House Tours

 

The ArQuives offers tours of the archive building itself, located at 34 Isabella Street. This tour allows members of your group to see how The ArQuives operates and a chance to view the wide variety of materials that The ArQuives collects. A brief presentation will accompany the house tour.

We’re happy to show materials based on your group’s interest or to provide a more general overview of the history and current functioning of The ArQuives themselves.

Moving Tours

 

The ArQuives offers several moving tours in Toronto, including the Church-Wellesley Village Tour, the Outside the Village Tour, and the University of Toronto St. George Campus Tour. These tours focus on Canadian 2SLGBTQIA+ history with a volunteer guide to answer your questions.

For private groups interested in scheduling a moving tour, we currently offer three 90-minute historic moving tours. We request an honorarium and/or donation to The ArQuives. Due to the weather conditions, both moving tours are only available in late spring to early fall.

  • Church-Wellesley Village Tour covers 2SLGBTQIA+ history after the Second World War.
  • Downtown Tour (Dundas and Bay to King and Yonge) covers early to mid-twentieth-century history.
  • St.George Campus (University of Toronto campus) covers the history of the University of Toronto and student groups.

How to Book The ArQuives Tours

To request a tour, please complete the Tour & Presentation Request Form.

Please have the following information ready when you make your request:

  • Estimated group size and make-up (age range, special interests, affiliated organization, etc.);
  • Which tour(s) you would like to go on: Church–Wellesley Village Tour, Downtown Tour, UofT St. George Campus Tour, or The ArQuives House Tour;
  • Any specific archival materials your group would be interested in seeing (not applicable for outdoor tours);
  • Any accessibility requirement or mobility limitations. Moving tours consist of 90 minutes of moving and standing on flat terrain, and they don’t require stairs. For house tours, our house has three stories, but only two are accessible with our lift;
  • At least 3 dates and times your group will be available, two months in the future; and
  • If you have any questions, please email admin@arquives.ca