Toronto Trip: Exploring the Royal Ontario Museum

To be honest, I'm not such a fan of museums. I actually like history, but sometimes I get bored easily and would rather just take photos. Hubby, on the other hand, loves going to museums. He explores every little nook and cranny, checks out all the displays, and reads all those little information cards that explain what the exhibit is all about. Most of the time, I just sit down somewhere and wait for him until he's done lol. ;p

When we went to Toronto though, our college batchmate got in touch with us and offered us free tickets to The Royal Ontario Museum (also referred to as the "ROM") since she does volunteer work there. The ROM is actually one of the largest museums in North America, and the largest in Canada, so we knew we couldn't pass up this opportunity. So thank you Jam, because if it wasn't for you, we would have definitely missed out on this cool experience!

Regular admission to the ROM costs $20 for adults and includes entry to over 30 galleries showcasing a world-class collection of art, culture, and nature from around the globe and across the age.

thank you Jam!

If you're a history buff, you'll be in heaven with its five floors of galleries and exhibitions to explore. The highlight for me was definitely the exhibit of dinosaur bones! So cool!

with the mighty T-Rex!

I also enjoyed the Natural History exhibits which explores our world's biodiversity through three core themes: Life is Diverse, Life is Interconnected, and Life is at Risk.

The museum also features a diverse range of relics on display including ancient Roman sculptures, African and Asian art, and an extensive collection of design and fine arts, including clothing, interior, and product design, especially Art Deco.

What was so cool was that there was even a Philippine display! It featured traditional costumes, basketry, hosehold objects and musical instruments. So amazing to see our country represented in this museum.

ROM also has special exhibitions and when we were there, we caught The Evidence Room (runs until September 3, 2018) which shows undeniable forensic architectural evidence that Hitler’s National Socialist government, the Nazis, designed and carried out the murder of over one million Jews at Auschwitz-Birkenau during the Holocaust.

The Evidence Room, constructed entirely in white, focuses on the coldly calculated architectural decisions which culminated in a factory of death. Full-scale reconstructions of three key components of the Auschwitz gas chambers—a gas column, gas-tight door, and gas-tight hatch—and over 60 plaster casts of architectural evidence, such as blueprints, contractors’ bills and photographs, speak eloquently as silent material witnesses to the horrors of Auschwitz.

It was definitely one of the best museums I've been to so far, and I actually enjoyed looking through most of the galleries. I felt like I was in the "Night at the Museum" movie, imagining all the displays coming to life at night. ;p

Royal Ontario Museum
100 Queen’s Park, Toronto, ON, M5S 2C6
Website: www.rom.on.ca
Hours: 10:00 am to 5:30 pm
The Museum is open daily except for December 25