Gem-inspired hands-on activities from December 27 to January 4; Museum remains open on January 1st
The Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) celebrates ROM for the Holidays from December 27, 2008 to January 4, 2009 with a special line-up of fun family-oriented activities inspired by its Season of Gems program, comprising two fascinating exhibitions and a new suite of galleries that showcase some of the world’s most dazzling diamonds, gems and minerals. In addition to The Nature of Diamonds exhibition, ROM for the Holidays visitors will be among the first to view the Teck Suite of Galleries: Earth’s Treasures, featuring Light & Stone: Gems from the Collection of Michael Scott, both opening December 20, 2008. ROM for the Holidays activities take place between 11 am and 5 pm and are included in general Museum admission. The ROM will remain open on January 1, 2009.
In celebration of the holidays and the opening of its new suite of galleries, the ROM is offering a special Holiday Gift to Families. On December 20 and 21, 2008, as well as January 1, 2009, one child is admitted free with a paid adult admission.
Every day during ROM for the Holidays, young visitors can learn about earth’s treasures by mining for gems, panning for gold, as well as making diamond tiaras and crowns and constructing scientific models of diamonds to take home. Visitors who participate in the Prospector’s Hunt, a scavenger hunt in the new Teck Suite of Galleries, have an opportunity to win a ROM family membership. On December 28, 29, and 30th, visitors have a chance to win an amazing Sony product by experiencing Sony’s Holiday Wonders. Here visitors can challenge their memory at the VAIO Memory Station or test their speed at the BRAVIA Buzz Station.
This month, the ROM’s c5 Restaurant Lounge and Food Studio offer a variety of holiday-inspired menu items. Sweet treats such as cranberry apple crumble, gingerbread mini cakes, as well as holiday-themed sugar cookies are available for purchase in Food Studio, the museum’s casual family restaurant. c5 restaurant, a unique dining experience at the pinnacle of the Michael Lee-Chin
Crystal, will feature special brunch and afternoon tea menus. These menu items will be offered in rotation from December 5, 2008 to January 4, 2009.
For your holiday shopping, a wide array of merchandise, including diamond-themed jewellery, home décor, clothing, stationary, and geologic specimens, are available in the ROM Museum Store and in the Diamonds Shop next to The Nature of Diamonds exhibition.
A SEASON OF GEMS:
Opening December 20, 2008 the Teck Suite of Galleries: Earth’s Treasures showcases the ROM’s exceptional specimens of minerals, gems, rocks and meteorites, a collection among the finest in North America. Composed of the Vale Inco Limited Gallery of Minerals, the Canadian Mining Hall of Fame Gallery and the Gallery of Gems and Gold, the fascinating displays are contextualized and illuminated by over 40 interactive touch stations, compelling video exhibits and engrossing information on Canada’s mining industry. Featured among this permanent gallery is Light & Stone: Gems from the Collection of Michael Scott, showcasing over 200 specimens of precious stones, gem crystals, jewellery and gem artworks from a collection that has few rivals in the world, outside of the royal families. Continuing until March 22, 2009, The Nature of Diamonds, presented by De Beers Canada Inc., provides an in-depth examination of the diamond as a natural substance, digging into its geologic origins, how it is mined, its cultural significance in art, literature, and ornamentation, and its numerous uses in modern science and technology. Among the approximately 500 objects is the Incomparable Diamond; the third largest diamond ever recorded weighing an astonishing 407.48 carats.