John Street Roundhouse

Roundhouse Park
Roundhouse Park viewed from the CN Tower
Location	255 Bremner Blvd, Toronto, ON, Canada
Coordinates	43°38′28″N 79°23′07″W / 43.64111°N 79.38528°W / 43.64111; -79.38528Coordinates: 43°38′28″N 79°23′07″W / 43.64111°N 79.38528°W / 43.64111; -79.38528
Operated by	Toronto Parks
Website	Roundhouse Park

Toronto Railway Museum

Established	May 2010 (2010-05)
Location	Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Type	Transport museum
Collection size	See Below
Public transit access	St. Andrew station and Union Station
Website	Official Site

Roundhouse Park is a 17 acre (6.9 ha) park in Downtown Toronto in the former Railway Lands. It features the John Street Roundhouse, a preserved locomotive roundhouse which is home to the Toronto Railway Museum, Steam Whistle Brewing and soon Cineplex's Rec Room entertainment complex. The park is also home to a collection of trains, the former Canadian Pacific Railway Don Station, and the Roundhouse Park Miniature Railway. The park is bounded by Bremner Boulevard, Lower Simcoe Street, Lake Shore Boulevard West/Gardiner Expressway and Rees Street.

The John Street Roundhouse was built in 1929-31. Following the renovations of the roundhouse in the 1990s, the area to the east of the building became a city owned park named Roundhouse Park in 1997. The Toronto Railway Museum occupies Roundhouse Park and officially opened in 2010. The Museum occupies three stalls of the John St. Roundhouse and features an indoor display, an indoor restoration facility, a full size diesel cab simulator, an outdoor miniature railway, numerous railway engines and rolling stock as well as a fully restored railway village which includes Don Station, Signal Cabin D (with toolshed), a Watchman's shanty, a Water Tower and a coaling tower.

The John Street Roundhouse was built for the Canadian Pacific Railway in 1929-31 by Anglin-Norcross to replace the earlier John Street roundhouse built in 1897. Trains were so properly maintained at this location that railroaders recognized them by their "John Street polish." When diesel run trains began being used, business was slowed at the Roundhouse and the building was last used for its original purpose in 1986. The Canadian Pacific Railway Company donated the roundhouse to the City of Toronto. It is the only remaining roundhouse in downtown Toronto (the CNR Spadina Roundhouse was demolished to make way for construction of the SkyDome). One third of the original structure was dismantled, to allow construction of the Metro Toronto Convention Centre below, then reconstructed (1995) by Hotson Bakker Architects and is now home to Steam Whistle Brewing. Renovations to the brewery interior portion were done by William Hurst Architects. The remaining two thirds was rehabilitated by IBI Group Architects and now house the Toronto Railway Museum and soon Cineplex's Rec Room entertainment complex. The turntable and courtyard, Roundhouse Park with the restored wooden railway buildings was also completed by IBI and has received a number of design awards. The SkyWalk retains a direct connection from the Roundhouse Park, to Union Station.