Beaches

2161 Queen Street East,
Toronto, ON M4L 1J1

Hours

Monday	9:00 am	to	8:30 pm
Tuesday	9:00 am	to	8:30 pm
Wednesday	9:00 am	to	8:30 pm
Thursday	9:00 am	to	8:30 pm
Friday	9:00 am	to	5:00 pm
Saturday	9:00 am	to	5:00 pm
Sunday	Closed

Wheelchair Accessible
Free Wifi

General Inquiries

To speak directly with staff at Beaches Branch during branch hours, please call the number listed above.

For general questions about Toronto Public Library, your account, and quick reference help, email Answerline using the link below.

Email Answerline

Directions, TTC & Parking

View on map

Closest major intersection Queen Street East and Lee Ave. Branch located on the south side of Queen Street at the entrance to Kew Gardens.

Public Transit

TTC Main Bus 64S (Queen Street) from Main Street subway station.
TTC Queen Streetcar 501 to Neville Park.

Parking

Paid - public parking lot on Lee Ave., south of Queen St; street parking.

Featured Services

Upcoming Programs

Featured Programs

Fri, Aug 09

10:00 am - 11:00 am

Beaded Suncatchers

Make your own beaded suncatcher and learn about the science that makes them work! Registration only. Call (416...

Mon, Aug 12

2:00 pm - 3:00 pm

Design your own Roller Coaster!

Do you love roller coasters? Have you ever wanted to build your own roller coaster? Put your building skills to the test a...

Tue, Aug 13

2:00 pm - 3:00 pm

Toronto Fire Service

Join us in learning about fire safety from fire fighter Kevin! We will also get an up close look at what equipment fire fi...

Regular Programs

Wed, Sep 04

7:00 pm - 8:00 pm

Beaches Book Club

Join us on the first Wednesday of every month to discuss books in a relaxed atmosphere. New members always welcome. Drop-i...

All Branch Programs and Events

Branch Features

General Features

Book Drop - 24 Hours
Express Checkout
Free Menstrual Products
Outdoor Reading Garden - weather permitting, beginning May 24th until the end of September, Monday-Saturday.
Seating for 63

Equipment for persons with disabilities

Book stand
Computer with screen magnification software (Zoomtext)
Large print keyboard
Large trackball mouse
Magnifier
Natural spectrum lamp
Page turner
Wheelchair accessible furniture

Technology

Collections

Audiobooks on CD
Large Print Collection
Local History Collection

Language

Medium collection in French-Children

History

Year	Details
1914	Opened in storefront on Queen Street East, northeast corner of Hambly Avenue, 23 February (TPL Annual Report, 1914)
1915	Carnegie Corporation of New York granted $50,000 to TPL to build 3 branch libraries. Mayor Tommy Church laid the cornerstone for Beaches Library in Kew Gardens, 29 October. Toronto's Carnegie Libraries- Beaches
1916	Opened 13 December. Eden Smith & Sons, Architects. Design almost identical to Wychwood and High Park branches. Building Beaches Branch, 1910-1916 (PDF)
1979	Listed on Toronto Historical Board's Inventory of Heritage Properties, adopted by City Council, 1 October.
1980	Renovated by Stinson Montgomery Sisam Architects. Reopened 26 September.
1993	Closed 3 July for barrier free access improvements. Reopened 3 August.
2004	Closed 19 April for renovation. Phillip H. Carter Architect and Kingsland & Architects Inc., (in joint venture). Bookmobile service provided at Beaches - Gardener's Cottage, Kew Gardens Park, 20 Lee Ave. - 1.5 hours per week starting 13 May.
2005	Beaches branch reopened 20 January. One-ton cast bronze owl by architect Phillip H. Carter and artisan Ludzer Vandermolen installed at the branch entrance 7 July.
2006	Heritage plaque presented by Heritage Toronto in partnership with Toronto Public Library, September 30. Toronto's Historical Plaques
2007	New hours, 8 January. Open hours per week increased from 60.5 to 62.
2016	Centenary Open House celebration held, 22 October. Beaches Branch history panel (PDF).
	Beaches Branch on the Digital Archive.

Beaches is on Indigenous land. This is the traditional territory of the Haudenosaunee (ho-den-oh-sho-nee) Confederacy (aka. the Six Nations Confederacy), the Wendat, and the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation. Toronto Public Library gratefully acknowledges these Indigenous nations for their guardianship of this land. We'd also like to remind and reaffirm, as Torontonians and Canadians, our accountability to these Indigenous nations, and to all Indigenous peoples and communities living in Toronto.

This land is also part of the Dish with One Spoon territory, a treaty between the Haudenosaunee Confederacy (aka. The Six Nations Confederacy), the Anishinaabek (Ah-nish-nah-bek) and allied nations, to peaceably share and care for this land, its waters, and all of the biodiversity in the Great Lakes region. All those who come to live and work here are responsible for honouring this treaty in the spirit of peace, friendship, and respect. About Land Acknowledgement Statements