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Royal Ontario Museum

Canada🇨🇦 | attractionsRoyal Ontario MuseumLibeskind crystal, dinosaur skeletons, Ming tomb, Bat Cave, Friday nights | things to do and best time to go

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Backpacking in Royal Ontario Museum
🏆 Top pickattraction ranked #3
By Johan Kruseman 🇳🇱 | Updated October 22, 2026

Under the Michael Lee-Chin Crystal's slanted glass, the light cuts across the stairwell in hard diagonals, and the aluminum-and-glass walls lean in at angles that make you check your footing. I expected a hushed temple of old things. Instead a child was shrieking happily beneath a dinosaur skeleton while a docent calmly explained a Ming tomb figure two rooms away. The Royal Ontario Museum sits in Toronto, Canada, just north of Queen’s Park at Bloor Street and Avenue Road, beside the University of Toronto. It is big, sometimes loud, and pricey for a museum, and weekends and school holidays pack the dinosaur and Egyptian galleries shoulder to shoulder. Still, the sheer range is the draw: bat caves, Chinese temple art, Canadian Indigenous works and gemstones under one roof. Go on a weekday morning and buy your ticket online before you arrive.

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✨ Why go?
Ranked #3 attraction in CanadaWhat sets this place apart

The Royal Ontario Museum is Canada’s largest museum, and it earns a backpacker’s afternoon because of how much it covers without feeling like a single-subject collection. You can stand under the Barosaurus and Albertosaurus skeletons in the dinosaur galleries, then walk ten minutes of floor space to a Ming dynasty tomb and Buddhist temple murals that rival collections in Asian museums. Few cities let you compare a mineral vault, a mummy and a totem pole before lunch.

It also works as a rainy-day or deep-winter anchor in Toronto, when patios and waterfront walks lose their appeal. The building itself is part of the story: a 2007 Daniel Libeskind addition grafted onto a 1914 Edwardian block, so you get architecture photography for free. Add the Indigenous galleries, which offer essential context … read more 👉
The Royal Ontario Museum is Canada’s largest museum, and it earns a backpacker’s afternoon because of how much it covers without feeling like a single-subject collection. You can stand under the Barosaurus and Albertosaurus skeletons in the dinosaur galleries, then walk ten minutes of floor space to a Ming dynasty tomb and Buddhist temple murals that rival collections in Asian museums. Few cities let you compare a mineral vault, a mummy and a totem pole before lunch.

It also works as a rainy-day or deep-winter anchor in Toronto, when patios and waterfront walks lose their appeal. The building itself is part of the story: a 2007 Daniel Libeskind addition grafted onto a 1914 Edwardian block, so you get architecture photography for free. Add the Indigenous galleries, which offer essential context on the land you are traveling across, and the ticket price starts to make sense. Pick two or three wings rather than trying everything, and you will leave energized rather than wrung out.

💡 HighlightsPlaces and moments you shouldn't skip

  1. The Michael Lee-Chin Crystal: Daniel Libeskind’s jagged glass-and-aluminum addition on Bloor Street is the thing people photograph first. Its slanted walls cut into the old stone building, and inside they lean over you at odd angles, so even the stairwells feel like part of the show.
  2. Dinosaur Gallery (Willner Madge Gallery): Mounted skeletons of Barosaurus, Triceratops and other giants fill a dim hall, with a Tyrannosaurus-era cast of predators arranged mid-snarl. Kids shriek, adults lean in close, and the scale of the bones is the point.
  3. Bat Cave: A re-creation of Jamaica’s St. Clair Cave, with hundreds of model bats clinging to the ceiling and walls. It is dark, close and a little damp-looking, a quick and oddly atmospheric detour.
  4. Gallery of Chinese Architecture and the Bishop White Gallery:
… read more 👉
  1. The Michael Lee-Chin Crystal: Daniel Libeskind’s jagged glass-and-aluminum addition on Bloor Street is the thing people photograph first. Its slanted walls cut into the old stone building, and inside they lean over you at odd angles, so even the stairwells feel like part of the show.
  2. Dinosaur Gallery (Willner Madge Gallery): Mounted skeletons of Barosaurus, Triceratops and other giants fill a dim hall, with a Tyrannosaurus-era cast of predators arranged mid-snarl. Kids shriek, adults lean in close, and the scale of the bones is the point.
  3. Bat Cave: A re-creation of Jamaica’s St. Clair Cave, with hundreds of model bats clinging to the ceiling and walls. It is dark, close and a little damp-looking, a quick and oddly atmospheric detour.
  4. Gallery of Chinese Architecture and the Bishop White Gallery: The ROM holds one of the largest Chinese collections outside Asia, including a Ming dynasty tomb complex and a rebuilt temple interior with huge Buddhist wall paintings. Give it time, because the temple murals are enormous.
  5. Egyptian Gallery (Gallery of Egypt): Mummies, painted coffins and funerary objects sit under low lighting. Look for the carefully preserved wrappings and the small animal mummies, which draw a surprising crowd.
  6. Daphne Cockwell Gallery of Canada: First Peoples: Indigenous art, tools and storytelling, with objects spanning thousands of years and communities across the country. It gives valuable context for anyone traveling Canada.
  7. Teck Suite of Galleries: Earth’s Treasures: More than 2,300 minerals, rocks, meteorites and gems. It is compact, quiet and a good palate cleanser after the busier halls.
  8. ROM After Dark: On select Friday evenings, galleries open late with DJs, bars and food, and the dinosaurs get a dance-floor soundtrack. Entry costs about US$25 to 30 on top of or instead of regular admission, depending on the event.
Pair the Dinosaur Gallery with the Bat Cave for a fast, kid-friendly morning, then spend the afternoon in the Chinese galleries.
Spotted a mistake or missing something? Contact us.

Things to do around Royal Ontario Museum

20 km Helicopter Tour over Toronto

20 km Helicopter Tour over Toronto

4.7(305) 15m
From €133
per personViator
Royal Ontario Museum Admission

Royal Ontario Museum Admission

4.3(470)
From €16.70
per personViator
Toronto Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour with Scenic Boat Cruise

Toronto Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour with Scenic Boat Cruise

4.5(93) 2h
From €53
per personViator
Romantic Jewel - Private Helicopter Tour for 2

Romantic Jewel - Private Helicopter Tour for 2

4.6(73) 15m
From €230
per personViator
14-Minute Helicopter Tour Over Toronto

14-Minute Helicopter Tour Over Toronto

4.7(54) 14m
From €266
per personViator
Small group Toronto City Highlights Tour

Small group Toronto City Highlights Tour

4.6(51) 1h 30m
From €44
per personViator
Toronto Walking Tour: The Sign, Queen's Park, U of T and the ROM

Toronto Walking Tour: The Sign, Queen's Park, U of T and the ROM

4.8(38) 2h
From €32
per personViator
Toronto Highlights Express Open-Top Bus Tour

Toronto Highlights Express Open-Top Bus Tour

4.4(22) 2h
From €35
per personViator
University of Toronto Ghost Tour: Secrets & Spectres

University of Toronto Ghost Tour: Secrets & Spectres

4.4(14) 1h 15m
From €24
per personViator
Toronto Helicopter Tour

Toronto Helicopter Tour

4.6(10) 10m
From €141
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Ratings based on Tripadvisor reviews. When you book through this link, you support our work at no extra cost to you.

🌤️ When to go?Weather, crowds, and seasonal trade-offs

  • Summer (June to August): Highs of 25 to 28°C (77 to 82°F) with humid spells, and daylight stretching past 15 hours. School groups thin out but tourists fill the galleries, and dinosaur halls get busy on rainy afternoons. Hotel prices peak.
  • Fall (September to October): Highs of 12 to 21°C (54 to 70°F), crisp air and color in nearby Queen’s Park. Students are back at the University of Toronto next door, so the neighborhood feels lively and beds stay pricey in September.
  • Winter (December to February): Highs of -5 to 0°C (23 to 32°F), with daylight around 9 hours. Snow makes a warm museum day appealing, and rooms are cheapest outside the holidays. Expect crowds during school breaks.
  • Spring (April to May): Highs of 8 to 19°C (46 to 66°F), with showers common. Field trips fill weekday mornings, but
… read more 👉
  • Summer (June to August): Highs of 25 to 28°C (77 to 82°F) with humid spells, and daylight stretching past 15 hours. School groups thin out but tourists fill the galleries, and dinosaur halls get busy on rainy afternoons. Hotel prices peak.
  • Fall (September to October): Highs of 12 to 21°C (54 to 70°F), crisp air and color in nearby Queen’s Park. Students are back at the University of Toronto next door, so the neighborhood feels lively and beds stay pricey in September.
  • Winter (December to February): Highs of -5 to 0°C (23 to 32°F), with daylight around 9 hours. Snow makes a warm museum day appealing, and rooms are cheapest outside the holidays. Expect crowds during school breaks.
  • Spring (April to May): Highs of 8 to 19°C (46 to 66°F), with showers common. Field trips fill weekday mornings, but rates ease before summer.
Go on a weekday right at opening, or on a Friday evening, when the crowds are thinner than on weekend afternoons.


source: climatestotravel.comJANJanuary: good for travelingFEBFebruary: good for travelingMARMarch: highly recommended for travelingAPRApril: excellent for travelingMAYMay: highly recommended for travelingJUNJune: highly recommended for travelingJULJuly: fair for travelingAUGAugust: fair for travelingSEPSeptember: good for travelingOCTOctober: excellent for travelingNOVNovember: highly recommended for travelingDECDecember: good for traveling
Canada - Royal Ontario Museum

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🛏️ Where to stay?Where staying makes the most sense

The Annex and Yorkville, both a 5 to 15 minute walk from Royal Ontario Museum, are the best bases for backpackers. The Annex is the budget pick: a leafy residential neighborhood west of Bedford Road with student cafes, cheap eateries along Bloor Street, and a steady flow of hostel travelers and University of Toronto students. It feels safe at night on main streets, and Bathurst and Spadina subway stations put you on the Bloor-Danforth line within minutes.

Yorkville sits directly across Bloor Street. It is polished and pricey for sleeping, but it is walkable, well lit and close to the museum, … read more 👉
The Annex and Yorkville, both a 5 to 15 minute walk from Royal Ontario Museum, are the best bases for backpackers. The Annex is the budget pick: a leafy residential neighborhood west of Bedford Road with student cafes, cheap eateries along Bloor Street, and a steady flow of hostel travelers and University of Toronto students. It feels safe at night on main streets, and Bathurst and Spadina subway stations put you on the Bloor-Danforth line within minutes.

Yorkville sits directly across Bloor Street. It is polished and pricey for sleeping, but it is walkable, well lit and close to the museum, and you can eat elsewhere for less.

Kensington Market and Chinatown, about 15 minutes away by streetcar or on foot, suit travelers who want a social, scruffy-cool scene, with hostels, street food and live music. Expect some late-night noise and a bit of street hustle around Spadina, though it is generally comfortable.

Downtown near Yonge and Dundas has the largest hostel concentration and the easiest transit links, but it is louder and busier. Wherever you land, stay near a Line 1 or Line 2 subway stop, since the museum has its own station at Museum.
Best hostels in Canada


Best quality hotels in Canada

👛 Costs (as of 22 October 2026)Money, prices, and spending tips

Royal Ontario Museum costs about US$90 to 125 for a full day in Toronto once you add admission, food and transit, with the ticket itself running roughly US$16 to 24 for adults.
CategoryBudget RangeLocal Reality
General admissionUS$16 to 24Adult tickets cost more on weekends and for special exhibitions, and booking online is usually a little cheaper than the door. Students and youth under 25 with ID often pay less.
Special exhibitionsUS$6 to 12 extraMajor touring shows are priced as an add-on to general admission. Permanent galleries such as dinosaurs and the Egyptian collection are included.
ROM After DarkUS$20 to 30The evening series adds music, bars and gallery access, and tickets sell out for popular nights.
Local transitUS$2 to 5A single TTC fare is about US$2.20 and is paid by tap card or
… read more 👉
Royal Ontario Museum costs about US$90 to 125 for a full day in Toronto once you add admission, food and transit, with the ticket itself running roughly US$16 to 24 for adults.
CategoryBudget RangeLocal Reality
General admissionUS$16 to 24Adult tickets cost more on weekends and for special exhibitions, and booking online is usually a little cheaper than the door. Students and youth under 25 with ID often pay less.
Special exhibitionsUS$6 to 12 extraMajor touring shows are priced as an add-on to general admission. Permanent galleries such as dinosaurs and the Egyptian collection are included.
ROM After DarkUS$20 to 30The evening series adds music, bars and gallery access, and tickets sell out for popular nights.
Local transitUS$2 to 5A single TTC fare is about US$2.20 and is paid by tap card or card payment. Museum subway station is on Line 1, right at the entrance.
Food and drinkUS$10 to 22The museum cafes charge about US$10 to 18 for a sandwich or bowl. Cheaper meals sit a few blocks away on Bloor Street and in the University of Toronto area.
Accommodation (low season)US$30 to 45Hostel dorm beds in downtown Toronto from November to March.
Accommodation (high season)US$40 to 65Dorm beds from June to August cost the most, and weekends fill early.
Lockers and coat checkUS$0 to 5Coat check is a small fee, and large backpacks may need to be stored at a hostel.
Total Daily BudgetUS$90 to 125Covers a dorm bed, admission, transit and food for one day.


source: rom.on.ca
⚠️ Prices can change and everyone travels differently, so take this as a rough guide. Hope it helps you plan your adventure!

FAQTraveler FAQ

Plan on 3 to 4 hours at Royal Ontario Museum to see the highlights, which include the Dinosaur Gallery, the Egyptian and Near Eastern collections and the Bat Cave. A full day of 5 to 6 hours lets you add the Michael Lee-Chin Crystal galleries and a special exhibition. Museum subway station sits at the door, so you can arrive at opening and leave for Bloor Street lunch without losing time.
For most backpackers Royal Ontario Museum is worth the roughly US$16 to 24 adult ticket, because it is Canada’s largest museum with more than 13 million objects and the permanent galleries are included. Students and visitors under 25 can pay less with ID. Special exhibitions add about US$6 to 12, so skip them if you are watching your budget.
Take Line 1 on the Toronto subway to Museum Station, which exits directly into Royal Ontario Museum on Bloor Street West. From Union Station it is about a 10 to 15 minute ride for a fare of about US$2.20. Walking from the Yorkville or Annex hostel areas takes 5 to 15 minutes, and Pearson Airport is reached by the UP Express train plus the subway in about 50 minutes.
⚠️ Things can change over time, so always validate details locally before you go.

Other Canadian attractions near Royal Ontario Museum

Explore more nearby:

  • Bata Shoe Museum—Footwear history, Inuit boots, celebrity pairs, angular building| 0 km away
  • Art Gallery of Ontario—Group of Seven canvases, Gehry staircase, Henry Moore bronzes, Inuit carvings| 2 km away
  • Casa Loma—Oak Great Hall, secret passages, tunnel, stables, castle towers| 2 km away

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We 💚 feedbackKey takeaways before you go

The Royal Ontario Museum suits curious travelers, families and anyone who needs a dependable rainy day in Toronto. If you only care about hiking or street food, you can skip it. I would book a weekday visit, pick two wings, and let the rest go.

✈️ When did I visit Canada?
As part of my 1.5 year travel around the world trip, I visited Canada in 2016.

✍️ Help improve this page!
The information on this page is based on my own backpacking experience in Canada, supplemented with up-to-date research and feedback from other travelers. Travel details can change, so if you notice anything outdated or incomplete, feel free to let me know.



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Johan, backpacker and founder of TakeYourBackpackHi, I’m Johan (Netherlands 🇳🇱), the creator of TakeYourBackpack. Over the past 3 decades, I’ve backpacked through 90+ countries across six continents, gaining extensive experience with independent travel, long-term trips, and overland routes.

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