The Best Sight in Toronto, Ontario

The ROM (as the Royal Ontario Museum is known to locals) opened in 1914, is Canada's largest museum, and has a reputation for making its science, art, and archaeology exhibits accessible and appealing. The architecture of the gigantic complex, which includes the ultramodern Michael Lee-Chin Crystal gallery—a series of interlocking prismatic shapes spilling out onto Bloor Street—helps exemplify this.

Inside the museum, the Daphne Cockwell Gallery of Canada showcases an impressive collection of First Peoples objects and artifacts, spanning from pre-contact times to the present. The Matthews Family Court of Chinese Sculpture features monumental Buddhist sculptures dating from 200 BC to 1900, while the Gallery of Korea presents over 260 artifacts of Korean art and cultural heritage.

In February 2024, the museum launched its bold OpenROM revitalization, with plans for a redesigned entrance with a dramatic canopy, a grand four-story atrium, new gallery space, a showcase water feature, and a multilevel "lilypad" staircase. Once complete in 2027, OpenROM will offer permanent free access to the museum’s main floor.  "Plan Ahead Pricing" offers ticket savings when booked in advance. Third Tuesday nights are free.