In the Spotlight: Royal Ontario Museum
Welcome to Canada’s largest museum. Home to more than 13 million objects spanning art, culture, and nature.
Discover the first gallery of its kind in North America brings the dawn of life to life.
The beautiful, attention-grabbing facade, inspired by the museum’s own gem and mineral collection, is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to all ROM (100 Queens Park) has to offer. The museum’s exterior, a.k.a. the Michael Lee-Chin Crystal, was quickly dubbed the 'crystal' because of its crystalline shape. The structure resembles an actual crystal right on the streets of Toronto! Visitors to the museum are reminded of the chunky geometry of a mineral up close—which they can view at the museum—as they walk through the doors of ROM.
The striking exterior welcomes you into a vast museum filled with exhibits that speak to the world’s past, present and future. ROM is considered one of the continent’s most important cultural institutions.
Spend the day hanging out with dinosaurs, travelling to ancient Egypt, and discovering awe-inspiring works of contemporary art, among other adventures. ROM houses 13 million objects spanning art, culture, and nature from around the world and across the ages. If you have just one afternoon to spend in Ontario, buy a ticket and hop on the bus to ROM, located right in the heart of Toronto’s downtown.
ROM Immortal New Brand Platform & Film
As the country moves beyond the pandemic, a new ROM is emerging, one that will change the way people think about the role of the museum and its place in the city. As part of this transformation, ROM has unveiled a dynamic new brand voice and a powerful film.
Places to eat in or near ROM
From upscale dining to casual eateries, there’s no shortage of classic Toronto spots to eat around the Royal Ontario Museum. Whether you’re after a drink at the end of your day or want to treat yourself to the meal of a lifetime, you won’t have to go further than a few blocks.
Amal Toronto
This gorgeously decorated Lebanese restaurant will have you licking your lips and sinking satisfied into the crushed velvet upholstery. Almost as beautiful as the museum itself, Amal is located just a few blocks from ROM on Bloor Street. 131 Bloor St. W.
Duke of York
Just up Bedford Road off of Bloor Street, this casual pub offers all the local brews you’ve been wanting to try. Enjoy the sunshine from the upstairs patio, or cozy up in one of the classic pub booths. 39 Prince Arthur Ave.
Explore artifacts from around the world at the ROM
Things to see at the ROM
Take a deep dive into the cultural treasures of times past and present. Whether it’s fashion history, pop culture, or ancient relics, ROM highlights the beauty and worldly significance of even the simplest objects.
With a carousel of new exhibitions all the time, spanning a wide range of topics like Kent Monkman’s own interpretation of ROM’s collection, rare wildlife photography, Canada’s Atlantic whales and Ethiopian artist Elias Slime’s artwork, to name a few.
ROM also offers a wide range of digital exhibitions that visitors can experience long after they’ve left the museum. Online exhibitions 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.
Along with fresh new exhibits, ROM’s permanent collection includes around one million objects of art and culture gathered from around the world. With objects dating back to a range of time periods, from prehistoric civilization to present-day, visitors can explore the artwork, archaeology, fashion, and decor of ancient Asian, European, Greek, Roman, African, and Indigenous culture.
ROM holds Canada’s largest collection of natural history specimens, giving visitors the chance to explore an extensive treasure trove of findings. Perhaps the most alluring is the collection of gems that sparkle and shine as you walk through the gallery. Diamonds aside, if you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to have the fossil of a 200 year-old dinosaur tower over you, or what it’s like to walk through a bat cave, check out ROM.
Don’t forget to enjoy the views and look up when you’re at the museum—you just might find the ROM’s gorgeous mosaicked ceiling!
The ROM is home more than 13 million artifacts - including this Tyrannosaurus Rex fossil
Fun facts about the ROM
- ROM was founded in 1914
- ROM is located on ancestral lands of several First Nations
- ROM’s courtyard is a public space where Torontonians can enjoy a garden and a view of the crystal-shaped facade
- ROM is the biggest museum in Canada
- ROM is the fifth biggest museum in North America
- The museum is home to more than 13 million objects, including artwork, fossils, cultural items and more
- The museum’s dinosaur fossils span hundreds of millions of years
How to get to ROM
From the Queen Elizabeth Way (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.
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.
