I loved my visit to the ROM. I didn't get to see all of it, but what I did see was impressive…read more Starting with the dinosaur skeletons and then on to the antiquities, it was really enjoyable. We had a 4 year old with us so we spent a lot of time on the 2nd floor with the bees and the bats and the animals, but I enjoyed it just as much. The play area they have set up for the kids is brilliant, it engages the kids while also getting them involved in 'art' and 'design'. We made a bee out of pipe cleaners and then played in the garden area. I plan on coming back to Toronto next year and I want to come back to see what I missed.

Toronto Review 7/Many: I went to the Royal Ontario Museum as the first of many museums/exhibitions…read morewe did in the city. Apparently, tickets are cheaper if you book them online, but they were reasonable enough, with the typical discounts for seniors or kids. We added both the special exhibits, and for those interested, I would recommend one (Psychedelics) but not the other (Bees.) The first floor included the first special exhibit, "Bees: A Story of Survival," which was a collaboration/moving exhibition by the National Museums Liverpool along with Wolfgang Buttress. The exhibit covered bees in many ways, including their habits, conservation, and other topics. This was all presented in a series of corridors with many touch screens, though one of them wasn't working right. The rooms overall were pretty dark, with the whole exhibit being pretty abstract, including hives large enough for us to walk through, among other things. In the background, there was a mix of classical music and the sound of bees, but I couldn't really hear the bees, which might be a good thing, honestly. Overall, it was a bit of a letdown as it was just a bit too abstract for my liking, which was a bit of a buzzkill. Soon after, we beelined (okay, I'll stop) to the other exhibit, which was on the 4th floor. The other, much better exhibit, was "Psychedelics: Art, Culture. Science." It was a bit hard to find, as it was through an extra door which probably needs a label, but once inside, it was excellent. It was quite large and included various methods cultures have used to consume said substances, some music and other things created by said cultures, and many paintings/albums inspired by psychedelics. The exhibit also included a video portraying a "trip," which was unique and quite loud. It also ended with a nice artwork by Brian Blomerth (or should I say blometh for this exhibit/I kid,) who also has a rather trippy homepage. Outside of the two special exhibits, we went through a variety of things before getting hungry. Another exhibit I enjoyed was "Shokkan: Material Encounters in Japanese Art," which included some touchable objects and some good details and facts that I wasn't personally aware of. There was also a room that went over the various fauna and flora of Crawford Lake, and otherwise we checked out some general things. The other exhibits included suits of armor/weapons, a good mixture of dinosaurs, a more general Asian gallery (which unfortunately had a lot of background noise as they were working on another room, so we left,) and a small exhibit on Judaica. A particular highlight of the rest was a section going over various periods of European history, ranging from Baroque to Renaissance to semi-modern styles, including examples of rooms, architecture, music, and other things. While not my favorite thing we did on the trip, this was an excellent museum overall. I can see why it's so popular, and I would go back to see other exhibits so I could see the rest of the museum.

So amazing. It is like the Ontario Science Centre but less crowded. Anyone who hasn't been here,…read moreyour kids are missing out!

The Museum is great for the kids…read more A lot of interactive activities to keep the little ones occupied and hopefully they would learn something in the process. The exhibits are a little rundown. A lot of screaming kids jumping and banging on everything. It is nice to be family friendly but if you are adults or without kids, I would avoid coming during weekends and summer holidays or just skip completely.

Toronto Review 14/Many: While visiting Toronto not long AGO, we went to this museum. Aside from…read morethat terrible pun, the museum was excellent and quite big, with an interesting mix of modern and old artwork. Of course, we didn't love everything, but that's to be expected with modern art. Anyway, it didn't take long for us to enter, but it was a bit difficult to find everything. Part of this was because some of the hallways couldn't be accessed, as there was what looked like a wedding reception on parts of the lower floors. The first thing that we went to was their signature exhibit right now, "The Impressionist Revolution: Monet to Matisse from the Dallas Museum of Art." It was a nicely designed exhibit that took up the entire floor, with plenty of space between each artwork, allowing people to get around and look at everything. I was happy to see that it wasn't just works by the most prolific artists, but also works by Morisot, Bernard, and Munch, among others. There was also a nice gift shop for this exhibit, among other things. Also, there was a nice observation area up the stairs, even with the fifth-floor gallery being closed. Of the other special exhibits, my favorite one was "Ranbir Sidhu: No Limits." A London-born but Toronto-based sculpture creator, Sidhu created works for this exhibit that were made primarily of mirror-finished stainless steel and were fascinating to look at due to their sheer size and scale. If you want to look up one of them, Asteroid 3033 X1 is the centerpiece. Near the end of my time there, I also saw "Diego Marcon: The Bubble Boy," which had some interesting use of CGI and puppets, with one of the movies reminding me a little bit of Anomalisa from a few years ago. Outside of these works, I wasn't as big a fan of "Dawoud Bey: Material Histories, Living Landscapes." The shadows were interesting, and some of the work had interesting faces, but I found the movie inside to be on the more pointless side, even if it had some creepy/unsettling aspects to the music and otherwise. Due to the giant line, I wasn't able to see "Yayoi Kusama's INFINITY MIRRORED ROOM - LET'S SURVIVE FOREVER" either. The pictures look nice, but I wasn't planning on waiting what seemed like 45 minutes or an hour, so if you don't want to wait that long, go there immediately. The Dutch master paintings from "Painted Presence: Rembrandt and His Peers" were also nice, with some more impressionist works around the corner. Outside of this, there was some interesting Indigenous and Canadian art, some other Dutch/European works, a nice collection of snuff bottles, and a large space with sculptures by Henry Moore. I would go over everything else, but I won't, as there was a lot. Overall, it was a nice selection of works from all over, with my only complaint being that it was a bit difficult to find everything. I would highly recommend taking several hours to go to this museum.

We had an excellent visit. 1. Paul McCartneys photos from…read more1963-64. A must for this Beatles fan. 2. Canadian modern art. Stretches the brain. 3. Henry Moore sculpture garden. $60 CAD for admission for 2 $8 coat check for 2 $13.95 for coffee and pastry

This is not a large museum but after the renovations the exhibits are well presented…read more There's exhibits with historic art of the area, community art, immigration, celebrations and more. The entrance fee is commensurate with the size of the collection.

Perhaps it's good timing that this is my first review of 2019 as a resolution that I need to make​…read moremore visits here. I'd visited PAMA (how it's commonly known and on the signage) about 3 years ago​ for an event but haven't returned since - nor had I brought my kids until today. Pretty sad considering how great the facility is - and that I only live a few blocks from it. The Museum and Art Gallery are in separate buildings from each other​ but connected by a ​tunnel. It's truly magnificent throughout the entire facility by how they integrate the old stone structure with the new additions which are largely glass and allow a lot of natural light. The art gallery is the smaller of the two sections. The gallery has some beautiful pieces and a great exhibit at the time of writing - but it's fairly small. Downstairs they have two studios - almost multipurpose rooms. They often have daycamps for kids there. For example, during the current winter break, they've had a separate activity each day - with today's being to create a rose out of clay. My kids had a blast and the staff was​ very helpful and cheerful. The tunnel linking the sections serves as the photography exhibit. At my first visit, it was a bit more art-centered​, and my visit today it was more historically-oriented. Both times were great and there were lots of great things that caught my attention. The museum is larger than the art gallery. The first level has a kids area - suited for ages 4-8 where they have a lot of interactive play and learn about food, transport, ​and other things. Just behind are a few cells remaining from the prison era which serve to highlight the conditions of the era, and some of the harsh realities and injustices​ as well. Upstairs shows old artifacts largely highlighting the area's agrarian roots. They keep kids involved where they can pretend to plant their own garden. There was a also a very impressive First Nations exhibit which had some interactive features. It should go without saying that PAMA is not out to compete with being a world-class Museum or art gallery​. But considering it's scope as a suburban one, and that admission is only $5 for adults and even less for kids, I think it's phenomenal​. Anyone near the area should visit it at least once, and even families outside of Peel but in the GTA should really consider making a day trip here - especially​ during school breaks when the art gallery is​ providing activities for kids. PAMA truly deserves to be featured on more "Places to take your kids..." GTA lists. Overall,​ ​very fun, inspiring​ and family friendly. Tip: free family passes available at Brampton Library - with the Four Corners branch only a couple blocks away.

The premier museum in Canada for art from the Group of Seven and associated artists. Tucked in a…read morebeautiful forested area by the Humber River Valley. Great place to spend a lazy Sunday afternoon. The grounds are huge - went to the museum first. Well organized - all the exhibits are in a linear circuit with the Group of Seven landscape paintings near the beginning - grouped by painting location. Lots of native art - especially on the second floor. Make time to walk around the grounds whether it's a short hike to the cemetery and sculpture garden or a more extensive jaunt around the Humber River behind the museum. Parking is current seven dollars. Every third Sunday is free. This museum will Be shutting down for 2-3 years for renovation later this year...

I love this museum! Amazing selection of oil paintings and historic art pieces with focus on…read moreindigenous life. Place is clean and well maintained. Staff are amazing and friendly. Outdoors is great for hiking as well. Great for all ages. A must visit.

I enjoyed a walked through the forest with my sister a couple days ago. It was very scenic and…read morebeautiful with lots of flowers and wildlife to see.

2018 was a long year with a lot of work and not enough outdoor activity. I was looking for places…read moreto go on an outdoor hike with scenery and the West Humber Trail came up on my search results. As I was following the trail on Google Maps, I found that I could get on the trail from the Humber Arboretum. The arboretum is massive. It's well-kept with plenty of greenery mixed in with bright reds, yellows, and purples. There were a few groups taking wedding photos when I visited and I felt out of place in shorts and a tshirt. It's absolutely beautiful here and is a refreshing oasis from the surrounding concrete jungle. There are only 4 parking spots here, so if you visit please don't take up multiple spots. Due to poor parking skills of other visitors, I ended up driving to the Humberwood Library and walking back. The hike took me along the West Humber Trail, but I ended up getting a bit lost walking back to the arboretum. The trail is nicely paved and is well-suited for bicycles.

Time travelled back to 1914 one afternoon. So peaceful and serene looking at life in the early…read more1900s, especially the cool the artifacts. It takes about 2 hours to explore the grounds starting with the entrance from the Region of Waterloo Museum which is connected to the Doon Heritage Village on Huron Road. Staff are wonderful at answering questions and showing how the old tools and equipment were used back then. Some of the old tools are just rock solid and will last forever. Wood was the primary construction materials used for building. This explains why fire insurance was a fast growing business. Insurance companies in the Region thrived and made the economy grow in that sector for years to come. The Martin House is beautifully decorated inside and out. The family was of Old Order Mennonite religion. There were very conservative colour schemes used, and no mirrors were allowed in the home! The Old Post Office is connected to a custom tailor service in the same building. Our hostess explained how the one man operation (tailor and postmaster) was in charge of both businesses. Suits were made to order and were outfitted with ties and cuff links. It was a profitable venture until the Eaton's catalogue business became more popular. The Dry Goods Grocery Store is "stocked" with canned goods and non-perishables such as soap and laundry detergent. Brand names included McCormicks and Heinz. Homes were equipped with a cast iron stove that kept the premises warmer in the winter months. Check out the feet of the stoves which were designed like ones you would find on vintage pianos. Very enjoyable afternoon spent and we learned a lot about early life and hard work of the German community and how it all started in Kitchener (then known as Berlin).

From the owner: The year 1914 comes to life at Doon Heritage Village…read more Doon Heritage Village, located at the Waterloo Region Museum, is a 60 acre living history village that includes 23 historic buildings, and two farms with farm animals. Costume interpreters greet visitors in the historic buildings. Special events and activities throughout the village's May 1 to December 23 season. Doon Heritage Village is open seven days a week from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. from May 1 to Labour Day. Hours vary from Labour Day to Dec. 23 - check the museum's website for public hours in the fall. The village is closed from December 24 to April 30.

TLDR - Highly recommended to come with family. Even if you are adults, just come because this park…read moreis too cool to miss. We came to ride the vintage streetcars to see the fall colors. There were 4 streetcars. They ran in a circle to other areas of the park. The volunteers refurbished them to good repairs condition. Kudos to top results! Even though we came for the rail rides, we were blown away by the museum. So many ancient ones including some from early 1900's, the years around World War One. We were allowed to walk through some of the streetcars. I was glad to see an (old) advertisement to sell a detached house for CDN$69k near Toronto waterfront. LOL. This park is full of delights and treasures not easily found in the urban city of Toronto. A bit of a drive but you will be well rewarded.

If you have kids who are into trains, this is the place to go. You get to ride different streetcars…read morethrough the forest, get ice cream from inside a streetcar (kiddie scoop is only $2.25), and see frogs in the pond. The annual membership is worth it if you live in the area or plan to visit more than a few times. The volunteers are passionate about the streetcars, and are a wealth of knowledge. Lots of space and picnic tables. Lots of parking available. The trains leave every half hour, and they run rain or shine. Only time they will stop the trains is if there is lightning/thunderstorms because it is too dangerous.

We visited the Duffy homestead sept. 2025. Very interesting place with stories passed down from…read moregenerations that lived there. I love that it is now back in the family and appearantly privately owned unlike most museums!