Accessibility
ROM is committed to providing inclusive museum experiences for all our visitors. Access to our collections and information resources is one of our primary and defining responsibilities.
Admissions Policies
Attendants supporting persons with disabilities receive free admission to ROM to the level of admission purchased by the person they are supporting.
Persons with disabilities may request an attendant ticket or present an Access2Entertainment card at the admissions desk to avail of this policy.
See ROM Community Access Network (ROMCAN) for more information on how community organizations supporting persons with disabilities may avail of free General Admission tickets for a group visit.
Planning Your Visit
ROM has three entrances:
- The Weston Entrance on Queen's Park features a ramp and push button automatic doors.
- The President’s Choice School Entrance for school groups is equipped with a ramp and push button automatic doors.
- The Bloor Street entrance to the Michael Lee-Chin Crystal is temporarily closed due to OpenROM construction.
Vehicles may use the layby on Bloor Street West or Queen’s Park to drop off and pickup visitors. Parking is not permitted in these lanes.
The closest accessible subway station is St. George, located a block west of ROM on Bloor Street. Museum subway station has stair-only access.
There are a number of city-operated parking lots near the Museum. Please see this list for more information.
Accessibility inside the Museum
ROM has a limited number of manual wheelchairs available at coat check, free of charge. Visitors may submit a piece of photo ID to borrow a wheelchair. No reservation is required. ROM does not provide wheelchair escort services, however visitors may bring in a support person for free.
Service animals are welcome in all public-facing areas of the museum. We request guests with non-traditional service animals to contact the Museum in advance of their visit. Guests bringing a service animal without visible identification may be asked for documentation from a healthcare provider.
Visitors may download the following maps on our website in English and French:
- Accessibility Map Guide with large print text and accessibility features highlighted on our website.
- Mobility-Friendly Guide, with an elevator- and ramp-only route for visitors with mobility devices to see all of ROM’s permanent galleries
- Quiet Spaces Map Guide, with quieter galleries marked for visitors who require a quiet moment. Visitors who require additional privacy may request any Security staff for access to the First Aid and Special Needs Room on the first floor.
Tours and Programs
American Sign Language (ASL) Interpretation for Programs and Events Upon Request
ROM offers American Sign Language interpretation for lectures upon request. We request 15 business days advance notice to ensure we are able to book an interpreter for your needs.
To request an interpreter for a ROM lecture, please email programs@rom.on.ca 15 business days before the event.
ROM Sensory Friendly Guide for Visitors
A Handy Sensory Friendly Guide for Visitors, prepared in collaboration with Autism Ontario
Getting to the Museum
The Entrance is located on Queens Park, south of Bloor Street and Avenue Road. There is a lot of construction in the area. You may take transit to St. George (wheelchair accessible) or Museum Subway Stations. If you are arriving by car, the closest parking lot is the Cumberland Parkade, 148 Cumberland Street . For more information on arriving at the museum, see Location & Parking Guide.
Arriving at the Museum
Be prepared for a crowd of people and a long line up when you enter the building.
The museum is typically busier on weekends, weekday mornings, and during special events such as March Break and ROM for the Holidays. If you want to visit the museum when it is quiet, we suggest that you visit after 2 pm on a weekday during the school year. The full museum schedule can be viewed here.
Do you have vertigo? Note that the crystal creates sloped walls inside the lobby and in several galleries.
If you have a coat or backpack, be prepared to check it. The coat check is located after the ticket counter, past the rotunda staircase and around the corner to the right. If you need a wheelchair, ask the attendant.
The Museum Environment: Sensory Notes
The museum is currently undergoing construction. There are spaces closed off for construction, and sounds like drilling and hammering in certain areas of the building.
Some of the angles of the floor and the walls in the museum are sloped. This might mean you need to take some time to adjust in the space.
In the museum, sometimes sound can echo or be louder when there are large crowds. Be prepared for some additional noise.
There are always crowds in the museum. Sometimes some spaces are busier than others and sometimes spaces that were quiet can get very noisy. For example, Currelly Gallery (on the first floor) is a space that is often used for special events. This means it can get loud.
Keep in mind that lighting, temperature and scents can change between galleries, depending on the collection. For example, the Bat Cave is a lot of fun, but it’s also dark and contains sounds that can be surprising. You don’t need to enter if you don’t want to.
Need a Quiet Space?
The 3rd floor has a quiet area in the northeast corner of Africa, the Americas and Asia Pacific.
Guidelines for Enjoying the Museum
Remember to take a Map when buying your ticket or dowload it from the website before your visit.
Note where the Washrooms are on each floor.
- The first floor washrooms are located at the back of Currelly Court.
- The second floor washrooms are located in the Dinosaur Gallery and at the Schad Gallery of Biodiversity.
- The third floor washrooms are located beside the Byzantium Gallery.
- There are also washrooms at Druxy's ROM Cafe and near the brown bag lunchroom.
Be aware! There are no washrooms on the Fourth Floor.
Do not touch objects. Only touch objects that are clearly marked as safe to touch.
- In the museum, you may not touch the objects because your skin contains oils that can damage the objects over time.
- There are two special spaces where you can touch objects safely in the museum. These spaces are called the Hands-on Galleries (Hands-on Biodiversity and Discovery Gallery). You can find these on the second floor.
Food and drinks are not allowed in the galleries. Please note that outside food and drinks are only permitted in the brown bag lunchroom.
- You may consume food and drinks in the brown bag lunchroom.
- Druxy’s ROM Café serves gluten free options! Just ask the staff at the Café counter.
The Hands-on Galleries
Hands-on Biodiversity and WonderWorks are a must for all visitors! Here are some tips:
There is a rule list at the entrance of the WonderWorks. Some fun activities in WonderWorks include: building blocks, story nook area, magnet wall, and more!
Each display in the Hands-on Biodiversity gallery has rules too. The Bat Cave can be fun, but please also note that it is a multi-sensory experience that includes strobe lighting and noises.
Ask a volunteer or staff member for more details on any of our activities.
Assistive Devices
Large print access guides and floor plans are available online through the Museum website, on the accessibility page. These guides are also available at the Museum through the admission desk.
Tactile books at the ROM feature Braille, raised line graphics, large print and full-colour pictures. Tactile books are available for some special exhibitions, and some collections. These can be reviewed on-site at the ROM library. For details, contact the library at 416.586.5595 (Bell Relay Service 711) or library@rom.on.ca. The library is open Tuesday to Friday from 10am to 5pm.
Every level of the Museum, including the Museum restaurant, is accessible by elevator. The location of the Museum elevators is indicated on the Museum maps and floor plans.
A limited number of manual wheelchairs are available at coat check, free of charge, with identification. The ROM cannot provide an assistance person to push wheelchairs while in the Museum; however, please review the ROM’s Admission Policy for Persons with Disabilities.
The Museum offers wheelchair lifts, available to people using their own wheelchairs or the Museum’s wheelchairs. These lifts are not independently operated and will be operated by security personnel upon request.
- Chair lifts operated by Security connect the east and west sections of the historic buildings on Level 2 and Level 3, and the Michael Lee-Chin Crystal to the Weston Wing and Philosophers’ Walk Wing.
- A chair lift and ramp provide access to the Signy and Cléophee Eaton Theatre on Level B1. A chair lift provides access to the theatre stage. Please ask Security for assistance.
ROM Descriptive Audio Tours deliver commentaries devoted to the Royal Ontario Museum’s special exhibitions. All audio tours are free and can be accessed on personal devices, such as smart phones or tablets, through the ROM’s Soundcloud. Audio tours can also be downloaded to devices in advance. Stops on the audio tour are identified by a number, but stops need not be followed in order, allowing for independent route planning.
Service animals are permitted in the Museum.
Non indelible markers are allowed into the galleries for the purpose of large print notes.
Electronics, such as laptop computers, will be accepted by the Coat Check. Visitors may be asked to demonstrate that the device is in working order prior to checking it in. Electronic devices used for the purpose of communication by people with disabilities are permitted in the Museum. Visitors may be requested by Security staff to demonstrate that the device is functional.
Personal stools are acceptable for the purpose of accessibility. In order to balance the needs of individuals with the safety of the collections, the size of devices should fall within these dimensions:
Width: 13.5” or 34.4cm
Height: 29” or 73.6cm
Walking height or folded: 35.5” or 90.1cm
Stools exceeding these dimensions may be reviewed on a case by case basis by our Security staff.
Chemical Sensitivity
At its most basic, MCS is a sensitivity to many types of chemicals, which causes physical reactions in multiple organ systems. Sensitivities often occur to diverse chemicals such as perfumes, gasoline, and cleaning products. MCS is also often known as Environmental Illness (EI).
MCS can affect people in many different ways. Symptoms are wide ranging, and can mimic allergies, migraines, heart attack, asthma, and may include many other physical reactions.
Onset of symptoms can be caused by exposure to any number of chemicals, including perfume, chemicals used in cleaning, and personal hygiene products. Chemicals which cause reactions may often be at a level so low they are not detectable by a non-sufferer.
The ROM is using cleaning products that are scent-free and environmentally friendly to decrease the amount of scents in the building. ROM staff can help by providing you with the names of the least busy galleries, as well as the least busy times of the day and least busy days of the week. Staff can also advise you of which galleries have been recently painted.
Contact Us
For questions, comments or more information on accessibility at ROM, please contact:
Tel: 416.586.8000
E-mail: info@rom.on.ca
