Nearly 275,000 visitors enjoy Pompeii: In the Shadow of the Volcano at the ROM

Exhibition’s appeal brings Museum’s year-end attendance to over 1 million visitors

TORONTO, January 11, 2016 — Pompeii: In the Shadow of the Volcano at the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) was an overwhelming success. From the exhibition’s June 13, 2015 explosive opening to its January 3, 2016 closing, an exceptional 273,494 visitors enjoyed its 200 stunning artifacts, numerous interactive activities, and compelling storyline produced by the ROM’s curatorial team. As of December 31, the crowd-pleasing exhibition contributed to the Museum’s year-end attendance of 1,052,171.

From December 26, 2015 to January 3, 2016, the ROM offered extended hours to accommodate the incredible demand for Pompeii during its final days. During this year’s edition of ROM for the Holidays, approximately 64,000 visitors enjoyed out-of-this-world Escape to Planet ROM programming.

Pompeii’s attendance figures include elementary and secondary school visits of nearly 14,000 students and accompanying adults, while over 11,000 visitors participated in a guided tour of Pompeii led by the ROM’s informative and engaging guides. Approximately 17,000 adults participated in Pompeii-inspired programming including lectures, workshops, and culinary events. The exhibition’s opening family BIG Weekend welcomed more than 7,000 visitors over two days of themed activities while a Pompeii ROM Sleepover was a sold out experience.

A number of objects displayed at the ROM have never before travelled outside Italy. Visitors were the first to experience several new stunning copies of casts, created using leading-edge 3-D technology, of those who perished in Pompeii.  

In 2016, visitors can look forward to an exciting schedule of exhibitions at the ROM, including Tattoos: Ritual. Identity. Obsession. Art. (opening April 2) and CHIHULY (opening June 25).

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Organized in partnership by the Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto and the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, in collaboration with The Superintendence for the Archaeological Heritage of Naples and The Soprintendenza Speciale di Pompei, Ercolano e Stabia.

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ROM Media Contact:
Marilynne Friedman, Senior Publicist
marilynf@rom.on.ca or 416.586.5826