Families are invited to a week-long, whirlwind adventure, from the Bat Cave to a Mediaeval Fair—the ROM is where it’s at this March Break
(Toronto, Ontario – February 17, 2010) – Test your wits while exploring an eerie re-vamped bat cave, or meet a Samurai and suit up for war in Mediaeval armour at the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) this March Break from Saturday, March 13 to Sunday, March 21, 2010. Young explorers will have plenty of adventures to choose from, with activities taking place throughout the Museum from 11:00 am to 4:00 pm daily, included with general ROM admission. Families, throw on your explorers’ caps, and get ready for the journey of a lifetime!
This March Break, the ROM extends its hours to 8:30 pm for the entire week (Saturday, March 13, to Saturday, March 20, 2010), and visitors will enjoy half-priced admission after 4:30 pm. On the last day of March Break Sunday, March 21, the Museum is extending its hours to 6:30 pm. Everyday during March Break, the first 50 children admitted to the Museum will receive a free bat t-shirt, while every Saturday and Sunday throughout the month of March, children can bat-ify themselves with bat crowns given out to every child, while quantities last. As March is Bat Month at the ROM, families have the opportunity to see live bats every weekend during the month.
Kids can test their night vision this March Break while exploring the Museum’s newly renovated Bat Cave, now bigger, better and scarier than ever. For the entire week both kids and adults can gain an in depth look at the life of bats. Visitors can take a multi-sensory journey inside a recreated bat habitat; from the shadowy cave mouth, home to hundreds of roosting bats, to its finale, featuring a dramatization of the nightly exodus of the bat colony taking flight. Once the tour of the Bat Cave is over, fly over to the bat craft station to make some bat-tastic goodies to take home. If children need a minute to rest their wings, they can watch Bat Basics, a mini bat show.
Families can swoop back into the 15th century and participate in a Mediaeval Fair. Kids can try their hand at archery (with a real bow and arrow), learn how to dance Mediaeval-style, get up-close and personal with a live falcon during a visit with Dale the Falconer or watch a medieval martial arts demonstration.
Stomp over to Bronfman Hall, and check out the 565 million year old fossils from Mistaken Point, Newfoundland. These are some of the oldest fossils ever found. While kids are learning about these fossils they can also make plenty of take-home dino crafts or dress up as their favourite dinosaur.
Children can then swing back into the present with an exciting treasure hunt, where a map and a list of clues will guide you through the Sir Christopher Ondaatje Gallery. Feeling risky? Can you tell real money from counterfeit? Try to spot the imitation in our Fakes and Forgeries exhibit, where you may learn a thing or two about faking it. Visitors can give their feet a rest and channel their wild side while watching the program Earth Rangers: Bring Back the Wild, in which the Earth Rangers present special live animal shows featuring exquisite creatures including Cosmo the ring-tailed lemur, Sammy the serval cat, a bald eagle, a red-tailed hawk and other birds of prey. With three shows a day, 11:30 am, 1:00 pm, and 2:00 pm, this show is something you don’t want to miss.
After hanging out in the Bat Cave and daring to quest through the ages, hungry explorers can enjoy bat-themed specials in the ROM’s casual family restaurant Food Studio Café. Kids will go batty for Food Studio’s ‘bat wings’ (chicken wings with carrots and celery with blue cheese dip); for dessert try our dulce de leche bat cookies, bat cupcakes, the batty cookie trio. Families can then browse the ROM Museum Store where plenty of bat merchandise will be available for purchase. All the while, kids are reminded to be on the lookout for ROM dinosaur mascots Gordo and Gertie because they love getting their pictures taken with Museum visitors!
Other Information
March Break activities are included with general Museum admission: Adults: $22; Students and Seniors with ID: $19; Children (4 to 14 years) $15; Children 3 and under are free. For the best value, consider a ROM Family Membership—just $139 for two adults and four children (17 years and under), which includes a year of unlimited free admission to the Museum and a lot more. Half Price Friday Nights, presented by Sun Life Financial, take place from 4:30 pm to 9:30 pm. To book a group of ten or more, and for more information on private guided tours or group menus, please call ROM Group Sales at 416.586.5889 or email groupsales@rom.on.ca. Visit www.rom.on.ca for more ROM March Break programming details.