4. Toronto Reference Library - 789 Yonge Street

The Toronto Public Library’s flagship reference branch is the brain of Toronto. Take a walk inside but don’t look around too much. Instead head directly for the two central glass elevators, get in and press five for a great reveal. As you rise though the atrium floor by floor, rows of books, computers and most importantly, people, are revealed like an ant farm for nerds. This most public of places is free for anyone to use and is always busy, often with a lineup before opening. The Toronto library system is one of the busiest in the world and the reference library is a physical testament to the continued value of libraries.

Designed by Toronto architect Raymond Moriyama in 1977, the structure is actually two separate buildings connected by the atrium. The collections and stacks are vast, research-grade, but for the general public, not just a university crowd. The newly renovated Baldwin Room has a collection of Toronto history and ephemera. The Arthur Conan Doyle collection is housed in a recreation of a Victorian study and is one of the world’s largest collections of his material. There are dozens of drawers full of photos and clippings in the image collection. There’s something for everyone. It’s a remarkable place.