A new exhibit dedicated exclusively to spiders is coming to the ROM next month

This June, the Royal Ontario Museum will be welcoming a new exhibit, Spiders: Fear & Fascination and trust us, it’s definitely not for the faint of heart.

The new exhibit will explore the hunting, burrowing, and weaving world of these eight-legged creatures and will feature more than 400 live and preserved spiders, cutting-edge interactive experiences, and new scientific discoveries.

Kicking off Saturday, June 16, the exhibit will debunk myths about one of the most successful yet misunderstood animals on the planet.

“Be prepared to see spiders as you’ve never seen them before,” said Josh Basseches, ROM Director & CEO.

“Spiders: Fear and Fascination draws on the latest scientific research in the field of arachnology and the ROM’s curatorial expertise, inspiring a deeper understanding of the vital role spiders play in our ecosystem and their cultural significance throughout history.”

Visitors will leave the exhibit with a better understanding of how the arachnids have evolved and survived over 300 million years, conquer their fear (if they have one), and see them in a whole new light.

There will be 18 different types of live spiders and their relatives on display in addition to interactive and augmented reality experiences that will let visitors get up close and personal to some of the over 48,000 known spider species.

This includes everything from local spiders to the world’s most venomous, like the Black Widow and Brown Recluse.

Also on the agenda is a live venom-milking lab, where trained ROM technicians – known as Spider Wranglers – will demonstrate live venom milking and engage visitors in hands-on learning activities with spider specimens.

Tickets are available online now and the exhibit will be open to the public until January 2019.

Spiders: Fear & Fascination

When: Starts June 16 and runs until January 2019
Time: Monday to Sunday, 10 am to 5:30 pm
Where: The Royal Ontario Museum, 100 Queen’s Park
Price: Free for members and $32 for adults

See also

• The World Naked Bike Ride is happening in Toronto this June
• The new Manolo Blahnik exhibit kicks off in Toronto this week
• You can see Wolverine’s real claws at the Toronto Reference Library this month