Toronto Zoo Tickets: Prices, Transit and the Best Time to Go

Toronto Zoo tickets cost $45 plus HST for adults 13 to 64 right now, and the same ticket drops to $35 on 1 November 2026 when non-peak season starts. The zoo is at 2000 Meadowvale Road in Scarborough, open every day of the year, 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., with last admission an hour before close.

Two things catch people out here. The price depends on the date, not the day you book, and the bus that goes to the gate does not run every day once summer ends. Here is what each ticket costs, how to get there without a car, and when to actually go.

What Toronto Zoo tickets cost

Ticket	Peak, 2 May to 31 Oct	Non-peak, 1 Nov to 31 Dec
Adult 13 to 64	$45	$35
Senior 65+	$38	$30.50
Child 3 to 12	$32	$25
Child 2 and under	Free	Free

Prices are in Canadian dollars and exclude HST. Members get in free year round.

Buy online more than three days before you visit and the zoo takes 5% off. That is the only discount you get for planning ahead, and it stacks with the seasonal price. Buy on torontozoo.com and nowhere else, because the zoo posts its own warning about third-party resellers.

Groups of 20 or more get 25% off, and the discount climbs with the count: 30% at 150 people, 35% at 300 and 40% at 1,500. Buses park free.

The 1 November price drop

Non-peak runs 1 November to 31 December 2026, then 1 January to 1 May. So the cheaper price covers most of the calendar, and late October is the last expensive week of the year.

For two adults and two kids aged 3 to 12, peak admission is $154 before tax. The identical visit on 1 November is $120. That is $34 back for moving your plan by a week, and parking costs the same $20 either way.

What you trade is weather, not access. Every trail and pavilion stays open, but which animals are outside on a cold day depends on the species, and the zoo makes no promises there. If you are building a November plan around it, our Toronto in November guide covers what the month actually feels like, and the winter things to do guide has the rest of the cold-weather options.

Getting there without a car

The zoo sits inside Rouge National Urban Park, north of Highway 401 at Exit 389. It is a genuine trek from downtown, and the route changes with the season and the day of the week.

86A Scarborough from Kennedy Station. The year-round branch to the gate. It runs to the zoo every day in summer, roughly 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. After Labour Day it is Monday to Friday only, and the TTC lists the last zoo trips leaving Kennedy around 6:25 p.m. Kennedy is on Line 2.
85 Sheppard East, seasonal. On Saturdays, Sundays and holidays the 85A and 85B run to the zoo from Don Mills Station and Rouge Hill GO, roughly 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
200 Toronto Zoo, seasonal. Runs direct from Rouge Hill GO.
GO bus 96Z. Served the zoo from Durham College Oshawa GO, 25 April to 30 August 2026.
Durham Region Transit 917Z, seasonal. Weekends and holidays from Oshawa, Whitby, Ajax and Pickering, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., closing at 9 p.m. on Sundays and holidays.

Read that list again and the pattern is clear. Weekday service is the dependable one once summer is over, and the weekend routes are the seasonal ones. A Saturday in late October is close to the worst case, so check the TTC trip planner the morning you travel instead of assuming.

One trap worth naming: the 86 runs every 10 minutes or better between Kennedy and Sheppard, all day, every day. That stretch is not the zoo. Only the 86A branch carries on to the gate. If you are new to tapping in and transferring, the TTC beginner’s guide covers fares and Presto.

Driving and parking

Parking is $20 per vehicle. EV drivers get Flo Level 2 chargers in Section C of the main lot, payable by credit card, Flo card or the Flo app.

Members can buy an annual parking pass for $60, or $55 on renewal, which pays for itself on the fourth visit. If you are driving in from elsewhere in the city and stringing stops together, the downtown parking guide covers the rates closer to the core.

The best time to go

The zoo does not publish peak hours, so work from the clock instead. Doors open at 9:30 a.m. and last admission is 3:30 p.m., which gives you seven hours at the outside and less if you arrive late.

Those hours hold daily through 12 March 2027. The single exception is 25 December, when the zoo opens 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Go at opening on a non-peak weekday and you get the cheap ticket, a quiet site and the full seven hours. That combination is the whole answer. A weekend in the off-season costs you the convenient bus, and a peak-season afternoon costs you $10 a head plus the crowd.

How long you need

There are 10 km of walking trails, more than 3,000 animals and over 300 species. Four to five hours gets you a real visit. A full day gets you the lot, including all five indoor tropical pavilions, the greenhouse and the Wildlife Health and Science Centre, which are also where you go to warm up in February.

Wheelchairs are complimentary with a refundable deposit, one adult or one child. Strollers and wagons rent for $15 plus tax. The Zoomobile runs on a seasonal schedule and only when weather allows, so check the price and whether it is operating on the day rather than counting on it.

Ways to pay less

Book more than three days out. 5% off, and it works in any season.
Go non-peak. $10 off an adult ticket, $7 off a child.
Toronto CityPASS. $134.96 for adults and $99.96 for children 4 to 12, plus tax. You get the CN Tower and Ripley’s Aquarium plus three picks from the zoo, the ROM, City Cruises, Casa Loma and the AGO, with nine days to use them. Our CityPASS breakdown shows where it starts beating gate prices, and the Ripley’s Aquarium guide covers the other anchor attraction on the pass.
Groups of 20 or more. 25% off and up from there.
Membership. An individual Silver is $97.35 and clears its own cost on the third peak visit. Family is $181.42 for one adult and up to four children, and Dual Family is $225.66. Every tier includes unlimited admission and 10% off food and the gift shop. Gold and Platinum add two guest passes, and Platinum adds unlimited Zoomobile rides. Parking is sold separately at every tier.

We film the Scarborough and Rouge Park end of the city on our Toronto walks on YouTube.

Prices, hours and transit schedules were checked in October 2026. The zoo changes them, and the seasonal bus routes change twice a year, so confirm on the official site before you go.

Quick answers

How much are Toronto Zoo tickets?

In peak season, which runs 2 May to 31 October 2026, it is $45 for adults 13 to 64, $38 for seniors 65 and up and $32 for children 3 to 12, all plus HST. From 1 November those drop to $35, $30.50 and $25. Children 2 and under are free.

Is the Toronto Zoo cheaper in winter?

Yes. Non-peak pricing runs 1 November to 31 December and again 1 January to 1 May, and it takes $10 off an adult ticket and $7 off a child ticket. The zoo stays open every day through the winter on the same 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. schedule.

How do you get to the Toronto Zoo by TTC?

Take Line 2 to Kennedy Station and catch the 86A Scarborough bus to the zoo gate. After Labour Day the 86A only runs to the zoo Monday to Friday. On weekends the seasonal 85 Sheppard East branches serve the zoo from Don Mills Station and Rouge Hill GO, so check the TTC trip planner before you leave.

How long does it take to see the Toronto Zoo?

There are 10 km of walking trails and more than 3,000 animals, and the zoo is only open for seven hours a day in the off-season. Budget four to five hours for a decent pass at it and a full day if you want all five indoor pavilions too.

Is parking free at the Toronto Zoo?

No. Parking is $20 per vehicle. Members can buy an annual parking pass for $60, or $55 on renewal, which beats paying per visit from the fourth trip onward.

Is the Toronto Zoo open all year?

Yes, every day of the year. Hours are 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. daily through 12 March 2027, with last admission an hour before close. The one exception is 25 December, when it runs 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Sources

Prices, hours and schedules change. Check the official site before you go. Spot something out of date? Email info@truecitytourism.com. Some links may be affiliate links. Disclosure.