Gardiner Museum

The Gardiner Museum at 111 Queen's Park, directly across the street from the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto, Ontario, is Canada's national ceramics museum. It was founded in the 1980s by collectors George and Helen Gardiner and houses a collection that runs from ancient pottery of the Americas to European porcelain, Chinese ceramics and contemporary studio work. Galleries display Ancient American pieces from Mesoamerica and the Andes, Italian maiolica, English delftware, Meissen and other European porcelain, and Chinese and Japanese works. The upper floors present modern and contemporary ceramics, including pieces by Canadian and international artists, while temporary exhibitions explore themes such as craft, design and sculpture. The museum also runs hands-on clay studios where visitors can take drop-in classes, making it one of the few Toronto museums that lets people try the craft. A visit takes one to one and a half hours for the permanent collection, longer with a class. The museum is quiet on weekday mornings and busiest during school holidays and special events. Hours are extended on Friday evenings, when admission is sometimes discounted, and the date-night classes are popular. Photography is generally permitted without flash, with signs in each gallery noting exceptions. The building, redesigned in 2006 with a stone and glass facade, is in the heart of the Bloor-Yorkville and University of Toronto area, so visitors can combine it with the ROM, Bata Shoe Museum or Yorkville shopping. Museum subway station on TTC Line 1 is the closest stop. The on-site restaurant offers lunch and a terrace in warmer weather. Visitors should check the website for current opening days and class schedules.