CN Tower

CN Tower - the most important information

The CN Tower is a 553.3 m-high concrete communications and observation tower located in the downtown core of Toronto, Canada. Built on the former Railway Lands, it was completed in 1976. Its name "CN" originally referred to Canadian National, the railway company that built the tower. The CN Tower held the record for the world's tallest free-standing structure for 32 years until 2007 when it was surpassed by the Burj Khalifa and was the world's tallest tower until 2009 when it was surpassed by the Canton Tower. It is now the ninth tallest free-standing structure in the world and remains the tallest free-standing structure on land in the Western Hemisphere. In 1995, the CN Tower was declared one of the modern Seven Wonders of the World by the American Society of Civil Engineers. Today you cannot imagine Toronto’s skyline without this building and it attracts a large number of visitors every year.

History of the CN Tower

The original concept of the CN Tower was first conceived in 1968 when the Canadian National Railway wanted to build a large television and radio communication platform, and later on, 2 years later the project started happening. As Toronto grew rapidly during the late 1960s and early 1970s, multiple skyscrapers were constructed in the downtown core. The original plan for the tower envisioned a tripod consisting of three independent cylindrical "pillars" linked at various heights by structural bridges. Had it been built, this design would have been considerably shorter. Main architects were John Andrews, Webb Zerafa, Menkes Housden. When the CN Tower opened in 1976, there were three public observation points: the SkyPod (then known as the Space Deck) that stands at 447 m, the Indoor Observation Level (later named Indoor Lookout Level) at 346 m, and the Outdoor Observation Terrace (at the same level as the Glass Floor) at 342 m. One floor above the Indoor Observation Level was the Top of Toronto Restaurant, which completed a revolution once every 72 minutes. On August 1, 2011, the CN Tower opened the EdgeWalk, an amusement in which thrill-seekers can walk on and around the roof of the main pod of the tower at 356 m, which is directly above the 360 Restaurant.

Opening hours for CN Tower ongoings

Observation Levels: LookOut 10:00am - 9:00pm / Glass Floor 10:00am - 9:00pm / SkyPod 10:00am - 9:00pm
EdgeWalk: Monday 11:00am - 2:30pm / Tuesday to Thursday Closed
360 Restaurant: Lunch 11:00am - 3:00pm / Dinner 4:30pm - 10:00pm00am - 5:30pm
Gift Shop 10:00am - 10:00pm

Tickets for CN Tower shows
When we talk about this magnificent building, we have to say that they have numerous shows and events which can be seen by a group tour or by buying one ticket. Prices start from 40 USD for Tower Experience all up to 200 USD for Edge Walk. It would be best if you check all the prices on the official website of CNN Tower.

How to get to CN Tower?

The Tower is located in the heart of Downtown Toronto, between the Rogers Centre and Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada on Bremner Blvd. As strange as it sounds, the truth is: look for the Tower (it's hard to miss) and head towards it. If you decide to use public transport:

Tour Buses should pull up along Bremner Boulevard, just south of the Tower and just east of the Rogers Centre.
Public Bus Transit: Route 121 Fort York - Esplanade. Check with the Toronto Transit Commission for details on bus route information check The Toronto Transit Commission website
Subway: Your ultimate destination is Union Station. From there, the Tower is a short walk west along Front Street

CN Tower trivia

There are several interesting facts about this tower:

The construction costs of approximately $278 million were repaid in fifteen years.
The height of this tower is the equivalent of a 147-story building.
On June 26, 1986, the ten-year anniversary of the tower's opening, high-rise firefighting and rescue advocate Dan Goodwin, in a sponsored publicity event, used his hands and feet to climb the outside of the tower, a feat he performed twice on the same day.
The base of the CN Tower was home to the main Pan Am Games flames playing an important part in both the Opening and Closing Ceremonies. On July 10, 2015, the CN Tower was incorporated into the opening ceremony of the 2015 Pan American Games.
On July 1, 2017, as part of the nationwide celebrations for Canada 150, fireworks were once again shot from the tower in a five-minute display coordinated with the tower lights and music broadcast on a local radio station.
On April 16, 2018, falling ice from the CN Tower punctured the roof of the nearby Rogers Centre stadium, causing the Toronto Blue Jays to postpone the game that day to the following day as a doubleheader.