Plan Your Trip To The Hockey Hall Of Fame

Exterior View of the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto, Ontario

Brookfield Place

30 Yonge Street

Toronto, Ontario

Canada M5E 1X8

The Hockey Hall of Fame was first founded in the town of Kingston, Ontario in 1943 despite not having an actual home until 1961. Kingston is halfway between the cities of Toronto and Montreal and many argue that this city was where hockey was founded back in 1886. The Hall of Fame only lasted in Kingston for 15 years before being moved to Toronto, Ontario in 1958. From 1961 until 1993, the Hockey Hall of Fame was headquartered at Exhibition Place, a fairground in Toronto near Lake Ontario. In 1993, the Hall of Fame was moved to beautiful downtown Toronto into a former bank building on Yonge Street, it's current location.

Photo of James T. Sutherland, founder of the Hockey Hall of Fame.

Photo Source: OriginalHockeyHOF

The Hockey Hall of Fame lost its traction and momentum in Kingston, Ontario when hockey player and ambassador James T. Sutherland (pictured left) passed away in 1955. The city failed to raise enough money for a home to be constructed for the museum and this frustrated the President of the NHL, Clarence Campbell (pictured right).

The current Hall of Fame has more than 50,000 square feet of artifacts, memorabilia and exhibits. Of the 4 Major Sports Hall of Fames, the Hockey Hall of Fame is the most easily accessible being that it's located in a major city. It is also arguably the most beautiful and striking Hall of Fame building with it's cathedral like appearance.

Jersey exhibit at Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto, Ontario.

Succeeding James T. Sutherland in the Hall of Fame efforts was Conn Smythe, former Manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs. Not only did Smythe find new investors but he oversaw the Hall of Fames construction on the CNE Grounds at Exhibition Place. The Toronto Maple Leafs organization has sent 60 members to the Hockey Hall of Fame, more than any other NHL team. Players, coaches, front office and linesman are all eligible to be selected to the Hockey Hall of Fame by a committee of 18 officials - 7 of them from the National Hockey League. Arguably the most popular area of the Hall of Fame is the Esso Great Hall where the Stanley Cup is kept. The Great Hall was recently renovated in 2012. The largest exhibit on site is the Tissot World of Hockey Zone where hockey artifacts from 69 different countries can be found.

Photo of Toronto skyline.

As one could imagine, parking in downtown Toronto is an adventure and can be very frustrating. I would recommend taking an Uber if you live in Toronto or a taxi from your downtown hotel. Union Station isn’t a far walk from the Hall of Fame if you’re familiar with Toronto’s subway system. The best parking option is Brookfield Place downtown where fans can park for $10 on weekends. The second best parking option would be the St. Lawrence Garage on The Esplanade where rates vary. If you would like to purchase downtown parking ahead of time, please refer to the parking link below. The city is large enough for fans to find downtown hotels within their budget most of the year. If you’re traveling by plane to visit the Hall of Fame, you’ll fly into the Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ). If you’re a major sports fan, try to visit the Hockey Hall of Fame on a weekend when the Maple Leafs, Raptors or Blue Jays have home games.