Royal Ontario Museum

The Royal Ontario Museum is one of the largest museums in North America, renowned for its extensive collection of over six million items, ranging from ancient artefacts to contemporary art.

The ROM is situated in the heart of Toronto and is renowned for its extensive collection of over six million items, ranging from ancient artifacts to contemporary art. Established in 1914, the museum has grown to become a major cultural institution, attracting over a million visitors annually. 

The museum's architecture is a blend of traditional and modern design. The original building, designed in a classic Italianate style, was expanded in 2007 with the addition of the Michael Lee-Chin Crystal. This striking contemporary structure, designed by architect Daniel Libeskind, features a series of interlocking, prismatic forms that provide a dramatic contrast to the historic building. 

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The Royal Ontario Museum Highlights: Private Guided Tour

Discover the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) highlights - Canada's largest and most important museum with over 6 million items displayed in 40 galleries on this fascinating private guided tour. The museum's collection array covers everything from natural history (fossils, dinosaurs, minerals, and meteorites) to Canadian history, as well as art and archaeology from around the world such as China, Africa, and Europe.

Your tour guide will adjust the itinerary according to your interests, and on your private tour, you will get the opportunity to:

  • Marvel at the unique blend of old and new architectural styles of the ROM Building, with its original construction in Beaux-Arts style, while the recent expansion, known as the Michael Lee-Chin Crystal, features a modern design of intersecting metal and glass shapes;
  • Discover the impressive Canadian Gallery including the totem poles from the Pacific Northwest;
  • Explore the main highlights of the fascinating Chinese Gallery, one of the best in the world, dedicated to over 12 thousand years of history and civilization; while you learn about China's many contributions to world history, art, and culture;
  • See the best of the extensive Egyptian collection and become absorbed in the mesmerising mysteries of the ancient world of the pharaohs and their incredible pyramids, mummies, and priceless treasures;
  • Wander around the stunning collections of sculpture from Ancient Rome in the Eaton Gallery - bringing the colourful and often brutal world of Rome's Emperors and Gladiators to life with over 500 sculptures, the largest collection in Canada;
  • Explore the Natural History galleries, including a world-known 17-tonne amethyst geode, and the famous Tyrannosaurus rex "Gordo";
  • End your tour inside the museum where you can continue exploring the extensive collection at your leisure. 

The Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) is a must-see attraction on any visit to Toronto with so many collections that everyone will find something to their interest!

The ROM was founded in 1912 and its buildings are a combination of historic and eclectic designs: Italian Renaissance, Romanesque, glorious Byzantine mosaics, Neo-Gothic - and most recently the controversial Michael Lee-Chin "Crystal" - the multi-million dollar extension to the museum that replaced the traditional Queen Elizabeth II Terrace Galleries.

You will embark on a mesmerising and visually compelling journey through time and world history, from an incredible fossil collection of over 150,000 specimens and an awe-inspiring dinosaur display, which are complemented by vast collections detailing historic and long-lost civilisations from China, Egypt, Rome, Greece, and the Byzantium / Ottoman Empire. 
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