The Gallery is open 10:30 am to 5:30 pm.

Family Visits

The AGO is one of Toronto’s most celebrated cultural destinations. It’s tons of fun, too! Visit as a family and you’ll see outstanding Indigenous, Canadian and European art, cutting-edge Contemporary work, and a renowned collection of Prints, Drawings and Photography. You’ll enjoy artmaking, storytelling, making new friends and exploring new spaces.

Join us in the galleries and find the mobile Art Cart, with fun activities on weekends and holiday Mondays.

Be sure to check out Family Sundays with events for little kids, big kids and the whole family where creative play and learning activities fill the Weston Family Learning Centre and the Dr. Mariano Elia Hands-On Centre, or courses for children and youth in the Anne Tanenbaum Gallery School.

Finish up your fun with a delicious meal at AGO Bistro or grab a quick bite at caféAGO, where kids under five eat for free (with an AGO Member). Visit shopAGO for playful and artful gifts for the whole family.

Members always save at the AGO. Join today and visit when you like, as often as you like, for FREE.

Plan Your Visit

Learn about exciting Exhibitions, Events and Family Programs on now and coming soon.
Talk to your children about what they might see. Our FREE printed guides have activities, questions and ideas for looking at artwork in the AGO Collection.
Remind your children about Gallery rules – please don’t touch the art!
Find out about Admission pricing and special offers.

TOP 10 THINGS TO DO AT THE AGO AS A FAMILY

Start in WALKER COURT on Level 1. Look up at Seven Grandfathers, the colourful artworks placed between the arches. There’s a description of each one in the corner of Walker Court you can read out loud as a family. Stand underneath, and be amazed by, the circular staircase.
Head over to the INUIT SCULPTURES surrounding Walker Court. Find at least three animals and act out the sounds they might make.
TAKE A TRIP UP OR DOWN THE SPIRAL STAIRCASE. Built with Douglas fir, the staircase, which spans the 2^nd to 5^th floors, is one of the AGO’s most distinctive features. Architect Frank Gehry designed it as a fun place to meet other people moving through the Gallery.
PLAY ART DETECTIVE. The stories behind the art can be found using Art Detective Cards, in both the E.R. Wood (#121) and the Reuben Wells Leonard Memorial (#117) Galleries on Level 1. It’s up to you to uncover revealing details about the artworks there.
OH, CANADA! Enjoy the amazing Thomson Collection of Canadian Art on Level 2. Lush landscapes and beautiful scenics are bathed in sunlight. You can see clouds through the gallery skylight and in the paintings themselves.
CREATE WHILE YOU PLAY. Visit the Dr. Mariano Elia Hands-On Centre for interactive art activities. Try on a costume and reinvent yourself as an animal or a superhero.
Find the ART CART. It’s a colourful activity station that roams the galleries on weekends and holiday Mondays from 12-3 pm.. Family activity facilitators help keep all ages engaged and connected.
Sign up for SIDE BY SIDE artmaking with your toddler or child under five, available on Saturdays or Sundays all year long. We also have side-by-side drawing activities for children 6–10 with their caregiver in the galleries plus many more courses for all ages and stages.
RELAX AND READ together with a picture book in the library lounge.
Parents and caregivers can STROLL THE GALLERIES with their babes on this arts highlights group tour, the first Tuesday morning of every month.

What do you need to know?

What is the admission price for kids?

Kids 5 and under are free. Family Passes are also available.

Where can we eat?

Join us in caféAGO for kid-friendly options, from gooey mac ‘n’ cheese to delicious pizza, sure to leave your little ones full and happy. Kids 5 and under eat for FREE at caféAGO when dining with an adult AGO Member! AGO Bistro and Galleria Italia also offer delicious food and drinks. Families are welcome!

Are there family washrooms and what floor?

There is a family washroom located by the café in the Concourse Level.

Are there change facilities in the men/women washrooms?

All washrooms have change tables.

Can I bring my stroller to the gallery?

Yes, baby strollers are allowed in the galleries. There is stroller parking outside the Dr. Mariano Elia Hands-On Centre during the hours it is open.

Are there any events for kids today?

Visit our learning page and our events page for ensuring that best visit. Upon arriving, you will also receive a weekly schedule for unique stops on that day.

Where is the hands-on centre located?

Located on the concourse level of the Gallery in the Weston Family Learning Centre, at The Dr. Mariano Elia Hands-On Centre you'll always find artmaking and creative play activities for the whole family, from the youngest learner on up!

Can we bring our cameras and sketchbooks?

A personal sketchbook and pencil crayons in secure pencil cases, or simple point and shoot cameras and smartphones, are a great way for families to capture and take home replicas of their favourite artworks. Photos (no selfie sticks please) and sketching in most galleries are strongly encouraged. You will see a no photo sign for any exceptions. It’s often surprising to see what kids capture and what they find most interesting about their gallery hop. It’s great to see a museum experience through their eyes.

Cameras are also good for selfies, and for uploading your on-the spot creative masterpieces to #AGOmakes, an online gallery of visitor artworks.

Are there quiet and/or low-light spaces for down-times?

Yes, while there isn’t a designated area for down-time, some quieter areas include the Library foyer with comfy seating on the Concourse Level, and the low-light Ship Models Gallery also on the Concourse Level. These are also great locations for nursing.

What can you do at the AGO?

How long should we visit?

There’s so much to see. Think about making a few brief visits to the galleries, and relaxing in the café for a quick and easy meal; the library for some reading time, or head to the Weston Family Learning Centre where you can unpack your homemade picnic lunch! In the summertime, visit the beautiful Grange Park behind our building where kids can enjoy art-inspired playscapes and water features.

How loud can we be?

We love hearing people of all ages talking, singing, moving around and exploring together. Why not bring your instruments and costumes too! Tubas are too big though – please leave any oversized objects at coat check.

Can we touch the art?

The AGO has a world-class team of conservators who ensure that artworks are always in their best condition and free from harm. Our security team includes the people in the galleries in brown suits who also help ensure both the safety of our art and of our visitors. Together, we are on the lookout for roving, curious fingers. No matter how clean, hands leave dirt and oils behind on surfaces. For these reasons, we don’t touch the art.

Are all galleries age appropriate?

Artworks cover a range of topics and ideas, and we present them in many ways. This is what makes art so relevant in our lives today. That said, we make every effort to provide signage where works for mature audiences is displayed. Also, when there is a life drawing class in the galleries, information signage will be at the entrance of that room. The human figure has been a sculptural, painting and drawing topic — and vehicle of communication — for hundreds and thousands of years. Yet, we trust and know that every family will have their own unique feelings and expressions about nudity, or difficult subject matter. We see this as an open and evolving conversation and encourage you to leave feedback about your visit.

What is the kids point of view?

Art is typically hung at an average adult height, approximately at eye level. Consider bending down and looking at the artwork from your child’s perspective. It may offer new ideas and thoughts about perspective and a feeling that you are sharing a similar point of view.

What can we do outdoors?

The AGO has a newly designed playscape inspired by paint tubes, and water features in Grange Park. Climb Henry Moore’s majestic sculpture, throw a Frisbee, enjoy a picnic lunch.

Do you host birthday parties?

We do not have facilities to accommodate birthday parties. If you would like to arrange for a private event or group tour, please contact Group Visits (groupsales@ago .ca) or our Food and Beverage Team.