Hop on public transit for a self-guided tour of Toronto subway art. Here are 10 stations worth stopping at.
Taking the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) can be about more than getting from A to B to C. Innovative public art installations, including massive murals, colourful mosaics, and playful sculptures, create surprise and delight across Toronto’s subway network.
Here are 10 subway stations with great public art to discover on your travels. If you’re looking for an almost-free art hop, you may want to make them your destination!
Hockey murals at College subway station
Charles Pachter’s Hockey Knights in Canada celebrates the glory days of Maple Leaf Gardens, the historic venue down the street, where Toronto’s NHL team played for over sixty years.
Squaring off from opposite sides of the tracks are nine Toronto Maple Leaf players and nine players from their arch-rival team, the Montreal Canadiens.
What’s outside: Catch a varsity hockey game at the old Maple Leaf Gardens, now Toronto Metropolitan University’s Mattamy Athletic Centre.
Egyptian hieroglyphs at Museum subway station
Why yes, that is an ancient Egyptian greeting you as you step off the subway beneath the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM). The striking reproduction of Osiris is joined by a Wuikinuxv First Nation House Post, a Toltec warrior and Greek and Chinese columns.
Look closely at the typography on the walls—the hieroglyphs are an inscription from the tomb of a nobleman on display at the ROM upstairs.
What’s outside: You’re here for the ROM, so get in there and start exploring!
Flower mosaics at Dupont subway station
Two enormous flower mosaics in Dupont station give a new meaning to urban jungle.
James Sutherland used thousands of glass pieces for his Spadina Summer Under All Seasons, which fits in beautifully with the subway station’s earth-toned honeycomb tilework, including the unique, built-in curved seats. It’s a hidden gem of Toronto’s underground.
What’s outside: Grab an espresso at Ezra’s Pound across the street and head for the majestic Casa Loma, just a short walk away.
Retro ’70s vibes at Spadina subway station
This transit hub is large enough for three major artworks, all with big 1970s energy.
At the Spadina Avenue entrance, look for three cedar wood house posts carved by Indigenous artists from the Gitxsan First Nation in British Columbia. Fedelia O’Brien’s Owl Pole, Murphy Green’s Wolf Pole and Chuck Heit’s Hawk Pole take pride of place in the subway station’s main entrance.
Near the northern Kendal Avenue platform is the surreal enamel mural Morning Glory by Louis de Niverville, with its pastel Alice in Wonderland-like fantasy scenes.
Barren Ground Caribou is possibly the most famous Toronto subway artwork. The 9.14-metre (30-foot) hand-stitched quilt found near the Kendal entrance is by Joyce Weiland, one of Canada’s most celebrated experimental feminist filmmakers. (Note: this piece is on loan to the Art Gallery of Ontario for a retrospective of Wieland’s work called Heart On and will be returned to Spadina station in early 2026.)
What’s outside: Bookstores, cafes and restaurants beckon in the University of Toronto-adjacent Annex neighbourhood.
Streetcar murals at Eglinton West subway station
At this uptown subway station, two giant murals face off across the platform. Summertime Streetcar by Gerald Zeldin is a colourful montage of vintage TTC streetcars.
The two-storey murals make stunning photo backdrops (with plenty of natural light since this is an above-ground subway station).
What’s outside: Sample Toronto’s best Jamaican patties along Little Jamaica, a stretch of Eglinton Avenue West that runs from Marlee Avenue to Keele Street.
Painted panels at Union subway station
Art imitates life at Union subway station. Artist Stuart Reid sketched people riding on the subway and his drawings have been installed on this platform as 166 large glass panels.
They stretch more than a whole city block. Some viewers find the drawings on the gloomy side, but you can see them and decide for yourself.
What’s outside: This subway stop is connected to greater Union Station, Canada’s biggest transportation hub, a revitalized National Historic Site with numerous eateries and indie shops. Its beautiful Beaux-Arts-style Great Hall features rotating art exhibitions.
Wayfinding dots at Ossington subway station
These pretty, red acrylic resin dots—about 800 of them—are inspired by the natural waterways beneath the subway. Scott Eunson’s Ossington Particles appear in different clusters throughout Ossington station, a surprise around every corner.
What’s outside: Hop on a southbound bus and jump off at Dundas Street West to explore Little Portugal and the Ossington strip of trendy boutiques and bars.
Math as art at Sheppard West subway station
Keen students of mathematics may figure out that the blue and green tiles covering the curved concourse wall here are non-repeating and based on the digits of pi. But everyone can appreciate the calm hues of Arlene Stamp’s mosaic, which is bathed in mood-boosting sunlight from the skylight above.
What’s outside: Two more public art pieces are upstairs, the metal sculpture Boney Bus by John McKinnon and Dodecadandy, a giant sphere representing the head of a dandelion.
Trompe-l’oeil at Bayview subway station
Panya Clark Espinal’s playful From Here Right Now consists of 24 tile decorations of everyday objects silkscreened to the walls and floors at odd angles. The pieces seem totally abstract until you find the precise position when they come properly into view, encouraging movement and interaction.
What’s outside: Bayview Village is one of the city’s largest shopping malls.
Interactive art at Downsview subway station
A total takeover of Downsview station, Spin is another piece by Panya Clark Espinal that transforms waiting for the subway into a beautiful game. Follow the black brushstrokes as they circle the space from floor to ceiling and down onto the platform until you find the centre—where a metal sphere can be spun.
What’s outside: North York’s Downsview Park is one of Toronto’s largest outdoor music parks and home to the annual VELD festival. The site’s soon-to-open Rogers Stadium will host much-anticipated Coldplay (July 7, 8, 11 & 12, 2025) and Oasis (August 24 & 25, 2025) concerts this summer.