Ice-skating also.

    Purpose T.

    I would easily give 5 stars if I was able to get closer to the infamous TORONTO sign. Nevertheless, it is a beautiful sight to see, however close you can get. At the time I was there, the ice skating rink was not open. The area is both busy and serene, if that makes sense. Being from a metropolitan city, I speak the language of hustle and bustle. It's a big open space and prime for people-watching, if you're into that sort of thing. If you grab something quick from a food truck, there's ample space to sit and enjoy it. Also, close to a lot of other attractions.

    Alaleh P.

    I love Nathan Philips Square as there's alway some exciting event happening here; food events, Nuit Blanche, cultural events, etc. It's easily accessible by subway, streetcars and there's a GreenP parking close by, if you're driving (which I don't recommend). There are many hotdog and street food trucks available if y'u want to buy comfort food at a fair price. Also, the new Toronto sign with indigenous art is very nice.

    the rink - note the surface
    Jen P.

    This review is for the ice rink at Nathan Phillips Square, based on a mid-day, mid-week visit. First - there's ample and cheap parking underneath the square in a multi-level underground lot - you access it off of Bay Street. Second, Nathan Phillips Square is the only rink in the city that rents skates. Adult rentals are $15 for 2 hrs. Beware that the skates may not be very sharp. There are many many rinks all over the city that are free if you have your own skates. Third, the quality of the rink ice is terrible. The surface was gouged and rough from so many skaters and did not appear to be regularly maintained. In other cities the rink is smoothed with a zamboni every couple or three hours. The quality of the surface made skating challenging and dangerous for novice skaters and we saw many wipe outs. Fourth, this rink is crowded at all times of day and night, and people take baby strollers and pets out onto the ice with them, so this is definitely a skate-at-your-own-risk kind of place. That said, the festive holiday lights and Toronto sign make it great for photos, so it's sure to remain popular despite the poorly maintained surface. Finally, there are public restrooms, plenty of benches and a fast food kiosk right there at the square, making it easy to change, grab a hot beverage or snack, or sit and wait/watch the skaters. And there's also a first aid booth just in case...

    Jennifer R.

    Toronto has many beautiful parks and this is another gem. It is perfectly situated for incredible views of the Toronto skyline. The park has several food trucks, restrooms, a water feature (that becomes a skating rink in winter) and the iconic Toronto sign. It is the home of several festivals throughout the year.

    Adri R.

    Nathan Phillips Square truly is a vibrant hub for cultural events and community gatherings. Not only just to take pictures of the Toronto sign.

    Jayme H.

    What a lovely space in the middle of downtown Toronto. I was in town for a few days and when I travel I love to just walk. I could walk for miles just exploring. And that's exactly what I did... and I ended up right smack dab in the middle of this lovely square. The giant Toronto sign surely makes for an Instagrammable photo op. The letters light up, there's a nice city skyline in the back, and the fountains too, of course! It's a rather touristy area but it's magical in its own right. I'm so glad I stumbled upon this space and I highly recommend it if you're into touristy type stuff or simply exploring. I hear in the colder months they have ice skating here!

    Mary M.

    Visited during the holidays and got to check out the Holiday Fair in the Square. Admission free! On a weekend, it's chaos navigating around trying to find parking. Skating: The line ups for the skating are long so best to bring your own. The seating space is limited especially on the weekend so most people were sitting along the rink edge to put their skates on/off. The rink it self was busy and every so often they had the Zamboni come out. Food: pricey, paid $18 for a funnel cake which in my opinion was over-fried and too sweet. Unfortunately, it was discarded after a few bites. Most of options include: poutine, tiny donuts, beaver tails, corn dogs, bubble tea, hot chocolate stations, burger/fries etc. There is a children's area (limited options) and markets through out the fair. The lights are the most exciting part, the area is lit up with the most prettiest twinkle lights! Overall, worth checking out

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    Clean minimalistic setting to enjoy the city and its denizens in the heart of downtown Toronto. Nice to see this space get so much use.

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    Nathan Phillips Square Reviews in Other Languages

    Review Highlights - Nathan Phillips Square

    Ever since the Toronto sign (the temporary one) was installed at NPS, I never headed down to my hometown to see it.

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    Sankofa Square - The City Sightseeing bus stop is in front of Sankofa (Yonge-Dundas) Square.

    Sankofa Square

    3.4(73 reviews)
    0.5 kmDowntown Core

    Last Saturday for the 2nd year in a row I attended PoutineFest (aka Smoke-A-Palooza) at Dundas…read moreSquare. I first started attending Events at the Square in 2008, when I came with a social Group for the opening night of Luminato, an annual Event in Toronto. I attended opening night for the same Event the following two years, and all 3 featured great live entertainment (including Randy Bachman and Sass Jordan) which was very enjoyable to watch and listen to. Some other Events I've attended there were a flash mob Event in 2011 and the launch of a new beer in 2013. The Square has hosted a quite wide variety of Events over the years since it opened; obviously the location couldn't be better as it's so centrally located Downtown with a subway station literally underneath.

    I went here after dinner around 8:53pm on a Tuesday and it was so lively! I also visited this place…read moreduring the day too and it seems like it's a popular place. There's also a lot of businesses around this area too. This area is always so lively, but it seemed even more lively when I went there at night! I'm not really sure if it was lively because there was probably an event happening at night that day (they were putting up fences) OR because it's always lively at night. Anyways, when I went here during both day and night, there was always a lot of people. To me, it looked like what I think would be a mini Times Square, but the Canadian version of it. Another cool thing about this place is how they have water that randomly shoots out from the ground where the holes are at. Ok enough about how cool I think this place is, I also think it seems more dangerous at night. Reason why is because I saw a random group street fight break out that day, so I ended up leaving/ran away to avoid that area. I'd still recommend this place! Even though a random fight happened when I went there at night, it's still a fun place. I ended up finding other cool businesses nearby when I left the main part of the square. I was only at the square for 10 minutes before things happened, but I also visited this place during the daytime on a Saturday around 12:18pm and it was still just as lively.

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    Sankofa Square - 7/22/2025

    7/22/2025

    Sankofa Square - Kings plate party today at the square

    Kings plate party today at the square

    Sankofa Square - Indonesian Festival

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    Indonesian Festival

    Pocket Planet Canada - One of the many funny details. Aw, Rats

    Pocket Planet Canada

    4.8(52 reviews)
    0.6 kmRyerson, Downtown Core

    Price: 35 CAD or so for adults, a bit less for kids or seniors…read moreTime: 60-90 minutes. Less if you're rushing, but I wouldn't. Add an extra 20/30 minutes if you're going to look at everything/use the shop or station Location: Lower basement of The Tenor Other Notes: Free Wi-Fi and scavenger hunts for kids Side note: There is a separate business page with one review and no photos for their newer name, Pocket Planet Canada. I requested a merge or similar Toronto Review 10/Many: I went to this excellent exhibition, previously known as Little Canada, with another person. They are located downstairs in the basement of The Tenor. The price was reasonable, and we stayed for around 80 minutes, but it definitely could have been longer. I have previously been to a couple of other miniature museums, but never one with this much detail and with so many moving parts. The staff was friendly, and they had some scavenger hunts and other things for kids. The first area goes over Niagara and the surrounding area. Along with showing some early movement, this also introduced one of their interesting features, where the models and room shift between day and night. Then came the largest portion, which, as expected, was the Little Toronto section. This included one of the highlights, a scaled replica of the Rogers Center, including a fully retractable roof and lights and sound that can be turned on and off. There was also, of course, the CN Tower, various squares, and other things. The remaining sections covered the remaining parts of Canada. I would go into all the details, but I honestly think that it shouldn't be spoiled. In case you do want to see, I have also posted many photos. A particular highlight for me was an appropriately wintry take on Petit Quebec. After the exhibits, there was a "Littlization Station," which we didn't take part in as we didn't have time, but apparently it makes miniatures of people using a lot of high-quality cameras. I saw something similar before at a studio in NYC, and it's a fun idea to add that here too. There was also the Miniature Maker's Studio, where a friendly woman was answering questions regarding how they make things otherwise. Finally, there was a particularly excellent gift shop that sold some items you can't buy online, such as miniatures and other things. I bought a nice cherry blossom one, but there were also some options for all different regions of Canada. For how long the experience is and how detailed it is, I found this more than worth it. Overall, this was the unexpected highlight of the trip, and I heavily recommend it for people of all ages. I can see why they've won awards.

    Interesting and educational mini Canada exhibit. They make it extra exciting for the kids with a…read moretheme to search for...right now it's Maurice the Moose. In the past, it looks like they have had Superhero's , KPop Demon Hunters and Moana. My little one enjoyed searching for Maurice in each section. Some surprise effects like watching the Skydome open and close, and the odd train or car moving, added to the fun. The whole thing took us about 90 minutes to complete and we were not rushing. We wanted to do the mini figure creation but there was a long line. I don't think we would go here again though, unless it was a completely new experience or something . Giving it four stars for that reason and also because it was pricey for what it was and there was no line up process to see each section. We kept getting 'stuck' behind a group. The only was to pass them meant skipping a large section. A briefing at the start, explaining to keep moving could help. We did make an afternoon of it though. Went to Shake Shack next door, walked down Yonge Street and then through the Eaton Center...

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    Pocket Planet Canada - Château Frontenac in Quebec City.

    Château Frontenac in Quebec City.

    Pocket Planet Canada
    Pocket Planet Canada - Little East Coast.

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    Little East Coast.

    Nathan Phillips Square - landmarks - Updated August 2026

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