A Toronto museum that fully shut down to undergo extensive renovations earlier this year is finally ready to reopen to the public, and the big date is fast approaching.

Staff at the Gardiner Museum announced Friday that they will happily start welcoming patrons back to experience the site's stunning collection of ceramics, glass, textiles, jewellery and more early next month after closing in July to start a complete refurbishment of the ground floor at 111 Queen's Park.

October 7 will mark the completion of the first of two phases of the $15 million project, and patrons will once again be able to enter the building—that is, with the exception of the ground floor. Unfortunately, the main portion of the work will remain ongoing for the next year, with the most-anticipated features still to come.

📣 BIG NEWS! 📣 We can't wait to welcome you back!

With the first phase of our Ground Floor Transformation complete, we're excited to reopen our doors to the public on Monday October 7.

Read the FAQ for more information and start planning your visit: https://t.co/97OIr4Buhe pic.twitter.com/tOoz2NVNoX

— Gardiner Museum (@gardinermuseum) September 27, 2024

The construction marks the institution's first major facelift in close to 20 years and centres on a three-pillar ethos of improving access, fostering connectivity, and achieving reconciliation by highlighting Indigenity.

It includes a new makerspace where guests can engage hands-on with the clay medium, a community learning centre to host an array of events programming, and a new gallery dedicated solely to Indigenous works — all of which won't make their debut until October 2025.

The gallery portion, designed by architect Chris Cornelius, will showcase generations of ceramic traditions — both the objects and the meaning behind them — of the Woodland and Great Lakes Region.

As part of the revitalization, which was made possible by a $9 million donation from the Radlett Foundation in honour of its founder, William B.G. Humphries, more than 250 new objects from Humphries' famed personal collection will also be put into the museum's hands. This includes an impressive selection of 18th-century English porcelain.