If you are into ceramics, this is the place. We enjoyed our visit. $28 CAD for admission for 2 $150 in the gift shop. Bracelet. read more

I had a really nice time here and I learned a lot. Even if you're not keenly interested in art or ceramics, still enjoyable ! read more

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I went to the Gardiner Museum to see the housewarming exhibit that's on right now. The rest of museum did have some fun and interesting pieces that I have attached to this review. But this miniatures exhibit was mine blowing. It's spoke about the artists experience a lockdown while they had an illness. And even just looking at the world as a whole during lockdown. The comments artist made off society were fascinating and all of the little details were so interesting behind. The architecture of the garden museum is also beautiful and the staff are friendly. read more

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If you want to immerse yourself in beauty, then you've come to the right place. It takes about an hour to visit this museum, and with a presto pass, you get a discount on admission. The ceramics date back to the 1500s and 1600s, and boy are they gorgeous! Also, some are newer as well. The gift shop sells beautiful ceramics and staff are friendly and the building itself is gorgeously appointed! read more

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B and I love this museum. It is a very interesting museum with lots of beautiful pottery artwork. The theme of this museum is pottery and chinaware from all across the world and in different times. The museum has multiple floors. It is not a big museum but the artworks is so concentrated or themed that it made it very interesting for people like myself and B who are into pottery. Pottery tells a history of civilization. I highly recommend coming here. read more

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4 stars for staff, beautiful building and free Wednesdays! To be honest It's a museum of porcelain; bowls, plates, etc.. This Neanderthal assumed I'd see paintings.. If porcelain is your thing, your gonna love it! read more

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In my bajillion years in Toronto, I have never been to an exhibit at The Gardiner Museum. An event or two, a quick look, but never spent any real time taking it in. Boy is my face red. This is a wonderful museum that deserves more attention than I've given it. Ceramics and sculptures from all over the world fill its three sunny floors. Currently, the third floor has been transformed by a long anticipated Ai Wei Wei exhibit that is 100% worth checking out. For only $15 this exhibit, and museum, are a steal. An art heist, if you will. read more

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I went here because it was free admission day for ROM members. Located across the ROM, this is a small, but interesting museum. Mostly filled with ceramics from different periods. They did have the Yoko Ono rock exhibit the weekend I went. A large room with rocks on the ground that you could meditate to, and also you could create art and hang up around the room. It was an interesting experience. The best part was that they only let in x number of people at a time so you never felt crowded and could enjoy making your art. The museum also holds various classes - pottery, kids classes. Check the website - but they do fill up fast! There are guided tours so you can get really knowledgeable about the items here. read more

Recently,I spent an enriching Sunday at Toronto's Gardiner Museum which emphasizes Ceramic Art from different periods of time and produced in many different countries.This review disseminates information about its fine collection of Maiolica Ceramics works produced in 15th,16th,and 17th Century Italy. Maiolica is tin glazed earthenware -ashes of tin to lead glaze creating an opaque effect.I saw numerous apothecary jars(albarellos),dishes,and plates at the Gardiner,very close to the University of Toronto.Many of these works were produced in the following Italian Communities;Deruta,Faenza,Urbino,and Pesaro.These Maiolica creations had devotional or mythological subject matter. Favorite Maiolica creations included "Figure of Madonna and Christ Child"produced in 15th Century Pesaro,"Dish With Incredulity of Saint Thomas"produced in 16th Century Deruta,"Plate with Scene of Story of Icarus"'produced in 16th Century Urbino by Franco Xanto Avelli,"Plate With Scene of Leda and Swan Making Love"produced in 16th Century Urbino by Franco Xanto Avelli,"Dish From Scenes of Abduction of Europa"produced in Faenza in 1537,"Albarello(Pharmaceutical Jar)with Martyrdom of Saint Sebastian "produced 17th Century Palermo,and "Albarello with Donkeys Mating"produced in the 15th Century. Since the Gardiner's collection of Ceramic Creations is very comprehensive,I limited this review to its Maiolica Works of Art.. I also appreciated the atmosphere of the Gardiner and the helpfulness of its staff. read more

I've only been to the clay/pottery class in the basement, but I look forward to browsing through this museum every time I've been there. Each week it changes which must involve a huge amount of work and attention to detail. There are some interactive displays with headphones providing an audio narrative to what you are looking at. The gift shop is small, yet dynamic and wonderful. Displays and items for sale are constantly changing in there, just like in the rest of the museum. The basement classes also offer a drop in option Wed., Frid., and Sundays so be sure to inquire about that if you want a taste of pottery and see what it can do for you. On the third floor is a restaurant that is intriguing. My friend went and was very impressed! She said the value was fantastic, and spent about $90 pp. Apparently the hours are limited to daytime so check that out beforehand to avoid disappointment. It's called A La Carte at the Gardiner which is reviewed elsewhere on Yelp. read more

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I visited the Gardiner Museum yesterday and it was a really good experience. My friend and I got there with only an hour to check out the museum. We went to the second floor and started browsing around. Then one of the women who work there came over and began giving us a tour on the new exhibit. She told us all about the history of the era including details on their plates, the dessert tables, and what it was like living in that century. It was really interesting and I can definitely see myself going back when I have time to view the entire museum. This is a great museum that I would like to go back to so I can view it all. I highly recommend it! read more

The Gardiner Museum - New exhibit. Ask them to tell you about it. The outfit is made out of paper and it was shipped in from Europe. - Museums Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

This was the last museum on my list to go see on my pre-university graduation rush so I could get in for free (lol). I came on a Tuesday half a year ago at around 4pm. The most important thing I'd say about this museum is that its great, but only if you are interested in ceramics. I wouldn't call myself a ceramic-fanatic, but I do have a bit of an interest in pottery, I appreciate nice tea cups, and I buy beautiful plates to upgrade my at-home eating experience. For someone who has zero interest whatsoever in ceramics, this place would probably bore you tbh. The museum is quite small, but if you look at things in detail and take your time examining all the exhibits, it will easily take up a couple hours of your free time. I actually like small museums because they feel manageable. You don't feel like you need to rush in order to see everything, so you can appreciate all the exhibits and actually read the information accompanying them. It's been a while since I actually went, so my memory is foggy, but I particularly liked the European, Chinese, and Japanese collections. I saw a lot of Chinese tea cups, tea pots, and bowls and such growing up so when I saw the Chinese collection all I thought was "its all blue and white". It was nice seeing something I find so familiar in an exhibit and I felt like I learned quite a lot from it. I liked the European collection the most probably because it aligns with my personal taste. I really liked the darker-painted ceramics and the all-white ones. In my mind, the European collection stood out because of its usage of colour. I also really liked the plates depicting historical events and/or stories. The friend I went with was a history buff so she really enjoyed those plates. The individual exhibits I loved the most were the paper-woman (with the paper mache cat lol) and the long banquet table filled with ceramics and fake food. Everything was so well put together and beautiful. Should also mention that the fake food looked pretty good too. All in all, the Gardiner Museum is a solid museum. Its got a good range of exhibits, its small size in my opinion is a strength rather than a weakness, and well maintained. It'd be a good pick for a day where you have a couple of hours to spend but don't have enough time to see the ROM. I do feel that it is a niche museum though, so not everyone is going to find it interesting. The ROM might be a better fit for a group of people with diverse interests. read more

a feast for everybody who loves art and beauty and... pretty pottery. there is an impressive permanent collection on display (including unique old items from Europe and Asia) and amazing temporary exhibits. if you can, try to catch "Savour" on the third floor that runs until January 19th (2020). the exhibit contains not only amazing table ceramic from the Enlightment era, but also old cook books, breathtaking figurines and lots of information about the customs and lifestyle of the time. an incredible addition to the display are knitted (and very realistically looking) food items created by Madame Tricot (Swiss artist Dominique Kaehler Schweizer). One of the best exhibits I've seen in 2019!!! read more

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I was hoping for more variety but really it's a lot of Western pottery made in the style/image of Eastern pottery. Some of the coolest stuff was the early Latin/South American pottery. Mostly it's just plates and serving sets painted in Chinese or Japanese motifs. There is a cool section on forgeries vs homages vs knock offs that was interesting. It's not a large museum and some of the coolest stuff was in the basement near the pottery studio and bathrooms. read more

I had some high expectations coming to this museum, especially with the many advertisements. Even though some of the china is nice, the museum is not very big. For kids there may not be enough to capture their attention, and for grown ups, there are not enough descriptions of the pieces. Moreover, the entry price is quite high. I'm sorry to say this, but this place is not exactly my cup of tea... no pun intended. read more

Great for families. Quiet. Some great artifacts. Really calming. Loved the sketch area in the current special exhibit (3rd floor). We missed the Sunday clay workshop (didn't know it existed!) but may come again for it. Kids 18 and under are free! read more

The Gardiner Museum - Museums Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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Visited the museum during Doors Open and the restaurant upstairs during Summerlicious and I had a good experience both times! During doors open, a lady gave an about half hour tour of the museum and she told some pretty interesting stories. It was pretty interesting even though I'm not really into pottery. The pottery classes downstairs also look really cool if you're living in the area. The museum's upstairs restaurant was $15 for Summerlicious, and it was one of the emptiest summerlicious places that I've been to, but it was really good. The decor is very classy and the sunlight from the shutters look very nice. View isn't that great, since you're on the 3rd floor and all you see if the ROM, but the waiters give a high class service, and the creme brulee was really really good. read more

The Gardiner Museum - Creme brulee - Museums Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

This museum is conveniently located just a short walk from the subway and just across from the ROM. A very serene looking space with minimalistic approach. I was greeted by the staff immediately and was even offered an option to leave my bad with em if I didn't want to lug it around. The display area compromises of 3 floors with a basement dedicated to workshops etc. There is even a nice looking cafe on the 3rd floor and it looked tempting. The collection itself is mainly permanent fixtures and a rotating selection. Various time periods and nations are represented in the fix selection. One can easily compare and contrast how various civilizations treated their ceramics and their approach to these works of art. I was mesmerized by a piece from the Ming Dynasty Alas I can't afford to have it! Lotto 649 might change that some day :) The lady provided some interesting nuggets of info about that time period. I would say an hour or so worth to go through this place, more if you are into history or this genre of art. Word of advice I think this Museum is more for adults than kids. read more

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Beautiful works inside! And I really enjoyed the Ai Wei Wei exhibit. Definitely a gem to check out in DT Toronto. I have yet to experience their pottery classes! read more

Nice museum to visit. You can definitely spend a day there if you were to examine and read the arts in detail. Each section of the museum has a theme. It's right across from the Royal Ontario Museum as well. read more

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This is a good museum which with a little more gallery space and an expanded display collection (I assume they have loads not on display) could be a great one. What they do cover is very good, but patchy. Nonetheless if you love ceramics and porcelain you'll have a ball here. The current permanent displays cover Meso-American antiquities (mostly Mayan and some amazingly sophisticated); Italian Renaissance Majolica, much of it with exquisite paintings; contemporary ceramic sculpture, varying in quality; Japanese porcelain; European porcelain with an exquisite collection of Meissen and Viennese objects; and early English porcelain. There is an entire floor devoted to special exhibits. The one being presented during my visit dealt with contextualism in Japanese Edo period ceramics by juxtaposing them with other crafts and arts - well done and presented but too few objects given the large space that was available for the exhibit. If you are looking for classical antiquities (e. g,. Greek vases) or Chinese porcelain, go to the ROM, which has a great collection of both and which I assume is why neither is covered much here. What I would not mind seeing more of, if they had the space and possessed the objects, would be the following: Islamic ceramics (perhaps the Aga Khan's collection in the new Islamic museum will fill the slack) Korean ceramics (I love Korean celadon) Early Canadian and American porcelain and ceramics Lomonosov and other Russian porcelain Indigenous American ceramics from the 19th century through contemporary Nonetheless, this is a most enjoyable specialty museum and possesses some objects that are so exquisite they will make you gasp. I had to say my favourite was the adorable little "singerie", an entire porcelain orchestra of monkeys dressed in eighteenth century clothing - perhaps the height of rococco silliness but lots of fun. Information and signage is quite well presented. I would probably not bring little boys here (unless they exhibit the signs of growing up into gay men!) but little girls would be delighted with much of this, especially the figurines. read more

If you're looking for something to do in the city other than hit up a mall, walk the streets, club or lounge around in a bar or cafe, why not visit the walk in pottery classes? Gardiner offers 2hr walk in classes on Wednesdays, Friday and Sundays. You get to play with all the clay you can handle, and there are lots of staff on hand to help you out along the way. You're completely free to make anything you want without feeling like you're in 'pottery making 101'. Just beware - the costs add up! Consider general admission ($12-15) + $5 (per item) to fire up your creation + $5 (per item) to glaze your creation so it's pretty. If you make one to many...like a cup and a spoon (which I made my first time, and am very proud of might I say), it could run you upwards of $25 minimum!! But at least you can scream and shout "look what I made!" I haven't spent too much time in the gift shop or the rest of the museum, for fear I might break and and therefore have to buy, but from what I've starred at from a distance, there are some very nice pieces and great inspiration for your own work. The staff are pretty friendly too! read more

This would be the awesomest museum... if I liked ceramic art. ;) I was drawn in by the large for their 'Private Pleasures" exhibit, which advertised a peek into the lives of geisha and samurai. The title of this exhibit is definitely much more provocative than the items in the exhibit itself. On the tour, I learned a lot about Edo period ceramics, but not much about the lives of geisha and/or samurai. The museum itself is bright and modern, with three floors of exhibits. If you're into ceramics and porcelain, then you'll certainly like it. As for me... I'm too much of an uncultured swine to really get into it. read more

Another great place for wedding gifts. The boutique in the front offers a lot of the same artists work as Clay on Harbourd. The service is great and with a variety of pieces in different colors and styles, everyone would appreciate a nice bowl or serving plate from The Gardiner Museum. read more

This is one of the museums in Toronto that you should really check out. I am a fan of all the various types of pottery used throughout history from different parts of the world. It's incredible to see how it was used & actually came about originally. I have been to the Delft Museum in Amsterdam & that was the only time I learned about pottery (while in the Netherlands.) I sometimes imagine people don't really think about the things the eat off of on a daily basis. I imagine every country should have something similar to explain their culture w/ pottery. Thankfully this museum is a decent size where you won't spend all day but will also take more than an hour. I am not sure how often they change up what they show in the various period pieces but it's unique thing to see nonetheless. The actually have an area where you take ceramics classes which I thought was pretty cool. read more

Did I miss the memo?? Apparently Yelp! distributes large cash prizes and vacation giveaways based on number of reviews. Didn't actually go to the museum, but did visit the gift shop? Write a review! Didn't eat at the restaurant, but did have tea at the bar? Write a review! Didn't go to the park, but heard about it from a friend? Write a review! Oh well. To each his/her own. As for the Gardiner Museum it is an awesome museum devoted to one subject-ceramics. It is not a large museum, nor does it cover a range of subjects. Here are a few key points.... 1. It is a superb introduction to the history of ceramics. Whether you are an expert or beginner, the museum offers approachability and diversity. 2. The staff is friendly and helpful. 3. The collection features ceramics from all over the world, in a variety of subjects. 4. You can spend a short amount of time here and see a lot. This little gem doesn't demand more than an hour for the casual guest, while offering a treasure trove for the more serious ceramics student or collector. The Gardiner is definitely worth a visit. read more

The Gardiner Museum Stoneware class with Lynn Fisher is the best kept secret in Toronto. Lynn can help you to improve your skills in wheel throwing, clay sculpture, coil, and slab building. If you can dream it, she can help you build it. I started taking the Stoneware course by Lynn Fisher about 3 years ago because I always wanted to try my hands on the wheel. I did not expect to be hooked on clay. It is just an incredible feeling to make something out of a clump of clay. The studio is bright and spacious. But what I appreciate the most is the instruction and help from Lynn. I am able to throw a large bowl since I first started and I'm still learning. Lynn is very patient and she is open to sharing her knowledge and experience with her students. I can't wait to sign up for her next class in the winter. read more

I adore ceramics and lived in Toronto for over 10 years without visiting the Gardiner, I rather shamefully admit. But I finally decided to check it out on a recent trip to Toronto with my hubby and was absolutely thrilled with it--what a jewel it truly is! So sad that I waited so long, but so happy I finally went! It's a comparatively small museum, housed in a quintessentially Modern three story building, with a delightful cafe on the third floor--Perfect for a date or a little pre-shopping or sight-seeing inspiration as it's located in the heart of one of Toronto's most prestigious shopping districts, with easy subway and other transportation access. Someone could take a quick browse in 40 minutes or so and feel fulfilled, but I would suggest an hour for each floor of objects--2 hours. As any good museum should, the Gardiner collection covers the full gamut--the whimsical, the strange, the awe-inspiring and the humorous. It's offerings range from the very ancient to the very modern (including a wonderful piece by Canadian artist Shary Boyle), and of course also covers the history of ceramics. The Gardiner also offers daily guided tours and CLASSES! I'm hoping to get back to Toronto sometime in the near future so that I can take a class! I'd definitely recommend the Gardiner to anyone with a particular interest in ceramics, but also anyone with an interest in history and/or museums in general. It's also a lovely place for art or design students to get some inspiration! Truthfully, I'm not so sure that the average child would enjoy it so much however.... Very looking forward to visiting again! read more

To the average Torontonian/ dilettante, the collection at the Gardiner Museum may seem refined and elegant, but compared to the world's great collections (such as that in the Victoria and Albert in London) it's another Toronto mediocrity. Yes, the building is very handsome, but 35 years after its opening ( formed by a wealthy couple who wanted to decorate their Forest Hill home with some pretty porcelain and ran out of space), there remain huge gaps. As far as I know, there is no early Greek or Roman pottery, very little Chinese before Ch'ing and the English and French factories are grossly under-represented. While there are special shows from time to time, the overall experience is like that of visiting every other cultural institution in this city - meh. read more

Small museum but nice. Pre-columbian ceramics are displayed in a useful way -- geographically. The museum guards immediately showed me what to look at when I entered their area. It was startling but useful. I get a feeling everyone who works here is very enthusiastic. I especially enjoyed the special exhibit of Israeli ceramics. read more

This is a great museum experience. Before walking into this place, I had no knowledge surrounding ceramic art. I may as well have been walking into a building called the Gardiner Museum of Fancy Dishes. Oh how wrong I was. Well, not entirely. I mean they do have the fancy dishes, and lots of them, but they have so much more. First of all, the exterior of the place catches your eye. It's a magnificent modern building nestled in between some of the old Toronto architecture from the late 19th and early 20th century. The amazing thing is that the museum stands out on its own and yet blends right in with the old architecture. This is very unlike the disaster that we call the Michael Lee Chin Crystal across the street. The museum itself is bright and inviting. There is a big lobby that lets you find your own way around and each room is filled with different and unexpected treasures. The stuff that impressed me the most was the huge collection of ancient clay effigies of people and animals, some of which dated back to almost 2000 B.C. Other gems are vases painted by Pablo Picasso and a huge collection of modern sculptures, some of which you can't believe are made entirely form clay. The second flood takes you up to the fine china and porcelain figures from Europe in the 18th and 19th centuries. The great thing about the second floor is that there are a couple of big wooden balconies that you can slip out onto and catch a breath of fresh air before continuing up to the third floor. There is also a great restaurant with a cool balcony that looks out onto the side of the ROM. Right now, Jamie Kennedy is working at the Gardiner Museum Resto, so it's worth the price of admission. The fare is good and not too pricy. It's a great place to grab a bite before you make your way up to the third floor that holds the work of a modern artist. It's a great placed to pop into and it's a hidden gem right in front of our eyes in the heart of the city. read more

The Gardiner Museum - Front - Museums Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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This museum is relatively cheap for students (half price). They have a large collection of ceremic art from ancient Amerca, Asia, Europe, and a few modern contemporary pieces. I spent a few hours wandering through the entire collection! In addition, on friday evenings or sunday afternoon, you can drop in to have your take on clay and build some pottery models or use the pottery wheels to make your own vase/cup/jar. However, you will have to pay an addition fee for firing the piece. They also have a number of paints for you. They have a restaurant and bar on the top level of the museum with modern decor. It is a perfect spot for something a little more romantic. read more

Very interesting museum that focuses on ceramics. We first went there because my dad was mistaken and though that it was a free admission museum (it's not) but they do have free wifi if you ask at the front desk. While ceramic aren't my thing, I did enjoy the 2nd floor where they had the fancy table all laid out where everything of course was ceramics. It's not too big, which can be good or bad depending on how you look at it. My family had reached the top and were a little disappointed that there wasn't more, but for a museum that specializes only on one topic, they have a lot of it. read more

Update: Now there's this new ticket selling system, it is some what improved but still waste of time. So people can come here to get a number starting from 11:45, and come back later at 12:30 to buy a ticket. After getting the ticket there's more waiting, since the class doesn't begin until 1pm. So to go to this 2 hour pottery class, I will have to waste 1 hour and 15 mins in total loitering. That's quite a lot of time. The half an hour before and after ticket selling time is too short to do anything. The $15 class is only 1.5hr long, because of the demo and clean up, also sometimes takes a bit longer for the instructors to prepare everything before the class begins. Half a day is gone by the time the class is finished. I get more and more disappointed every time I come here. One of the instructor looked very annoyed every time when I ask her any question. I am a noob so of course I don't know any of the proper terms, I am just here to learn. read more

My review is of the shop only as I did not visit the museum collection. I am an avid pottery collector so I was psyched to visit the Gardiner Shop. Wow...what a disappointment. The staff was nice and friendly, but unfortunately, not educated about the artists' work sold there. Not able to talk about pottery or explain techniques or even pronounce some of the artists names. Selection is small and EXTREMELY overpriced. Don't get me wrong, i know art is expensive. But the same artists' pottery is a third less (or in some instances half the price!) at the Burlington Art Centre or the big clay and glass gallery in Waterloo. If you're a collector, and want local artists' work in a big selection and a reasonable price--go elsewhere. read more

While I appreciate a large museum, it's nice sometimes to visit a smaller one, where it's possible to see everything on view in an hour or so, and without becoming too overwhelmed. The Gardiner has a really beautiful collection of ceramic art, with both a permanent collection and temporary exhibits. There's reduced admission on Friday evenings, too. Recommended. read more

I recently went to a wedding at the Gardiner Museum and was very impressed. The lighting from all the windows was so nice and relaxing. The decor was stunning but not sure it that was outsourced. the service was top notch. Food was WOW. All 5 stars. The only negative was lack of parking but I did find a lot 2 blocks away near Windsor Arms. Considering it's right in the heart of Toronto that's not bad. read more

It was a nightmare dealing with the Gardiner museum receptionist! Very bad customer service and absolutely inflexible in accommodating our requests. When politely asked to pick up our pottery stuff the receptionist just gets really upset and so worked up and even called the security on us trying to chase us out! We recommended the ceramic class to our friends and it's unbelievable how they treated us this way. You might as well just go to AGO. read more

I was so excited to go to the Gardiner Museum for the first time after living in Toronto forever and not really knowing about it. I went with a friend and got the student discount. I thought the museum was wonderfully curated without being overwhelming or too monotonous, however, the collection and space is small and there were NO other visitors other than at the museum shop. Their top floor seemed to have a small temporary exhibit, which was refreshing. I have a feeling that if i came back in a year, most if not all of the stuff would be the same. There is little chance one would spend more than an hour here and I really think this museum is not spectacular to be a stand alone museum. I'd much rather go to the Art Gallery of Ontario or the ROM. read more

The Gardiner Museum is one of Toronto's best kept secrets. What a pleasant surprise when we discovered it.