Updated for September 2026
The Best Zoos in Ontario
How this list is ordered: by how complete our listing is — how much we hold on opening hours, ticket prices, accreditation, photographs, animals and facilities. It is a measure of our own coverage, not a judgement of the venue. We hold no visitor scores or conservation assessments, so “best” here means every zoo in Ontario that qualifies for the list, fullest entry first.
Listed alphabetically
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Animal encounterParking
Bird Kingdom
Zoo in Niagara Falls
Opened in May 2003 and billed as the largest indoor free-flight aviary in the world, it covers about 45,000 square feet with over 350 birds, mostly Australian, African and South American. Mammals, reptiles and amphibians are also kept and used in education work.
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Guided tourOn-site diningParking
Toronto Zoo
Zoo in Toronto
At 287 hectares this is the largest zoo in Canada, drawing about 1.2 million visitors a year. The grounds are laid out in seven zoogeographic regions.
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Gift shopAssistance animal policy
Elmvale Jungle Zoo
Zoo in Springwater
Founded in 1967, the zoo was bought by the Persi family in 1972 and is run by Sam Persi. It began on just two acres with a collection of mostly reptiles and birds, and now holds over 300 animals drawn from Africa, Asia, Australia and South America. It operates seasonally, from the Victoria Day weekend to Canadian Thanksgiving.
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African Lion Safari
Zoo in Flamborough
Seven game reserves cover roughly 740 acres and are toured by bus or private car.
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Keeper talk or showOn-site dining
Cochraine Polar Bear Habitat
Zoo in Cochrane
Cochraine Polar Bear Habitat, opened in 2004, is a zoo in Canada. Its exhibits include Heritage Village, Snowmobile Museum and Viewer's Building.
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Behind-the-scenes tourOn-site diningNight and evening opening
Jungle Cat World
Zoo in Clarington
Open throughout the year with more than 150 animals, it is reached from Highway 35/115, roughly 45 minutes east of Toronto. What began as a recreational attraction built around exotic animals has since taken on a larger teaching role, and a keeper leads a feeding tour each day past the big cats, wolves and primates. WAZA accreditation was lost in 2018, an inspection having led it to end its Canadian Association of Accredited Zoos and Aquariums membership; the World Animal Protection Association and other bodies have alleged mistreatment of animals.
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On-site diningParkingAccessible toilets
Killman Zoo
Zoo in Caledonia
Killman Zoo, opened in 1988, is a zoo in Caledonia, Canada. Animals on show include lion, Tortoise, ferret, turtle and rabbit.
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Keeper talk or showPlaygroundGuided tour
Reptilia
Zoo in Vaughan
The collection covers around 250 reptile species, spread across three sites in Ontario: Vaughan, Whitby and London. Curriculum-aligned teaching runs from kindergarten to grade 12, alongside post-secondary courses for first responders, teachers, animal control officers and vets, and staff also take reptiles into school classrooms. Sessions usually last an hour.
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PlaygroundOn-site diningAssistance animal policy
Riverviewpark Andzoo
Zoo in Peterborough
Ross Dobbin, at the time general manager of the Peterborough Utilities Commission, established it in 1933, his first exhibits being two alligators handed to him at a conference; that commission took over its running in 1968. Accredited since 1985, it is the only accredited Canadian zoo charging nothing for either entry or parking. Bactrian camel, Sichuan takin, Eurasian lynx, yak, caribou and Barbary sheep number among the mammals.
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Papanack Park Zoo
Zoo in Alfred and Plantagenet
The collection runs to 36 species, among them snow monkeys, cougars, a snow leopard and white lion cubs bred from resident African lions, the cubs losing their whiteness as they aged. Four white Bengal tigers are kept, one of them a snowball tiger called Venus. It opened in 1994 and passed to new owners in 2014, who intended to run it as a conservation park.
More in Ontario
View all Ontario listingsOur ranking methodology
This is not a ranking. The 11 venues above are listed alphabetically by name, the same order used throughout this site. We do not collect visitor reviews, star ratings, ticket-sales figures or a conservation-impact score, so none of those exist here to rank by — “best” in this page’s title means every venue that qualifies for this list, not first-to-last by quality. If we ever add a data source robust enough to support an honest ranking, this note and the order above will change together.