Gardiner Museum

Gardiner Museum

view website

111 Queen's Park
Toronto, Canada M5S2C
416-586-8080

You have successfully saved this Thing To Do.

See it in My Wishlist

Rate Gardiner Museum:

Babies

Toddlers & Pre-K

School-Age Kids

Pre-Teens & Teens

Gardiner Museum Description

The more than 3,000 historical and contemporary pieces in the Gardiner Museum's collection span time and place, giving your family look into the development of the ceramic process. It might feel like you are bringing bulls to a china shop at first, but the hands-on classes at this ceramic museum, the only one in the country devoted to this artform, are a perfect fit for an afternoon of family fun.

Kid Tips

Toddlers & Pre-K: Head directly to the basement art studios and save yourself the stress of little hands that can't help but touch.

School-Age Kids: Take the TTC and get off at the Museum Stop. Kids will love the station's ceiling high totem poles and unique egyptian décor.

Pre-Teens & Teens: Reserve them a pottery wheel (there are only nine) and they'll get a kick out of making something bigger and bolder that they can keep.

Planning Notes

Leave the backpack behind. A quick turn that knocks over one of these antique collector's items will set you back substantially

No time for your Sunday Best. They're going to get messy once they get their hands in the clay and not even the smocks provided will save the clothes you were hoping they'd wear to dinner. Pack a change just in case.

Make, Bake, Repeat. If you want your creation to last, you'll want to plan a return visit (at least 48 hours later) when it will have gone through the kiln ($5 per piece). Little ones will be just as happy to let their dinosaurs and cookie jars air dry in the back of the car and will hardly notice when they fall apart.

Come early. The early bird gets the ticket. Tickets for the clay workshop are first come, first serve and go on sale 30 minutes before class starts. Plan to come an hour ahead to line up and then explore the neighbourhood until class starts.

Eat before you get here. The food is delicious but overpriced and lacking in kid-friendly options. Grab a hot-dog from a vendor outside or wander down the block to a dine-in restaurant or you'll be stuck paying way too much for a cupcake.

Related Vacations