Next time you visit Toronto’s Royal Ontario Museum you’ll be able to enjoy the Helga and Mike Schmidt Performance Terrace and the Reed Family Plaza.

They were officially opened to the public yesterday. They’re on the Bloor Street side of the ROM and overlook Philosopher’s Walk. They offer a welcoming place for visitors to gather with garden-side seating and an open-air space for music, theatre, discussion and performances.

The opening of the museum’s new outdoor spaces is part of the ROM’s larger strategic vision of creating an engaging streetscape and greater access, while enhancing the ROM’s role as a cultural and community anchor.

Yesterday’s activities mark the final phase of the ROM’s Welcome Project, which also included the reopening of the heritage Weston Entrance on Queen’s Park in December of 2017 and complimentary access to the gallery dedicated to First Peoples art and culture.