Toronto, Canada, is not far from Niagara Falls, so I decided to pay it a visit. While it didn’t feel overwhelmingly special, the city gave off a distinct impression of being a very livable place. There are a few spots worth visiting in Toronto, and in this post, I’ll introduce the Royal Ontario Museum.
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Royal Ontario Museum (ROM)
The Royal Ontario Museum opened in 1914, boasting a history of over 100 years. It houses a world-class collection of diverse art pieces and natural history specimens.
It prides itself on being the largest museum in Canada. It holds over 13 million items in its collection, including the diverse dinosaur fossils that represent the museum. I’ve heard that over a million visitors flock here every year.
The building itself is quite interesting, too. It features a unique blend of modern design and classical elements. The ceiling of the main hall is covered in gold leaf mosaic, making for an incredibly spectacular first impression.
The major exhibitions at the ROM can be broadly divided into Natural History (including dinosaur fossils), World Culture, and History. There is also a separate gallery dedicated to the Indigenous peoples of Canada.
Because they possess a significant number of artifacts and art from ancient China, Egypt, Greece, and Rome, you really get the feeling that this museum has condensed the entire history of the Earth into one building.
Operating Hours
- Daily 10:00 AM – 5:30 PM
- Closed every Monday
Ticket Prices
- Adults: 26 CAD
- Seniors (65+): 21 CAD
- Youth (15–19): 20 CAD
- Children (4–14): 16 CAD
- Note: Prices vary based on reservation status and availability.
Free Admission
- When: Every third Tuesday of the month
- Time: 4:30 PM – 8:30 PM
The Official Royal Ontario Museum Website
Gallery of Korea
The Royal Ontario Museum is the only museum in Canada that houses a dedicated Gallery of Korea. This space was reportedly created with support from the Korean community and the South Korean government.
I saw a celadon cup and saucer with subtle patterns engraved even on the inside. The craftsmanship and patterns were so exquisite that if they were in Korea, they would likely be considered National Treasure-level cultural heritage.
While the scale of the Gallery of Korea isn’t massive, it’s not easy to find exhibitions related to Korea when traveling abroad. Since the quality of the artifacts is quite high, it is definitely worth a look.
Dinosaur Fossils
The most popular exhibition at the ROM is, without a doubt, the collection regarding dinosaurs and ancient life. There are models of life forms dating back to times even before the age of dinosaurs.
There is an incredibly diverse range of ancient creatures and models restored based on actual fossils. Some were completely new to me, while others were things I’d heard about in school, making it really fun to explore.
Of course, nothing beats the excitement of seeing the actual dinosaur fossils. Whether you are an adult or a child, aren’t dinosaurs always a source of curiosity and wonder?
Honestly, at first, I thought, “It’s just dinosaur fossils; isn’t it just piecing bones together?” But they also provide explanations about the evolution and extinction of dinosaurs, so it was surprisingly educational.
It is a generally accepted theory in academia that dinosaurs went extinct due to climate change caused by a meteorite impact. In the dinosaur gallery, they even run a program where you can touch a real meteorite.
I also spotted the fossil of a Parasaurolophus, which is quite famous for appearing frequently in the Jurassic Park movie series. It’s a distinctive dinosaur known for the curved crest on its head.
In addition to this, there are many fossils and models of various dinosaurs like Triceratops and Tyrannosaurus Rex (the famous T. rex). It was an exhibition where I personally experienced that dinosaurs were far more massive beings than I had ever imagined.
Natural History
Although dinosaurs are technically part of natural history, their presence is so overwhelming that I categorized them separately. However, the rest of the ROM’s Natural History exhibition is organized chronologically.
In the galleries following the dinosaur era, there are many specimens of creatures currently living on Earth. You can see various endangered species on display, including pandas and leatherback sea turtles.
When I traveled to National Parks in the US, I really wanted to see a Bison, but I missed them. I finally met one here, albeit as a taxidermy specimen. They have a much larger body size than I expected.
Beyond the Bison, there are so many animals here you can’t easily see in a zoo, including rhinos and albatrosses. If you visit with children, it’s fun and educational.
Gem & Mineral Collection
As expected of Canada’s largest museum, the Royal Ontario Museum has truly diverse exhibitions, including a collection of minerals and gems that are hard to find in other general museums.
What’s great is that they haven’t simply displayed the minerals; the exhibit is structured so you can visually see and easily understand the academic content. Again, this would be incredibly helpful educationally if you go with kids.
Carbon changes into either graphite or diamond depending on how its atoms are arranged. They placed atomic models next to each mineral to make this concept easy to grasp.
We know gems like Aquamarine and Emerald well, but their colors differ based on the impurities mixed into the mineral Beryl. This, too, is displayed so you can verify it at a glance.
One of the rarest pieces in the ROM’s gem collection is a blue diamond. As expected, the color is caused by impurities.
You can also see a Star Sapphire, which creates an effect that looks like a shining star when it catches the light. This is also apparently due to other crystals included inside it.
I saw an Opal in real life. I had never seen one in person before, only hearing stories about how beautiful and iridescent they are. The color was so brilliant and vivid that I wondered if the word “iridescent” was created just to describe Opals.
Final Thoughts
The Royal Ontario Museum is a place where you can see a truly vast array of exhibitions, from the origins of the Earth to dinosaurs, modern animals, ancient civilizations like Egypt and Rome, and even minerals and gems.
It is excellent for educational purposes, so everyone from families with children to those interested in history and art can enjoy it. If you are visiting Toronto, why not stop by?
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