Learn Something New at These Top 5 Toronto Museums
Toronto, Ontario, is one of the brightest melting pots of North America. One of the best ways to learn more about the diverse influences of this cultural mecca is to explore the broad range of culture on public display. From art to sports, to shoes and everything in between, celebrate the city of Toronto at these must-visit museums.
Royal Ontario Museum
Image via Flickr by Open Grid Scheduler / Grid Engine
At the top of any Toronto must-see list should be the Royal Ontario Museum, colloquially referred to as the ROM. Not only is this museum the largest in Canada, it is one of the largest in the world and hosts the second-largest number of art pieces in the country. The ROM is a museum of culture, natural history, and art, with a focus on Canadian influences. Boasting over 1 million visitors yearly, the ROM is constantly coming up with innovative ways to engage them. One of the latest features is Friday Night Live, a weekly event with drinks, music, food, and dancing throughout the expansive collections. Daytime visitors should not be discouraged, as the cafe boasts excellent meal and beverage options.
The Hockey Hall of Fame
Known for its interactive approach, The Hockey Hall of Fame is the authority on Canada’s signature sport. This attraction is a great way to break up a day of sightseeing and conventional museum visits. Family-friendly while still being fun for adults, the site not only features great players and amazing feats from the ice, but indulges the uninitiated by providing an educational and interesting introduction and history of the sport.
Ontario Science Centre
Sate your curiosity for the natural world at the Ontario Science Centre. Explorers of the world unite at this science and nature-focused center. Kids and adults will enjoy the emphasis on learning about science on the interactive kids’ floor. A favorite feature is the museum’s IMAX theater, which shows beautiful films with footage from the natural world. The museum is easily accessible by public transit and from the nearby InterContinental Hotels Group locations.
Bata Shoe Museum
For a unique experience, visit the Bata Shoe Museum expo that displays footwear from across the globe. With over 13,000 different shoes on display spanning continents, cultures, and time periods, the Bata collection is unparalleled. In addition to collecting and displaying footwear, the museum runs a shoe research and preservation center and shares its process and findings with visitors. Be sure to check out the museum’s excellent changing exhibitions.
Textile Museum of Canada
The Textile Museum of Canada contains nearly 2,000 years worth of documentation on textiles from around the world. With gorgeous samples from all over, the museum will change the way you think about your clothes. The museum examines the ways that textiles shaped lives and evolved with the natural resources and technology available to people of different cultures in diverse parts of the world. Learn about the environmental factors that shaped textiles and how textiles have, in turn, shaped civilizations.
Brave the rugged Toronto winter or a rainy summer day by visiting one or all of these top city museum picks.