Riverview Park and Zoo

News and Special Events

Spanning over 55 acres of park area along the shores of the Otonabee River, Riverview Park and Zoo is proud to be the only FREE-admission accredited zoo in all of Canada, open daily from 8:30 a.m. until dusk all year round. We offer 25 animal exhibits, with more than 40 different species and over 150 animals calling us home. Being an entirely outdoor facility, be sure to check the forecast ahead of your visit and come dressed and prepared for the weather.

Our summer operating season is now in effect! The playground and zoo area with our animal exhibits are open, as well as Guest Services and the Gift Shop (Monday and Tuesday 10AM-3PM and Wednesday to Sunday 10AM-6PM). You can purchase ice cream, chips and candy here, symbolically adopt your favorite animal, or take home a souvenir from your trip to the zoo!

We are so happy to report that the lower level picnic area and shelters have finally reopened and are available for use, including the disc golf course. While the grass may not be cut and the lower washroom building closed, portable toilets will be on hand. Weekend shelter availability in June is extremely limited now, but dates still remain available to book in July through to Thanksgiving Monday.

The beloved miniature train ride is up and running again, subject to both weather and maintenance conditions. Tickets are available to purchase at the train station, opening at 10AM with the last train ride leaving the station at 5:45PM.  "Meet the Keeper" returns in June too, where at 1PM weekdays one of our educators highlights a different animal species each day so you can learn more about the zoo animals. Don't forget to stop by our North American River Otter Exhibit at 1:30 p.m. daily to see the otters receive their afternoon enrichment snack and have the chance to ask a zookeeper some questions.

Unfortunately, the splash pad remains unavailable and the walking trail closed. For safety reasons, we ask guests to respect the barricades and closure signs posted until storm cleanup is complete.

Subscribe to our socials or specific webpages to be notified when registration opens for our summer Zoo Crew session, the annual Bondar Challenge photography camps, or our Zoo Camp Day, which proved to be a big success last year. Our Annual Fun Run will be taking place in September this year too.

Stay tuned for more exciting announcements coming soon! We look forward to seeing you all this summer.

The Riverview Park and Zoo Team

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