Reviews of Art Gallery of Ontario (Zoo)

Kim

The Andy Warhol exhibit was really good, I missed seeing the soup can but it was very thorough.

Karen Mork

Go on the evening that there is free admission. I don't remember the day but it will say on the website. I enjoyed it but it was nothing earth shattering. Go when it's free :)

Zoltan Wagner

Nice art collection but the signage could be better. Larger than it looks from the outside. Also a nice view over the city from the funky staircase.

Sridhar Mocherla

Huge place, full of interesting exhibits from all over the world. I loved going though the special Picasso exhibits - lots of fascinating context to it. COVID protocols were mostly adhered to, and there wasn’t a huge crowd. The Annual pass ($35) is definitely worth it. If you’re bored on a day with nothing to do, highly recommend visiting here.

Zoey Zou

Have very good collections, architecture are also great. I spend almost 4 hours there.

Samantha Wilson

Long line but breezed through it fast! Very Welcoming staff. It was good to see them outside making sure everyone knew it would be fast and checking tickets, ensuring safety. The Caribbean exhibit was not what I expected. I was a bit disappointed on the flow and vibe. I was expecting more authentic art from islanders; some culture and history. There is so much creativity when I am in the islands but didn’t feel that. The steel pan Drums where awesome. I wanted to dance. The huge floor was available to dance socially distant. Some areas got a bit crowded and needed staff for control. The Boats downstairs was amazing to see with the details on a miniature scale it must have seemed tedious but worth it. Beautifully displayed and on the way to the bathroom so no one would miss it. Great location. Parking is in front and can be used down the street to go to a neighbourhood restaurant after.

Victoria B

Finally had a chance to go to the Art Gallery of Ontario and although I did not spend a lot of time there it was pretty nice! There were a lot of indigenous artists that were being featured and reading some of the curator notes this was done intentionally. The staff were all very kind and it wasn't too difficult to enter the space and get out. It is wheelchair accessible. There is a coat station which cost a couple bucks to store your stuff while you walk around.

Anna Maramba

AGO has always been my “Go To” gallery to satisfy my craving for modern visual art. It has well curated special exhibits and their ongoing exhibits are also quite wonderful. This place brings me so much joy!

Jamie Carr

A good museum, with a broad range of art in the permanent collection. The range of medieval/Renaissance European art is limited (much less than in Montreal’s art museum), but there is a large coverage of contemporary art. Plenty of coverage of First Nation art as well, even if they are sometimes randomly placed within other sections. Highlight was certainly the Andy Warhol exhibition - a very good coverage of his life and main works, and highly recommend getting the audio guide (accessible on the AGO website).

Yuki Chui

I have been here for so many times. Really enjoyed the Andy Warhol exhibition! Such a great place to visit arts. Love the whole building with the large glass windows. The design of the stairs are pretty amazing too. They also got place for food and resting as well. Great place for hanging out with friends and learning about art, both historical and contemporary, international and Canadian! Really friendly staffs. And you can get a free pass online if you are under 25! Also enjoying shopping at the art store too.

Cailin Robert Campbell And Green

Warhol exhibit was great. Check out the ships in the basement. Whole facility exhibits were excellent

Ahsaan Rizvi

Great collection of art in the heart of downtown. The gallery has 5 floors with one level dedicated for special events and basement for small models of ships. Other floors are easily accessible via elevators and stairs. Level 2 is what I enjoyed the most with art from 1200s, there is a beautiful gallery in Canadian indigenous people as well as sculpture art collection on the same floor. Coat check is available for 2 bucks, art shop is also located on the main floor. Municipal Parking is available nearby like 40 larch street.

Rachel Ruffo

The AGO is full of beautiful and interesting art. They have a very impressive variety including Renaissance paintings, model ships and First Nations Art. I usually end up spending around two hours when I visit. If you are under 25 you can register for a free annual pass on their website.

Matthew Simser

one of the best places to go see art if you want that feeling of being lost in a crowd, very movie-like. kinda convenient that there’s a few great bars nearby too, nothing fixes sore eyeballs like getting wasted! personally, i recommend the Sin & Retribution bar on McCaul.

Elaine Lewis

Love spending time here and checking out the different art displays and installations.

Aimee Chea

I love the AGO! I’ve been to a couple of exhibits and all of them have been very cool and interesting. Most recently, I’ve been to the Picasso exhibition. I loved it. The only thing was that it was a bit crowded for my taste for a museum. I also went on a Friday morning so I would recommend checking out the exhibits on a less busy day if you like to leisurely walk around the exhibit. Although it was a bit crowded, I still enjoyed the art.

Jason Fung

This is a wonderful art gallery. The membership is worth it and depending on the level, you could qualify for reciprocity to MANY art galleries across North America. That's right, it includes many US art galleries too. One trip to New York, and you have paid access to the Guggenheim, and a handful of other galleries within walking distance. In terms of the AGO itself, the rotating exhibits are always well curated. The permanent exhibits are good too and the must see is the Henry Moore gallery (kind of the only gallery of it's kind in the world). The model ships in the basement are great for kids (and there's a whole story to that too). Also, make sure to see the second floor "Galleria Italia" - it's a curved wood promenade on the second floor facing Dundas. There are also some new augmented reality things, so make sure you have a full battery charge on your phone. Pack a pair of headphones too, as you can use their app for audio commentary (rather than use their equipment hanging off your neck on a lanyard). Enjoy your visit, then walk to Baldwin street afterwards for some great food options.

Amy F

I always love the AGO every time I go; I enjoy it. Well worth the money!! There was a super excellent exhibit on Andy Warhol this time too.

Okan A. Altug

Picasso was great. Congratulations. Warhol was fantastic and well curated. Congratulations. Thank you to AGO. Society is hungry for art because. Pls go on we expect more as Torontonians.

Rhonda Grace

My daughter surprised me with tickets to the Andy Warhol exhibit. We had a fabulous time. What a perfect day we had. The building is incredible. The staff is professional. The exhibit is fascinating.

ड्रे

The museum is pretty bare-bones. The lighting is inconsistent throughout the museum and most of the walls are sparsely filled. If you’re a tourist from Asia/Europe/US I wouldn’t recommend it. There’s much better museums in other countries for a fraction of the price.

Hope Lai

Picasso blue is so much educational. Very well present

Angela

I’ve visited the AGO since I was a child and it holds a special place in my heart. The architecture is something else - perfectly reflects the beautiful art inside. Gift shop is full of great items and each temporary exhibit always has an excellent mini gift shop as well. Great variety of art and always has interesting exhibits. Always clean and people are respectful. Unfortunately I haven’t gone since Early Rubens back in 2019 but I look forward to going again whenever possible.

Teny Shaji

AGO was a great place to be. Especially the Andy Warhol exhibit is a must see. The staff was great!

Vanessa Brown

Amazing, huge Andy Warhol exhibition plus an absolute delight, 'Death is Elsewhere' by Ragnar Kjartansson, a mesmerising video installation which I could have lost myself in for days. Excellent space.

Chelsey Cunningham

Love this place so much. Wish I lived a bit closer so I could go all the time. Like that they have lovely gift shop and Cafe. Definitely worth checking out if you're visiting Toronto

Jared Zanewich

The entire gallery amazed me but the Ivory carvings were unbelievably awesome.

Alfred Chang

Must visit in Toronto. If you only have time for one attraction, this is it.

Ryan Labrie

Wednesdays right now have free admission. So we signed up online and it made for a great date night. I got lost in the exhibits and had a splendid time. They have a good mix of sculptures, paintings and electronic art. Definitely a must when looking for a refined outting in Toronto.

S. Wilson

Always nice to visit. A lot of diversified exhibitions and the architecture is very beautiful. Love this museum!

Kimberley Moran

Andy Warhol visit was exquisite. Always have an amazing time here and they’re currently offering free tickets to frontline workers.

Sahil Saini

Nice place. Good art gallery

Emily Michelle Fata

I’ve been visiting the AGO for years, ever since I was a child. Whether it’s seeing new installations or featured, limited-time specials or revisiting old favourites that are permanently open to the public, it’s one of those places that just feel like home to me. Throughout university, I would visit here once every week or two, thanks to their free program for people under 25.

Jaise

Beautiful and calm place. Loved the paintings so much.Wednesday is free from 6.00 pm to 9.00 pm,but ticket must be purchased earlier online from their site.

Christophe MERLIER

I like museum. AGO is one of kind. The exhibition are always well explained and we can take the time to enjoy all of it. I love to see the group of seven. Also, unique piece of arts that we can't see anywhere else. Spending a day at AGO is like stopping the time. We always leave transformed, like if time flies in another dimension. The pass is inexpensive so we go very often. You will love it

Smitha Muralidharan

I really recommend this to whoever is interested in art and history. One thing which was kind of a bummer was the no of people allowed in a slot to watch the Picasso. There were so many people that I could not taken in the art properly ad everyone were around me talking loudly and crowding the same painting ...

lily liang

Convenience access to the parking location, my family went here by TTC, the closest TTC station is St. Patrick. My kids and I enjoy the time in Gallery. Thanks for keep opening during Pandemic time! But keep in mind, due to pandemic time, a lot of exhibitions have to be cancelled, hope will able to see more next year.

Manav Ranpura

Great art exhibition loved it went there and time went super fast I booked a 4:30 slot and didn’t know they close at 5:30 on Weekends. I wish I had more time to explore all the art and exhibition but I will be back to learn more and listen to all the online audio files explaining the history and facts of the various art pieces and paintings.

K K

All the pieces have informative descriptions. The gallery is well curated and the temporary exhibits are usually a big draw. Definitely get tickets in advance because of the limitations during the pandemic. The mobile website is a mess though. It’s annoying to buy tickets on, logging in, and the windows keep freezing. The cost check isn’t free for members, only the more expensive membership has free access to it.

Marena Shokri

Lots of cool paintings and art. Currently Picasso exhibit going on for an additional $25 to enter. My friend and I spent the afternoon there and it was fun and relaxing experience

Penelope G

Wonderful welcome on a recent visit, staff made vaccination checks a breeze and engaged with and entertained my toddlers when they really didn't have to - so kind and thoughtful. On that note, wonderful spot for children esp. when the winter outdoors are so forbidding. Oh and the exhibits are fabulous!

peachy zzang

The best place to see a painting exhibition in Toronto with a high level of exhibition

Gregory Swift

Beautifully designed building, never over crowded due to good management at the desks. Gift shop is ace, providing a broad range, especially in regards to books ???? The department of Christian artifacts is by far the best collection in the Gallery by my personal experience, and the collection of busts is quite extraordinary!! Members club is well worth it too, with access to food & beverage service and a charming lounge overlooking the gardens

Akshay Patel

Good museum! Very spacious and free as well if you meet some age requirements.

Hana Imany

Great place for young people to visit, especially because it’s free for teens and children. Beautiful building with lots to see. Although the selection doesn’t change much and exhibits require payment. It’s not a must visit site if you’re visiting Toronto, but it’s a nice outing if you’re looking for something to do.

Vatika Mohanty

Visited both the Warhol and Picasso exhibits. Both exhibits were made well and were informative. Unfortunately, there were a lot of people in parts of the Warhol exhibit at a given time, not sure if it was people staying longer than anticipated to read the explanations. Picasso had a long line to get in (even with the timed entrance) but due to this the distancing in the exhibit was better. Picasso had these lovely in-depth videos of how they have uncovered hidden images in the paintings. Overall, a good time and both exhibits had well curated pieces of artwork.

zen mos

Art is the only refuge to take in these hard days and every single day of life . .Picasso blue period and a collection of Mattew Wong's art were the two exhibits I recently visited and enjoyed

Valentin Mihut

While it has a limited number of new exhibits each year, AGO aims for quality over quantity! With a we'll curated and extremely diverse set of permanent and longer term exhibits, you should always plan for a full day here, to get the most of your visit.

Andrea Andrea

Always love going to the AGO in Toronto. There’s always parking around on side streets (Green P). We really liked having to book a time slot/check in time. It really helped with the amount of people The AGO let’s in due to Covid protocols. We really enjoyed the Canadian Artists and History aspect of it all. Definitely something to do when visiting Toronto.

Holden McKenzie

Saw Picasso's "blue period" today. Good transitioning into the rose period. Along side were his inspirations for his work and their works. Went with my partner and my mom and they had a great time! Thank you AGO!

Jacob Diflorio

Very entertaining night at the AGO. Their rotating exhibits are awesome and very well setup and safe.

Sima Chowdhury

I loved the AGO! The Andy Warhol exhibition taught me a lot. I didn't know that he painted Wayne Gretzky or that he danced. The other exhibits were just as beautiful and creative.

Wayne Ralph

Wonderful as always- have been going to exhibits here for 50 years.

Susan SV

It was easy to lose myself in the wonders of art for a couple of hours! Easy location, friendly staff and clean restrooms. Make sure to purchase your tickets online in advance.

Antonio T.

My favorite museum! Always some fantastic new exhibit and a wonderful permanent collection. A must see and to visit regularly.

Dr. BB

Décent size gallery but overall quality of the artwork here are very usual, nothing unique. A lot of recent artist work which doesn’t really appeal or stand out.

Olga Crawford

A small but nice gallery with some rare exhibits

Jessica H

This place was fab. I loved Matthew Wongs paintings. I can’t wait to slip my paintings in here next time I come

Atria Vasudevan

It is an amazing place to visit. Relatively huge gallery with a wide verity of art pieces. I loved the atmosphere, It is peaceful and calming. It is worth to buy an annual pass if you are someone passionate about art, paintings and illustrations. I visited the Andy Warhol exhibit as well, It was great.

Georges Younes

The Art Gallery of Ontario is one of the best of its kind in Canada. The collection is large, varied, well chosen and beautifully exhibited. This is not one of those museums that crowd their walls and open spaces with works of art to make an impression. There's plenty of room for the exhibited pieces and for visitors. The building of the gallery calls attention to itself sparingly, never taking your attention away from the exhibitions. The collection of Canadian art is unequalled. It spans the history of art in the country from its humble beginnings to contemporary times.

Kristina

Well organized, clean. Helpful staff. Did the Andy Warhol exhibit. Easy to locate and very spacious. Not all followed Covid protocol of social distance but plenty of room to move

Sylvia Lee

For a Canadian art gallery, it’s probably the best. Nothing like the galleries in NYC, LA, or Europe, but it does the job. Really great collection of Canadian artists, and their recent Picasso exhibit was one of the best I’ve seen ever (it was better than the Picasso museum in Barcelona). Definitely check out if you’re visiting Toronto or get the annual membership if you live in the city. Same cost as one ticket!

Mitch M

Gallery is massive with multiple levels to enjoy all sorts of art. I highly recommend coming here. I gave this a 4 star as we found out while we were entering the gallery that Wednesday nights are free starting at 6 PM. We bought tickets and arrived at 5 PM, so if we would have known we could have got in for free. They wouldn't return the tickets.

Brad Moxon

We have had season passes the last two years and would highly recommend getting one. They are $35 and the value is incredible. There is always one, sometimes multiple world class exhibitions happening. You will see something new and inspiring every time. The staff that work there are so knowledgeable, so professional and so friendly. We have been to all the top museums in North America, I rank this at the top !

Rula Al-Sadiq

Always there is something to see. Worth the membership if you are interested in ART. This week, we went to PICASSO. You will realize that you knew a little about the artist, especially the ones that shaped the ART. Before it, went to Andy Warhol. And more and more. Everyone is polite and nice. Even the people. We went with a baby in the pram. We go every few weeks. And it’s worth it. One of my favourite trips to the downtown :)

Zeyuan L

Great exhibitions of Matthew Wong and Picasso, pretty friendly for youth and artists. Gladly came for the tour before the Ontario shutdown

Alex

The Picasso exhibit is fantastic - it covers his early Blue Period and includes pieces that he used as inspiration and shows how they figured out that some paintings have earlier works hidden underneath. So interesting and well done, and it is free for people under 25 which is generous. They didn't really enforce the time slots, since I arrived a bit late and nobody checked the time on my ticket. It'll definitely take a few visits to see the whole gallery, so I'm looking forward to going back!

Carolyn Legere

Spent a couple of hours and wandered from floor to floor, seeing many different genres of art. I even went to the basement level to check out the pretty amazing collection of model ships and boats. Was able to take a lunch break outside of the gallery and get back in again with no hassle to continue the experience. It was busy , probably due to the Picasso exhibit , but staff checked vaccines docs quickly and efficiently and everyone was so friendly. If you plan to visit more than once within a year's time it's worth it to buy the $35 membership which allows you free entry to general exhibit after purchase.

ran vash

Good organization during covid times. The line moved quickly but was outside in the chill. Staff are friendly and helpful.

Aliyeh R

If you love art and appreciate beauty, highly recommend to visit this unique art gallery. It was great visit for me and will go there again for sure. glad to see museums reopened.

Ali FA

This is a great place to explore arts. It has a vast collection of the group of seven artists which depict Canadian landscapes. It also has quite large collection of medieval arts and European paintings. The only complaint I have is I found that not all paintings have the description associated with it, especially in the Canadian art section.

joshua lopez

Wow what a place to visit. I would say this is the largest Art gallery I've been to. They have about 4 floors of art. I spent 2.5 hours just on the first floor. They have Picasso's blue period and Michael Wong both was lovely in seeing. I would invest in the membership for $35 if you live in the area. Definitely would be worth it and be able to fully enjoy the experience

Renata Kay

Love going to the AGO. They always have different exhibitions that run and keep people coming back. The only suggestion I have is to have the cafe restaurant open late until closing time

Hannah Hernandez

If you’re under 25 years old you can get a free yearly pass to all their exhibitions and permanent galleries. I was able to see the Picasso, Andy Warhol and Matthew Wong exhibits. There was a long line up to get in which confused me because I thought there were timed tickets to avoid that but it went by quickly. The exhibits were really informative and extensive, the Andy Warhol exhibit also included a lot about his personal life which was interesting. There was a lot of people inside the exhibits despite the capacity limit that made it difficult to read passages and look at the art work safely but it was still a great time. Definitely recommend if you like learning about the artists behind the work.

Julie Macdonald

Highly recommend the indigenous and Matthew Wong exhibits.

Sandra Lynsdale

Beautiful art gallery exhibit housing work from group of seven, Picasso and many other artists. I particularly enjoying the Picasso exhibit about the blue period it was very interesting and well done. It’s also a gorgeous venue for events such as weddings. They offer coat check and there is a gift shop and bistro.

Aloysius Gregory

Purchased the Annual Pass for $35 (which is really great value) and was so super stoked to see the Andy Warhol exhibit that I made a mistake with the online ticket purchase. Called up the AGO next day and a gentleman took my details, noticed what I'd done wrong without me having to tell him, and very kindly sorted everything out and adjusted/refunded my money. Top man and excellent customer service! Oh and the Warhol exhibit was brilliant too!

the art machine

It is always perfect, For 35 $ per year unlimited access and up to 21 year old free access. This is how it should be everywhere. Love Picasso, but tomorrow closure again, so hoping that they would be able to extend exhibit. Well hoping

Greg Whitney

Fantastic Andy Warhol exposition. Plus other collections.

Roman

Beautiful art space. Our favorite part is ship miniatures. Picasso’s exhibition is until mid January. Coffee shop has an amazing ambiance, especially during the sunny day. And AGO cafe is worth mentioning because it’s one of a kind both healthier and yummier place to eat (comparable to regular museum’s cafes). It’s also free to everyone under 25!