Toronto Museums and Art GalleriesToronto Museums and Art Galleries offer something for EVERY interest!
Royal Ontario MuseumLocally known as the ROM (to rhyme with Tom), The Royal Ontario Museum is one of the biggest Toronto museums and a definite MUST-SEE. The golden mosaic dome of Venetian glass, the great totem pole in the staircase, the Buddha room in the Chinese galleries, the Bat Cave, the dinosaur display … regular visitors count these among their favourite features. The Canadiana section is great introduction to Canadian culture, history, and art work. Hosts international exhibits and offers lots of tours, educational programming, musical events, etc. A fairy tale castle with a Sleeping Beauty past. Gardiner Museum of Ceramic Arts Across the street from the ROM you can visit the Gardiner Museum of Ceramic Arts, with Canada’s largest collection of pre-Columbian pottery, plus contemporary ceramics, fine porcelain, maiolica and delftware. Culture vultures won’t want to miss the AGO, Ontario's largest public art gallery. Recently reopened after extensive renovations, its holdings of 68,000 works include Canadian and international pieces. Some examples: the Group of Seven, Cornelius Kreighoff, a famous Henry Moore sculpture court, Rodin, Monet, Picasso. More information Bata Shoe Museum The wacky Bata Shoe Museum, shaped like a shoebox, features a collection of footwear from all around the world, dating back centuries. 12,500 artifacts. Everything from antique beaded Aboriginal footwear to Marilyn Monroe's red leather pumps. The Museum of Inuit Art MIA is of the newest Toronto museums, and one of my favourite galleries in the city. You'll find it at Harbourfront. They have hundreds of works including sculpture, prints and textile wall hangings. Some of the pieces are hundreds of years old, and some were created last year. They also have a large shop attached where you can purchase new works. Ontario Science Centre Poll any group of local kids and you’ll find that after more than three decades, the Ontario Science Centre remains a class favourite. Children can’t wait to put their hand on the Van de Graaff generator, that magic silver ball that makes your hair stand up. With or without kids, it’s worth a trek out to the Zoo where you can see “lions and tigers and bears – oh my!” With over 5,000 animals and 10 km of trails, the zoo is practically the size of a small town, but if you tire, a space-age train will scoop you up and carry you through the animal territory.
Not far from the AGO, tucked away in a squat tower on Centre Street in downtown Chinatown, you’ll find the Textile Museum of Canada. Surprises await here! Every kind of textile art you can imagine is housed in this little jewel: carpets, wall hangings, embroidery, and so on. Pictured right is a beautiful boy's jacket. According to the curatorial notes, "In the exuberant Rabari style of northern India, the ground cloth is almost completely covered with shisha, or mirror work, and densely embroidered flowers. Gift of Dr. Howard Gorman." Mackenzie House - This was the last home of William Lyon Mackenzie, a leader of the 1837 rebellion, Toronto's first mayor, and journalist/writer. It's also a good example of how the middle class lived in the 1860s. Hockey Hall of Fame
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