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I must have died and went to hockey heaven! And Maurice "The Rocket" Richard was St. Peter!!
If you want to know about the sport of hockey, go here!
This place is truly unique and totally dedicated to puck heads. Hockey Hall of Fame is located in the heart of Toronto and inside the BCM Centre. Upon arriving to the front desk, you can tell you were in for a special treat.
Everything hockey is in here. Whether it's the National Hockey League (NHL), World Hockey League (WHL), or just regional hockey, you'll find it. Huge walls showcased all the teams pucks, glass display cases filled with goalie masks belonging to big name NHL goalies, plus a huge section dedicated to international hockey (filled with team jerseys).
Famous hockey players such as Bobby Orr, Bobby Hull, Wayne Gretzky, Gordie Howe, Mario Leumieux are immortalized with their own showcases filled with jerseys worn, hockey sticks used, personal items, and awards/accolades. What I really enjoy was the lesser known history of the sport and the athletes themselves. There's also a full scale replica of the Montreal Canadiens locker room which includes jerseys with players' names and equipment.
Going upstairs was the real treat: the trophy room which includes the original Stanley Cup. The Cup is encased in bulletproof glass placed inside this huge bank vault (HHF used to be a bank). It amazed me that I was looking at the real thing. Instead of machining, the players' names were hand-etched onto the Cup. You're not even allowed to take flash photography of the Cup! Along the walls of the vault were name bands that was taken off the travelling Stanley Cup to make room for winner's names. Outside the vault were the post season hockey trophies awarded yearly to those well-deserved NHL players.
I've been there thrice and yet I feel I haven't seen it all. There's still much to see that you can literally spend a whole day there. The exhibits changes so every visit wasn't the same.
Awesome. Finally made it here. Amazing collections. Great interactive games for kids. Every sweater and game used memento you could think of. In the basement of a mall, about $15 to get in. Only complaint, gift shop not that great. T-shirts and sweaters not displayed right in order of size and so over stuffed on racks, you cannot sift through them without making a mess. I understand the gift shop is moving to street level so maybe it will improve then.
I heard about hockey in the Chicago Yelp threads. Had to take a trip to the hall of fame. Heard about it on Yelp. Very nice.
As a hockey fan, this place was a must-see on my list of things to do in Toronto.
The entrance is really out of the way and hard to find, which is a shame; it seems so hidden.
But this place is hockey heaven! I love that they include junior, minor and international hockey in their displays, and not just NHL. The replica Canadiens room is SO cool. There's lots to see and interact with.
My only issue was that I bought a cute Canucks piggy bank at the gift shop, and while toonies and loonies fit through the slot in the top, they won't fit out the bottom, meaning I'll have to smash him eventually! So sad. :(
Really, though, this is a must see for any hockey fan.
Seriously, why did it take me so long to go here. This place is like disneyworld! Anything you can think of (except the President's trophy) is there. World hockey teams, minor hockey teams and of course the NHL teams. So much history, so little time. Sticks, pucks, helmets, gloves, it's all there. There is even a replica Canadiens locker room. Then there is the trophy room. In it you will find all the various post season awards, except for the aforementioned. Most importantly, you get to see and touch the Stanley Cup. Not the real one. Adam Deadmarsh is spelled correctly.
Anyway, totally amazing, will do it again. The admission is $15 for adults. The store is a little expensive but has a wide selection of items for all teams with monthly specials (I think). This month, Schenn tshirt for $15!
There's no cheap way to go here though. We parked in a garage and it ended up being $25. Oh, and don't forget that the entrance is down the escalator along the "PATH".
Ok, let me be clear - I hate hockey. If I wanted to watch guys dance around wildly while punching each other, I'd stop by my local bar.
BUT.
Went here as part of a CityPass package with a friend in '07 and actually had a GOOD TIME. Despite the fact that I think hockey is terrible!
There were a lot of interactive exhibits in this hockey museum, and thus kept it fresh for someone like me.
My favourite exhibits were that of the international hockey teams.
Me: People play hockey in China?!
It was also nice to put a picture to this Tim Horton fellow I've been hearing about.
And of course - the Stanley Cup! Even I was excited to see this - and funny story - I took a picture of my friend who decided to pose next to the Cup. As it was MY turn to pose with the Cup, the battery on the camera went dead.
I told you I wasn't a fan of hockey! ;)
Listed in: A Guide To Tour-onto
I was here for a private event which was a great experience as before the event began I had 2 hours to essentially have the whole place to myself while the staff was setting up. On this particular day they had an exhibit with all of the medals from every modern Olympic games which was really interesting to see.
When the guests arrived we started in the great hall where everyone enjoyed some cocktails and could get their picture taken with the Stanley Cup (the replica not the original). After that we moved downstairs to have dinner and access to all of the exhibits and interactive games.
This was a great opportunity to relive some of my hockey memories as a kid and see some of the memorabilia from the greatest players.
I love hockey. So on a recent trip to Toronto, I knew that I must make a pilgrimage to the holiest of hockey shrines.
I went on a Friday afternoon and as such, it wasn't busy. There were maybe 20 people in the place and from the expressions, I'm pretty sure that I was the only woman not dragged there by a husband or boyfriend. I walked around for a good 2 hours, took pictures, watched films and spent a decent amount of time in the gift shop wondering how I could justify purchasing a hockey lampshade.
There is so much history in this place. Everyone who is a hockey fan has a favorite team and you'll find them all represented here. National teams also have a place here. I think I must have taken a picture of every representation of US Olympic hockey that I could find!
It is in a strange place to find. I would have gotten lost trying to find the entrance if it wasn't for a very nice gentleman who offered to walk me there! Also, its location (attached to a shopping center?) seems to demean the importance of the history of hockey especially in Canada. It is so small that I took a second pass through because I was sure that I missed something. I'm glad that I went, I just feel like I was missing something...
Listed in: Toronto/Niagara, eh?
This was like a holy grail for both me and my son. The first time I came to Toronto I was stuck with a bunch of people who hated hockey and never made it to the shrine. A few years later both me and my son hustle to the Hall of Fame as soon as we got into Toronto. The place was amazing full with history of this great sport. The entrance to the Hall of Fame had a display of pucks that seem to go all the way back to beginning of this great sport. My son loved the collection of Hockey masks and of course the Stanley Cup. We had a great time seeing all the great awards and displays .This is the place for the true Hockey fan and the hall of fame store was also very cool.
I've been to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio and the National Baseball Hall of Fame & Museum in Cooperstown, New York, so I couldn't miss the Hockey Hall of Fame while in Toronto. I just need to drive to Springfield, Mass., for the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and I'm done!
Anyway, I'm sad to say the HHOF doesn't hold a candle to its counterparts in Canton or Cooperstown, disappointing for a game with such a rich history. There just isn't much to it; it's small, with a nice collection of old uniforms and trophies, but not enough to really tell you the history of the game and I had a hard time even finding the inductees. There's nothing like the plaques or busts at the other HOFs. My favorite part ended up being the display of international uniforms. Who knew Israel and Mexico have hockey teams?
I've been to the hall 10+ times and this year had the opportunity to witness Luc, Stevey-Y, Brett, and Leetch get inducted in person. A long time Robitaille fan and growing up watching the other three legends regularly both on TV and at Joe Louis Arena it was a special night for the players and one of the most memorable ones of my life - I love the Hall and would recommend it to anyone visiting Toronto. For the dedicated hockey fan, however, I'd recommend the induction ceremony as a truly special once-in-a-lifetime moment.
Housed inside a beautiful building with a dome assembled of stained glass sits my favorite Toronto destination, the Hockey Hall of Fame. Inside you'll find amazing artifacts from legendary games and athletes not just from the National Hockey League but from throughout the world. The museum is always changing as new artifacts are acquired on a regular basis.
There is an interactive area where you can suit up to be a goalie and have a puck fired towards you, and you can test your slapshot skills on the opposite side as well by taking a shot towards a computer-generated goalie.
All of the fabulous NHL trophies are on display including Lord Stanley's Cup which you can pose for a photo with. Look for and learn about some of the greatest players ever to have played the game. Statues, artwork, anything and everything related to hockey is on display. The Hartland Molson Theatre is fairly new and seats about 120 people with an always changing program of films and documentaries. I visited the theatre for the first time earlier this year, and I loved the experience.
The museum can get crowded because there is lots to see in a rather small space. Since I often go in the winter months when everything outside is frozen solid the crowds seem to be thinner as well. I've posted a handful of photos from past visits.
I am a huge hockey fan. Everybody knows that. But coming here, I have to say, kind of disappointed me. This is the only sports Hall of Fame that I've been to, and it just did not overwhelm me like I thought it would.
Yes, all the Stanley Cups are here, which is awesome. Of course I had to get some pix of the 1994 Stanley Cup of my New York Rangers. and for my former roommate I got some shots of the Cups of the New Jersey Devils. Yes, apparently the Devils actually have fans, and my roommate was one of them.
Of course seeing all the players inducted into the Hall of Fame is amazing. Gretzky had just been inducted when I went, so I had to read his plaque. But of course, since this was Canadia and since this was Gretzky, he had his own section in the Hall of Fame. His first jersey, his first hockey stick, home videos of him playing in youth hockey games. Everything you could imagine about Gretzky, it was in the Gretzky wing.
There were alot of interactive sections for the kiddies, since this is a family oriented place. I, for one, cannot stand little kids running around causing mayhem and chaos. If only I could've shot some pucks at them, but oh well. Call me an old curmedgeon, I don't care. I'll laugh myself all the way to Tim Hortons.
How can you not love a place that puts its trophy under stained glass and lets you get right up next to it? Either way, its slightly smaller than I thought it would be, but well done with panels for each team (both major and minor league), artifacts from the ages, and many games for people to play.
Well worth a visit to at least take a photo with the Cup and marvel at the difference in uniforms over the years.
Being an avid hockey fan, every trip I've made here has been fun. There's a lot to see and it'll definitely takes me a long time since i sit there in awe over the many jerseys, exhibits, and such. They also have this neat interactive area where you can play a goalie or player and it's pretty fun. Since I don't go to Toronto often at all, I'm sure it'll be a stop on my trip every time I go.
I haven't been here since I was a kid but something tells me I would still enjoy it. It is filled with tonnes of awesome displays and enough interactive elements to keep you engaged while you're there.
My favourite was the broadcast booth where you can record your voice over famous goals in hockey history.
If you are even remotely interested in hockey and in Toronto then this is well worth it.
Definitely a place to check out at least once, though I definitely was underwhelmed. Of course, there were tons of sports gear, memorabilia & factoids everywhere, but I guess I was just expecting something that would give it the "wow" factor.
They do have some interactive parts of the exhibit - hockey trivia game, edit your own video & you can even gear up & play goalie (though I'm pretty certain this part costs extra). It was cool to see the Stanley cup throughout the years....& it was all inside what used to be an old bank vault, so that was pretty cool, too.
Growing up in Iowa, my parents would occasionally take us to the "Big City" - Minneapolis to see the old Minnesota North Stars Hockey Team (now the Dallas Stars) play. Those were the days of Jude Drouin, Jean-Paul Parise, Danny Grant, Bill Goldsworthy, and of course Gump Worsley (one the last goalies to go without a mask). My fondest game memory was watching a Yvan Cournoyer (Montreal) slap shot rip Cesar Maniago's mask off and throw him into the net at the same time. Wow.
Anyway, I still enjoy watching hockey (especially in Canada during the Stanley Cup) and going to an occasional San Jose Sharks game, but of course it isn't the same.
But besides endless viewing of "Slap Shot" in which I can quote most of the movie lines (Gloves off, stick down, he challenged the Chiefs!), I know a good bar here, the Palm Isle....), there is a hockey mecca - The Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto (and especially since Maple Leaf Gardens and the Forum in Montreal are gone). It's a well organized museum in a very handsome domed building. And it's worth every penny of the admission price.
And I got to touch the actual Stanley Cup! And all the memoribilia and other trophies are cool too.
I'll be honest. I could give two hoots about hockey. I like watching them slam in to each other and fall. Thats about it. But I am also the type of person that can have fun in pretty much any museum.
I wrote a rave review about the Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, MA which was interactive and exciting and had all sorts of different displays.
At the hockey hall of fame it was ...here is another case with some players jersey...and another case...and another case...and yet another case. They had the stanley cup there and you could take pictures with it but that was the coolest part.
Normally you go to museums to be educated in actual high school-learned history or some aspect of science that has toured itself into vogue. But for sports fans and fans of the game of hockey, this place is more than a museum, but a Mecca that has to be visited.
Best appreciated as an adult, I took my dad to look at the items on display. There's definitely tons of memorabilia that needs to be perused so book your time accordingly. Admittedly after a while one hockey shirt begins to look like the next, but there's still something really nice about seeing a Gretzky or Lemieux shirt hanging behind the glass. There's pucks, sticks, and basically anything that was used in key games throughout the game's history.
What stands out about this place is the interactive portions of the hall. Through the wonders of simulation you're able to play goalie and attempt to stop shots by Gretzky and Messier, to which I say "Good luck with that." You can also take shots on top goalies as well. The previous "good luck" statement still stands. For keen observers of the game who have given up the active side of the sport, you're able to select a memorable goal in hockey history and call the play-by-play. It warms the heart to hear your mother scream at a TV screen "He shoots, he scores!"
There's also a Stanley Cup on display. I say 'a' Stanley Cup as I'm pretty sure that it must be a replica. People who have won the cup are the ones that get to touch it, not someone who paid $13.00 admission. All the same, bring your camera.
A mecca for any true hockey fan, I was able to visit the HHOF on a recent trip to Toronto. The memoribilia is extensive...including game worn equipment for Gretzk'ys 802nd goal, historical team jerseys, signficant milestones...definately worth the 13 dollar admission for just the meuseum hall, but then of course, there's the cup.
In the trophy room are the major NHL awards, including art ross, hart memorial and vezinas to name a few...but at the apex of the central ramp is Lord Stanley's Cup...well one of them at least. The original is actually in the vault on the right side (it was too fragile for continued use). The replica cup will be there during the summer when the authentic cup is travelling with the winning team or otherwise in transit. Not sure if you're seeing the real cup? Look for corrections on the rings...if it's perfect, it's the replica.
The interactive attractions are more of a distraction than anything, and are in a bit of disrepair, but really aren't the major draw here.
An absolutely must visit for anyone going to Toronto.
Great museum for the Hockey Buff. My nephews love coming here, participating in the activities they have, and just admiring the history of hockey.
Most out of town relatives I have visit this everytime they come, and always walk away happy (both kids and parents).
As far as I can tell, it's about (pronounced "a boot"... ha ha, I crack myself up) as good as a hall of fame can be. Obviously, there is a ton of amazing memorabilia. If you are there at the right time, you can even see the Stanley Cup (otherwise, there is an exact replica). It's also a fun place for kids and people who aren't hockey fans, as they have some interactive games where you can simulate shooting slap shots or playing goalie. I didn't award five stars because a cool-looking interactive display about where NHL players grew up was very difficult to use (or possibly just malfunctioning) and the bathrooms could have been a lot nicer.
I'll keep this short and sweet since so much can be written about this wonderful place. If you are a hockey fan, you will absolutely love this place. If you are not a hockey fan, you may just be converted after coming here. Tons of wonderful exhibits dedicated to hockey's past, present and future. Lot's of interactive games and exhibits. The highlight of the experience comes when you make your way into the cathedral like room that contains all of hockey's famous trophies and the holy grail itself, the Stanley Cup. The Cup is out in the open for you touch and have your picture taken with. An amazing place dedicated to an amazing game.
Wow. I got to touch the cup. Where's my Purell?
Oh the Hockey Hall of Fame (HHOF), Toronto's forgotten tourist destination. I can say that pretty confidently because I completely forgot it was here. It's tough to forget the CN Tower or the Eaton's Centre because they are very much a part of the downtown make-up but the HHOF is one of those places that it's so easy to forget and that really is a shame because it's really quite impressive. The HHOF is a place where every hockey fan should visit at least once, there are a great deal of interactive displays about the NHL as well as hockey around the world. But of course the most important part of any visit to the HHOF is the Stanley Cup room. It is one of the finest rooms in the city of Toronto and it is perfectly appointed. You walk up a set of old wooden creaking stairs which are lined on both sides with the pictures of the most recent Stanley Cup champions. As you make your way up the stairs your eyes unconsciously look up and you can see the top of the silver cup. With each step you can see more until you can see the most recognizable championship trophy in the world of sports. The cup sits in the centre of the room with the lights playing perfectly of it's burnished finish. It is one of the closest things I've ever had to a religious experience and I knew I was in the Vatican of hockey. I highly recommend the HHOF to everyone because even if you aren't a hockey fan you will gain a appreciation for the sport and that is certainly worth the visit.
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Toronto, ON
Toronto, ON
Toronto, ON
Neighborhood: Kensington Market
Toronto, ON
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