Toronto Museums

Royal Ontario Museum

With over six million objects from around the world, the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) is one of North America’s largest museums. No matter where you wander, you are sure to uncover a historic treasure. But the ROM has several artifacts that every visitor should make time to see. First, head to the Tomb of General Zu Dashou, commonly known as the Ming Tomb; the General helped protect the Ming dynasty from the Manchu invasion. In the James and Louise Temerty Galleries of the Age of Dinosaurs, you’ll find a huge sauropod skeleton affectionately known as “Gordo.” The dinosaur - a barosaurus - is 90 feet long, making it the largest mounted dinosaur in all of Canada. And while every object in the Galleries of Africa: Egypt is worth seeing, take a bit of extra time to study one object in particular - the Head of Cleopatra, a granite bust of the famous woman. One of the museum’s most loved cultural objects sits in the entry hall itself; the ROM’s three-stories-high totem poles. The carvings on the totems are records of the family traditions and achievements of the Nisga’a and Haida people. And if the kids need a break from all the culture, head to the Bat Cave, guaranteed to both terrify and entertain children of all ages. The bats, by the way, are of the fake and non-biting variety.

The Royal Ontario Museum is located at 100 Queen’s Park, just steps away from the Museum stop on the Yonge-University-Spadina subway line. General admission costs $22 for adults, $19 for seniors and students, and $15 for children. For more information, visit www.rom.on.ca.

Bata Shoe Museum

Any woman with a shortage of shoe storage in her closet needs to visit the Bata Shoe Museum. Stepping into the museum is like walking into an oversized shoe box; inside, you’ll find hundreds of shoes, from a 16th century platform mule from Venice to Elvis Presley’s blue loafers. The museum displays its 12,000-strong collection of shoes to the public on a rotating basis, so there is always something new to see. You’ll want to take your time wandering the exhibits. As any woman knows, with shoes, it’s all about the details.

The Bata Shoe Museum is located at 327 Bloor Street West, at the corner of Bloor Street West and St. George Street. Unlike many shoes out there, this attraction won’t break the bank. Adult admission is just $12; kids pay only $4. Head to the museum Thursday night between 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. for a special pay-what-you-can admission (though the museum does ask for a $5 donation). For more information on the museum itself and its schedule of special exhibitions, head to www.batashoemuseum.ca.

Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO)

With artwork spanning the globe - from Africa to Europe to Canada - and spanning time - from the Middle Ages to Surrealism to Contemporary - the AGO is a treasure trove of culture and history. The building itself has become a work of art with the redesign by architect Frank Gehry. If the sweeping spiral staircases don’t fill you with awe, nothing will.

This You Tube Video shows off the new addition of the AGO by Frank Gehry and gives great glimpses in and around the art gallery

 

You cannot see every piece on display; with over 4,000 artworks spread over 110 galleries, it would take weeks to admire each and every piece. Visit the Art Gallery of Ontario’s website - at www.ago.net - and plan your visit. Be sure to save time for the Thomson Collection of Canadian Paintings and First Nations Objects. The exhibit displays important works by the Group of Seven, as well as paintings by Cornelius Krieghoff and other 19th century Canadian artists that depict quaint life in the 1800s. Here, you can also see rare and strikingly beautiful First Nations objects, like masks, amulets, and ivory combs.

Located at 317 Dundas Street West, admission to the AGO is $18 for adults and $10 for children.

Casa Loma

When compared to Italy or England, North America is short on grand castles. But Casa Loma helps even the score. Financier and multimillionaire Sir Henry Pellatt drew up the plans to Casa Loma, the “house on the hill,” in 1911. Three years - and $3.5 million - later, Casa Loma became the largest and grandest private residence in all of North America. Maybe too grand - ten years after moving in, Sir Henry was forced to abandon his dream home due to his dwindling finances. Today, the castle is on display in all its glory, with decorated rooms, secret passages, and stunning architecture. If several rooms look familiar to you, it’s because the castle often serves as a backdrop to movie sets; the X-Men series was filmed here, as was Chicago and National Lampoon.

This You Tube Video gives you a quick tour in and around Casa Loma as well asa brief history.

 

Casa Loma is located at 1 Austin Terrace, close to the Davenport Road and Spadina Avenue intersection.

Casa Loma Admission Fees-Effective June 1, 2010
Adult (18-59): $18.19 (taxes not included)
Child (4 to 13): $10.02 (taxes not included)
Youth (14-17): $12.95 (taxes not included)
Senior (60+): $12.95 (taxes not included)

Casa Loma recommends leaving the strollers at home, since navigating the grand staircases and tight tunnels is near impossible with a four-wheeled buggy in tow. For more information, head to www.casaloma.org.

Black Creek Pioneer Village

If you ever find yourself inconvenienced by the amount of traffic on the highway or the shortage of chocolate bars in the supermarket, visit Black Creek Pioneer Village. After spending the day wandering around this living museum showcasing mid-1800s rural Ontario life, you’ll be grateful for all the conveniences modern life has to offer. The village is interactive - tour the houses in the village and ask the interpreters questions about life before television and indoor plumbing. Before heading back to civilization, visit Laskey’s Emporium to pick up some old-fashioned treats - including rock candy suckers, sour drop candies, and homemade fudge.

Located at 1000 Murray Ross Parkway, near the intersection of Jane Street and Steeles Avenue, Black Creek Pioneer Village is open from May 1 to December 31. Admission costs $15 for adults, $11 for children, and $14 for seniors and students. For more information, visit blackcreek.ca.

McMichael Canadian Art Collection

This art gallery is located a few minutes drive north of the city, but its collection is well worth the trip. With a permanent collection of over 6,000 works by renowned Canadian artists, the McMichael is a living ark of the country’s cultural and artistic heritage. The gallery breaks its extensive collection into four sections - The Group of Seven, First Nations Art, Inuit Art, and Contemporary Art. The most famous works on display belong to Tom Thompson, of the Group of Seven, and Emily Carr, a contemporary to the famous group. After getting lost in the stunning works of art inside, take a hike outside and get lost along the trails that cover 100 acres of wooded conservation land. Make a stop at the small cemetery on the grounds of the McMichael and pay your respects to the six members of the Group of Seven who are buried there.

The McMichael Canadian Art Collection is located in the village of Kleinburg, at 10365 Islington Avenue. Adults pay $15 for admission, and seniors and students both pay $12. Parking costs $5. For more information on the exhibits and for directions to the gallery, visit www.mcmichael.com.

Map of Toronto Museums

Royal Ontario Museum Bata Shoe Museum Art Gallery of Ontario Casa Loma Black Creek Pioneer McMichael Collection

 

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