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If you have time to kill on an afternoon, definitely pay a visit to ROM. Tip: Half off admission ticket after 4:30PM on Fri only. Admission to the Terracotta Warriors exhibition is $7(non-discount).
Unlike other museums, ROM is not funded by the government. ROM operates as a non-profit org that is privately funded by admission sales, contributions and donations from members. The exhibitions are separated into 4 levels with a basement for special exhibitions.
The first level is the World Culture Gallery consisting of the 19th century Native American culture to early Canadian history and peoples. Across the other side, it leads to Asia's history covering the Gallery of China (Chinese Temple Art, sculptures, collections , and architecture), History and Culture of Korea, and the Gallery of Japan (gallery, artifacts, and history). The second level features the Natural History covering the Bat Cave, Earth's Treasures (minerals, Gems, and Gold), Age of Mammals (fossil skeletons of the Ice Age), Gallery of Birds and Dinosaurs, and Fossil Evidence. The third level showcases the Ancient Cyprus focusing on the Hellenistic period to Bronze Age, Art and Culture of the indigenous peoples from Africa, the American continents, Asia-Pacific region, and Oceania, Galleries from Africa, South Asia, Middle East, Egypt, Western and Central Europe, Greece, Bronze Age Aegean (Ancient civilizations of the Cycladic, Minoan, Mycenaean and Geometric periods of Greece). The fourth level highlights the international collection of costume and textiles ranging from the 18th century to the early Islamic textiles.
The basement level currently showcase the The Warrior Emperor and China's Terracotta Army Exhibition. Apparently, five of the Terracotta Warriors were shipped from China for display at ROM.
My fav exhibition at ROM is the Gift for the Princess display, an enclosed glass box with security sensor and tempture monitor which showcases a bowl made entirely from pure crystal. Another interesting artwork is the Michael Lee-Chin's Crystal which is a large pyramid crystal figure display at the front of the museum. ROM is worth checking out, you won't be disappointed!
I thought it would be fun to organize an education field trip with a few friends and my vote for the AGO got trumped for the ROM, specifically The Warrior Emperor and China's Terracotta Army exhibit.
Well the exhibit itself was interesting was very short and very expensive. We got through the whole thing within an hour, weren't aloud to take pictures and paid $31 each.
Since the ticket also included general admission, we decided to check out the rest of the ROM. The dinosaur section was probably the coolest part, and dare I say better than its "special" The Warrior Emperor and China's Terracotta Army exhibit.
Do you like dinosaurs? And Egyptology? And shiny minerals, like diamonds and sapphires? Want to learn about ecology? Then visit the ROM.
I was very impressed with the way the Egyptian exhibit was laid out. I had attended the Tut exhibit in San Francisco earlier this year, and felt this was much more informative and easier to digest. The context of the objects on view was readily apparent because the information was presented in such a way as to make it easy to follow the progression of Egyptian culture, government, and technology through time.
The volume of the dinosaur exhibit is also impressive. I gleaned this must be mostly a result of the fact that Alberta has a lot of dinosaur fossils. But I agree with a previous Yelp review, this section could have been laid out better so as to give a visitor a more thorough explanation of the evolution of the dinosaurs. I got tired of trying to figure out how all of the skeletons fit into an evolutionary timeline with each other and just focused on the scale of the animals instead.
The day I was there, I was lucky enough to join a quick docent tour of the biological diversity exhibit which was thought-provoking, as well as, engaging. I generally get bored on these tours, but the content was interesting and the guide was succint and knowledgeable.
If I lived in Toronto, I would definitely become a member. The place is so big I probably only saw a third of it before I got too tired and had to go and get some rest. Wish I could see more of it. By the way, there will be a Chinese Terra Cotta soldiers exhibit starting this weekend that I am sad to have to miss.
Quick tip: Wednesdays after 3pm are FREE! And then see the Terracotta Warriors for $7. Summer deal valid from Wednesday, July 28 'till September 1, 2010. Now, get up and go! :P
I'm updating this based on my trip to New York and the American Museum of Natural History.
I'm so disappointed at our ROM because it USED to be better.
I liked the way the Am. Museum of NH organized their exhibits. For example, for the Dinosaurs, it was placed in a logical format that began at a certain point in the prehistoric times and you follow the path of the evolution.
There was description about interesting points to take note, you can choose to read them or not, and branches that come off to further explain anything else you might be interested in related to the topic (like how they figured out the dinosaur was walking upright or not, or why it has a duck bill).
The biggest difference I found was that the Natural History Musuem promoted learning, something I find the dinosaur collection in the ROM lacks. It's just a jumble of bones with hard to read plaques that's more like an art gallery than a museum.
In the rest of the Natural History museum, it goes to explore the different cultures of indigenous people from all over the world, with their artifacts and culture.
All I can remember from the ROM is some pots behind some glass, scattered around haphazardly with minimal description. It needs to have some logic and engage the viewer in learning, and reading about what they are looking at.
In addition to the learning experience at the American Museum of Natural History, the exhibits themselves are aesthetically spectacular, and I really think the ROM lacks this wow factor.
Granted, I am comparing the ROM to a more established museum, but what kills me is that the ROM has the ability to provide such interaction and learning experience. They took it away. It was there when I was a kid. And they could have improved upon it.
I look at the reviews of the ROM below, and the only positive ones are the special exhibits that were sponsored by a 3rd party. Everything I am comparing the ROM and the Natural History Museum to is the permanent collection.
I feel strongly about this, because it was a good thing that got taken away from us. Thank you for reading my rant
Honestly, ever since they built the crystal I felt the ROM went down hill.
The place used to be a fun…
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It's one of the best places to visit in Toronto! I absolutely recommend it!
What a great collection! We visited the ROM to see their Darwin exhibit, which was incredible! Not only was the collection huge, it was displayed in a way that did not overload you. My other favorite was their Egyptian collection. They had a whole wall mural that was spectacular.
I don't recall all of the permanent collection, but the museum has vast collections that could take hours to take it. I can't wait to go back and view the rest!
Parking wasn't difficult, and the Tim Horton's across the street was a great place to grab a bite while taking a rest.
Listed in: Where I get my learning on -…
Excellent museum to go to. A LOT of stuff to see.
Wished there would be more seating throughout the location.
Came yesterday SOLELY to see the Dead Sea Scroll exhibit before they disintegrate on the 3rd of January.
It was an AMAZING experience. I'm really glad (and honoured) that I had the opportunity to see some of the earliest examples of Scripture* ever found.
PROS:
-The Scrolls. Enough said.
-Lots of additional material, The Temple in Jerusalem, related artifacts, other items found in the caves, etc.
-Easy access to the new exhibit wing.
-Great layout for the exhibit. Having the Scrolls at the end helped the crowd dissipate through the exhibit.
-Lots of supplementary information about the Scrolls (Points of interest/translations, etc)
-CHEAP souvenir book on the way out that highlights the ENTIRE exhibit. It was only $3, which is spectacular for the ROM, which is known to gouge tourists with tacky merchandise.
CONS:
-PACKED. Even on the day before New Year's. I guess other people had the same idea - see them before they are gone. It was very awkward trying to zoom in to see detail on the artifacts/scrolls since you felt like you were getting in someone's way.
-PRICE. Again, I don't like how you have to pay to get into the Museum as well. The total for both of us came to $56, and we didn't bother with the rest of the Museum.
-CREEPY DUDE. There was an Asian man outside when we first came, trying to sell us 'tickets' to a completely different museum. It was very awkward, and I'm surprised security wasn't on this. Worst part was he was out there even when we came out 2+ hours later. C'mon ROM, bust some butt.
If you haven't had the chance to see this exhibit, you have a few days left. Please PLEASE take the time to see this exhibit. It was worth every penny, and how many opportunities like this will you have? :)
*for those interested, there were MANY examples of the Tetragrammaton (YHWH) found in the Scrolls on display. Very easy to locate as well.
Listed in: A Guide To Tour-onto, Culture In Toronto: Tourist's…
As some have said, this museum is a bit dry. You'd better love looking at ancient artifacts, since… Read more »
Well I went to see the Dead Sea Scrolls (missed them when they were in Seattle) and stayed all day- the closed and herded us out... :(
Most fun I've had at a museum in as long as I can remember. And we missed SOOOO much, like entire floors... I have to go back sometime (apparently a Tuesday when I can get free admission...)
Dead Sea Scrolls: this was a great exhibit. I loved that it traced through everything and gave a visitor the context of when they would have been written and what everything was like. The exhibit carried it through right to preservation of the Scrolls, which I think is important and drives home what a treasure they really are. There was a docent-type going through the exhibit with a group, we joined on for a little while but quickly found he didn't have any new information for us- I mean... more than what was printed on the plaques for visitors, but less than what anyone whose studied the time period in any depth... meh... I'm a snob that studied art history in college for too long... sorry.
The rest of the museum was GREAT. I wasn't really hyped about seeing dinosaur bones, but away we went. They were alright, but the adjoining exhibit about giant crocodile remains found in Ontario, stuff like that, comparing the wild animals today (in sheer size) to their counterparts during the last ice ages and before... that was totally interesting.
There was a kids area with hands on activities which was GREAT! 1) the kids liked it 2) us adults had a blast with the microscope thing and what not...
I missed far too much- but all in all, this was a great trip and I totally want to get back to finish the ROM sometime.
Went to the ROM to see primarily the Dead Sea Scrolls. Go on a Friday where the admission is half price ($11). With the scrolls, it was $17 per person. There are a lot of things to see from around the world, but I'll say that I was a little underwhelmed other than seeing the Dead Sea Scrolls. In the main foyer, there was a performance going on which was pretty nice.
The asian art was plentiful, but there was very little in the way of Korean art. Also, unfortunately for the ROM, they had a wing on the top floor dedicated to egypt and another wing for greece, both of which I went to a couple of months ago. Oh well.
All in all, it was nice to visit after so many years. Easy to get to from the Museum or St. George stations. The outside is nicely renovated, but the inside is about the same as it always has been.
Found out that POST-SECONDARY STUDENTS receive FREE ADMISSION ON TUESDAYS...so I thought I'd go, living in Ontario my entire life and frequenting Toronto regularly since 2007.
I don't have much to say with exhibits, went with a few friends and walked around...may have not been to every exhibit actually. Nevertheless..
It is actually a great place. I just find looking at the stuffed 'dead' animals (lol) somewhat boring, rather go to the zoo...and some were scale/model representations of animals. Having said that, still pretty near, definitely gives you a perspective of how big these animals can be.
The world cultures gallery was quite cool, tons of ancient-ancient-ancient artifices.
Definite word of advice, show up early and maybe even by yourself and take some time to actually go through everything an get an appreciation of what's there.
Nevertheless, it was free as a Post-Sec student so no complaints!
I visited the Royal Ontario Museum a few years via the old entrance on Queen's Park. The new "cubist" (or maybe glass/angular) entrance on Bloor is quite a sight to behold. So is the gift shop and the transition between the new lobby area and the brick of the old building. The restaurant area off the main lobby is also open without paying the entrance fee. I really enjoyed the feel and energy of these spaces.
My only quibble is the $23 entry fee for non-members, even though I realize that the Museum needs to pay its bills and this world-class museum deserves our support.
After being away from the city for some time, I decided to write a review for this particular institution. Housing an interesting, diverse and well-presented array of collections and artifacts, the Royal Ontario Museum provides for a worthy diversion within the city. Compared to the price paid for similar institutions across the world, the entrance price is fair. In addition to the exhibits, the museum's newest addition, the crystal, hovers over Bloor Street, providing for a good break in the traditional, boxy architectural rhythm of the Bloor Street and this part of the city.
If you are member, make the extra effort to schedule your Dead Sea Scroll visit on-line and print tickets so you can avoid the que. Even with your printed tickets in hand be prepared for the snail pace of the exhibit. I don't want to disappoint anyone, but the marketing and advertising behind the Scrolls exhibit makes it seem much more amazing than what's presented.
Then again, where or when can you experience tiny toilet paper-papyrus pieces with tiny symbols written on them, ensconced within a sexy well- lit kiosk? Maybe I missed something, but I was under whelmed. The buzz is much bigger than the real thing.
My 8 year old daughter and I spent 6+ hours at the ROM this past weekend...which factoring in our combined ADD/ADHD is a miraculous feat in and of itself.
All of the exhibits that I remember from my childhood plus a bunch of touring cultural exhibits that were new to me and of great interest.
The Earth's Treasures gallery is really great. In simpleton terms (aka terms I can use) it's all types of rocks/minerals etc. in columnar display cases with touch screen monitors that allow you to zoom in on very detailed photographs, and see more detailed information regarding the origin etc.
The Diamond exhibit was of more interest to me than to her. Actually, it was of no interest to her...which I think is not only rare for a young woman, but also promising moving forward as I think I've been able to focus her more on technology and things of that nature than where DeBeer's would like her interests to lie.
The cultural exhibits (China, Japan, Ukraine) are all of great interest, and even after spending 6 hours there, we didn't get a chance to see everything that was on display.
One of the things I could've done without seeing was a $19 lunch bill for two drinks, a chili, three chicken fingers and potato wedges. If I wanted to experience these kinds of food prices I'd have eaten at the airport or ACC.
There was a great medieval fair that was held specifically for March Break I believe. This was really cool because they had guys in full armor battling with weapons. Not theatrical fighting, full blown, full contact "I'm trying to smash your skull in with a pick axe" type of fighting. While I was surprised to see this, I wasn't in any rush to walk away from it...this is as close to Robot Wars as I'm ever going to get.
Architecturally, the building is a combination of the old structure combined with a funky new facade. I didn't like it when I saw photos originally, but after having spent some time looking at it, I think it does a great job of meshing the two together.
I would absolutely go back, and will go back...at my daughter's request.
I'm thinking that the price of membership is justified with just three visits, and it contributes to supporting a fantastic museum in the heart of our city.
Who would've thought something so educational and culturally enriching could also be so much fun?
I'm going to preface my review with this - I'm not the biggest fan of natural history museums, and I much prefer art museums. So take this review with a grain of salt.
The museum itself is art - the outside has some geometrical design that was built into an old building. Definitely very cool. The cost is a bit much, being ~$28 for entry. They had the dead sea scrolls here, which I could not see (I had no time =( I had to leave at 11, which is the first showing).
They had plenty of bones, pots, various armors from history. Lots of stuffed animals. The one weird thing is that, I know I'm in Canada, and I know they like hockey, but they had an exhibit breaking down a hockey player's garb. Why? It was in between some stuffed animals or something. I just didn't get it.
I say to go to this museum to get some culture, but I've been to better.
One more thing - there are a lot of kid areas here, so it's a great place for kids.
Listed in: I've Been Here Once - Travels!
When the new design for the ROM was first unveiled, I was not impressed. I thought it was going to take away from the grandeur of the original architectural design and somehow cheapen it - I am happy to say I was wrong! I like the strong angler lines created by the use of glass - the building really stands out and has a more "worldly" feel about it.
One of my favorite exhibits in the "new" ROM is the ornate reconstruction of a 17th century Chinese Imperial Palace building from Beijing's Forbidden City - it's magnificent.
The ROM also offers an array of educational and family programs just about every night of the week - a great way to learn history, understand today and meet new friends.
I should make a disclaimer that I've been passionately in love with the ROM since I was a wee thing. I remember my father talking me into the Discovery Gallery (a hands-on area for kids six and up), saying "but she's a very mature five."
It's unusual among museums in that it tries to cover both natural history (geology, biology, ecology, evolution, etc.) and human history. My favourite (real bugs notwithstanding) has always been the human history side of things.
We have a wonderful Egyptian gallery, a sexy-looking new dinosaur gallery, occasional art exhibitions, a tremendous Southeast Asian gallery, and one of the best collections of Chinese artifacts outside of China.
The excellent libraries are available to U of T students (and maybe to other students or members as well; I'm not sure), and are an invaluable resource.
I don't know the restaurants very well. The "Food Studio" (I'm not making this up) is a renovation of the old cafeteria. The food looks better and healthier - I see on the website that they are using organic and local ingredients. The prices are definitely higher than I was expecting, but it's nice to have some non-hotdog options. c5 is the swanky new restaurant reviewed elsewhere on Yelp.
The ROM also runs really cool lectures, movies, day programs, and courses. They're aimed at the age 5-95 set, and cover all kinds of interests. The lectures and movies are usually a great deal. The courses can be pricey, but are very well done, in my experience. Members get a tiny discount, which really should be larger! The new gift shop has some great stuff.
I have mixed feelings about the famed crystal. It was originally designed without much reference to the needs of the artifacts (i.e., you can't have huge windows streaming light onto fragile, 1,000 year old textiles all day). It's been modified by covering it with opaque aluminium.
Some of the construction seems a bit... chintzy? Corners not quite meeting properly, a lonely pilot hole next to a wiggly-looking screw, a box of abandoned nails visible from a window. Some of the spaces feel great - the dinosaur gallery, or some of the areas for exhibiting modern art. Others, noticeably the new foyer, feel low and shedlike. I was excited by the plans for the new grand entrance, which was supposed to give onto Bloor like a giant magic lantern, and I feel cheated by this low, wallboarded tunnel of an entrance. When I walked into the old Rotunda as a child, I felt like that gold mosaic was the most glorious thing I'd ever seen. Thankfully, it's still there.
this museum is pretty freakin big! i probably got in at 5, left at 8:30, and i only managed to RUSH through everything. but i did get to go to every corner of the museum.
so i have a confession to make, i prefer fine art museums, and i lack an appreciation for historical museums, but i do feel like i've learned and got more "cultured"
i did not know how native art was like, or have even seen african art! but i got to see a lot of it, i felt like i was getting a history lesson. if i had time, i would read everything! you really could learn a lot!
there's also a lot of animals to look at. this place is great for kids! very interactive.
tip: go on friday, half price! students it's only $9! and 4 hours is a good amount too. but you definitely need more than 1 hour.
favourites: huge diversity of culture
do not want: i hate how they number everything and label the numbers, so annoying!
last words: huge variety!
I'm a big museum lover. This one is mixed -- not very good for classic European art, better for Asian art, best for native art, especially the older things and the small personal collections that show a slice of life as lived in the distant past. I loved the dolls from various Indian sources.
My favorite thing: the huge carved wood sculptures (native art) embedded in the staircases.
I've been known to spend five to six hours inside the Royal Ontario Museum because there is plenty of exhibits to see. I thoroughly enjoy the museum's World Cultures Gallery and the Natural History Gallery.
The World Cultures Gallery houses art and architectural history from Asia, Africa, Canada, and the Middle East. My favorite exhibit explores the ancient architecture of China using artifacts and miniature models. Included in this exhibit is a full scale replica of the interior of an ancient palace from the Forbidden City. You can find lots of sculptures and deities based on the Buddhists of early China as well as the history of early Asians in Canada.
If you like bats you'll really enjoy the Bat Cave located within the Natural History Gallery. In addition to the flying rodents several species of snakes and giant spiders are also on display. Most of the displays dealing with animals are featured as fossils or skeleton replicas thereof. The dinosaur exhibit, as most are, is quite interesting.
The museum also features touring and temporary exhibits. My experience here is that the museum is rarely crowded which allows me to explore the exhibits freely without having to worry about getting in the way of other museum patrons.
Royal Ontario Museum--Canada's largest museum of world cultures and natural history is simply amazing! They have over six million objects in the ROM's collections (you know this when you read the brochure from front to back)!
The Museum offers a variety of programs to stimulate the imagination and advance our understanding of cultures and history. The great thing about the ROM (other than it's new design) are an array of courses, lectures, trips, tours, film screenings, live music so much more. Recently we went on a weekend only to discover that they had a feature of early 19 century musical instruments. They had musicians playing as many kids danced to the tunes of some really interesting forms of instruments I had never seen before. Just one great example of the changing environment, and specials they have going on daily!
They also have a Saturday Morning Club, Summer Club and March Break Camp for kids. A great way for children to learn, and have fun (and give the parents a little break!).
You should also check out the Food Studio at the ROM. It is a casual family restaurant in the lower level of the ROM. It has a nice open aired feel to it, with ample space to sit. What is even more impressive is that it sources organic seasonal ingredients from local Ontario food producers. It also does it's part by providing a selection of biodegradable containers and plates as part of a healthy planet initiative. Very Cool!
A word of advice to all visitors - go early. Especially on weekends and Friday Nights ( half price admission on Fridays at 4:30). The lineups can get pretty big.
There are some exhibits that change from month to month, so check out the website for regular updates. ROM is an amazing cultural experience for the entire family - have fun!
Listed in: Everything Kids!
Maybe we missed something, but it didn't seem as large of a museum as I might have thought based off of the $20 admission price... I think some of the exhibits were closed when we went too, perhaps.
The dinosaur exhibits were pretty cool, and something you wouldn't find in most other museums. The other ancient animal exhibits were pretty cool too.
The "hands on" galleries were very kid oriented, not much for adults.
$20 might be a little steep for admission.... I think we may have done the reduced later in the day thing though?
I had high hopes for the newly designed ROM....perhaps too high, especially after visiting the remarkably beautiful AGO last week.
First, I will say, the museum still holds some of the same charms it once did when I was a kid, and the old parts--the old building part I mean-- still held a sense of wonder and magic for me.
The dinosaur bones exhibit is cool, but a little dull because they're surrounded by white walls.
The whole new section, which looks fabulous from the outside, is just a massive collection of white walls and weird angles. I won't lie. I do not like it. But I am willing to accept that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and some might enjoy more than me.
It's definitely not as kid friendly as it once was, and most of the exhibits aren't fully open yet (wait for Jan 2009, then go). Some people have praised the fact that it's a bit more "grown-up" design, but let's be realistic, kids visit the museum more than adults. Which is why the white (I mean, ALL WHITE) walls were such a bad idea. There are smudges and dirt and stains showing up everywhere already right about the height of a 3-5 year old.
BUT! If you do want to check it out for yourself, go on a Friday night, which is half price after 4:30, open until 9:30.
The ROM has an absolutely stunning facade but I didn't find the contents to be particularly moving. It's mostly a natural history museum with an expansive collection of items from international cultures throughout time. I think the casual culture-appreciating visitor would enjoy the Medieval armor collections, art deco furniture, children's "bat cave", and of course the dinosaur bones.
The "Stair of Wonders" is somewhat over-reaching in its name, by the way.
Definitely a place to bring the kids and of course a great educational resource, but the ROM is more for lovers of historical artifact than lovers of fine art.
Came here on a Wednesday during free admission. Great museum, plenty of unique and exciting displays, has a good variety of exhibitions from all over the world. Unfortunately, the free admission is only for one hour. How do these Canadians expect someone to see the entire damn museum within an hour? Maybe I'm supposed to come back 6 Wednesdays in a row and maybe I'll get through all of it. Ain't no way I'm paying $28 for a ticket.
ROM is really cool. I think the whole concept of them expanding their museum by building around the original building, yet keeping the original building entirely intact is really cool. I was pretty hot and tired by the time I got there though because it was really hot that day and we walked extremely far to get there. What I like about this museum is that it has a little bit of everything. Their China exhibit was pretty large and had a lot of neat stuff. I really liked the Book of the Dead exhibit. That was really interesting. And I loved the dinosaur exhibit! Who doesn't love a good dinosaur exhibit? What was kind of cool was that the signage tells you which bones are the actual excavated bones and which ones are plaster cast. That was pretty cool because looking from afar, you really couldn't tell them apart. The Gallery of Biodiversity was also pretty neat. I think it just opened a couple of months ago and it has this huge white rhino that is the centerpiece. I think it just died last year from the Toronto Zoo and now it's at the ROM.
I was really tired so we didn't go through the whole museum, but if I had more energy, I'd definitely go back and look through everything!
I was a little put-off by the nearly $20 entry fee, but the ROM didn't disappoint. A modern facade interwoven with the original edifice, the museum is home to a wide range of collections, the highlight of which is the array of dinosaur and prehistoric animal bones. A mastodon tooth the size of my nephew's head? Yes, please! Bonus points for allowing us to touch it.
There were more than enough hands-on activities, from ancient-times dress-up and play excavations to handling creepy critters like walking sticks and hissing cockroaches. The only real disappointments were the mummy exhibit (only one visible decomposed corpse) and the bat cave, which promised far more than it delivered. But overall the ROM did a fantastic job of modernizing the old-school museum experience.
Having a friend in town was a great opportunity to finally check out the ROM in all of its glory. And while overall I found it to be a little too heavy on the taxidermy, it was still a pretty fun trip.
A great tip is that on fridays you can get in for half price in the evenings, something that puts a big dent in the admission fee. Also keep eyes open to see if there are any special exhibits you want to see, the one they had when I went was diamonds which I felt wasn't more than self-aggrandizement from the diamond and jewelry industries. For our luck the exhibit did not have a separate entrance fee so we had fun roaming, gawking at all the jewels and of course, mocking the gift shop's propensity to "bling out" everything they could think of, including, I kid you not, a computer mouse.
The key part to going to the ROM is to plan. We were there for several hours and we still didn't see everything, maybe not even half? We didn't plan in advance or even look at a map, which while a pleasant, unstructured way to go about things, really does leave you wanting around a cavernous museum semi-lost. Good thing about those docents, always there to point you in the right direction! But be warned - if anyone asks you a leading or rhetorical question about something, say you need to go...museum educators haunt these halls and will give you a 20 minute lecture on their item of expertise with little way out.
Highlights were the Bat Cave and the dinosaurs (who doesn't love dinos?). Lowlights, education and creepy taxidermy, and overall sense of being overwhelmed. Oh yes, and the Crystal is cool, although it leads to odd corners where a window looks out on the exterior of the older building, which in turn has a window facing out.
This is a beautiful museum with a wide range of exhibits for a well rounded experience. I agree that $22 for admission is far too expensive; I don't think I've ever paid that high of a price at a museum or art gallery. Luckily, I knew to go on Friday evening when tickets are half price. This was also the same day as the grand reopening of the Art Gallery of Ontario, so the museum wasn't crowded at all. Unfortunately, some exhibits were under construction, so my tour was cut shorter than expected.
I loved the World Cultures and Natural History exhibits. The World Cultures exhibit was especially engrossing because the maze-like layout of the museum makes you feel discombobulated and lose a little psychological knowledge of where you are...and when you are?? Sorry. That was lame, but there definitely is an increased feeling that you're wrapped up in the atmosphere and items from each era. There are also audio stops where you can sit and enjoy a historical taste of the era you're viewing.
What can I write about the ROM that hasn't already been written?
Well, how about a story?
I've been to the ROM quite a few times; first as a high school student on a field trip, on whims, on rainy days and on the opening day of the "Crystal Age," the 30 million dollar donation to the expansion from Micheal Lee Chin was AMAZING to see! I went pretty camera-crazy that day (see pictures).
Seeing the museum from this perspective was quite unique. There were no artifacts or objects or pieces of antiquity filling the ROM. Instead, it was bare; a bare canvas that truly showed the juxtaposition of the old museum with the new.
I was, at first disappointed when I heard of what was proposed to the ROM. I liked the old building. It looked and felt like a museum should. When I first started seeing the construction, I was skeptical and judgemental; how was it going to work? It kind of looked like this metal and glass structure had jammed its self into the old building and I didn't like it! I didn't like it at all!....
But, on the day of the opening there was a huge buzz about the new ROM. I was expecting to be disappointed, but instead was overjoyed at the experience. Me, knowing nothing about architecture and feeling like I had no appreciation for it, was able to both understand and accept his radical changes.
The ROM is a place I'd recommend to anyone and everyone, and not just for the dinosaur bones or Aztec artifacts. The building itself, the blend of antiquity and modern truly make it a great Toronto landmark and a wonderful testament to what a museum can be.
The Daniel Libeskind 'crystal' addition is really a gigantic cheap cubic zirconia meteorite with double-pane windows that has slammed into the ROM forcing the displays inside the crystal to struggle against its sharp interior angles. Has Libeskind designed anything in North America that rises above his ego?
With that said, the ROM's contents rise above all this silliness. It is Canada's great more-than-a-natural-history museum and it benefits from the additional space. More of the collection is on display. The dinosaurs look good and the world cultures galleries now offer a breadth that was previously missing.
This museum should be a must-see for any Toronto visitor. Just don't get angry as you try to figure out how to open Libeskind's silly entrance doors.
Listed in: Art Museums Anywhere
It's a little too soon to be able to say if I like the new-and-improved ROM. Part of me misses the wacky ol' dino-bones exhibits with their fake scenery, especially the "underwater" dinosaurs that were lit with shimmering blue lights. But I do appreciate the new, "clean" aesthetic inside the crystal. Parts of the displays do seem a bit cramped, however.
Even though the crystal's been open for over a year, they're still installing new exhibits, so the rather steep admission price isn't the best value. A few people have pointed out that it's half-price on Friday evenings; it's also free for the last hour on Wednesdays (4:30-5:30). That doesn't give you enough time to see everything properly, but it's good to know if you're only interested in one exhibit, or have already (like I have) seen most of the collection before.
I like a good quality museum almost as much as the next person.. The next person being a 70-year old granny. I joke, I joke... I ventured out to the ROM on a lovely Friday afternoon (after 4:30PM it's half price.. cheapy $11/person) - good friend in tow (my sugga momma, whole other story).
Having not been there since first year university I didn't really have any expectations. The outside and even the lobby area look pretty slick, but the actual content of the museum is something else. I found the layout (odd shapes and corners) quite distracting and an inefficient use of space. The dinosaurs, bat cave and mammal exhibits were my fav by far. My suggestion is to skip the entire last floor (i believe it's the 4th/5th), as that section was kinda a snoozefest. Unless you fancy that kind of stuff.
The gift shop was a little disappointing. Lots of weird knick knacks that were a little bit pricey. Staff were quite friendly, and the actual museum space was kept relatively clean. Overall, a good way to kill a few hours and learn a thing or two in the process.
In addition, the ROM is situated in a pretty good area. There's lots to do up and around the Bloor/University stretch, hit up Yorkville, shops on bloor and Yonge street (going south) while you're in the area.
ROM is a great place.My favourites are the dinosaurs,the mammals,the Egyptian book of the dead-especially the mummies and the gems. Wish I could have seen the dead sea scrolls exhibits coming soon in June.The ROM store I thought was a bit overpriced for the souvenirs, but the food court had some great deals and so were the hot dog stands outside the museum.Overall a great day at the museum.
The ROM is a great general museum located downtown. The spectacular new redesign by Daniel Liebeskind is worth a visit alone. The entry fee is slightly high, but typical of major museums in major North American cities.
I spent 7 hours in the ROM, and could have spent much, much more time there.
Appreciated all the asian artifacts and history, as well as the dinosaurs and extinct mammals, to the butterfly and insect exhibits. I never even got to cover half of the museum when I was there.
I'll be going back soon, to admire the rest of the exhibits. A truly phenomenal place for educational learning and appreciation of life.
Toronto, ON
Neighborhood: Casa Loma
Neighborhood: University of Toronto
North York, ON
Toronto, ON
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