The Tower says you will be 346 metres above ground here, with window walls that give a full sweep of the cityscape. The high-speed elevators reach this level in 58 seconds. The Tower lists its total height as 553.33 metres.
City DeskSpotlight
Things to Do at the CN Tower in Toronto: A 50th Anniversary Guide
The Tower turns 50 in 2026. Here is its story, the levels and experiences to look for, and an easy way to walk there from Union Station.
Every neighbourhood in Toronto has its own view of the CN Tower, and 2026 marks fifty years since it opened to the public on June 26, 1976.
Why was the CN Tower built?
The Tower says it began as a broadcasting fix. Existing transmission towers were not high enough to send radio and television signals over the tall new buildings going up in the 1960s. Canadian National employed more than 1,500 workers for 40 months to build it.
Construction crews moved in on February 6, 1973. The site is the Railway Lands between Front Street and Lake Ontario. To produce the shaft’s tapered contour, the Tower says, crews poured concrete into a massive mold known as a slipform. In 1975, the helicopter Olga lifted the 39 pieces of the antenna into place.
When did the CN Tower open?
The Tower says it was finished on April 2, 1975 and opened to the public on June 26, 1976. The Tower’s own history page says that at 553 metres it remained the tallest freestanding structure in the world until Dubai’s Burj Khalifa surpassed it in 2009. In 1995, Canadian National sold it to the Canada Lands Company, a federal Crown corporation. The Tower’s history page also says it serves more than 17 Canadian television and FM radio stations and welcomes more than two million visitors each year.
The Tower also acknowledges its place on the map. The land was reclaimed from Lake Ontario, shores and waters that were a meeting place for many Nations, including the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishinaabe, the Chippewa, the Haudenosaunee and the Wendat Peoples.
How is the Tower marking its 50th anniversary?
The Tower’s homepage has a “Celebrating 50 years” section and an immersive look back at the last five decades. It says that since 1976 the Tower has stood as a beacon of Canadian ingenuity and ambition.
One thing to look for any time: a time capsule embedded in the Main Observation Level, which the Tower says is to be opened on its 100th birthday in 2076.
Check the Tower’s site for current anniversary news.
What can you do at the CN Tower?
The Tower calls it the highest observation platform in the Western Hemisphere, 447 metres above the ground, where you can feel the Tower sway in the wind. On a clear day the Tower says you can see as far as 160 kilometres, to Niagara Falls and into New York State. The antenna is longer than a football field and is struck by lightning an average of 75 times per year. That is a lot of weather to be standing next to.
The Glass Floor has two tiers, and the second, on the Lower Observation Level, gives a view 342 metres straight down. That level also has an Outdoor Terrace, OverView stations and Artmosphere.
An immersive, interactive art experience whose video walls show animated works by a collective of Canadian artists, including Indigenous artists from across the country. The Tower says it is free for CN Tower ticket holders.
A hands-free walk around the exterior of the main pod, 116 storeys up, secured by a harness, which the Tower says opened in 2011. The Tower says Guinness World Records recognizes EdgeWalk as being the world’s highest external walk on a building. See the Tower’s site for the details.
The restaurant completes a full rotation every 72 minutes, so every diner sees Toronto from every angle. The Tower says it is home to the world’s highest wine cellar. See the Tower’s site for the restaurant’s details.
What else is worth a look from the ground?
Look at the legs. The Tower says its three legs taper off toward the Main Observation Level to lower the centre of gravity and limit the effect of wind. After dark, look at the lights. LED lights line the outside from base to tip and illuminate each night in honour of major Canadian cultural moments, charities and special causes. The homepage has a Lighting schedule section.
The Tower also offers Low Sensory Mornings on scheduled days, in partnership with Autism Ontario and Variety Village.
How do you get to the CN Tower from Union Station?
The main entrance is at 290 Bremner Blvd., between the Rogers Centre and Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada. The Tower says the SkyWalk connects to Union Station, and from Union it is a short walk west along Bremner Boulevard or via the SkyWalk. That makes it easy to pair with a stop in our Union Station guide.
For more landmark stories, read our guide to Toronto architecture, see how a day downtown fits together in the downtown walking tour, and compare it with the design story behind Toronto City Hall.
Send this to the friend you would bring up for a clear-day view.
Sources (5)
- The CN Tower story, CN Tower
- CN Tower, CN Tower
- Inspiring by day, stellar by night, CN Tower
- Artmosphere, CN Tower
- Getting here, CN Tower
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“Saving this for a clear day: the CN Tower in its 50th year, from the story to EdgeWalk to the Glass Floor.”
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