Despite its reputation as Toronto’s First Post Office, the building’s time as a post office was surprisingly short. Mail operations moved to Front Street in 1839, and the property spent decades serving other purposes before volunteers restored it. When the museum opened in 1983, the front counter returned to its original role.
Today, it remains Canada’s oldest purpose-built post office still in operation and continues to function as a full-service Canada Post outlet.
Nearly 200 years after opening, visitors can still buy stamps, mail parcels, rent a post office box, request a special pictorial cancellation, and pick up a reproduction of Toronto’s first postmark. The postmark is dated March 6, 1834—the day York was incorporated as the City of Toronto.
One of the museum’s most popular features is its quill-and-ink letter-writing experience, where visitors can handwrite a letter, complete it with a wax seal, and mail it through the museum’s post office just as people did in the 1830s. Nearby, a scale model of Toronto in 1837 offers a glimpse of the city’s past, while monthly letter-writing socials invite guests to slow down and put pen to paper.
If you’re planning a visit, note that the museum and post office will be closed on September 30 and October 12. Otherwise, it’s open daily, admission is by donation, and dogs are welcome. There’s also an official geocache hidden on the property since 2018 for visitors who want another reason to explore.
The Details
- Where: 260 Adelaide Street East, Toronto, ON M5A 1N1
- Admission: By donation
- Hours:
- Monday–Friday: 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
- Saturday: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- Sunday: Noon to 4 p.m.
- Closed on holiday Mondays
- Good to know: Dogs are welcome. An official geocache has also been hidden on the property since 2018
- Website: townofyork.com
