Celebrate the start of summer with free Canada Day admission at ROM

TORONTO, June 24, 2026 – The last ring of the school bell signals summertime adventures – including celebrating Canada Day at the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM), open seven days a week all summer long.

Kick off the summer fun at ROM with free admission on Canada Day – timed-entry advance tickets, which include access to all permanent galleries (featured exhibitions will be surcharged at their usual rates) are required and can be booked online. 

Free Canada Day admission at ROM is supported through the Temerty Community Access and Engagement Fund, a transformational $30-million endowment gift from the Temerty Foundation, enabling a range of initiatives designed to make ROM even more accessible.

With exhibitions that explore everything from intricate art and ecological wonders to altered consciousness; events that educate and inspire; and activities to engage audiences of all ages, ROM’s summer slate has something for everyone.

“Canada Day is a time to come together – and what better place to celebrate than ROM,” says Jennifer Wild, ROM Interim Co-Director & CEO. "Visitors can enjoy free admission for the holiday, so everyone can experience our many galleries and enjoyable hands-on activities.”

This summer, young visitors can also take advantage of the return of the Canada Strong Pass program, which offers free admission from June 19 to September 7, 2026, for kids aged 4 to 17 (children under 4 are always free), and 50% discount on admission for those 18 to 24 years old. The discount will automatically be applied when booking tickets.

“Summer in Ontario is one of the best times to enjoy the many unique cultural treasures and tourism experiences that make this province an exciting place to visit,” said Stan Cho, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Gaming. “With free and discounted admission for youth and young adults at world-class museums and one-of-a-kind attractions like the Royal Ontario Museum, this pass offers an excellent opportunity to explore this beautiful province with your friends and family.”

SUMMER PROGRAMMING

Join us for special hands-on workshops and interactive sessions throughout the summer highlighting featured exhibitions BEES: A Story of Survival, and Shokkan: Material Encounters in Japanese Art.

BEES programming – Level 2
(Runs until October 18, 2026)

Bee a Pollinator
Hands-On Biodiversity Gallery | Daily, 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Visit special stations that explain how bees are some of nature’s most important plant pollinators, using colour and scent to find just the right flowers. Learn more about the ways these amazing insects play a key role in the pollination process by transferring pollen between blooms, which leads to fertilization and seed production.

Bee Superpowers
Hands-On Biodiversity Gallery | Daily, 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Bees – including the species right here in Ontario – have all sorts of special abilities. See how they’re often hidden in plain sight in our gardens and parks, how they build communal nests, and discover their unique capacity to perceive ultraviolet light – among other intriguing qualities!

Bee Nest Cart
Hands-On Biodiversity Gallery | Pop-up activity
Did you know not all bees live in hives? Explore the many different places bees can live, and how you can support healthy bee ecosystems in several easy ways, including adding more native plants to your garden to encourage local bees to visit. 

Pollinator Partners
Earth Rangers Studio | Daily, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. 
(Runs until September 7, 2026)
Bees aren’t the only pollinators in our environment – many other pollinating species are critical to our ecosystems, biodiversity, and food security. Hands-on crafts – including building bee hotels out of recycled materials – will introduce visitors of all ages to animals you may not have thought of as pollinators, and how you can help them through grassroots changes.

Shokkan programming – Level 3, Centre Block
Wednesdays-Sundays, 1 pm. to 4 p.m.
(Runs until September 6, 2026)Enjoy hands-on activations to discover how touch plays an important role in experiencing Japanese art. Explore the materials, textures, and functions of Japanese objects through trying on a kimono, rolling and unrolling a handscroll, and feeling the texture and weight of a ceramic tea bowl – and come away with an enhanced appreciation for these beautiful art forms and traditions.

ROM SUMMER CLUB
Kids that enjoy the summertime camp experience won’t want to miss ROM Summer Club – immersive, in-person programs unlike anything else in the city. Featuring in-gallery and classroom learning, Summer Club brings kids aged 5 to 16 face-to-face with the stories held within the vast art, culture, and nature collections at ROM through a variety of themed sessions for different age groups – from ancient Egypt and prehistoric dinosaurs to the tiny buzzing creatures behind the captivating BEES: A Story of Survival exhibition. For full details on this year’s Summer Club sessions and to register, click here.

ONGOING PROGRAMS

Third Tuesday Nights Free
July 21 & August 18, 2026 (4 to 8:30 p.m.)

On the third Tuesday night of each month, the Museum is free to all from 4 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., thanks to the support of Presenting Sponsor TD Bank Group, and the Temerty Foundation, ROM’s Community Access & Engagement Founding Benefactor. Visitors can book required tickets online up to two weeks in advance to enjoy access to ROM’s galleries for free, or upgrade to also include the surcharged special exhibitions. 

ROMWalks
Running through October (Wednesdays 6 p.m. | Sundays 2 p.m.)
Learn more about Toronto with ROMWalks – guided walking tours of historic sites and local neighbourhoods across the city, held every Wednesday and Sunday throughout the summer. Discover where the city’s stories come to life – one step at a time! No registration is required for most of the walks (with the exception of ticketed ROMWalks Plus sessions and Member Exclusive walks), which are held rain or shine, except in the case of extreme weather – just show up and look for the purple ROM umbrella at each start location.

FEATURED EXHIBITIONS
BEES: A Story of Survival

Runs until Oct 18, 2026
General admission + surcharge of $13/adult; $8/kids all summer

Journey into the world of bees through this extraordinary exhibition that brings together the beauty of art with the power of science. Created by the National Museums Liverpool in partnership with award-winning artist and sculptor Wolfgang Buttress, BEES, presented by Desjardins Financial Group, highlights 120 million years of bee adaptation and survival through immersive environments, inventive art installations, and distinctive soundscapes that help us better understand these incredible creatures and their relationship to us and the natural world.

Shokkan: Material Encounters in Japanese Art 

Runs until Sep 7, 2026
Included with general admission

This innovative ROM-original exhibition explores the profound connection between Japanese objects and the human sense of touch, known as shokkan – a vital element in the creation, appreciation, and circulation of Japanese art. Featuring more than 80 objects from ROM’s collection – including some displayed in hands-on interactive stations – Shokkan highlights how even the most precious items serve an important function, from the serving of a cup of tea to the unfurling of a scroll. 

Psychedelics: Art. Culture. Science.

Runs until Dec 6, 2026
General admission + surcharge of $9/adult

Challenging long-held narratives, this ROM-original exhibition presents a balanced, research-driven examination of the cultural, historical, and scientific significance of psychedelics. Through artworks, objects, botanical specimens, and interactive experiences, Psychedelics offers a rich and expansive journey shaped by extensive consultation and thoughtful storytelling.