CN Tower Timeline

The CN Tower opened on June 26, 1976, located in downtown Toronto on the former Railway Lands. The construction costs of approximately CA$63 million ($333 million in 2025 dollars) were repaid in fifteen years.

When the CN Tower opened in 1976, there were three public observation points: the Space Deck at 447 m (1,467 ft), the Indoor Observation Level at 346 m (1,135 ft), and the Outdoor Observation Terrace at 342 m (1,122 ft).

From 1985 to 1992, the CN Tower basement level hosted the world's first flight simulator ride, Tour of the Universe, based on the flight of a Space Shuttle.

The Tour of the Universe ride was replaced in 1992 with a similar attraction entitled 'Space Race.' It was later dismantled and replaced by two other rides in 1998 and 1999.

A glass floor at an elevation of 342 m (1,122 ft) was installed in 1994, offering visitors a thrilling view straight down from the observation level.

Following the railway's decision to divest non-core freight railway assets prior to its privatization in 1995, Canadian National Railway transferred the tower to the Canada Lands Company, a federal Crown corporation responsible for the government's real estate portfolio.

The CN Tower was originally lit at night with incandescent lights, which were removed in 1997 because they were inefficient and expensive to repair.

From 1997 to January 2004, TrizecHahn Corporation managed the tower and instituted several expansion projects including a CA$26 million entertainment expansion, the 1997 addition of two new elevators (to a total of six), and relocation of the staircase inside the core of the building.

In June 2007, the tower was outfitted with 1,330 super-bright LED lights inside the elevator shafts, shooting over the main pod and upward to the top of the mast to light the tower from dusk until 2 a.m. The official opening ceremony took place on June 28, 2007.

In 2008, glass panels were installed in one of the CN Tower elevators, establishing a world record at 346 m (1,135 ft) for the highest glass floor panelled elevator in the world.

On August 1, 2011, the CN Tower opened the EdgeWalk, an amusement in which thrill-seekers can walk on and around the roof of the main pod of the tower at 356 m (1,168 ft), directly above the 360 Restaurant.

Stuntman Dar Robinson jumped off the CN Tower on two occasions, in 1979 and 1980. The first was for a scene from the movie Highpoint, in which he received CA$250,000 ($1,026,250 in 2025 dollars) for the stunt. Highpoint is a 1982 Canadian action film starring Richard Harris, Christopher Plummer and Beverly D'Angelo.

As the area around the tower was developed, particularly with the completion of the Metro Toronto Convention Centre (north building) in 1984, the former Railway Lands were redeveloped and the tower became the centre of a newly developing entertainment area.

With SkyDome completed in 1989 (renamed Rogers Centre in 2005), the former Railway Lands were further redeveloped. Access was greatly improved with the construction of the SkyWalk in 1989, which connected the tower and SkyDome to Union Station and the city's Path underground pedestrian system.

From sundown on August 27, 2011, to sunrise the following day, the tower was lit in orange, the official colour of the New Democratic Party, to commemorate the death of federal NDP leader Jack Layton.

Image source: Jack Layton

The entire area continues to be an area of intense building, notably a boom in condominium construction in the early 21st century, as well as the 2013 opening of the Ripley's Aquarium by the base of the tower.

Image source: Ripley's Aquarium of Canada

The tower and surrounding areas were prominent in the 2015 Pan American Games production held in Toronto.

Image source: 2015 Pan American Games

On the night of the attacks on Paris on November 13, 2015, the tower displayed the colours of the French flag in solidarity.

Image source: November 2015 Paris attacks

Views is a 2016 studio album released on April 29, 2016, by Canadian rapper Drake, featuring iconic imagery associated with Toronto including the CN Tower.

Image source: Views (album)

On July 1, 2017, as part of the nationwide Canada 150 celebrations marking the 150th anniversary of Canadian Confederation, fireworks were shot from the tower in a five-minute display coordinated with the tower lights and music broadcast on a local radio station.

Image source: 150th anniversary of Canada

On June 8, 2021, the tower displayed the colours of the Toronto Maple Leafs' archrivals, the Montreal Canadiens, after they advanced to the semifinals of the 2021 Stanley Cup playoffs.

Image source: 2021 Stanley Cup playoffs

Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie is a 2025 Canadian comedy film that features the CN Tower throughout the film as a significant plot point and includes a sequence where the two main characters skydive off of it.

Image source: Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie

On June 4, 2025, the CN Tower was lit in the colours of the Edmonton Oilers for the 2025 Stanley Cup Final.

Image source: 2025 Stanley Cup Final

The Tower That Built a City, a documentary film about the history of the CN Tower and its impact on Toronto by Mark Myers, premiered at the 2026 Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival.

The CN Tower was closed on September 11, 2001, following the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center in New York City.

Image source: September 11 attacks

A freezing rain storm on March 2, 2007, resulted in a layer of ice several centimetres thick forming on the side of the tower and other downtown buildings. Subsequently, on March 6, 2007, the Gardiner Expressway reopened after winds abated.

Officials noted that the CN Tower has an excellent safety record, although there was an electrical fire in the antennas on August 16, 2017 — the tower's first fire.

On April 16, 2018, falling ice from the CN Tower punctured the roof of the nearby Rogers Centre stadium, causing the Toronto Blue Jays to postpone the game that day to the following day as a doubleheader.

The CN Tower was closed from 2020 to 2021 due to COVID-19 pandemic restrictions throughout Ontario.

Image source: COVID-19 pandemic in Ontario

The CN Tower was closed on December 16, 2021, due to glass falling off from heavy winds.