The Royal Ontario Museum or more affectionately called the ROM

  The Royal Ontario Museum or more affectionately called the ROM

   

The ROM as it’s more popularly referred to is one on the largest museums in north America. It located on the area known as the University of Toronto District. It is a Museum of World Culture and Natural History and was established in 192 but opened its doors 2 years later in 1914. The Museum was part of the University of Toronto until 1968 when it was separated from the University and became a completely independent institution.

         To visit the ROM is really a day trip, the museum consist of forty galleries containing over 6 millions items. One of the things the ROM is known for is its extensive collection of fossils which includes a massive collection of over 150,00 specimens from the Burgess Shale, considered to be the largest of its kind in the world. To say that the ROM is a vey large space would be a massive understatement. The shear size of the place I found overwhelming and yet extremely fascinating. I went in mid March of 2014 and there were quite a number of people there. I had thought the place would be very empty but I was wrong there were quite a few people there and it got even busier as the afternoon went on and turned into evening. My opinion is that depending on the latest and newest exhibit is what would drive the attendance, as it were the exhibit that caught my interest why I decided to include the ROM as one of my Ethnographic site was The Forbidden City: Inside the Court’s of China’s Emperors and this is the exhibit that drew many of the other visitors that day as well.

        The ROM is not a short visit unless a person has absolutely no interest in what’s there. It was simply fascinating to me. I enjoyed the space in terms of its layout and flow. I really enjoyed the fact that it was in-doors as the weather was not the best on the day I attended.  I attended in March during a time I thought I was extremely lucky to have this assignment to get me there when the exhibit aptly called The Forbidden City: Inside the Court’s of China’s Emperors was on at the ROM. I must say even though I enjoyed the walking through and looking at the different artifacts on display, I felt it was a bit lacking. 

    The ROM I found the place overall to be very interesting and a nice break from outside and a way to enjoy the many different cultures from around the world without leaving the city. If going to the ROM and not sure what to do they have created 8 different centres of interest based on different themes to help the visitor to the ROM locate what they might want to see. The 8 different themes of discoveries are Ancient Cultures, Biodiversity, Contemporary Culture, Earth & Space, Textiles & Fashion, Canada, Fossils &Evolution, and World Art & Culture. Within these different themes there is something of interest for everyone.

    

       It is interesting to note that the halls and pathways and walkways of the ROM are not empty spaces they too have been used as galleries displaying art and different displays. Everywhere you look something is being displayed. So in essence the entire building is used in some way or another. Taking a break is easy at the ROM there are many benches and seating areas here and there, there is also a restaurant to stop take a break and have a meal, all in all I enjoyed my visit.

   

       It is important to note that visiting the ROM, even though a great experience, is not free of charge. Tickets range on price from $7 to $27 and discounts can be had through differing options such as student or special promotions. The ROMs location makes it very accessible to both individuals with cars or those travelling by public transit. I believe the ROM would be of interest to everyone no matter socio-economic status, however I do not believe it would it caters to those with less disposable income and time. I think it is a reflection of the multicultural city and the changing city of Toronto. I thought it was an example where Boudreau, keil and Young’s theory of topological theory could be applied in that I thought it represents a “place  ….. made in the absence of scalar hierarchies through a manifestations of flows that cut through all dimensions of human existence from the body to the global”.