There is nothing like spending an afternoon walking around a museum. It can be the diversity in color or the emotion that each piece of art gives off. Whatever it is exactly, and whether or not you are all dressed up for a day at the museum, or simply walk around in your flip-flops and a classic oversized camera, there is a lot to see in Ontario’s art scene.
As a matter of fact, Ontario is the second largest Canadian province that is greatly filled with countless museums. We, ourselves, love spending our afternoon time not only working but also exploring what Ontario and the GTA has to offer in terms of the art scene. Which is why we have listed down our top 6 choices of museums found across Ontario in this article, so you definitely won’t miss them.
Royal Ontario Museum
The Royal Ontario Museum is Canada’s largest museum. It features both edgy and science-related artwork. The Royal Ontario Museum has a strong partnership with the University of Toronto, and thanks to this partnership, the museum can offer its visitors highly informative and up-do-date exhibits that ranges from dinosaurs to modern trends in fashion.
The Royal Ontario Museum is also the home to a highly extensive artwork collection from all around the world. The museum’s exterior is well-renowned for its bold design, featuring a striking crystalline accent contrasting with the actual building’s original facade.
Canadian War Museum
The Canadian War Museum gives off too many emotions, but it’s enlightening and educational, nonetheless. This museum is haunting in ways that all of its exhibit pieces shaped Canada as we know it today. Situated in one of Canada’s architectural landmarks, the Canadian War Museum has a highly comprehensive display of collections that ranges from weapons, war-time military vehicles, uniforms, artworks, and other war-related pieces.
The Canadian War Museum also has a large multimedia exhibit that features a complete replica of World War I trench, making each visitor feel like they are exactly where the museum intended them to feel they are.
But what visitors usually enjoy in the Canadian War Museum is their interactive exhibit about much more recent conflicts. In this part of the museum, visitors will be provoked to form their own inferences and opinions about the concept of war and peace. What sets this museum apart is that at night, the building lights up with various messages that are spelled out in Morse code.
National Gallery of Canada
Go over a wide range of local and international art pieces of numerous disciplines at the National Gallery of Canada, one of the country’s leading galleries and for a good reason. The National Gallery of Canada features some of history’s most beloved artists such as Dali, Picasso, Warhol, Mondrian, and a lot more. Visitors who are also into photography would find the gallery’s Photography Institute here.
After exploring the gallery’s vast collection of art pieces, famished visitors can dine in the in-house restaurant, and relish the view of the river as well as the Parliament buildings. They also have a gift shop where visitors can buy a plethora of souvenirs and art related publications.
Hockey Hall of Fame
The Hockey Hall of Fame is one of world’s largest collections of its kind. The Hockey Hall of Fame elevates the celebrated names and storied history of the country’s most famous and most favorite sport.
The museum is housed in a very historic 19th century bank building and contains a little over 15 different types of exhibits that covers a wide range of topics regarding hockey.
In the Hockey Hall of Fame, visitors will find a vast collection of equipment and trophies, as well as other game-related artifacts collected over the years. What makes this museum better for hockey enthusiasts is that visitors can try taking a few photos of themselves at the museum’s simulator.
Visitors to the Hockey Hall of Fame must never miss the great hall, which is the museum’s crowning glory. This particular hall features numerous information and portraits that commemorates the hall of fame’s growing 250 inductees.
Canadian Museum of Nature
The Canadian Museum of Nature was established in 1912, and currently occupies the magnificent Victoria Memorial Museum Building, which was described as a Scottish Baronial in terms of style and is also nominated as a National Historic Site.
Admire the decoratively elaborate, palace-like infrastructure, and discover the exhibit rooms that feature a vast collection of displays about all facets of natural history. They also have an abundance of fossils and dinosaur skeleton collection for their visitors to discover. One can also view their elaborate collection of over 500 taxidermies as well as dioramas of native wild mammals and birds and discover their large collection of rocks and minerals.
Additionally, the Canadian Museum of Nature features an extraordinary exhibit called the marine life exhibit which boasts a blue whale skeleton, while the Animalium contains a vast collection of live insects and arachnids.
Canada Aviation and Space Museum
The final item on this list is the Canada Aviation and Space Museum. Learn about mankind’s stellar sky adventures as you go around the museum’s enormous hangars and look at their extensive collection of military and civilian aircraft displays which tells the story of the Canadian aviation history.
In the Canadian Aviation and Space Museum, visitors will have the chance to find out what it feels like to be sitting on a plane’s cockpit or experience the thrill one gets when one is seated on an ejector seat instead. This museum also has a lot of artifacts related to the International Space Station.
Our picks may be too few to many, but we are sure that visiting the places we have included in this short list will be quite an adventure on foot like no other for anyone who tries to scratch off each place we listed. Put on your best walking shoes and feast your eyes on what Ontario’s art scene has to offer. A day at an Ontario museum will surely be one for the books.
Bonus: Art Gallery Of Mississauga
The Art Gallery of Mississauga is a hidden gem, and its unique and modern design and architecture fascinates visitors and locals alike.
The AGM’s shows about 18 exhibits per year on a rotating basis and features a permanent collection numbers over 500 works by regional and national artists.
The Art Gallery is situated right near the Square One Shopping Centre which makes it easy to get to by bus or car, while its central location in Mississauga makes it an especially good place for visitors from all over the GTA.