Enjoy Fall Fun at ROM as Free Main Floor Returns

TORONTO, September 25, 2025 – Summer might be over, but there’s lots to look forward to at the Royal Ontario Museum this fall as the Museum’s popular Free Main Floor program returns for a new season.

Following three successful summer sessions beginning in 2022, ROM’s Free Main Floor pilot program welcomes visitors to a fall edition for the first time, running from October 1 through to November 30, 2025.

The initiative – which offers free access to ROM’s full suite of main-floor galleries – is a notable example of the access opportunities made possible by the Temerty Community Access and Engagement Fund, with the objective of engaging with new and longtime audiences alike, as well as gaining insights into the visitor experience.

This fall, ROM will also celebrate Toronto's diverse cultural communities and talented local artists by hosting free events and programming on weekends during the Free Main Floor period, including live music and dance performances made possible by the generous support of The Schmidt Family.

“We’re delighted to bring back Free Main Floor for the fourth year in a row, thanks to the Temerty Community Access and Engagement Fund,” says Josh Basseches, ROM Director & CEO. “This popular initiative supports ROM’s vision to become an even more welcoming cultural hub in the heart of the city, offering an ideal introduction for new visitors to the Museum's first-floor galleries and engaging programming for all ages.”

During October and November, visitors will receive complimentary access from Tuesday through Sunday (as well as Thanksgiving Monday) to the Museum’s expansive main-floor gallery spaces – which include the Daphne Cockwell Gallery dedicated to First Peoples art & culture, Gallery of Korea, Gallery of Chinese Architecture, Bishop White Gallery of Chinese Temple Art, Matthews Family Court of Chinese Sculpture, and the Joey and Toby Tanenbaum Gallery of China.

While there’s much to enjoy as part of Free Main Floor, those who choose to also visit the rest of the Museum will experience the full range of upper galleries and exhibitions included with general admission, or can upgrade to take in the surcharged featured exhibitions on this fall. Get to know all about the Museum’s vast collections that span both art and nature through interactive workshops and hands-on programs.

Visitors are encouraged to book advance Free Main Floor tickets online here to expedite entry. ROM is currently open Tuesday through Sunday, from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., with last admission at 5 p.m. 

FALL 2025 HIGHLIGHTS:

Exhibitions
ROM’s latest special exhibition, Saints, Sinners, Lovers, and Fools: 300 Years of Flemish Masterworks, co-organized by the Denver Art Museum and The Phoebus Foundation, invites visitors to experience the Golden Age of Flemish art. Drawn from The Phoebus Foundation’s world-class collection, this richly detailed exhibition reveals the immense creative talent and innovation of the artists of the Southern Netherlands – including Rubens, Van Dyck and Memling – during the renowned medieval, Renaissance, and Baroque periods. 

Upcoming featured exhibitions for the fall season include the ROM original Crawford Lake: Layers in Time (opening September 27), which offers a compelling look at a unique record of human life on Earth; and Sharks (opening October 11), a family-friendly look at these astonishing creatures of the sea. Presented by Desjardins Financial Group, this deep dive into this ancient group of fishes invites visitors to better understand the incredible diversity of sharks – and think about them in a whole new way.

Starting on November 8, the world-renowned Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition returns to ROM with 100 extraordinary new photographs on display. Now in its 61st year, the annual contest from the Natural History Museum (NHM) in London showcases the majesty of animals across the globe while highlighting the unique and symbiotic relationship between photography, science, and art.

After-hours events
Each month, the Museum is free to all visitors from 4 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. on Third Tuesday Nights Free, thanks to the support of Presenting Sponsor TD Bank Group, through its corporate citizenship platform, the TD Ready Commitment, and the Temerty Foundation. Visitors can book required tickets online up to two weeks in advance to enjoy access to ROM’s galleries for free, or upgrade to include the surcharged special exhibitions. This fall, ROM opens its doors for Third Tuesday Nights Free on October 21 and November 18. 

And don’t forget about ROM After Dark, our popular 19+ after-hours series that offers guests a fresh new way to explore the Museum. RAD’s autumn season includes two nighttime celebrations on September 26 (a special partnership with the Polaris Music Prize to mark the award’s 20th anniversary, including DJ sets by past winner Cadence Weapon and nominee Junia-T) and October 31 – featuring live music, pop-up performances, visual arts, and distinctive food and drink.

Programs & Events
This season, Free Main Floor weekend programming highlights ROM’s curatorial initiatives and special exhibitions, and spotlights the arts and culture of Ontario’s diverse communities through partnerships with local cultural institutions and artistic organizations.

Free Main Floor activities run from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. (except where noted), with live performances twice daily from 12 to 12:30 p.m. and 1:30 to 2 p.m.

Chuseok (Korean Harvest Festival) 
October 4 & 5, Samuel Hall Currelly Gallery & Gloria Chen Court

Celebrate Chuseok with live Korean music performances and demonstrations of the musical instruments displayed in the new Everlasting Sound: Traditional Music of Korea installation in the Korea Gallery.

Try your hand at maedeup, the traditional Korean art of decorative knotting. Gain a hands-on appreciation for how craftsmanship reflects cultural heritage and how clothing and accessories tell stories of celebration, identity, and community. Create your own knot to add to a growing display or take it home as a keepsake.

Islamic Heritage Month
October 11 to 14, Currelly Gallery & Chen Court

In celebration of ROM’s Picnics and Pastimes installation in Osler Gate, local Iranian music collective Link Music Lab Kids will present traditional Iranian music and shadow-puppet performances that are fun for the whole family!

ROM is partnering with our friends at the Aga Khan Museum over Thanksgiving weekend for activities that highlight the diversity of Islamic artistic traditions. Explore patterns and design elements and compare touchable objects from both museums to learn about connections across both collections. Hands-on experiences include button-making, lantern-crafting, and colouring sheets inspired by Islamic art.

Global African Arts & Culture
October 15 (7 p.m.), Signy and Cléophée Eaton Theatre | October 18 (1 p.m.), Currelly Gallery 

Join ROM’s new Curator of Global Africa, Tandazani Dhlakama, in conversation with Zimbabwe-born artist Masimba Hwati on October 15 as they talk about his practice and the intersections between sculpture, performance, and sound in his work. Known for his unconventional three-dimensional mixed-media sculptures, Hwati’s work examines significant objects – historically and culturally – and archives and repositions them in the present-day. 

As part of Free Main Floor weekend programming, Hwati will also perform an improvised piece, Bread Scores, in Currelly Gallery on Saturday, October 18 at 1 p.m.

Bata Shoe Museum Pop-Up
October 18 & 19, Chen Court 

Join shoe enthusiasts from the Bata Shoe Museum for a Free Main Floor community pop-up to explore how footwear reflects history and cultural identity through engaging with objects from both museums and shoe-themed hands-on activities including making your own shoe pin, an inflatable shoe selfie wall, and more!

Chinese Arts & Culture
October 25 & 26, Currelly Gallery & Chen Court

ROM welcomes the Chinese Cultural Centre of Greater Toronto for live dance and music performances and activities, including a youth classical orchestra and a traditional tea ceremony. Our neighbours at the Gardiner Museum will also be on hand for clay-sculpting workshops inspired by dragons – an important symbol in Chinese culture – from the ROM and Gardiner collections.

Day of the Dead
November 1 & 2, Currelly Gallery & Chen Court

Explore Mexican traditions of Día de los Muertos at ROM – including live mariachi music and dance presented in partnership with local festival Mexican Day Toronto. 

Visit our touch table inspired by a traditional Day of the Dead altar and discover the meanings and symbolism behind its objects. Learn how monarch butterflies migrate to Mexico each year, their cultural significance, and how ROM research has contributed to our understanding of these incredible insects.

Treaties Recognition Week
November 8 & 9, Currelly Gallery & Chen Court

Reflect and learn about Indigenous traditions through an exciting array of contemporary Indigenous performing arts and hands-on activities that explore the significance of the treaties and the relationships they represent, through objects, stories, and creative experiences.

Climate & Conservation
November 15 & 16, Currelly Gallery & Chen Court

Drop-in activities highlighting our environment focus on climate change, conservation, and the natural world. Learn about ecosystems like Crawford Lake, discover the science behind environmental impacts, and explore simple actions you can take to protect our planet. 

Award-winning folk musician Chris McKhool will also perform songs from his new album, which celebrates nature and our planet – with opportunities for young visitors to join him onstage to play along!

Flemish Art & Music
November 22 & 23, Currelly Gallery & Chen Court

Drop by our pop-up art studio, open to all ages and skill levels, and draw from a still-life setup inspired by the Saints, Sinners, Lovers, & Fools exhibition. Experiment with colour, composition, and personal expression in a relaxed environment.

The elegant sounds of Opera Atelier – an innovative local group dedicated to music education for youth – will immerse listeners in the era showcased in the Saints, Sinners, Lovers, and Fools exhibition as they perform selections of Flemish music from 1400 to 1700.

World of Sharks 
November 29 & 30, Currelly Gallery & Chen Court

Dive into the world of sharks and explore different habitats and migration patterns through hands-on activities. Design your own shark, add it to a model habitat, and get up close with specimens and shark-related objects at our touch table. Learn, create, and discover the fascinating lives of these deep-sea predators!

And who can forget the theme song from Jaws? Hear it again as the University of Toronto Pops Orchestra returns to ROM to perform fun shark- and wildlife-themed musical selections – including the themes from Jaws, Jurassic Park, and more!

For more information about upcoming fall events, programs and special workshops, visit rom.on.ca.

Free Main Floor is made possible by the Temerty Community Access and Engagement Fund.

Image credit: View of the main floor at the Royal Ontario Museum. Photo: Wanda Dobrowlanski/ROM.