TORONTO, August 6, 2020 —The Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) opens its doors wide as a thank you to all frontline workers who have supported the health, well-being and needs of the community throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. From Saturday, August 1 to Sunday, August 30, 2020, frontline workers across Ontario’s essential services—including emergency services, health care, grocery stores, city operations and maintenance, social services, public transit, and delivery services—enjoy free general admission to the Museum. With this access, frontline workers and their family and friends can experience a relaxing time out in a restorative environment of art, culture and nature in the ROM’s 40 permanent galleries and collections.
To visit the ROM for free, visitors who self-identify as frontline workers can book timed tickets for themselves and three guests by contacting the ROM’s Contact Centre at info@rom.on.ca or (416)586-8000 from Tuesday to Sunday. The Weston Entrance on Queen’s Park is the exclusive Museum entrance for frontline workers as well as ROM Members.
ROM Visitor Guidelines
Following the Province of Ontario’s public health recommendations, the ROM has implemented protocols and operational changes to help ensure an enjoyable and safe Museum experience for all. Full details on what to expect when visiting the ROM are found at rom.on.ca/welcomeback, and guidelines are outlined onsite at the Museum:
- Visitors must book timed tickets online in advance of their visit. The ROM is limiting the number of visitors in gallery spaces to help ensure physical distancing is maintained.
- Visitors are required to wear face masks and respect physical distancing, as per municipal regulations. ROM staff are also wearing face masks.
- The ROM is open from Wednesday to Sunday, 10:00 am to 5:30 pm. These new temporary hours of operation will be in effect until further notice.
- Each gallery area, elevators, and stairwells will have strict capacity limits and marked pathways to help maintain physical distancing.
- Frequent, rigorous cleaning and enhanced disinfecting measures are in place.
What’s Open & What’s Closed
ROM Boutique and Druxy’s ROM Café are open (11 a.m.- 4 p.m. daily). Winnie-the-Pooh: Exploring a Classic opens on September 1 and The Cloth that Changed the World: India’s Painted and Printed Cottons opens on September 12. Details on upcoming exhibitions Egyptian Mummies: Ancient Lives. New Discoveries. and Wildlife Photographer of the Year will be announced soon.
Temporary gallery closures include the Bat Cave, CIBC Discovery Gallery, Patrick and Barbara Keenan Family Gallery of Hands-on Biodiversity, and coat check, due to the number of touchable objects in the spaces. The ROM's limited reopening does not currently include camps, guided and spot tours (inside or outside the Museum), school-based visits, or event-space rentals. All hours and temporary closures are subject to change.
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For further information, contact:
ROM Communications: media@rom.on.ca
ROM Social Media
Instagram: @romtoronto
Facebook: @royalontariomuseum
Twitter: @ROMToronto
ABOUT THE ROM
Opened in 1914, the Royal Ontario Museum showcases art, culture and nature from around the world and across the ages. Among the top 10 cultural institutions in North America, Canada’s largest and most comprehensive museum is home to a world-class collection of 13 million art objects and natural history specimens, featured in 40 gallery and exhibition spaces. As the country’s preeminent field research institute and an international leader in new and original findings, the ROM plays a vital role in advancing our understanding of the artistic, cultural and natural world. Combining its original heritage architecture with the contemporary Daniel Libeskind-designed Michael Lee-Chin Crystal, the ROM serves as a national landmark, and a dynamic cultural destination in the heart of Toronto for all to enjoy.