ROYAL ONTARIO MUSEUM: All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)
Royal Ontario Museum
Royal Ontario Museum
4.5
10:00 - 17:30
Tuesday
10:00 - 17:30
Wednesday
10:00 - 17:30
Thursday
10:00 - 17:30
Friday
10:00 - 17:30
Saturday
10:00 - 17:30
Sunday
10:00 - 17:30
About
Opened in 1914, the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) showcases art, culture, and nature from around the globe and across the ages. One of North America's most renowned cultural institutions, Canada's largest museum is home to a world-class collection of more than six million objects and specimens, featured in 40 gallery and exhibition spaces. As the country’s preeminent field research institute and an international leader in new and original findings in biodiversity, palaeontology, earth sciences, the visual arts, material culture and archaeology, the ROM plays a vital role in advancing our global understanding of the artistic, cultural and natural world.
Duration: 2-3 hours
Suggest edits to improve what we show.
Improve this listing
Admission tickets
from €18.06
All you need to step foot in the door.
What is Travellers’ Choice?
Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Revenue impacts the experiences featured on this page, learn more.
The area
Address
Neighbourhood: Downtown
At the heart of Toronto, Downtown is the destination for cheap eats and fast fashion. Cut through by hip and trendy Yonge Street, the vibe here is young, with a strong student influence from the Ryerson University Campus. As a result, the Downtown area is always in flux: undergoing the construction of new facilities, with fresh retail spaces and pop-up cafes. Home to Toronto's largest indoor shopping mall, a number of vintage cinemas, and a healthy nightlife centered on the area's Distillery District bar and clubs near the East End, it's both an easygoing daytime spot and a popular party place after sunset. It also features some of Toronto's best outdoor landmarks, including Yonge-Dundas Square and the Nathan Phillips Square: perfect for a concert, a skate, or a relaxing sit-down.
How to get there
  • Museum • 2 min walk
  • St. George • 6 min walk
Reach out directly
See what travellers are saying
  • AC
    Albuquerque, New Mexico200 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Give yourself 3-4 hours for full visit
    This is one of the better large institution museums I've been to that spans enough material to keep you interested. It is a mix of natural history, art, and historical. We spent around 4 hours walking through the exhibits, and could've taken longer. They do a great job featuring the Indigenous people of their specific area ( some museums just display whatever from unrelated regions) and collections that told full stories about the country's periods. Some of the rooms were hard to get to, and the signs were not completely clear, but it looks like the museum expanded on top of itself, making that part a bit hard.
    Hello flowerfilled, Thank you for taking the time to share your experience with us. We are happy to hear that you enjoyed ROM, across all the permanent collections. We always appreciate learning which exhibitions our visitors were impressed with most and are happy to learn that you enjoyed our First People's gallery in particular. We will take your feedback regarding our signage into consideration to improve our visitor experience. To help visitors navigate their way through the museum, map guides are available on our main floor and can also be downloaded from our website. We hope to welcome you back another time soon!
    Written 31 May 2023
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
    Visited May 2023
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 27 May 2023
  • Stormflora
    Toronto, Canada34 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    The absolute best museum in Canada, bar none
    This museum easily houses the most exhibits possible in all of Canada, and perhaps the world. It's just jam-packed with lots to see. You really need to devote the entire day from morning to evening just to explore this museum.
    Hello Stormflora, Thank you for taking the time to share your experience with us. We are delighted that you enjoyed your visit and appreciate your review. With four floors of galleries and exhibitions on art, culture, and nature, ROM is a museum for all ages. If you have an opportunity to visit ROM again, we recommend visiting our second floor to see more exhibitions on natural history, such as Dinosaurs, Biodiversity, and our newest permanent gallery, Dawn of Life. Until next time,
    Written 9 July 2023
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
    Visited August 2022
    Written 5 July 2023
  • minsterman66
    Chippenham, United Kingdom136 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Good regional museum
    A really good museuem that told its story from the regional point of view. Really good First Nations exhibit and enjoyed the dinosaur wing. You need to allow yourself a good 2- 3 hours to do it justice.
    Hello minstermann66, Thank you for taking the time to share your experience with us. We are delighted to hear that you enjoyed the museum and your tour of our natural history exhibits on the second floor. ROM is a museum of art, culture and nature and there is something for everyone to appreciate regardless of age. If you have an opportunity to visit ROM again, we recommend visiting our special exhibition T: rex: The Ultimate Predator (at ROM until September 4, 2023). We hope you welcome you back another time soon! All the best,
    Written 8 July 2023
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
    Visited June 2023
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 8 July 2023
  • Czar Emmanuel
    Manila, Philippines6,277 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    One of the best museums in Canada
    The structure that houses the museum's collections may be quite controversial (as old and modern styles are combined), but the place is definitely one of the best museums in the country! It has an ample collection of both natural and man-made items dating back to the prehistoric times up to the present. There are both permanent and temporary exhibits. I particularly liked the galleries dedicated to the dawn of life and prehistory. The collection of dinosaur bones is impressive and well arranged. Visitors get a discount when they present their PRESTO card.
    Hello CzarEmmanuel, Thank you for visiting the museum and for taking the time to share your experience with us. We agree that ROM's architecture is iconic and we're glad that you enjoyed seeing our extensive collections of art, nature and culture in our galleries. At ROM we strive to provide a world class experience for all our visitors and your feedback helps us to achieve this goal. We hope to welcome you back another time soon. All the best,
    Written 14 August 2023
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
    Visited August 2023
    Travelled solo
    Written 12 August 2023
  • MomRocco
    Chicago, Illinois541 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    So Much to See!!!
    We have visited ROM before and just wandered by ourselves in the museum. We were there for about 4 hours total and the exhibits we found the most interesting were those dealing with Asian arts and history, Egyptian and Roman arts and history, and also the exhibit which houses dinosaurs and other prehistoric animals. It did seem to us that the information on some of the dinosaurs was out of date, especially the video clips which were done in 2007. Still an awe-inspiring museum and very much worth the time to visit.
    Hello MomRocco, Thank you for taking the time to share your experience with us. We are delighted that you enjoyed your visit and appreciate your review. With four floors of galleries and exhibitions on art, culture, and nature, ROM definitely has something for everyone, though we agree that our Dinosaurs gallery is popular with visitors of all ages! We hope to welcome you back another time soon! Until next time,
    Written 1 October 2023
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
    Visited September 2023
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 26 September 2023
  • Jasmine
    70 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    This Place is Grand!
    I enjoyed getting lost in the numerous cultures the ROM had on display. It was like going back in time. Every culture had a variety of art to observe. If you love history and learning about different cultures, consider visiting the ROM!
    Hello jw81496, Thank you for taking the time to share your experience with us. We are delighted that you enjoyed your visit and appreciate your review. With four floors of galleries and exhibitions on art, culture, and nature, ROM definitely has something for everyone. We hope to welcome you back another time soon! Until next time,
    Written 24 November 2023
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
    Visited November 2023
    Travelled solo
    Written 20 November 2023
  • baroom
    Mississauga, Canada2,182 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Another 3rd Tuesday night free
    Back here at ROM on Tue, Dec 19, for another 3rd Tuesday Night Free event (4:30PM-8:30PM). We arrived before 5PM, Queen's Park museum entrance was locked (with a note to use main entrance) so had to go around the block to Bloor St W to get in. Futalognkosaurus area of the main lobby was quite busy. Apparently, we weren't the only ones who planned a free night at the museum. We headed straight to the elevators to get to level 3 where we had a quick look at the European period rooms and current life jacket art installation. Got a little lost when we couldn't locate some Asia exhibits we've seen last time. Encountered some closed off galleries so went back to the elevator lobby. Son volunteered to grab a map guide before we continued on. We then took a peek at Byzantium, Rome and Egypt galleries then segued to gender-neutral washrooms with multiple private stalls equipped with touchless toilet, faucet and hand dryer, still on level 3. From here, we found our way to the Rotunda where we posed for photos with the lovely mosaic dome as background. We headed to the newest permanent gallery on level 2, unveiled in Dec 2021, Dawn of Life, where we saw Fractofusus and a massive Dunkleosteus fish bronze cast. At the end of this gallery is a set of doors that open directly to where Gordo the Barosaurus is located. Of course, a visit to the Age of Dinosaurs gallery wouldn't be complete without a brief stop at the T-Rex. However, it got crowded here pretty fast so we left after a couple of obligatory photos. We only stayed an hour inside the museum so admittedly didn't see a lot. We plan to visit ROM again to explore those permanent galleries we haven't seen in years.
    Hello baroom, Thank you for taking the time to share your experience with us. We are delighted that you enjoyed your visit and with four floors of galleries and exhibitions on art, culture, and nature, ROM definitely has something for everyone. We hope you can join us again for our next Third Tuesday Night Free on February 20. All the best,
    Written 25 January 2024
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
    Visited December 2023
    Travelled with family
    Written 12 January 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Popular mentions

We perform checks on reviews.
Tripadvisor’s approach to reviews
Before posting, each Tripadvisor review goes through an automated tracking system, which collects information, answering the following questions: how, what, where and when. If the system detects something that potentially contradicts our community guidelines, the review is not published.
When the system detects a problem, a review may be automatically rejected, sent to the reviewer for validation, or manually reviewed by our team of content specialists, who work 24/7 to maintain the quality of the reviews on our site.
Our team checks each review posted on the site disputed by our community as not meeting our community guidelines.
Learn more about our review moderation.
4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles8,481 reviews
Excellent
4,996
Very good
2,568
Average
725
Poor
133
Terrible
59

Travel25346533585
55 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2023 • Family
The "ROM" is a Toronto Landmark that school children have been coming to for Generations. While a respectable local Museum it is no Smithsonian or London Museum.
Located in downtown Toronto it is a good rainy day excursion and does have a few interesting exhibits.
Written 25 March 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

FuzzyBeaver
Montreal, Canada1,266 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2024 • Couples
The 2023 Wildlife Photography winners exhibit is fabulous as usual. Each year it has truly stunning photos. Plus the background on how they were taken is fascinating. It ranges from luck to days, weeks, months of planning and execution. Worth a visit just for the one exhibit. We also try to visit lesser visited parts of the ROM. This time we check out the Korean gallery and the Indigenous gallery. Both were very worth a visit. It is great comparing the Korean history of art to other areas. The Indigenous gallery is huge and packed full of great artifacts and write-ups. Both galleries are worth checking out.
Written 24 March 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Gary Williams
5 contributions
2.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2024 • Friends
Came as a member with a guest. Many galleries only partially open. Others totally closed. Gift shop is awful. No museum guidebook, no gallery guides or maps for specific galleries. Try finding items actually specific to the ROM other than something with an image of the Michael Chin Lee Crystal on it. Shortage of docents in the galleries. And finally, the Druxy's restaurant prices are outrageous. But the pretentiously named "ROM BOUTIQUE" gift shop is the worst. An embarrassment for the largest public museum in Canada.
Written 14 March 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

19jmn59
Berlin, Germany5 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2024 • Family
This was my second visit to ROM. I still think that it is an extraordinary museum with many interesting artifacts and exhibits worth seeing. Both times, I spent in excess of 5 hours in the ROM and still did not see everything (one must be selective). So far, so good. Now the not so positive aspects: Admission is way too expensive, additional cloak room fees are applied (totally inappropriate), and the cafeteria prices are too steep (CDN $ 14.00 for a Cappuccino and an Almond Croissant are ridiculous). What bothered me most, however, was one of ROM’s volunteers who tried to reprimand me for picking up an item on a display table (the item was meant to be picked up and touched). She claimed that I should have asked for help (if I need help of any kind, I’ll ask for it). Such overeagerness and presumed entitlement on the volunteer’s part was totally inappropriate and uncalled for. I advise you to educate your employees in such a manner that they do not offen your visitors.
Written 12 March 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Christina H
1 contribution
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2024 • Family
So much to see! My 16 yr old and her friend went off exploring for hours on their own while I took the 9 year old around to all the different exhibits and galleries he wanted to see. Lots of activities for kids during the March Break to keep them engaged.
Written 12 March 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

RichardPrince
Desborough, UK317 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Great and large museum to visit. Lots to see with a variety of different cultures and styles.

ROM offers a cloakroom for coats (as you’d imagine) but more importantly they accept suitcases. So a wonderful place to visit on either your first or last day of a holiday.

£73 on the door for two adults, one child, two additional expeditions and a number of cloakroom items. Probably on the pricey side but well worth a visit.

We just about covered it all in three hours with a brief stop at the cafe.

Easy drop off and pick up location for Ubers also.
Written 25 February 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Stefan Overton
Colchester, UK172 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Make sure to get City Pass if you’re looking to do this and other attractions!

Really great museum, it is closed on a certain day of the week so prepare beforehand for that.

Took us a good couple of hours to go round this.
Definitely work a visit.

Lots of dinosaurs and fossils which I found most interesting.
Written 11 February 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hello StefanOverton1, Thank you for taking the time to share your experience with us. We are delighted that you enjoyed your visit and appreciate your review. With four floors of galleries and exhibitions on art, culture, and nature, ROM definitely has something for everyone, though we agree that our Natural History galleries are popular with visitors of all ages! We hope to welcome you back another time soon! Until next time,
Written 15 February 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Joshua Stewart
3 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2024 • Couples
My wife, Sharlene, and I recently visited the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM), and it was an experience that far exceeded our expectations. The museum's easy access directly in front of the train station exit was our first pleasant surprise, setting the tone for a hassle-free day of exploration and discovery.

Opting for full access tickets proved to be a wise decision, as it included special exhibits on death and the top wildlife photography winners. These exhibits were not only thought-provoking but also beautifully curated, showcasing a depth of creativity and insight into their respective themes.

The ROM's extensive collection offered a plethora of things to see and experience, enhanced by the inclusion of audio-assisted sections. These added a rich layer of information and engagement to our visit, allowing us to immerse ourselves fully in the different narratives and histories presented.

Among the highlights for me were the exhibits on Egypt, Greece, China, Japan, Korea, and Canada, each offering a unique window into the cultural, historical, and artistic heritage of these regions. The top wildlife photography exhibit, in particular, stood out for its breathtaking visuals and the stories behind each photograph, reminding us of the beauty and fragility of the natural world.

The exhibit on death was equally memorable, albeit in a different way. It provided a profound look into how societies across time and geography have understood and commemorated the end of life, offering insights that were both educational and deeply moving.

Our visit to the ROM with Sharlene was not just an outing but a journey through time and across continents. The museum's vast and varied collections, combined with its user-friendly layout and accessibility, made for an enriching and enjoyable day. It's a testament to the ROM's ability to engage visitors of all interests and backgrounds, offering something for everyone to appreciate and learn from.
Written 11 February 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hello joshuasP8490OL, Thank you for visiting the museum and for taking the time to share your experience with us. We're glad that you enjoyed seeing our extensive collections of art, nature and culture in our galleries. At ROM we strive to provide a world class experience for all our visitors and your feedback helps us to achieve this goal. We hope to welcome you back another time soon. All the best,
Written 15 February 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Paul
25 contributions
2.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2024 • Couples
Pros:
The ROM has numerous exhibits, some of which are quite interesting.

Cons:
It is difficult to learn about each exhibit because the nearby explanations are displayed in a font that is too small and condensed. Maybe the managers think that looks stylish, but it is not practical. Instead, it's just frustrating. Plenty of display space is available, but much of it is left unused. Why?

Many of the exhibits are so poorly illuminated that they cannot be seen clearly. What a disappointment!

The climate-change exhibits seem to assume that climate science is settled. But real science involves ongoing debate. Yet the ROM makes no effort to present or refute alternate climate-change theories, and they do not even mention that the Earth's climate has always been changing.

Given how poorly displayed many of the exhibits are, and how unreadably small the descriptions are, the ROM admission fee is exorbitant. Yet coat-storage fees are additional!

There are some much-better-managed museums around the world for which admission is free, such as the J Paul Getty Center in L.A. and the Soumaya in Mexico City. Even the fabulous MET in NYC is pay-what-you can, provided you live in NYC, so all NYC residents can enter for $1.

If the ROM needs to charge high admission fees, then the managers should display the exhibits better. For the ROM to achieve its full potential, it will need more competent management.
Written 6 February 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hello paulmR948HV, Thank you visiting the museum and for taking the time to share your experience with us. We appreciate your comments regarding the content of our exhibitions, displays and inscriptions and we will share your feedback with the appropriate departments. ROM is committed to providing a world-class experience to everyone we welcome and the feedback we receive from our visitors is valued and will help us to continue to improve the museum. All the best,
Written 15 February 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Patsy F
London, UK18 contributions
2.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2024 • Solo
Very disappointed to be charged full ticket when so much not on display. The entrance is confusing and boring, so much space that could be filled with objects creatively displayed. The temporary exhibitions carved out of former gallery spaces are a disgrace, what kind of an introduction to Greek and Roman, Egyptian and earlier cultures is provided by a long narrow alley way past toilets. What does it say about the state of culture in Canada? The Japanese Gallery closed for events! The Asian galleries a mish mash, labelling that does not engage or too demanding for even the most patient and keen visitor.
Written 30 January 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hello 362patsyf, Thank you visiting the museum and for taking the time to share your experience with us. We appreciate your comments regarding the content of our exhibitions, displays and inscriptions and we will share your feedback with the appropriate departments. ROM is committed to providing a world-class experience to everyone we welcome and the feedback we receive from our visitors is valued and will help us to continue to improve the museum. All the best,
Written 3 February 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Showing results 1-10 of 6,840
Revenue impacts the experiences featured on this page, learn more.
Is this your Tripadvisor listing?
Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.
Claim your listing

ROYAL ONTARIO MUSEUM: All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)

Frequently Asked Questions about Royal Ontario Museum

Royal Ontario Museum admission prices can vary. Entrance tickets currently cost €18.09, while a popular guided tour starts around €4.50 per person.

According to Tripadvisor travellers, these are the best ways to experience Royal Ontario Museum:


Restaurants near Royal Ontario Museum: View all restaurants near Royal Ontario Museum on Tripadvisor


© 2024 Tripadvisor LLC All rights reserved.

This is the version of our website addressed to speakers of English in Ireland. If you are a resident of another country or region, please select the appropriate version of Tripadvisor for your country or region in the drop-down menu.