ONTARIO.- Lace up your shoes and discover the architecture, history and stories of Toronto through ROMwalks, a series of free guided walking tours of the city. Every year, from May to October, tour leaders from the Royal Ontario Museum’s (ROM) Department of Museum Volunteers guide the public through some of the city’s most distinctive neighbourhoods, visiting Toronto landmarks and illuminating their architectural and historical significance.

The 2009 ROMwalks series kicks off on Sunday, May 3 at 2 pm starting with Sacred Stones & Steeples, which highlights sacred buildings from Christian and other faiths, including St. James Cathedral, Metropolitan United Church, St. Michael's Cathedral and St. George's Greek Orthodox Church. There will be a special 175th Anniversary of Toronto Walk Saturday June 13, at 2:00 pm to celebrate the founding of the City of Toronto.

Launched in 1980, the ROMwalks repertoire continues to expand. This year 13 different walks will be featured with most offered four times during this ROMwalks season. In addition, there will be two ROMwalks PLUS.

Walks take place Sundays at 2:00 pm and Wednesdays at 6:00 pm with a duration of one and a half hours to two hours. Look for the blue ROM umbrella at the starting point of each ROMwalk.