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.

Price: 35 CAD or so for adults, a bit less for kids or seniors…read moreTime: 60-90 minutes. Less if you're rushing, but I wouldn't. Add an extra 20/30 minutes if you're going to look at everything/use the shop or station Location: Lower basement of The Tenor Other Notes: Free Wi-Fi and scavenger hunts for kids Side note: There is a separate business page with one review and no photos for their newer name, Pocket Planet Canada. I requested a merge or similar Toronto Review 10/Many: I went to this excellent exhibition, previously known as Little Canada, with another person. They are located downstairs in the basement of The Tenor. The price was reasonable, and we stayed for around 80 minutes, but it definitely could have been longer. I have previously been to a couple of other miniature museums, but never one with this much detail and with so many moving parts. The staff was friendly, and they had some scavenger hunts and other things for kids. The first area goes over Niagara and the surrounding area. Along with showing some early movement, this also introduced one of their interesting features, where the models and room shift between day and night. Then came the largest portion, which, as expected, was the Little Toronto section. This included one of the highlights, a scaled replica of the Rogers Center, including a fully retractable roof and lights and sound that can be turned on and off. There was also, of course, the CN Tower, various squares, and other things. The remaining sections covered the remaining parts of Canada. I would go into all the details, but I honestly think that it shouldn't be spoiled. In case you do want to see, I have also posted many photos. A particular highlight for me was an appropriately wintry take on Petit Quebec. After the exhibits, there was a "Littlization Station," which we didn't take part in as we didn't have time, but apparently it makes miniatures of people using a lot of high-quality cameras. I saw something similar before at a studio in NYC, and it's a fun idea to add that here too. There was also the Miniature Maker's Studio, where a friendly woman was answering questions regarding how they make things otherwise. Finally, there was a particularly excellent gift shop that sold some items you can't buy online, such as miniatures and other things. I bought a nice cherry blossom one, but there were also some options for all different regions of Canada. For how long the experience is and how detailed it is, I found this more than worth it. Overall, this was the unexpected highlight of the trip, and I heavily recommend it for people of all ages. I can see why they've won awards.

Interesting and educational mini Canada exhibit. They make it extra exciting for the kids with a…read moretheme to search for...right now it's Maurice the Moose. In the past, it looks like they have had Superhero's , KPop Demon Hunters and Moana. My little one enjoyed searching for Maurice in each section. Some surprise effects like watching the Skydome open and close, and the odd train or car moving, added to the fun. The whole thing took us about 90 minutes to complete and we were not rushing. We wanted to do the mini figure creation but there was a long line. I don't think we would go here again though, unless it was a completely new experience or something . Giving it four stars for that reason and also because it was pricey for what it was and there was no line up process to see each section. We kept getting 'stuck' behind a group. The only was to pass them meant skipping a large section. A briefing at the start, explaining to keep moving could help. We did make an afternoon of it though. Went to Shake Shack next door, walked down Yonge Street and then through the Eaton Center...

We got tickets here as part of our city pass. The staff who scanned our tickets was really lovely!…read more There's a good amount of art here and it took us a couple of hours or so to look at everything. The line for the infinity mirror gets long as a warning. Luckily we were there at the same time as a visiting impression exhibit from the Dallas museum. Don't forget about the ships display downstairs in the basement!

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.

World class museum. Check out the Game On exhibit while you can. The cafe has an S-tier egg…read moresalad sandwich too.

The Aga Khan buildings are beautiful, modern looking, sleek architectural structures from the…read moreexterior, that are difficult to not notice. We visited on a weekend that was featyring an evening light exhibit at the museum that had inside and outaide activities thatbwete great for visitors of all ages and esepecially engaging for children. All the staff we encountered were so friendly , welcoming, and I'd like to mention, of a diverse array of cultural backgrounds. We participated in a paid lantern making class but also made shadow puppets and coloured gel making activities , got a lesson and take away from a master calligrapher, all for free as well. We only viewed the main exhibit mall on the first floor this visit, because there was just too much to do and see. Ended our visit at Diwan, a MacEwen reataurant inside the Museum, but they also had a cafe and a pop up Diwan for those looking for something more.casual. Great visit and highly recommend for all who have the opportunity.

Came here twice this year (2026) first for cherry blossom and second time for a Japanese festival…read more I enjoyed it both times. Cherry blossoms really were very nice. Yes lots of people but still at certain angle can get some nice pictures. And their cherry blossoms trees are like the fullest, most dense compared to other places we have been to. Bon Odori Japanese festival also very interesting to see so many people dancing in circles in traditional outfits. Although both times the indoor activities were kind of meh. One time there was like old stuff being sold like vintage market or some sort but selections I found not interesting. And then super crowded inside. So both times I didnt enjoy the booths inside but outside the cherry blossoms and Japanese dances were great.

We attended a summer festival at the Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre in Toronto Ontario Canada in…read morethe early evening. It was a celebration of Japanese culture through food, performances and traditional dance. We arrived during the traditional drum performance. Afterwards many people were circled around the courtyard performing a traditional dance. We enjoyed the performances and walked around the food and merchandise booths both outside and inside the center.

If ypu want sometjing yo do wiyhbkiddoa while in the Distillery, I think this is a great option…read more An i trtacyive rheatre exoerience that has payrins moving into 1 of 3 rooms for their experience, and guided by staff on a dare I say 4 D experience. Take advantage of their family.passes if you have more than 2 going!

We went for the double feature of the Wizard of Oz and the Lite Brite show, and I must say, it was…read morea unique experience that was enjoyable. The moving animated story of Wizard of Oz projected onto all the walls was interesting and visually pleasing. You have 2 hosts, narrating and guiding the audience through the story which lasts about 30 min. Definitely a unique format to present and view a story, and I could see the little children really enjoying this. The Lite Brite show was also pretty neat as well with different themed features (dinosaurs, space, under water...etc) with interactive game components are narrated by the same hosts who was part of the Wizard of Oz earlier. May not be everyone's cup of tea, but for our groups of a pre-teen and 4 young at hearts, we had a good time.

Parkwood National Historic site is a great place to visit for their well informed tours of the…read moremansion, their beautiful gardens to admire, and/or at their tea House cafe near the fountains for afternoon tea or lunch. Who knew deep in our history, GM company started with the McLaughlin family. This museum is a gem in the middle of Oshawa, Ontario, that is a must visit at least once.

This review is based off a garden lunch visit. TLDR: Grounds are gorgeous but food isn't worth it…read more Yes - The grounds are gorgeous - tons of green space and beautifully managed landscape and gardens. It's a fantastic ecosystem for bees and small animals. Didn't love how far the bathroom was from the tea house/ garden restaurant (literally was offered a go cart ride), so go before you think you really need to. Service at the tea house was alright. Despite having many staff, it felt a bit hard to flag them down at times. We noticed too that they weren't too kind to people who didn't have reservations despite having a few empty tables that stayed empty for our entire dining time. I felt they could have offered to make a reservation with them on the spot or just apologized. Not everyone knows about this spot until they are on the grounds for a walk. The food itself wasn't really worth it. We ordered a few mocktails which were wildly sweet, but refreshing for this hot hot day. We ordered the poke bowl and it was pretty good. A lot of fresh veggies mixed in the bowl and flavour was light. Good and refreshing for a hot summer day by the beautiful garden fountain. The salmon soba noodles was not quite the same. My salmon was a bit dry which is either because it was over cooked or just refrigerated for too long. It's served cold. The soba noodles did not hold well. You can see in my photos that the noodles were basically just stuck in these hard chunks. Not twirlable at all and quite stiff. It was not great.. I was very disappointed. At that price point, you'd think they could atleast whip up fresh noodles for you. It was even more disappointing that they didn't even apologize or make any offers to salvage the experience. They just didn't seem to care much. It's a beautiful place but they're certainly not a great dining experience. It is incredible as an idea though so maybe just make a reservation to have a drink by the fountain.

We came here to visit with family. The space is pretty clean and modern. Staff were friendly and…read morehelpful. We went on the outdoor tour and got to visit several historical buildings including a blacksmith, printing press, homes, and general store. Everything was interesting to get to see. Inside the main museum space, they were holding a "everyday superheroes" theme with different stations like firefighters, ambulance, hospital/vet, police, store, farm. There was also a dress up area. On the top level, there were keva bricks to build whatever you can imagine. Tons and tons of keva bricks. Price: Not too expensive to visit, can spend a few hours here easily.

Cute museum with a lot of local history!…read more While visiting Toronto I decided to take a look at the nearby museums and the Markham Museum came up in my searches! There is a lot of local history shown off and the back of the museum has a time capsule of the town. This certainly isn't a normal art installation, but it's great if you want to learn more about the town.

Mackenzie house was the last home of Toronto's first mayor, outspoken newspaper editor, and primary…read moreleader of the 1837 Rebellion in Upper Canada. The admission is free to everyone! Here is a bit more history about this beautiful house: The defeat of the rebels forced Mackenzie to flee to the United States. Pardoned in 1849, he returned to Toronto and resumed his political career. When Mackenzie retired from the provincial Legislature in 1858, his friends and supporters bought this house for him. Mackenzie lived here until his death in 1861, and in 1967 a new addition was built to re-create a 19th-century printing shop.

The main part of the house is currently closed for repairs, but they are running some really great…read moreinteractive print workshops in the back. The theme of the workshop changes, but you always get a history lesson on the Mackenzie family. The workshop facilitators really go above and beyond to engage all participants in discussion during the session. You will even get a chance to use the printing press and come away with a print that you made yourself.