Scotiabank Arena Guided Tour Toronto

Scotiabank Arena: history of Toronto's great arena

Scotiabank Arena opened in February 1999 on Bay Street in downtown Toronto, right beside Union Station. Part of the site was once a 1940s postal delivery building, and its Art Deco facade, with carved stone panels, was kept and built into the arena, giving the modern venue a link to the city's past. Inside, it seats close to 19,000 for hockey and nearly 20,000 for basketball.

For a quarter of a century the arena has hosted ice hockey and basketball nights, playoff runs, the 2019 basketball championship celebrations and world-class concerts. Your guide brings this history to life with stories and defining moments, pointing out the banners and historically significant monuments around the building. For many sports fans, a Scotiabank Arena tour is the closest they will ever get to the players' world.

The dressing rooms and the practice court

The highlight for most visitors is stepping into the dressing rooms of the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Toronto Raptors, with their polished player stalls and team details, offering great photo opportunities. Access depends on team activities and is not available on game days, so it cannot be guaranteed on every tour; your guide adapts the route to what is open that day.

The tour also visits the Raptors' in-arena practice court, where the basketball team trains between games, and event-level corridors that players and performers use on game and concert nights. Each tour has a surprise element: you might watch the basketball floor being laid over the ice, or the ice surface being prepared for a hockey game, a reminder of how fast the arena changes between events.

The media gondola, suites and event level

High above the playing surface hangs the media gondola, the broadcasters' perch from which hockey games have been called to the nation for generations. Standing up there gives a spectacular view down over the bowl of seats to the rink or court, and it is one of the most memorable photo spots on the tour.

You also see the luxury suites, where guests watch events in private boxes, and the event-level areas behind the stands. The default premium option goes further, with 90 minutes of enhanced access and a curated look at team artefacts, while the standard tour covers the key spaces in about an hour. Both are a great choice among things to do in Toronto for sports lovers and families, and both run before evening events.

Around the arena: Union Station, waterfront and CN Tower

Scotiabank Arena sits in the heart of downtown Toronto, connected to Union Station and the underground PATH walkway, which makes it easy to reach by subway, train or on foot. The square outside fills with fans on game nights and is a lively public space on other days.

Within a few minutes' walk you find the CN Tower, the city's domed baseball stadium and the Harbourfront promenades along Lake Ontario, so the tour fits easily into a day of sightseeing. Check in at Gate 6, where tours currently start because of construction, and allow time to explore the neighbourhood or enjoy a meal at nearby restaurants afterwards. Because tours run during the day, they combine well with an evening game or concert at the arena if you want to see the building in full action.