The ROM is about to do something it hasn't done in 10 years

The cladding outside of the Royal Ontario Museum's Queen's Park entrance will soon come down to reveal a revamped and fully-functional space ready to welcome visitors.

As the Toronto Star reports today, the Weston Entrance will be in service starting in September after being closed for about 10 years. Remember when this was how you entered the museum?

Hariri Pontarini Architects is giving the heritage space a makeover. Once complete, it'll feature limestone steps that are meant to be a hangout spot, much like at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in Manhattan. Yes, this means you can finally live out your Gossip Girl dreams here in Toronto.

Like many upgrades happening in the city this year, this one's also tied into Canada's sesquicentennial. But the ROM's director and CEO tells the Star that the main entrance on Bloor was getting too crowded.

While the new entrance won't be open this summer, get ready to hang out on the ROM steps come September.