McLaughlin Planetarium

An active demolition zone. Surrounded by fencing. Populated, active area with people around.

The McLaughlin Planetarium is a former planetarium that opened in 1968. The planetarium got its name from Canadian businessman Samuel McLaughlin, who donated money for the construction of the building. The McLaughlin Planetarium closed in 1995. After its closure the building had been utilized a few times. The last time it was used for public exhibition was in 2002 when it hosted a Lord of the Rings exhibit. Afterwards until 2007 the former planetarium was used as a storage space for the Royal Ontario Museum. In 2009 the ROM sold the building to the University of Toronto. Ever since then it has remained empty and vacant. In 2014 the University of Toronto proposed demolishing the building and building new structures to house their faculties. Demolition of the planetarium started in April of 2026 and will conclude the end of Spring 2026.

Large and imposing, this structure has stood for decades in its historic location. The former planetarium is nestled between the Royal Ontario Museum and University of Toronto faculty buildings. Further down the street stands another longtime abandoned historical building, the Whitney Block Tower. Right across is the Legislative Assembly of Ontario. While the building is remarkable from the outside, in its current state it appears uninteresting inside the actual structure. Seeing as it’s been long since use for exhibits and storage space it makes sense the inside would be completely empty. As of mid-April 2026 the building is still intact, however the windows are boarded, demolition vehicles are outside, and a fence surrounds the location.