Top Canadian Zoos, Museums & Attractions for Kids

Traveling with kids and family is a joy. It also means that you must be considerate enough to plan the itinerary so that the entire family will enjoy. It means including activities suitable for both adults and kids. Canada has a wide variety of attractions and activities suitable for all ages. From Toronto to Alberta, Vancouver, and more, there is something to do for everyone. So let’s have a look at the top Canadian attractions for kids.

Top Canadian Attractions for Kids

Canada is one of the best places to visit with kids and family. There is a variety of attractions that are fun, engaging, educational, and informative for both kids and adults alike. Here are some of the top Canadian zoos, museums, & attractions for kids and adults, when traveling as a family.

Toronto Zoo: Top Canadian attractions for kids

The Toronto Zoo is the largest zoo or animal attraction in Canada. The zoo houses more than 5000 animals in a large area of almost 300 hectares. It features animals from several regions in the world, including Americas, Africa, Indo-Malaya, Eurasia, Tundra Trek, Australasia, and Canada.

The Toronto Zoo has several attractions and activities for kids such as:

• Canopy tours and zip lines
• Splash Island
• A carousel
• A Tundra air ride

The zoo is open year-round from 9.30 am to 4.30 pm.

Marine Land, Niagara Falls: Top Canadian attractions for kids

Marine Land, Niagara Falls, is a water amusement park that is a popular attraction among kids and families. The show features a variety of sea animals, including Beluga whales, dolphins, orcas, sea lions, and walruses. It is free for children less than six years of age. Show timing and opening timings of the attractions varies according to the season.

La Ronde, Montreal, Quebec: Top Canadian attractions for kids

La Ronde, is a water amusement park in Montreal, Quebec. The park has been operational since 1962 and is popular among adults and kids alike. It consists of age-appropriate rides for kids. Popular rides among adults include Manitou and Vertigo that is able to drive anyone insane. The park is open from 11.00 am to 9.00 pm and goes on until 11.30 pm on days with firework shows.

Safari Niagara: Top Canadian attractions for kids

Safari Niagara is a place where you can find more than 1000 birds, mammals, and reptiles, all in one place. These animals represent all parts of the world and consists of popular ones like lions, leopards, parrots, and flamingos.

A few other activities that keep kids and adults engaged include:

• Cooling off at the splash pad
• Going paddle boating
• Boarding the Gater Express Tram
• Trying out the ropes course
• Hiking the Silent Forest
• Racing on the Pedal-Bike-Go-Karts track

The safari is operational from June to October with opening hours varying based on the season.

Children’s Museum, Gatineau

This museum is located inside the Canadian Museum of Children. It is the ideal place for children to learn about their surroundings and the world they live in. The location also hosts events like kids birthday parties inclusive of interactive games and activities for kids of all ages.

Riverview Park and Zoo

Riverview Park and Zoo consists of a wide variety of animals that can leave your kid pouring over in interest for hours. It is located on the Otonabee River in Peterborough. You can find green-winged macaws, squirrel monkeys, tortoises, capybaras peacocks, crocodiles, wallabies, and many more animals at this zoo.

There are several activities that you can do at the Zoo, including the following:

• Frisbee golf
• Splash pads
• Mini train tour

The park and zoo is open year-round from 8.30 am to dusk.

Royal Tyrrell Museum, Drumheller

Royal Tyrrell Museum in Drumheller, Alberta, provides a unique experience for children. It can help unleash the inner paleontologist in your child. The museum houses about 13,000 fossils along with a paleontological research center. It is open daily from 9.30 am to 4.30 pm. Children of the age six and under can enter the museum free of charge.

Stanley Park, Vancouver

Stanley Park in Vancouver, British Columbia, is an open park that sees over eight million visitors annually. The park has multiple facilities for kids and adults, including walking, biking, and rollerblading. It also has the following activities:

• Mini train ride
• Large aquarium
• Outdoor pools and beaches

The park is open daily from 9.00 am to 5.00 pm.

Niagara Parks Butterfly Conservatory

Built in 1996, Niagara Parks Butterfly Conservatory is the largest facility of this kind in the whole of North America. The conservatory spreads across approximately 1021 square meters and sees millions of guests every year.

Guests visiting the conservatory are able to get an up-close look of butterfly gatherings. They can also witness a stunning waterfall imitating the atmosphere of a rainforest.

The conservatory is open daily at the following times:

• Monday to Friday: 10.00 am to 5.00 pm
• Saturday and Sunday: 10.00 am to 6.00 pm

Jasper National Park, Alberta

Jasper National Park in Alberta is one of the most beautiful and popular national parks in Canada. Situated amidst the Rocky Mountains, the park consists of several facilities, including the following:

• Planetarium
• Ice skating
• Winter camping

Ask kids to bring along their binoculars to catch a glimpse of elks, mountains goats, moose, marmots, and bighorn sheep. Jasper National Park is open daily from 9.00 am to 5.00 pm.

High Park Zoo

High Park Zoo in Toronto was established in 1893 primarily for deer. It is an easily accessible zoo with paddocks located close to each other. It makes it much simpler for guests to navigate the zoo and participate in different activities.

Now, the zoo’s paddocks host many different animal species like deer, bison, peacocks, ilamas, and cattle. High Park Zoo is open daily at the following times:

• Spring, summer, fall: 9.00 am to 7.00 pm
• Winter: 9.00 am to 5.00 pm

Banff National Park, Alberta

Banff National Park in Alberta is another popular national park in Canada. The park’s radium hot spring are a popular attraction among majority of visitors. It also consists of the following attractions and features that attract both adults and kids.

• The cave and basin historical site
• Small museum on the Gondola buildings

Cambridge Butterfly Conservatory

Cambridge Butterfly Conservatory is a large area spread across 2322 square meters. Its indoor tropical garden spreads across approximately 1000 square meters and houses a wide variety of free-flying butterflies. The conservatory makes it a point to educate children on the ecosystem and the role butterflies play in it.

The Conservatory is open at the following times:

• Summer (early July to early September): daily from 10.00 am to 5.00 pm
• All other seasons: Tuesday to Sunday from 10.00 am to 5.00 pm

Conclusion

Whether you want to visit the animals in the zoo or multiple species of butterflies in a butterfly conservatory, there is some place in Canada for you to enjoy with kids and family. Visit these attractions with your family to experience what diverse attractions Canada has in store for you.