Our family’s latest trip to Toronto was one we could not wait to start. This was partly due to our decision to make a stop at an attraction my other half and I had not visited in decades: The Royal Ontario Museum! Now, many may think that a trip to a museum is not that exciting but they have not been to visit this museum. We knew we were in store for different adventures at the numerous galleries that lay under the roof of this historic building.
Delight in Different Adventures at the Royal Ontario Museum
Originally five separate museums, the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) became reorganized into one single museum. It houses several exhibitions and galleries that capture the amazement of its visitors. We knew that we would not be able to take in all of the areas the ROM has to offer. We had to do some research before our visit to narrow down which galleries we were going to see on this visit to Toronto.
After some debate, these were the three exhibits my family explored at the ROM:
- James and Louise Temerty Galleries of the Age of Dinosaurs
- Galleries of Africa: Egypt
- Patrick and Barbara Keenan Family Gallery of Hands-on Biodiversity
Fun, fangs and fossils
Our first adventure at the ROM had to be to see the dinosaurs. All of us get a kick out of seeing these larger than life figures, so this was an easy decision to make. With hundreds of specimens displayed for visitors to view,
With hundreds of specimens displayed for visitors to view, The James and Louise Temerty Galleries of the Age of Dinosaurs shows how they shared the planet with each other in the seas, on land and in the air. This section of the museum covers the Jurassic and the Cretaceous periods when these creatures ruled the world. Many of the specimens found in this gallery are from the northern hemisphere, mostly from North America.
Our kids did not know where to look first. There was so much for us to see in these galleries. Yes, the dinos are the star of the show, but it was amazing for us to see the animals and lived among them. Seeing the fossils and replications of the animals that once shared this world with the dinosaurs were fascinating to see. Some of them have not changed much from their relatives we live with today.
The insects and plant life of this time were also fun to take in. We loved seeing how beautiful they once were and how they interacted with the giants of their time.
I could not forget to talk about the dinos! These fossils got our kids jazzed for the remainder of our visit. They marvelled at the gigantic T-Rex, and Triceratops fossils. The smaller dino fossils made them oooh, aww and giggle. Our kids learned so much and enjoyed this adventure into the prehistoric past.
Walking like an Egyptian
Traveling a bit into the future, we planned a trip to Egypt. Well, not actually Egypt, but to the Egyptian Gallery within the Galleries of Africa at the ROM. We wanted our kids to get a bit of a civilization lesson, and this was a great place to do this.
This part of the Museum displays different areas of Ancient Egyptian culture, from architecture to religion to daily life over 5 000 years ago. This gallery is made up of about 2 000 of the 25 000 artefacts the ROM’s Egyptian collection holds. The time period captured in this gallery is from 4 000 BC to AD 400.
This was such a change from seeing the dinos. It was as though we had stepped into another world. We learned about what life was like for the Ancient Egyptian, as well as what they believed about the Afterlife. The hieroglyphs and the walls of the tomb were a sight to see! It was amazing to be able to see history so up close.
My favourite part of this gallery had to be seeing how affluent women lived. Seeing the accessories and makeup tables was interesting to see. It showed how much things have changed and how other things have stood the test of time as to how people care for themselves.
My son LOVES Halloween. He is particularly interested in zombies and mummies. He enjoyed seeing this resident of the ROM up close. He was so excited and fascinated to find out that mummies are not just creatures he sees in the cartoons he watches on television. This was one of the hot spots of the gallery and our son could have stayed here all day.
An adventure for the senses
A hands-on gallery that allows families to learn through sight, sound and touch is what the Patrick and Barbara Keenan Family Gallery of Hands-on Biodiversity is all about. Visitors are able to find out how animals and plants exist among one another, explore the interactive stations to see how certain animals functioned and ask questions of the Museum’s staff about certain specimens in the Natural History collection displayed just about everywhere.
(Embed IG post of the celling of marine life here)
This was the gallery my kids collectively enjoyed the most. There was something that all three of them could learn from and take with them after this visit was over. They were able to learn about the relationships animals have in different ecosystems and what these areas look like.
My kids were so happy to be able to do what they were not able to do in the other exhibits: Touch specimens. Everywhere they turned, there was something to learn with their senses. My little guy took this gallery hands-on, trying these batwings on to try to fly away.
Another great part of this gallery is the interaction visitors get with the staff from the ROM. My son’s interest was piqued when he chatted with one of these individuals for about a half an hour. He learned about the importance jaws for different animals. The ROM staff member was so great with him. Our little guy asked her a lot of questions about the specimens in front of them, and he had an amazing time during his impromptu private lesson.
My family really enjoyed our visit to the ROM. Each gallery and exhibit holds so much wonder to experience. They also had something for everyone to take in and be fascinated with. We were sad that there were so many other areas to discover, but this just means that another visit is in order that will give us a different adventure to delight in. We can’t wait for our next visit!
Are you ready to plan your visit to the Royal Ontario Museum? We were able to find out more about what to expect on our visit by visiting their website. We also connected with the ROM on their Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube pages to take a look at what we were in store to see during our visit!
Disclaimer: I received complimentary tickets to the Royal Ontario Museum in order to write this review. The views I shared are my own.
What a cool museum, thanks for shairng.
It is on our list to one day visit Toronto, a side trip will definitely be to the Royal Ontario Museum. What a great place to see and do!
I had forgotten how much fun stuff there is at the ROM – something we take for granted being in Toronto for sure!
The ROM is one of my favourite places in Canada! I could spend days here…
ROM looks like a great place for families
I plan on going there sometime soon with my family. So many amazing things to explore.
I remember going with my class on field trips to see the museum. Most of the kids wanted to see the dinosaurs but I wanted to see the rocks and gems.
Dinosaur fossils are spectacular, kids love this part of the museum!
I have to get to the ROM