The museum is located at the corner of Bloor Street and Avenue Road, north of Queen's Park and on the east side of Philosopher's Walk in the University of Toronto. Established as the Museum of Natural History and Fine Arts in 1857 at the Toronto Normal School, the museum's current incarnation began in 1912 with the enactment of the Royal Ontario Museum Act by the provincial government. Operated by the University of Toronto until 1968, the museum is now an independent institution but still maintains close relations with the university, often sharing expertise and resources.