The Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) is a world-renowned museum of art, culture and nature in Toronto, Canada. Founded in 1912, the ROM has a collection of more than six million items and 40 galleries showcasing artwork, archaeology and natural history from around the globe. The museum also houses an extensive research library and archives, which contain over two million books, journals and photographs.
The Royal Ontario Museum is one of the largest museums in North America and is recognized as one of the leading museums in the world. It attracts over 1.5 million visitors annually and is a major tourist destination in Toronto. The museum is affiliated with the University of Toronto and is a member of the Canadian Museums Association.
The Royal Ontario Museum was founded by George William Allan, an entrepreneur and philanthropist who donated his personal collection of artifacts to the Province of Ontario with the intention of establishing a public museum. Allan also served as the first president of the Board of Governors for the new institution. The museum was inaugurated on March 19th, 1912 by Governor General Earl Greyand opened to the public on June 2nd that same year.
The original building for the Royal Ontario Museum was designed by architect Frank Darling and completed in 1914. The Beaux-Arts style building was expanded several times throughout its history; most notably in 1933 when two wings were added to house additional gallery space as well as office space for staff and researchers. In 2007, another expansion project nearly doubled the size of the ROM, creating even more room for exhibitions and public programming while also adding new amenities such as a café, gift shop, lecture hall and classrooms. Today, at over 660 000 square feet (61 000 square metres),the Royal Ontario Museum is one ̋the largest museums in North America. ̋