Welcome to Canada’s largest museum of world cultures and natural history.
First things first, let’s admire the Royal Ontario Museum’s (ROM) attention-grabbing facade. Inspired by the museum’s own mineral collection, the ROM’s exterior (a.k.a. Lee-Chin Crystal), was created to resemble an actual gem. And it truly does! As far as strong first impressions go, the rest of your visit will be just as remarkable.
Spend the day hanging out with dinosaurs, travelling to Ancient Egypt and getting to know Canada’s First Peoples, among other adventures. The ROM houses 13 million artworks, cultural objects and historical artifacts that span time and space. Lucky for you, it’s all in one place with your purchase of timed-entry tickets. Learn more about the museum’s health and safety measures to prepare for your visit.
Exhibits: present, future & virtual
Take a deep dive into the cultural treasures of times past and present-day. Whether it’s fashion history, pop culture or ancient relics, the ROM’s exhibits highlight the beauty and worldly significance of even the simplest objects.
Current galleries include Egyptian Mummies: Ancient Lives, New Discoveries (learn the secrets of six mummies from Ancient Egypt), Winnie-the-Pooh: Exploring a Classic (an immersive and interactive exhibit featuring everyone’s favourite bear), Florals: Desire and Design (1700’s fashion and its relation to botany), New Dino Discovered (meet a 79-million-year-old dinosaur), and more. Explore the full list of exhibits that are presently running.
Look forward to upcoming exhibits that span a wide range of topics, including Kent Monkman’s own interpretation of the ROM’s collection, rare wildlife photography, Canada’s Atlantic Whales and Ethiopian artist Elias Slime’s artwork, to name a few.
If you’re unable to visit the ROM, access the museum’s online exhibits instead. Digital displays include The Blue Whale Project’s bittersweet story, an exploration of The Burgess Shale and an in-depth look at the silks of Highland Madagascar.
Curated collections
The ROM’s permanent collection includes around one million cultural objects, gathered from around the world and that date back to different time periods. From prehistoric civilization to present day, explore the artwork, archaeology, fashion, and decor of Asian, European, Ancient Greek, Roman, African and Indigenous societies.
Peruse Canada’s largest collection of natural history specimens. Browse an extensive treasure trove of botanical, zoological and mineral findings, including gems—and yes, we’re talking the shiny kind too! Diamonds aside, if you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to have a dinosaur tower over you or what it’s like to walk through a bat cave, now’s your chance. Kindly be informed that the bat cave is currently closed until further notice.
Staying home for the next little while? Alternatively, you can click through the museum’s collections. While thousands of artifacts are currently available for viewing, the ROM’s curators are working hard to get the entire collection to your screen.
Interactive & immersive experiences
Head to The CIBC Discovery Gallery for hands-on learning and immersive events that your kids will love, like dressing up in medieval costumes, digging up dinosaur bones and interacting with historical props. Please note that this section of the museum is temporarily closed for the time being.
ROM Daytime is yet another fascinating experience where participants partake in lectures pertaining to ground-breaking research and advancements in art, culture and nature. Afterwards, chat with fellow art aficionados over coffee, tea and treats. ROM Daytime is currently on hold until further notice.
Explore the entire lineup of the ROM’s interactive experiences. Keep in mind that some of the museum’s events are currently on pause due to COVID-19.
Virtual events
The ROM delivers fascinating and interactive experiences right to your screen. Ask ROM Anything is a weekly online gathering where ROM experts answer questions to complex topics. For the young ones, ROM At Home offers story time for children, plus a collection of crafts and DIY activities. Finally, ROM Curator Conversations is a discussion series facilitated by the museum’s industry experts. Check out the full lineup of virtual events to see what’s coming up.
Shopping & dining
Shop your h(art) out at ROM Boutique where you’ll find specialty books, artwork, plus art-inspired games, toys, decor, electronics and more. Treat yourself to reproductions of the ROM’s collections. If you’re feeling peckish or need a caffeine boost, Druxy’s ROM Café is currently open with new health and safety guidelines in place, including reduced capacity.
Become a member
Can’t get enough of the ROM? Sign up for your membership, which includes exclusive events, discounts, offers and more.
How to Get to the ROM
From the Queen Elizabeth (QEW): Take the Gardiner Expressway to Spadina Avenue. Continue north on Spadina to Bloor Street West and turn right. Continue on Bloor until arriving at Queens Park Avenue.
From the 401: Take the Don Valley Parkway south to the Bloor Street West ramp. Continue on Bloor until arriving at Queens Park Avenue.
Parking: The ROM doesn’t provide parking but there are many parking lots nearby.
By TTC: The closest stops are St. George Station (on the Bloor-Danforth Subway Line) and Museum Station (on the Yonge-University Subway Line).
By GO Transit: Transfer at Union Station and take the Yonge-University Subway Line to Museum Station.
By UP Express: Transfer at Union Station and take the Yonge-University Subway Line to Museum Station.
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