Historic ROM Entrance Reopens to the Public

GTA Weekly
Eleanor McMahon Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport MPP Burlington

Newly Refurbished Weston Heritage Entrance Set to Create an Exceptional Visitor Experience

Ontario is supporting cultural heritage and increasing accessibility by investing in the Royal Ontario Museum’s (ROM) historic 84-year old entrance.

Eleanor McMahon, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport, was at the ROM in Toronto today to celebrate the official reopening of the Weston entrance, the first time in ten years that visitors will be welcomed back to the museum through this historic entrance.

Located adjacent to the Museum subway station, the newly-renovated Weston entryway’s heated limestone stairway has been widened and extended to increase accessibility, with a new ramp for people using wheelchairs and strollers. The entrance also complements the current Michael Lee-Chin Crystal entrance on Bloor Street West as an accessible and welcoming gathering spot for visitors.

This milestone marks the first step of the ROM’s Welcome Project, an initiative that will give people greater access to the building and its exhibitions and galleries. The project will also support improvements to the Daphne Cockwell Indigenous Gallery and the upcoming Helga and Mike Schmidt Performance Terrace.

Creating more access to the province’s cultural attractions is part of Ontario’s plan to create fairness and opportunity during this period of rapid economic change. The plan includes a higher minimum wage and better working conditions, free tuition for hundreds of thousands of students, easier access to affordable child care, and free prescription drugs for everyone under 25 through the biggest expansion of medicare in a generation.

Quick Facts

  • Ontario is investing $1.5 million to support the ROM’s Welcome Project, including the reopening of the Weston Entrance and improvements to the Daphne Cockwell Indigenous Gallery.
  • The ROM is celebrating the reopening with free general admission on December 12, 2017.
  • The project is also supported by The W. Garfield Weston Foundation, the Ivey Foundation and the ROM Department of Museum Volunteers.
  • The Royal Ontario Museum, an agency of the Government of Ontario, is one of North America’s most renowned cultural institutions.
  • The revitalization of the Museum’s landmark Queen’s Park façade is designed by Toronto architect Siamak Hariri of Hariri Pontarini Architects.

Additional Resources

Quotes

“The revitalization of the ROM heritage entrance will create an accessible and welcoming gathering spot for museum-goers. Our government’s new investment in the ROM will better integrate this cultural gem with the community and offer new discoveries that will bring people closer to the rich history of this province and our shared heritage with Indigenous peoples.”

Eleanor McMahon

Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport

“This project opens up the ROM — both literally and symbolically — to our community, offering visitors better access to their Museum and builds on our commitment to create an exceptional visitor experience. With more than 1.35 million visitors coming through the Museum’s doors last year, the opening of the Weston Entrance provides another way for us to welcome visitors from communities in Toronto, Canada and around the world, while simultaneously creating a welcoming gathering space that enhances our urban landscapes. We are very grateful to The W. Garfield Weston Foundation and the Government of Ontario for making this restoration work possible.”

Josh Basseches

ROM Director & CEO

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