Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto

The natural history section concentrates primarily on the evolution of life on earth. Among its highlights are a superb display of dinosaur skeletons and a series of fascinating wildlife dioramas (including some featuring mammals native to Ontario).

Also of great interest are the museum's gem collection and the sections devoted to the pre- and early history of Ontario (with e.g. Indian rock drawings) and the period since the arrival of the first Europeans.

Picture - The dramatic architecture of the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto.

Picture - The new Michael Lee-Chin Crystal extension on the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto.

View a slideshow of Royal Ontario Museum Pictures

Royal Ontario Museum Map

Important Information:

Official site: www.rom.on.ca

Address: 100 Queen's Park, Toronto, ON M5S2C6, Canada

Opening hours: 10am-5:30pm; Fri: 10am-8:30pm

Always closed on: Christmas - Christian (Dec 25)

Entrance fee in CAD: Adult $24.00, Senior over 65 $21.00, Students $21.00, Child 14 & under $16.00, Child 3 & under FREE

Useful tips: Admission is half price on Fridays starting at 4:30pm. Admission is free on Wednesdays from 3:30pm to 5:30pm.

Discount: Wednesday, Friday

Parking: None

Disability Access: Full facilities for persons with disabilities.

Facilities: Gift shop, Wheelchair loan or rental

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Then there are the exhibitions on the Mediterranean World (including the civilizations of ancient Egypt, Greece and Rome) and European decorative crafts since the 17th c., each occupying several rooms. Many rewarding hours could be spent just looking round the wonderfully comprehensive textiles section and the small collection of musical instruments!

The Royal Ontario Museum is one of Toronto's most renowned attractions, with a strong collection representing both art and science. The building underwent renovations and a major expansion project that was completed in 2007. The Michael Lee-Chin Crystal, a modern glass extension, was added on to this very traditional building creating a strong achritectural contrast.

The museum presents a variety of themed galleries that include World Culture Galleries, Natural History Galleries, Hands-on Galleries, and Exhibitions Spaces, with special exhibitions held regularly.

Royal Ontario Museum Highlights

Far Eastern Collection

The Royal Ontario Museum is known throughout the world for its magnificent Far East collection of Chinese art covering four millennia - from the Shang Dynasty (c. 1500 bc), through the Tang Dynasty (7th to 10th c. ad) and Ming Dynasty (14th to 17th c.) right up to the period of the Manchu Emperors (early 20th c.). Wonderful examples of religious (temple) art are displayed alongside exquisite ceramic figures and superb vases. Normally the center of attention in this section of the museum is the arresting ceramic figure of "Yen Lo Wang", King of the Underworld. Also quite exceptional however is the Ming tomb (17th c.).

The special exhibition on Imperial China since the 10th c. succeeds brilliantly in bringing its subject to life.

Mediterranean World Galleries

The Mediterranean World Galleries reside on the third floor of the Royal Ontario Museum and explore the ancient cultures of Babylon, Egypt, Greece, and Rome among others.

Greeks and Etruscans

Ceramics, statues, and works in metal are all on display from Ancient Greece in the Gallery of Greece at the ROM. Also in the same section of the museum is ceramic and metalwork by the Etruscans dating 1000 to 200 BC.

Dating from 2500 to 1 BC are works from the Bronze and Iron Ages which were found in central and northern Europe.

Ancient Egypt

The Ancient Egypt gallery at the Royal Ontario Museum takes a thorough look at the Egyptian world from 4000 BC to 324 AD. Included in the gallery is the sarcophagus of Djedmaatesankh dating 850 BC. Also featured prominently is a wall of hieroglyphics.

Imperial Rome

The largest collection of Roman artifacts resides at the Royal Ontario Museum. Included in the collection are busts, coins, ceramics, jewelry, and sculptures. Also featured in the exhibit are displays of Roman life within different regions of the empire, such as Roman Britain and Roman Egypt.

Islamic Civilization Gallery

The Islamic Civilization gallery is set up to mimic a town. Visitors walk through a mosque, a courtyard which contains a Syrian marble fountain, a household, through a gate and into a market.

Nubia Gallery

Focusing on the Nubian town of Gebel Adda, the Nubia gallery looks at the history of the country from present day to 4500 BC. On display are examples of pottery and everyday objects.

Samuel J. and Ayala Zacks Gallery of Mesopotamia and Ancient Iran

The Samuel J. and Ayala Zacks Gallery of Mesopotamia and Ancient Iran contains artifacts dating from to 10,000 to 300 BC. A wide variety of cultures are present in this gallery including; Sumer, Babylon, Assyria, and Elam.

The Joey & Toby Tanenbaum Gallery of Byzantine Art

The Joey & Toby Tanenbaum Gallery of Byzantine Art at the Royal Ontario Museum's includes a collection of over 300 pieces donated by the Tanenbaums. As a result of this donation the ROM now contains Canada's largest collection of Byzantine art.

Life Sciences and Palaeontology

On the second floor of the Royal Ontario Museum lie the Life Science and Palaeontology Galleries which include; Evolution, Dinosaurs, Insects and Their Relatives, Bat Cave, Mammals, Birds, and the Hands-on Biodiversity exhibit.

Gallery of Evolution

The Gallery of Evolution at the Royal Ontario Museum explores Darwin's theory of evolution. A variety of plant and animal displays attempt to show how the theory of evolution works. Visitors will also learn about Darwin and why his theories were so slow to be accepted.

Bat Cave

The Bat Cave at the Royal Ontario Museum is a realistic portrayal of a cave with bats and other creatures of the night. Visitors can walk through the caves, which are based on real caves in Jamaica known as the St Clair Caves.

Birds Gallery

Hundreds of different species of birds are on display in the Bird Gallery at the Royal Ontario Museum. The exhibit also educates visitors on the effects of habitat loss and environmental problems on birds.

Dinosaur Gallery

The Dinosaur Gallery at the Royal Ontario Museum features such dinosaur skeletons as the Stegosaurus, Allosaurus, and Albertosaurus. The museum's dinosaur collection is one of the largest in Canada.

Hands-on Biodiversity

The Hands-on Biodiversity exhibit at the ROM features a wide variety of interactive exhibits, specimens which can be handled, and living displays which include a beehive and the Great Lakes Stream.

Mammals

Displays in the Mammals Gallery of the Royal Ontario Museum focus on African and North American animals. On display among others are stuffed lions, cheetah, bear, and cougar.

East Asia Galleries

The East Asia Galleries are on the ground floor of the Royal Ontario Museum and feature a wide variety of East Asian art and artifacts.

Bishop White Gallery of Chinese Temple Art

On display in the Bishop White Gallery of Chinese Temple Art at the Royal Ontario Museum are some huge Chinese temple paintings. The largest, a Buddhist work, dates from about 1320.

T. T. Tsui Galleries of Chinese Art

The T. T. Tsui Galleries of Chinese Art are a permanent collection featuring approximately 1,000 Chinese artifacts. The artifacts range in date from 4,500 BC to 907 AD. Artifacts include; ceramics, bronzes, weapons, and tomb sculptures.

Included now in the T. T. Tsui Galleries of Chinese Art are the Chinese Tomb and Late Empire exhibits.

Late Empire Gallery

The Late Empire Gallery, a part of the T.T. Tsui Galleries of Chinese Art, retraces Chinese history from 960 AD to 1911 AD, during the Song, Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties. Porcelains, ceramics, and a large collection of snuff bottles are among the highlights of the exhibit.

Gallery of Korean Art

The Gallery of Korean Art at the Royal Ontario Museum is one of the the largest permanent collection of Korean art in Canada. The exhibit features art and artifacts from 8,000 years ago up to modern times.

Canadian Heritage Floor

The Canadian Heritage Floor Galleries are located one floor below the ground floor at the Royal Ontario Museum. Galleries on this floor include the Heritage Gallery of Canada's People's, the Rologg Beny Gallery, the Ontario Archaeology Gallery, the Gallery of Indigenous Peoples, and the Sigmund Samuel Canadiana Gallery.

Roloff Beny Gallery

On display in the Roloff Beny Gallery is the exhibition 50 Years of Advertising and Design. Featured are 130 prints and 55 ads from television. Many of the ads are extremely rare. The exhibit itself commemorates the 50th anniversary of The Advertising and Design Club of Canada.

Heritage Gallery of Canada's People's

The Heritage Gallery of Canada's People's at the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto deals with the history of Canada's first peoples and early Canadiana. Topics include native cultures, early immigrants, changing identities, and more.

Ontario Archaeology Gallery

The Ontario Archaeology Gallery features exhibits on the history of Ontario before Europeans made contact with the Aboriginals. Methodologies used by archeologists is also featured and explained in exhibits.

Sigmund Samuel Canadiana Gallery

The Sigmund Samuel Canadiana Gallery tells the history of the settlement of Canada by the Europeans through a variety of objects dating from 1600 to 1900.

Samuel Hall Currelly Gallery

Samuel Hall Currelly Gallery of the Royal Ontario Museum is a renovated space of the museum which was closed in 1982. Featured prominently in the gallery are two murals featuring knights jousting. Pictured behind the knights is a crowd, the faces of which belong to former staff of the Royal Ontario Museum.

The renovated hall also acts as an orientation point for visitors, featuring interactive displays that describe each of the galleries main floors.

Inco Limited Gallery of Earth Sciences

The ROM's Inco Limited Gallery of Earth Sciences explores the evolution of the earth as well as how minerals are made through a variety of audio-visual media and interactive displays. Rooms include Alien Planet, Earth Theatre, Restless Earth, Talking Rocks, and Treasures of the Earth.

Samuel European Galleries

The Samuel European Galleries is located on the third floor of the museum and features furniture, weapons, and sculpture from the Middle Ages through to the 1800s. Most of the collection originates from central and northern Europe. A variety of ceramics, costumes, and glass work are also displayed.

Discovery Gallery

The Discovery Gallery features objects from the art, natural history, and archeology collections. This part of the museum is hands-on and visitors are actually allowed to touch and hold a variety of objects.

ROM Reproductions Shop

The ROM Reproductions Shop sells reproductions of many of the exhibits on display at the Royal Ontario Museum. Every piece comes with historical information of the object and all proceeds help fund the museum.

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