From the Depths of the Ocean to Renaissance Masterpieces: ROM Reveals 2025 Exhibition Lineup

TORONTO, January 2, 2025 – The Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) is pleased to announce an exciting 2025 exhibition lineup – a curated selection of captivating, thought-provoking presentations that promise to engage and inspire visitors of all ages. This year, experience the vast diversity of the Museum’s collections as well as wonders from around the world – by exploring the majestic creatures of the deep seas in the thrilling Sharks exhibition; being transported back to the Flemish Renaissance era and the extraordinary artwork of Saints, Sinners, Lovers, and Fools; and reflecting on the profound impact of one of the darkest moments in human history through the exclusive Canadian stop of Auschwitz. Not long ago. Not far away. Further details on additional 2025 exhibitions are included below.
 

Auschwitz. Not long ago. Not far away. 

January 10, 2025 – September 1, 2025

An unprecedented exhibition that examines the history and legacy of the most significant site of the Holocaust, arriving at ROM just ahead of the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz. Featuring hundreds of authentic objects as well as archival documents and historic photographs – never before seen in Canada – Auschwitz. Not long ago. Not far away. is one of the most comprehensive exhibitions ever created on the subject, exploring the dual identity of the Auschwitz camp as a physical setting and as a symbol of the borderless manifestation of hatred and human atrocity.

Ticket details: General admission + surcharge of $13/adult

Saints, Sinners, Lovers, and Fools: 300 Years of Flemish Masterworks

June 28, 2025 – November 30, 2025

Touching on themes that have fascinated humankind from time immemorial, Saints, Sinners, Lovers, and Fools brings together masterworks by revolutionary Flemish artists such as Hans Memling, Peter Paul Rubens, Anthony Van Dyck, Jacob Jordaens, and Michaelina Wautier, among many others. Curated by Katharina Van Cauteren, Executive Director of The Phoebus Foundation, this exhibition features over 80 stunning artworks and objects – medieval, Renaissance, and baroque paintings, sculptures and more – offering a doorway into the Southern Netherlands of 1400 to 1700, a dynamic environment where new artistic genres and styles were created and flourished.

Ticket details: General admission + surcharge of $9/adult


Sharks 

October 11, 2025 – March 22, 2026

Dive into the thrilling world of sharks in this family-friendly exhibition that offers a whole new perspective on these magnificent creatures of the sea. From the iconic great white sharks to the tiny, glow-in-the-dark dwarf lanternshark, uncover the surprising diversity and complexity of the ancient ocean predators. Visitors will learn all about their anatomy, behaviour, and history through dozens of interactives and large-scale models – including a life-sized head of the huge extinct Megalodon – and gain a deeper appreciation for the many kinds of sharks, their habitats, and the conservation challenges they face today. Sharks is organized by the American Museum of Natural History, New York (amnh.org).

Ticket details: General admission + surcharge of $9/adult

Wildlife Photographer of the Year 

November 8, 2025 – March 26, 2026

The 61st edition of Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition, from the Natural History Museum, London, returns to ROM. This perennially popular exhibition will showcase a new collection of 100 stunning original images that highlight the very best in nature photography from around the globe. Presenting the beauty and drama of the natural world – from fascinating animal behaviours to breathtaking wild landscapes – these images fuel a deeper connection to, and appreciation for, the diversity of life surrounding us. 

Ticket details: General admission + surcharge of $9/adult

Ongoing & upcoming presentations

Don’t miss the final days of Earth: An Immersive Journey – a multisensory tour through several of our planet’s vibrant ecosystems, running until January 5, 2025. Content for this exhibition was produced and created by Sensory Odyssey Studio and co-produced with the Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle, Paris.

Experience Nature in Brilliant Colour – created by the Field Museum in Chicago and enhanced with highlights from ROM collections, it takes visitors on a kaleidoscopic journey through the vibrant hues of our planet – running until August 17, 2025.

And this winter, ROM once again hosts the renowned fan-favourite Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition from the Natural History Museum, London, running until May 4, 2025 – this year featuring a number of winning images by photographers from Canada.

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Image credit: Peeter Neeffs the Younger (1620 - after 1675), Gillis van Tillborch (1625-1678), Elegant Couple in an Art Cabinet, 1652, and about 1675 © The Phoebus Foundation, Antwerp, Belgium

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ABOUT ROM  
Opened in 1914, ROM (Royal Ontario Museum) showcases art, culture, and nature from around the world and across the ages. Today, ROM houses more than 18 million objects, from Egyptian mummies to contemporary sculpture, from meteorites to dinosaurs. ROM is the most visited museum in Canada and one of the top ten museums in North America. It is also the country’s preeminent field research institute, with a diverse range of experts who help us understand the past, make sense of the present, and shape a shared future. Just as impressive is ROM’s facility—a striking combination of heritage architecture and the cutting-edge Michael Lee-Chin Crystal, which marks the Museum as an iconic landmark and global cultural destination. 

We live on in what we leave behind.