Went to see ROM+Vikings | GTAMotorcycle.com

Went to see ROM+Vikings

JTR

Well-known member
Girlfriend and I went to ROM today. We haven't been there since we were kids, and they have quite a bit of pretty cool stuff, mind you I probably would have been happier at the science centre or the military museum up in Oshawa(We're actually going to go there for a tank Saturday when they bring out the tanks and do a mock battle). We've been very into the Vikings TV series, so we did the Vikings add-on which was an extra $12. I will say that there was alot to see, and in total we probably spent 4+ hours in there. Funny thing, after checking out the viking exhibit, we decided to go for lunch before seeing the rest(yes you can leave and come back on the same ticket same day etc.). So we asked a local and he said check out yorkville, and we did. LOL what we noticed was at one point in my field of view walking through yorkville, I could see 7 Mercedes and a classic Porsche, probably not where we were going to eat lmao, so we ended up back on Bloor and I said "Hey, didn't we see a sandwich shop like right across the street from the museum?". So we went to this place called Potbelly sandwich shop, and we both got a Cubano and a steamwhistle. How the hell does subway stay in business in Toronto? The sandwich was amazing, and the fact that you can enjoy a cold beer with it is brilliant.

Anyway, aside from the traffic hell that was trying to get out of the city at 5:30, we had a great day in Toronto. We've decided that although it's probably the best place in Canada to find something interesting to do on a Saturday, I really don't want to live and/or work there. Although if I was paid enough to afford the $3-400k Bentley Bentayga that I saw nonchalantly cruising the Gardiner, I probably wouldn't mind that much.

We'll probably be back on the bike when it's a bit warmer, to use up the rest of the $20 deposit that the green p app charged so I could set up an account to park on spadina for the day.
 
Girlfriend and I went to ROM today. We haven't been there since we were kids, and they have quite a bit of pretty cool stuff, mind you I probably would have been happier at the science centre or the military museum up in Oshawa(We're actually going to go there for a tank Saturday when they bring out the tanks and do a mock battle). We've been very into the Vikings TV series, so we did the Vikings add-on which was an extra $12. I will say that there was alot to see, and in total we probably spent 4+ hours in there. Funny thing, after checking out the viking exhibit, we decided to go for lunch before seeing the rest(yes you can leave and come back on the same ticket same day etc.). So we asked a local and he said check out yorkville, and we did. LOL what we noticed was at one point in my field of view walking through yorkville, I could see 7 Mercedes and a classic Porsche, probably not where we were going to eat lmao, so we ended up back on Bloor and I said "Hey, didn't we see a sandwich shop like right across the street from the museum?". So we went to this place called Potbelly sandwich shop, and we both got a Cubano and a steamwhistle. How the hell does subway stay in business in Toronto? The sandwich was amazing, and the fact that you can enjoy a cold beer with it is brilliant.

Anyway, aside from the traffic hell that was trying to get out of the city at 5:30, we had a great day in Toronto. We've decided that although it's probably the best place in Canada to find something interesting to do on a Saturday, I really don't want to live and/or work there. Although if I was paid enough to afford the $3-400k Bentley Bentayga that I saw nonchalantly cruising the Gardiner, I probably wouldn't mind that much.

We'll probably be back on the bike when it's a bit warmer, to use up the rest of the $20 deposit that the green p app charged so I could set up an account to park on spadina for the day.

Bikes park for free on the street!

Used to live downtown, i miss it.
 
Used to work downtown, don't miss the commute.

ROM is nice....but WTF is with an extra charge for an exhibit????
 
I agree, the extra charge is bs. it cost $64 dollars for 2 adults to see the vikings exhibit($20+$12 for vikings each). There's a couple other stupid extra charge exhibits too, a fashion one, and a wildlife photography exhibit. Like really? if I want to see PICTURES of animals, I have google, everybody has google. This could be Jack Daniels talking, but **** that ****.
 
We have a membership at the ROM, they mount some really great displays. The wildlife photo exhibit is really good, its high resolution pictures printed beautifully , but I love that stuff. The Chanel exhibit has no interest for me. I liked the Vikings but holy moses was it crowded on the day we went.

Go train from Oakville works for me and subway up to the ROM. I only drive downtown when I'm out of options and taking a bike into downtown hurts my brain.

Toronto is a world class city, with lots to do. Dinner from $6 bucks to whatever you want to spend, shows you wont see anywhere else, baseball, and I hear someday the may get an NHL quality team.
 
world class city humph... yet we have a transit system from the 3rd world, and ass backward infrastructure.


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It's funny, on the way in to the city we were talking about how people like us that live in the region, take it for granted while others would be envious.
 
We have a membership at the ROM, they mount some really great displays. The wildlife photo exhibit is really good, its high resolution pictures printed beautifully , but I love that stuff. The Chanel exhibit has no interest for me. I liked the Vikings but holy moses was it crowded on the day we went.

Go train from Oakville works for me and subway up to the ROM. I only drive downtown when I'm out of options and taking a bike into downtown hurts my brain.

Toronto is a world class city, with lots to do. Dinner from $6 bucks to whatever you want to spend, shows you wont see anywhere else, baseball, and I hear someday the may get an NHL quality team.

The museum was indeed very busy, ofcourse it was Saturday. If I was alone, I would have taken the train to save on gas and parking, I usually will get the train in Burlington if I'm alone. However for two or more people with the train and subway, it made sense to just drive.
 
It's funny, on the way in to the city we were talking about how people like us that live in the region, take it for granted while others would be envious.
Exactly.
When relatives come into town they all want to see the CN Tower, I haven't taken my 6 year old yet.
Everyone talks about WDW and Universal, yet our Wonderland season's passes were used only 3 times last year. (I know it's not as amazing as WDW, but people would love to have access to it)
I don't go into Toronto like I did when I was younger, but I'm gonna guess @JTR that you have been there less than I. I thought everyone knew about Yorkville $$$$. Had a girlfriend that took me shopping to Hazelton Lanes to get jeans. They were $100. In the 80's.
Do they still have "head shops" down there? Used to love getting my Motley Crue tees.
Been planning on hopping on at the new VMC station and taking my 14 year old down to Queen West and also checking out Sonic Boom.

One more note, pretty sure you can buy a CityPass for Toronto. It's like a tourist discount pass for attractions. Look into it for anyone planning a staycation in the 6ix.

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We take it for granted , like people that live on the lake, they get used to the view.
I'm not downtown as much as we used to, but there are not many Cdn cities where you can see 5 top league sports teams, places like the ROM, Ripleys, CN tower, Casa Loma ( great steak house now also) , get 30+ cultural dining experiences, pedal the waterfront trail, and see broadway/London caliber theater.
We sail into downtown Toronto Friday afternoons , see a concert at the ontario place amphitheater (whatever name it has this summer), sail out RCYC for dinner saturday and head home sunday, never a traffic jam on the lake (****** weather somedays) . Its a great city.
 
Never been to the ROM and probably never will. When there are actual world class museums that are free elsewhere in the world it just makes me a little mad. Spent some time back in the UK a year or so ago and wandered in and out of the science museum, natural history museum and the Victoria and Albert museum, Tate at will without paying a bean....as it should be. Regardless of your political views these things should be freely accessible to all, especially kids. Even the Louvre has free days.
 
Haven't been to the ROM, OSC, or Fort York in years, however, while recently in Seattle I went to Fort Nisqually and the Northwest Railway Museum. Maybe not as flashy as bigger places, but stuff that I was interested in. Didn't get a chance to see another one that was recommended by a friend, the Museum of Pop Culture, but I'll get to is next time.

The railway museum was in the town where the original Twin Peaks TV series was shot, but I didn't know that until I was already there.
 
The railway museum was in the town where the original Twin Peaks TV series was shot, but I didn't know that until I was already there.

Thats a pretty 'twin peakish' experience right there.


I'd like to see more museums have "open days" , so people that might not be able to swing $60 a couple could see some of this stuff. I think its culturally and educationally important, and just cool.
 
Used to go to the ROM for the day when high school exams were over and went with the kids a couple of times. Wasn't much difference between those times, and probably not vastly different today. It's all historical artifacts (mostly) after all. lol
 
Many many years ago I went to a conference that had an open bar private social event in the space exhibit part of the science museum in London. I'm pretty sure after what happened there they never did that again.
 
Me and gf went to Yorkville last Wednesday. $60 for a couple of drinks at STK, then off to Sassafraz to spend $100.00 for 2 appetizers and a couple of drinks. Gotta pay to play!
 
While I do believe the prices to be quite excessive and completely inaccessible to a large percentage of people, it's important to remember that they still have to keep the lights on and pay salaries. But yes, the prices are ridiculous. The majority of the 'artifacts' in the $12 extra cost Vikings exhibit are actually reproduction pieces as noted on their info cards. Now it's understandable through the rest of the museum's static exhibits, because there are thousands of museums in the world and only so many real artifacts to go around. But in an extra cost pop-up exhibit I expect to see more real items.

They could definitely do to reduced the adult ticket prices and make children free. I'm not even going to touch on the gift shop lol.
 
Ok, I agree that extra fee for this particular exhibition was perhaps a bit on the high side. But, I believe they charged the same (not 100% sure) for the Blue whale last year, and that was well worth the price of admission. Simply the best I have ever seen, in my life .... it took longtime to get through, just soaking up all the incredible info and perspective of size of the individual exhibits, whether they were real or copies.

We have a membership now, since it will only take three visits a year to pay off and I am sure we will easily do that.
 
LOL, wife are I are probably doing a lot of our Christmas shopping next year at the ROM gift shop. Love the place, where else do you buy a meteorite?
 
Thats a pretty 'twin peakish' experience right there.


I'd like to see more museums have "open days" , so people that might not be able to swing $60 a couple could see some of this stuff. I think its culturally and educationally important, and just cool.

The irony was not lost on me ;)

Friends in the Seattle area have a membership that allows them access to something like 90 co-operating museums across the country. I think it cost them something like US$240 for both of them, for the year. Sounds worth it if you can make good use of it.
 

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