Toronto's abandoned planetarium being demolished and the photos are haunting

The iconic dome of Toronto's abandoned McLaughlin Planetarium has been cracked open as demolition advances for the long-lost educational facility, and it's a haunting sight to say the least.

Opened in 1968 and shuttered in 1995, the domed structure north of Queen's Park is set to be replaced by an impressive new building serving the University of Toronto, requiring the aging structure's demolition.

Teardown activity began in March and has ramped up significantly in recent days.

Photo: kotsy

New photos of the site reveal that the planetarium's iconic dome is in the process of coming down, revealing the interior of the space to natural light for the first time in almost 58 years.

Aside from a select few with behind-the-scenes access, it's the first glimpse inside of the planetarium's dome since the facility's closure in the 1990s.

Photo: kotsy

As of Monday evening, a significant portion of the dome has been reduced to rubble and twisted rebar.

Photo: Jonathan Careless

A large rig with a hydraulic breaker is chewing away at the dome one bite at a time, revealing the metal lining of the dome's interior.

Photo: Jonathan Careless

Whether you're of a vintage old enough to remember school field trips, or only ever knew the planetarium as a mothballed relic, the photos are enough to dredge up some emotions about a fast-disappearing era of Toronto landmarks.

Photo: Jonathan Careless

After three decades sitting idle, a new redevelopment plan for the planetarium was revealed in 2019, and has since evolved into a six-storey institutional building that is set to become a landmark in its own right.

In the lead-up to demolition, there were concerns about the planetarium's last remaining tenant — a feral orange cat dubbed Cheddar. Luckily, a rescue campaign resulted in this cat finally finding his forever home.