Final Water Family Weekend is August 20th to 21st
The Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) announces the final days of Water: The Exhibition, presented by RBC Blue Water Project, closing on September 5, 2011 in the Garfield Weston Exhibition Hall on Level B2 of the ROM’s Michael Lee-Chin Crystal. This is the last opportunity to experience this celebration of the power and wonder of this life-giving substance and call to each of us to become stewards of our blue planet. A dramatic sensory and educational experience for visitors of all ages, Water uses cutting-edge technologies, multimedia installations, hands-on exhibits, live animals and cultural artifacts to illuminate the indispensable role water plays in our lives and the urgent need to protect it.
WATER: THE EXHIBITION
This immersive and engaging exhibition is divided into nine sections examining water from a scientific, environmental and cultural perspective. The first several sections consider the unique physical and chemical properties of water, its origins and the critical role it plays in the natural world. Next, aspects of water use are explored, including its importance culturally and how humans manipulate our water resources. The final area illuminates impacts of our actions and what each of us can do to reduce water usage to help renew and protect the Earth’s lifeblood.
Employing a variety of dramatic techniques including towering walk-though dioramas, interactive technology, touchable displays and live animals, the exhibition gives visitors a firsthand experience of a threefold message: water is essential to all life; water plays a key role in shaping the landscape and governing climate; and all water on Earth is linked, finite and unevenly distributed around the globe.
EXHIBITION HIGHLIGHTS
The exhibition features 12 live creature displays, among them a Western Diamondback Rattlesnake, a Gila Monster, newts, fishes and frogs. These diverse species exemplify how life has adapted to challenges presented by too little or too much water. As the sole Canadian venue for this North American tour organized by the American Museum of Natural History, the ROM has created approximately 22 areas of Canadian content, informing visitors that global water issues are present locally and affect each of us. ROM research on water-related topics, as well as artifacts and specimens from the Museum’s collections are highlighted throughout the exhibition.
Nineteen interactive experiences, ranging from hands-on specimens and computerized quizzes to towering reconstructions and life-sized models serve to engross visitors of all ages while conveying important lessons about water. In the section Blue PlanetM, Science on a Sphere, a 1.7-metre (5.6-foot) suspended globe, displays maps and satellite images of Earth. The dramatic display illustrates how water is distributed and used around the world and graphically describes the ceaseless, flowing cycles of water that go on around us every day. Nearby, a walk-through reconstruction of a water-carved slot canyon gives visitors a deeper appreciation of water’s ability to physically sculpt our surroundings.
WATER FAMILY WEEKEND
Water Family Weekends conclude with a splash the weekend of August 20th to 21st. Make-and-take crafts, hands-on displays, films and interactive games will leave kids waterlogged. Families can also enjoy the final performance of Water: The Play, a fantastical, interactive tale incorporating live music and acrobatics performed by the Extant Jesters. Information on this Water Family Weekend may be found at www.rom.on.ca.www.rom.on.ca or by calling 416.586.5797.
OTHER INFORMATION
Admission to Water: The Exhibition includes ROM general admission and timed tickets, with a limited capacity, are available at 30-minute intervals. Adults: $31; Students and Seniors with ID: $28; Children (4 to 14 years) $19.50; Children 3 years & under are free. Reduced general admission prices apply on Friday nights, presented by Sun Life Financial. Visit www.rom.on.ca/water for full details. Groups of 20 or more visiting Water may call ROM Group Sales at 416.586.5801 or e-mail groupsales@rom.on.ca for information on special rates, private lectures, guided tours and group menus.