Main Hall

Longboat Hall

The Great Hall

Q: What event items can your venue provide directly?

Audio Visual Equipment, Barware, Dance Floor, Lighting

Q: What type of bar options are available?

Open Bar, Cash Bar, Bartenders are included in the starting price for all bar options

Q: What transportation and access is available?

Off-Site Parking, Wheelchair Access

Q: What services are typically included in your fees?

Bridal Suite, Clean Up, Lighting/Sound

11 Reviews

Toronto, ON (Show Map)

Seated

50 - 250

Standing

97 - 480

Catering

Outside Caterers

Pricing

Starting at $1,250

About

Last update November 2024

The Great Hall’s venues are the perfect marriage of grand and intimate, traditional and modern. To achieve this, original elements were painstakingly restored to their former glory during an ambitious 16-month restoration that covered every facet of the building. From the brick and Port Credit sandstone façade, to the 19 century radiators and original window mullions, attention was given to every detail in order to reveal The Great Hall’s rich history and ageless charm.

Facilities and capacity

The backbone of The Great Hall is its broad wooden staircase adorned with hand-carved, gilded ornaments. Design gems abound, including the original coffered hallway ceiling highlighted with crystal chandeliers, and practical features, like the all-new washrooms at each venue, exhibit old-world class paired with modern convenience.

Main Hall

The historic centrepiece of the building, the Main Hall is an elegant, two-storey space of over 10,000 sq. ft. that includes a reception area, coat check, and green room. The venue exudes grandeur with a stage framed by a striking decorative wall of gilded scrollwork, a 30 ft high coffered and arched ceiling punctuated by Waterford crystal chandeliers, and a border of graceful, gilt-topped columns supporting the balcony. The west wall features four 20 ft high, arched windows that can bathe the room in natural light or be covered by the rich, deep red draperies. The wood floor of the Main Hall has been refinished to bring out a patina that artfully underlines its historical character, engrained by generations of events in this singular venue.

Capacity - Standing: 480, Theatre Seating: 230 on the main floor, 80 on balcony; Banquet Seating: 170 on the main floor, 70 on balcony

Longboat Hall

This is a long-hidden treasure that began as the first West End YMCA gymnasium in 1889. Named for a renowned aboriginal distance runner and Boston Marathon winner, Tom Longboat (who trained here in the early 20th century), this unique two-storey venue is self-contained, with a street-level main entrance on Dovercourt Road. The 5000 sq. ft. space features sandstone brick walls that rise up to a patterned ceiling 20 feet above the polished concrete floor. Cast iron pillars support the original running track balcony, with large windows along the west wall. The bar is backed by slate and wood recovered from the restoration of The Great Hall’s peaked roof. Together, these elements combine to lend Longboat Hall a feel of industrial elegance.

Capacity - Standing: 400, Theatre Seating: 175, Banquet Seating: 120

The Conversation Room

Secluded on the second floor, the Conversation Room is a classic Victorian “gathering place”. Crisp white walls reach up to a coffered ceiling surrounded by original hand-carved crown moulding. Tasteful crystal chandeliers hang above the chevron pattern wood floor, but the stars of this bright, airy room are the large original windows, including a panoramic corner turret and seating nook.

Capacity - Standing: 117, Theatre Seating: 110, Banquet Seating: 80

The Drawing Room

Tucked away discreetly at the top of The Great Hall’s public space, the Drawing Room has only improved with age. The original, fully restored wood floors, grand columns, crown moulding, large windows, and marble fireplace are just some of the esthetic delights in this 1,200 sq. ft. venue. The addition of a fully equipped gourmet presentation kitchen and grand bar put the exclamation mark on that claim.

Capacity - Standing: 97, Theatre Seating: 80, Banquet Seating: 50

The Great Hall has the right mix of historic elegance and contemporary Queen Street style for your next event.

Contact Info

Name: Mark

Title: Event Manager

Phone:

Show number

Email:Send an Email

Venue Features

On-Site Ceremonies

Wheelchair Access

Audio/Visual

Free Wifi

Catering Info

On-Site Catering

Off-Premise Catering

Kosher Food

Halal Food

Outside Caterers

Event Spaces

Main Hall

250

480

Longboat Hall

200

400

Conversation Room

117

Drawing Room

Badges

Brochure

TheGreatHall-OpenBarPackageSheet.pdf

Reviews

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5.0

Based on 11 reviews

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3 User photos

Constance and John

March 2024

We had our winter wedding at The Great Hall and we would have it there again and again and again!
Mark Foster (Director) did a great job to host our event and we were very satisfied of the result. The technician team was also reliable and did an amazing work with lights and setup/wrapup.
The place is beautiful, has lots of character and enough space to fit us all!
We would definitely recommend The Great Hall to anybody looking for an exceptional place for their event. You can count on Mark's reactivity and effectiveness to make your planning easier ! Thanks a lot !

Julianne San Antonio

October 2019

Hosted a book launch event at Longboat Hall and couldn't have been happier with the result. Staff was extremely friendly and accommodating all throughout. Our coordinator, Victoria, made the planning process as simple as possible and was always quick to respond to inquiries and/or offer suggestions. Thank you again!

Karen L Traicus

October 2019

We had my daughter's wedding at the Great Hall. The Venue is fabulous and fit perfectly with our vision. It looked spectacular. Victoria at The Great Hall was very accommodating, helpful and easy to work with. All the staff were extremely pleasant on bar and eager to assist loading in and out or in anyway they could. We loved it and cant imagine having had it anywhere else.

Rebecca

October 2019

My husband and I got married at The Great Hall and it was amazing. The team was fantastic, very quick to answer any and all questions I had and went out of their way to make our day perfect. Such a beautiful venue. I highly recommend!

K Sato

October 2019

Easily one of the most, if not the most beautiful venue in Toronto! Not only is the venue gorgeous, but the team there is amazing too. From coordinating deliveries, pickups and photos, they were always flexible and willing to accommodate our requests. On the day, the team was attentive, professional and made our day truly special.

Alex Rand

May 2019

The Great Hall is fantastic - Luminato regularly works here for our festival, and we recently produced an immersive, multi-sensory dinner party across the whole venue. Mark and the team are very easy to work with and are flexible and creative in the approach. I would absolutely recommend the Great Hall as a concert or performance venue, or for your next party.

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Watson & Co. Events

March 2018

I worked on an event here with Mark in 2017. He did a great job, he was very organized and professional. The spaces are beautiful, especially the Main Hall and now that all the renovations are done, it's exceptional. Great space for weddings, concert, charity event, brand launch and more. With multiple rooms of different sizes and esthetics, you can really find a space that works for a variety of events, in a fantastic location. I would highly recommend!

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