Explore the real-world places that appear in Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel. Each location on the map shows what happens there in the novel, the real history of the place, and what's there today. Featured locations include Elgin Theatre, University of Toronto, Frank's Apartment Building, Pearson International Airport, Severn City Airport and 6 more.
189 Yonge Street — Arthur Leander's final performance
Arthur Leander collapses during Act IV of King Lear on this stage, dying of a massive heart attack. Young Kirsten Raymonde, playing one of Lear's knights, watches in horror as Jeevan Chaudhary rushes from the audience to perform CPR. The curtain falls as Arthur dies, marking the last moments of the old world before the Georgia Flu begins its deadly spread.
The Elgin Theatre opened in 1913 as part of a double-decker theater complex with the Winter Garden Theatre above it. Designed by Thomas Lamb, it was originally a vaudeville house and later became a movie theater before being restored as a legitimate theater in the 1980s.
The Elgin Theatre continues to host major theatrical productions and is managed by the Ontario Heritage Trust. It's considered one of Toronto's most historic and architecturally significant theaters, with its original Edwardian baroque interior fully restored.
Visit: Elgin Theatre (theater)
27 King's College Circle — Jeevan's academic life
Jeevan Chaudhary, the former paparazzo turned journalism student, attends graduate school here. After witnessing Arthur's death and hearing early reports of the flu outbreak, he calls his friend Hua from campus to check on the severity of the pandemic spreading from hospitals.
Founded in 1827 as King's College, the University of Toronto is Canada's oldest university. The St. George campus features a mix of historic collegiate gothic buildings and modern facilities, serving as the flagship campus of one of the world's top public research universities.
The University of Toronto remains one of Canada's most prestigious institutions, with over 70,000 students across three campuses. The historic buildings on King's College Circle continue to house various departments and serve as the university's symbolic heart.
Visit: University of Toronto St. George Campus (landmark)
Cabbagetown neighborhood — Jeevan's brother's refuge
Jeevan rushes here after Arthur's death when he learns of the flu outbreak. His brother Frank, a paraplegic former war correspondent, has stockpiled supplies in his apartment. They barricade themselves inside and watch civilization collapse from the windows as emergency services fail and society disintegrates around them.
Cabbagetown was historically one of Toronto's poorest neighborhoods, named for the cabbages Irish immigrants grew in their front yards. The area underwent gentrification in the late 20th century, with many Victorian-era houses converted into apartments and condos.
Cabbagetown is now one of Toronto's most desirable neighborhoods, known for its preserved Victorian architecture and tree-lined streets. The area features a mix of heritage homes, converted apartments, and upscale amenities.
6301 Silver Dart Drive, Mississauga — Miranda's final destination
Miranda Carroll, Arthur's ex-wife and creator of the Station Eleven graphic novels, dies here during the flu pandemic. She had been traveling for business when the outbreak began and becomes stranded at the airport as flights are cancelled and emergency services overwhelm the facility.
Opened in 1984 as Lester B. Pearson International Airport, it replaced the smaller Malton Airport. Named after former Prime Minister Lester Pearson, it became Canada's busiest airport and a major international hub connecting North America with Europe and Asia.
Toronto Pearson International Airport serves over 50 million passengers annually and is Canada's largest and busiest airport. It continues to be a major international gateway with two main terminals and connections to destinations worldwide.
Visit: Toronto Pearson International Airport (landmark)
Near Lake Huron — The Traveling Symphony's base
Twenty years after the pandemic, the Traveling Symphony uses this abandoned airport as their home base. Kirsten Raymonde and the other actors and musicians return here between their circuits through the settlements scattered across the post-pandemic landscape of southern Ontario and the Great Lakes region.
This represents the many small regional airports throughout Ontario that served local communities and private aircraft. These facilities were often the first to be abandoned when air travel collapsed during societal breakdown.
Many former small airports across Ontario have been repurposed or abandoned since the decline of regional aviation. Some have become industrial sites, recreational vehicle parks, or simply returned to nature.
Fictional settlement near Lake Huron — The Prophet's domain
The Traveling Symphony arrives at this post-pandemic settlement to find it under the control of a charismatic and dangerous prophet who has taken multiple child wives and rules through fear and religious extremism. When some residents try to leave with the Symphony, the Prophet threatens violence and pursues them, leading to the novel's climactic confrontation.
This fictional settlement represents the many small communities along Lake Huron's shoreline that historically served fishing and farming populations. These areas often featured small churches and tight-knit communities that could theoretically become isolated enclaves.
The Lake Huron shoreline features numerous small towns and communities that continue to serve local populations, though many have faced economic challenges as traditional industries declined.
100 Laurier Street, Gatineau — Year Fifteen exhibition
In the post-pandemic world, this museum becomes a symbol of attempts to preserve pre-collapse culture. Clark Thompson, Arthur's friend who was stranded at the airport, helps establish an exhibition about the time before the pandemic, collecting artifacts from the old world including items from Arthur's life.
The Canadian Museum of Civilization opened in 1989 (now called the Canadian Museum of History) and was designed by Douglas Cardinal. It serves as Canada's national museum of human history and is one of the country's most visited museums.
Now known as the Canadian Museum of History, it continues to be one of Canada's premier cultural institutions, featuring exhibitions on Canadian history, world cultures, and human civilization. The distinctive curved architecture remains a landmark in the National Capital Region.
Visit: Canadian Museum of History (museum)
290 Bremner Boulevard — Symbol of the lost world
The CN Tower serves as a powerful symbol throughout the novel of the technological civilization that was lost to the Georgia Flu. Characters reference it when remembering Toronto as it was, and it represents the interconnected world of air travel, communications, and urban life that collapsed.
Completed in 1976, the CN Tower was built by Canadian National Railway as a telecommunications tower and tourist attraction. At 553 meters tall, it was the world's tallest free-standing structure until 2007 and became an iconic symbol of Toronto and Canada.
The CN Tower remains one of Toronto's most recognizable landmarks and a major tourist attraction. It continues to serve telecommunications functions while offering observation decks, restaurants, and the EdgeWalk experience for visitors.
Visit: CN Tower (landmark)
Northern Ontario — A surviving community
One of the settlements regularly visited by the Traveling Symphony on their circuit through the post-pandemic landscape. The community has managed to maintain some stability and welcomes the Symphony's performances of Shakespeare and classical music, representing the human desire to preserve art and culture even in harsh circumstances.
This represents the many small communities throughout northern Ontario that historically served mining, logging, and transportation industries. These isolated communities often developed strong self-reliance due to their distance from major cities.
Northern Ontario continues to be sparsely populated with small communities serving resource industries and Indigenous populations. Many towns face economic challenges but maintain tight-knit community bonds.
Crossing southern Ontario — The abandoned highway
In the years after the collapse, the Traveling Symphony follows sections of this abandoned highway as they travel between settlements. The highway, once busy with traffic, now serves as a pathway through the depopulated landscape, with rusted cars and overgrown infrastructure marking the routes of the old world.
Highway 401, completed in sections from 1947 to 1968, became one of North America's busiest highways, connecting Windsor to the Quebec border through Toronto. It was crucial to Ontario's economic development and served millions of commuters and freight shipments.
Highway 401 remains one of the world's busiest highways, carrying over 400,000 vehicles daily through Toronto. It continues to be a vital economic corridor connecting Ontario's major cities and linking Canada to the United States.
Visit: Highway 401 (landmark)
60 Simcoe Street — Musical performances
This concert hall represents the high culture of the pre-pandemic world that the Traveling Symphony works to preserve. The Symphony performs classical music pieces that might have been played here, carrying forward the musical traditions that once filled venues like this throughout Toronto.
Opened in 1982, Roy Thomson Hall was designed by Arthur Erickson and serves as the home of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra. The distinctive glass and steel architecture made it an instant landmark, and it quickly became one of Canada's premier concert venues.
Roy Thomson Hall continues to be home to the Toronto Symphony Orchestra and hosts a wide variety of classical, pop, and world music performances. The venue remains one of Toronto's most important cultural institutions.
Visit: Roy Thomson Hall (theater)
More by Emily St. John Mandel: All Emily St. John Mandel books
Other nearby maps: Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen locations map