Family Day Weekend

Asian family in the China Gallery of a museum.

About

CELEBRATE Family Day Weekend AT ROM

Saturday, February 14 to Monday, February 16 

 

The Lunar New Year takes centre stage this Family Day weekend with exciting programming, live performances, and themed activities to enjoy with family and friends. Book your tickets in advance online to guarantee your spot and avoid the lines.

Also, on now is our curated display of horse‑themed objects and cultural artifacts to celebrate the Year of the Horse (马).

Activities

Here's an early sneak peek at some of our Family Day weekend activities. 

Note: Free stroller parking is available at Coat Check and in Philosopher's Gallery, Level 1, daily from 10am to 4pm.

 

NEW YEAR WISH TREE – Daily, 10am to 4pm  |  Philosopher's Gallery, Level 1
Engage your inner artist and take a moment to craft your own red envelope inspired by Lunar New Year traditions from cultures around the world. Add a message of good fortune to our growing wish tree installation, and enjoy a shared space for reflection, optimism, and celebration.

CHINESE CALLIGRAPHY POP-UP – Daily, 11am to 4pm  |  Philosopher's Gallery, Level 1
Stop by our pop up table and take in a Chinese calligraphy demonstration with special guest artists. Learn about the meaning behind words associated with luck and prosperity and have a word of good fortune—or even your name—translated into Chinese to take home as a keepsake.

SHARK SLEUTHS! – Daily, 10am to 5:30pm  |  Hands-on Biodiversity and WonderWorks, Level 2
Dive into the fascinating world of sharks and learn why these iconic ocean predators deserve our respect—not our fear!

NATURE MISUNDERSTOOD – Daily, 11am to 4pm  |  Earth Rangers Studio, Level 2
There’s nothing to fear in the Earth Rangers Studio! Drop by and learn more about the myths and misconceptions surrounding some of nature’s most misunderstood animals.

HIKE THE ROM – Trail Guides available at Admissions and the Info Desk, Level 1
Get your daily steps in with our Hikes that take visitors on engaging walks through the permanent galleries. With three themes available, each Hike offers a different route full of encounters with objects from the collections. Try one, or all three.

Performances

Yi Mo Tong Lunar New Year Lion Dance
Yi Mo Tong Lunar New Year Lion Dance

Pop-up interactive performances by Lion Dancers will bring traditional Lunar New Year festivities to Family Day Weekend. 

Level 1 – Currelly Gallery, Chen Court

  • 2:00 – 2:15 pm
  • 3:30 – 3:45 pm
Learn More
Music with Amely Zhou
Music with Amely Zhou

Amely Zhou is a dedicated and multifaceted musician, specializing in erhu and guzheng performance, adjudication, and conducting. As a soloist, Amely has achieved significant recognition, and has contributed to over twenty albums, helping to promote global appreciation for Chinese music.

Level 1 – Chen Court

  • 2:15 – 2:30 pm
  • 3:45 – 4:00 pm
Learn More
Storytime with Catherine Little
Storytime with Catherine Little

Catherine Little is an educator, consultant and writer living in Toronto. Twelve in a Race tells the story of the Chinese Zodiac and how each animal placed in the Lunar New Years race.

Level 1 – Chen Court

  • 2:45 – 3:15 pm
  • 4:00 – 4:30 pm
Learn More

Special Exhibitions

Be sure to check out our special exhibitions and permanent galleries during your visit. From meteorites, dinosaurs, and the dawn of life to sharks, photography, and a local lake’s incredible legacy, we’ve got special exhibitions and galleries that will spark curiosity and inspire wonder.

Close-up view of a life-sized Megalodon shark model with its mouth wide open, displaying multiple rows of sharp teeth, in a dark, blue-lit museum exhibit.
Exhibition

Sharks

DIVE DEEPER Sharks have intrigued humans for as long as we have explored the oceans. The terrifying monster from the movie Jaws is what many might imagine when they think of these animals, but they are far more fascinating and complex than their depiction in popular culture. Did you know, for example, that there is a shark that eats seagrass? Or that some sharks can sense Earth's magnetic field? Presented by Desjardins Financial Group, this family-friendly exhibition invites you to uncover fresh perspectives, groundbreaking research, and the astounding diversity of this ancient group of fishes
Detail of a claw and head of a flamingo on a light grey background.
Exhibition

Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2025

Showcasing a new year of stunning photographs ROM is delighted to present this year's competition finalists and winners in a vibrant new exhibition. Powerful, inspiring, and enlightening, the annual Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition invites viewers into a world of extraordinary images and visual storytelling. The world's longest-running and most prestigious annual nature photography competition, Wildlife Photographer of the Year attracts and recognizes the world's best nature photography, and has done so every year since 1965. Each year, the annual competition - organized by the
View of Crawford Lake from above
Exhibition

Crawford Lake
Layers in Time

A quiet lake in Ontario is making a lot of noise. Sediments from the bottom of a small lake in Ontario are revealing a remarkable record of our impact on the planet. Just outside Toronto, Ontario lies a significant site offering a unique, comprehensive 1,000-year record of human impacts - local, regional, and global: Crawford Lake near Milton, Ontario. The lake has intrigued scientists for decades, and research on sediments at the bottom of the lake has identified it as having the best record of humanity's impact on the planet. This led to the lake's selection as the "golden spike" (definitive

Wander the Galleries

View of dinosaur gallery showing platform with two dinosaur skeletons fighting.
Gallery

Age of Dinosaurs

When dinosaurs roamed the Earth.
An artist's illustration of an ancient sea scape teeming with life.
Gallery

Dawn of Life

Bringing the dawn of life to life. New gallery now open.
People look around a gallery with a fall scene, including trees with red leaves.
Gallery

Hands-on Biodiversity

Hands-on discovery for the young... and young at heart.
A gallery with a large carved wooden house post in the foreground
Gallery

First Peoples Art & Culture

More than one thousand works of art and cultural heritage.
People look at the wall of the of the gallery which features a rebuilt painted Egyptian wall.
Gallery

Egypt

An epic civilization with timeless appeal.
The stern face of Silenos carved in marble stares
Gallery

Greece

Where Western culture begins.
A gallery filled with minerals and gems in the centre there is a very large quartz variety amethyst geode.
Gallery

Earth's Treasures

To the ends of the earth…and beyond.
Samuel European Galleries, room settings, period room, Over 4,600 objects in specialized presentations chronicle the development and progression of decorative and other arts of Europe.
Gallery

Samuel European Galleries

The legacy of European style through the ages.
A man looks at an object in a green case, in the foreground you can see masks.
Gallery

Africa, The Americas, and Asia-Pacific

Celebrating the diversity of humankind.

Other Programs

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3 children with crowns enjoying birthday party celebrated at ROM
Program
Saturday Club
This Saturday version of our popular Summer Club program provides supervised, hands-on educational activities, art projects, science experiments, and more. ROM's fascinating galleries, authentic objects and outstanding professional staff guarantee that your camp experience will be hard to beat! Every fall, winter and spring children will enjoy eight Saturdays of fun-filled, educational adventures in ROM's inspiring galleries.
Child enjoying ROM Kids Junior program with parent watching
Program
ROMKids Junior
Bring your child on an eight-week sensory adventure as you tour galleries with our early learning instructors, and join them in creative play-based activities, and social interaction in a classroom setting. Meet other parents, caregivers, and children and engage your child in interactive learning for life.
3 children enjoying an activity at ROM Kids PA Day Camp
Program
ROMKids PA Day Camp
Kids have special access to hands-on learning at the Museum. Register your kids ages 5 – 14 for a full day of ROM Camp. This one-day version of our popular Summer Club program provides a full day of supervised educational activities, art projects, science experiments, and more! Winter 2026 Registration Open! Friday, January 16 Friday, February 13 Spring Registration opens mid-winter 2026 Friday, June 5
3 children with crowns enjoying birthday party celebrated at ROM
Program
Saturday Club
This Saturday version of our popular Summer Club program provides supervised, hands-on educational activities, art projects, science experiments, and more. ROM's fascinating galleries, authentic objects and outstanding professional staff guarantee that your camp experience will be hard to beat! Every fall, winter and spring children will enjoy eight Saturdays of fun-filled, educational adventures in ROM's inspiring galleries.
Child enjoying ROM Kids Junior program with parent watching
Program
ROMKids Junior
Bring your child on an eight-week sensory adventure as you tour galleries with our early learning instructors, and join them in creative play-based activities, and social interaction in a classroom setting. Meet other parents, caregivers, and children and engage your child in interactive learning for life.
3 children enjoying an activity at ROM Kids PA Day Camp
Program
ROMKids PA Day Camp
Kids have special access to hands-on learning at the Museum. Register your kids ages 5 – 14 for a full day of ROM Camp. This one-day version of our popular Summer Club program provides a full day of supervised educational activities, art projects, science experiments, and more! Winter 2026 Registration Open! Friday, January 16 Friday, February 13 Spring Registration opens mid-winter 2026 Friday, June 5