The Gardiner Museum in Toronto is gearing up for its largest renovation project in almost two decades, after receiving a major $9 million donation back in September 2023 from The Radlett Foundation.

The transformational donation, made in honour of the late William B.G. Humphries, was the catalyst for a full-scale re-imagining of the ceramic art museum's ground floor. 

The museum is set to close its doors on June 29 to begin its massive construction project, which includes the addition of a makerspace, a Community Learning Centre, and a gallery of Indigenous ceramics from the Woodland and Great Lakes Region. 

As the museum's staff begin removing the collection from the ground floor, the Gardiner will be offering free admission to its other gallery spaces from Monday, June 24 until Friday, June 28. 

The estimated capital costs of the project are $15 million, and a full closure of the museum will be taking place until mid-October. 

During the second phase of construction — which is set to take place between October 2024 and October 2025 — the museum will reopen to the public, with the exception of the ground floor. Second-floor galleries and the special exhibition hall will be accessible, with clay classes and operations at Clay Restaurant also resuming. 

The museum is planning what it calls a "full-scale reimagining" 👀 https://t.co/3y6ScgTf8l #Toronto #Museum #Transformation

— blogTO (@blogTO) September 19, 2023

Some notable collections and halls that will remain closed during the second phase of the construction include Ancient Americas, Italian Renaissance Maiolica, English Delftware, the Laura Dinner & Richard Rooney Community Clay Studio, and the Goldring Family Lecture Hall. 

During this phase, the museum will also adopt a pay-what-you-can model, with regular admission being reinstated when the museum opens in full in October 2025. 

If you've ever wanted to visit the museum, you have a few days left to plan your visit and take advantage of the free admission. You can find the Gardiner Museum at 111 Queens Park.