For the Record | Walking Tour

Get to know some of the people, places, and stories of Toronto’s unique record store scene. On this tour, you’ll visit indie record stores of Toronto’s past and present, and hear stories from key players in the community.

In the past few decades, the way we listen to music has transformed – and so has our city.

On this tour, you’ll explore Toronto’s unique community of record stores and enthusiasts– an unlikely tale of retro resilience.

As vinyl has withstood the journey from record player to smartphone streaming, Toronto’s record stores have stood strong – often serving as informal hubs for the city’s music scene, creating space for marginalized communities, and championing emerging musical movements, from reggae and punk to hip-hop and electronica.

This tour will take people down Spadina Avenue, through Kensington Market, and Queen West, visiting a network of these vital spaces. Usually the passion projects of devoted music fans, today’s record stores bridge the gap between specialist and general interest.

Tune in to the groove of our city with stories from shop owners, employees, patrons, and DJs – demystifying the “High Fidelity” record-store experience.

Learn more about this tour, who's leading it, and how long it is

Developed in collaboration with Jonny Dovercourt and Paul E Lopes.

Sidewalk Stories is back.

Step into the world of Toronto’s unforgettable stories. Join Myseum on our unique series of walking tours – every weekend this June.

Sidewalk Stories returns this year with 2 brand new tours and 2 returning favourites, back by popular demand. Get to know parts of Toronto in new and fascinating ways on this year’s four specially designed tours.

From love stories and beloved cuisines, to lost record stores and architectural mashups – peel back the layers of these four local haunts:

• Love Stories of the Humber: The Humber River (Humber Bay Arch Bridge)

• Big Taste of Little Manila: Little Manila (Bathurst and Wilson)

• For the Record: Downtown West (Kensington to Queen West)

• Old Meets New: St. George Campus (University of Toronto)

Host or Publisher Myseum of Toronto