Toronto City Hall © Lucy Izon

Toronto, Ontario – Toronto has the only City Hall to have ever appeared in Star Trek. That’s because the council chambers that sit in the centre of the two towers are in a saucer-like structure. It appeared in the original Stat Trek series in the All Our Yesterdays episode, and in Star Trek: The Next Generation, it represented a destination of an alien portal in the episode Contagion.

The building’s design, by Finnish architect Viljo Revell, was chosen from more than 500 submissions. Looking down from above, it looks like a giant eye. This uniquely designed City Hall has also served as a location for an number of movies, including The Kidnapping of the President, with William Shatner and Hal Holbrook, The Tuxedo, which starred Jackie Chan and Jennifer Love Hewitt, The Sentinel with Michael Douglas and Keifer Sutherland, and Resident Evil: Apocalypse.

Nathan Philips Square at the front is often a venue for outdoor concerts, art fairs, and community events. The square surrounds a fountain pool, which becomes a popular skating rink during winter months. Within a few steps is a Roman column that dates back to 300 A.D.

Toronto’s city all is located on the north side of Queen St., between Bay St. and University Ave. Across the street to the south is the Sheraton Centre hotel, and just a two minute walk away is the Eaton Centre and The Bay’s flagship department store. If taking the subway, go to the Queen or Osgoode stops.

Quick Tip: The 501 Queen streetcar service, which stops in front of City Hall, travels east-west for 24.8 km (15.4 miles). It is the longest streetcar route in Canada and was named by National Geographic Society as one of the 10 Great Streetcar routes