New galleries and Darwin: The Evolution Revolution exhibition drive a 76% increase in attendance
The Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) announces that it has received a 76% increase in attendance from last year’s March Break period. From March 7 to 16, 2008, 69,488 visitors enjoyed the Museum’s family-focussed programming, new galleries and the recently-opened exhibition Darwin: The Evolution Revolution, on display until August 4, 2008. On Friday, March 14, the busiest day of March Break, attendance reached 14,910 (including Half-Price Friday Nights, presented by Sun Life Financial).
The ROM welcomed 1,880 new families as ROM Members during this ten-day period, a 50% increase from the previous March Break record set in 2004. This brings the total number of Member households to over 34,000, another record for the ROM. A ROM Family Membership offers exceptional value, with unlimited Museum visits, including March Break 2009. From March 10 to 14, 2,568 students and teachers visited the ROM as school groups or participated in one of the March Break Camps.
“March Break is typically a very busy time for the ROM, but this year’s strong attendance is a testament to the Museum’s new galleries, programming and special exhibitions,” said William Thorsell, ROM Director and CEO. “Next month, we look forward to unveiling the final permanent galleries in the Michael Lee-Chin Crystal, the Shreyas and Mina Ajmera Gallery of Africa, the Americas and Asia-Pacific and the Patricia Harris Gallery of Textiles & Costume.”
The Museum has received high attendance since the 2007 ROM for the Holidays season, where 66,149 visitors were hosted between December 26, 2007 and January 6, 2008. Since December 26, 2007 to the end of this year’s March Break, the ROM has welcomed 261,982 visitors, more than doubling its attendance numbers for this same period last year.
The ROM will be open during regular hours this coming Easter weekend, March 21 to 24 inclusive. In addition to the Museum’s permanent galleries, visitors can enjoy Darwin: The Evolution Revolution, the most in-depth exhibition ever assembled on Charles Darwin, whose observations and discoveries nearly 150 years ago changed our understanding of the origin and nature of all species. Darwin is on display until August 4, 2008. On April 5, 2008, the ROM unveils the Shreyas and Mina Ajmera Gallery of Africa, the Americas and Asia-Pacific, followed by the Patricia Harris Gallery of Textiles & Costume on April 16, 2008. The opening of these two galleries completes the permanent collection galleries of the Lee-Chin Crystal.