Royal Ontario Museum

Royal Ontario Museum
Royal Ontario Museum is located in Toronto
Royal Ontario Museum
Location of the museum in Toronto
Established16 April 1912; 112 years ago (1912-04-16)
Location100 Queen's Park
Toronto, Ontario
M5S 2C6
Coordinates43°40′04″N 79°23′41″W / 43.667679°N 79.394809°W / 43.667679; -79.394809
Collection size18,000,000+
Visitors1,440,000[1]
DirectorJosh Basseches
OwnerGovernment of Ontario
Public transit access Museum
St. George
Websitewww.rom.on.ca
Built1910–1914, addition: 1931–32
ArchitectDarling & Pearson, addition: Chapman & Oxley
SculptorWm. Oosterhoff
Designated2003
Reference no.Heritage Easement Agreement AT347470

The Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) is a museum of art, world culture and natural history in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is one of the largest museums in North America and the largest in Canada. It attracts more than one million visitors every year, making it the most-visited museum in Canada.[2] It is north of Queen's Park, in the University of Toronto district, with its main entrance on Bloor Street West. Museum subway station is named after it and, since a 2008 renovation, is decorated to resemble the ROM's collection at the platform level; Museum station's northwestern entrance directly serves the museum.

Established on April 16, 1912, and opened on March 19, 1914, the ROM has maintained close relations with the University of Toronto throughout its history, often sharing expertise and resources.[3] It was under direct control and management of the University of Toronto until 1968, when it became an independent Crown agency of the Government of Ontario.[4][5] It is Canada's largest field-research institution, with research and conservation activities worldwide.[6]

With more than 18 million items and 40 galleries, the museum's diverse collections of world culture and natural history contribute to its international reputation.[6] It contains a collection of dinosaurs, minerals and meteorites; Canadian and European historical artifacts; as well as African, Near Eastern, and East Asian art. It houses the world's largest collection of fossils from the Burgess Shale in British Columbia with more than 150,000 specimens.[7] The museum also contains an extensive collection of design and fine art, including clothing, interior, and product design, especially Art Deco.

  1. ^ "The Royal Ontario Museum Draws Highest Attendance Numbers in its History" (Press release). Royal Ontario Museum. 2 May 2018. Retrieved 17 August 2018 – via rom.on.ca.
  2. ^ "ROM Announces Record-Breaking 1.35 Million Visitors Annual Attendance" (Press release). Royal Ontario Museum. Retrieved 23 November 2017 – via rom.on.ca.
  3. ^ Dickson 1986.
  4. ^ Jamie, Bradburn (9 July 2011). "Historicist: A Handbook to the Royal Ontario Museum, 1956". torontoist.com. Torontoist. Retrieved 26 March 2012.
  5. ^ "ROM Trustees". rom.on.ca. Royal Ontario Museum. Archived from the original on 8 February 2019. Retrieved 13 January 2016. The Royal Ontario Museum is an agency of the Government of Ontario.
  6. ^ a b "Collections and Research". rom.on.ca. Royal Ontario Museum. Archived from the original on 5 August 2023. Retrieved 16 August 2023.
  7. ^ "Royal Ontario Museum Burgess Shale Expeditions (1975-ongoing)". burgess-shale.rom.on.ca. Royal Ontario Museum. 10 June 2011. Retrieved 25 March 2012.