Address: 1230 Water St, Peterborough, ON K9J 6Z5
Hours: Open year round from 8:30 am to dusk
Description
Peterborough’s Riverview Park & Zoo is one of the most popular destinations for kids and families in the entire area and attracts over 250,000 visitors each year.. The Peterborough Zoo is open year round and admission is absolutely free, every single day of the year.
The zoo itself sits on 55 acres of land and has an enormous playground area for children, with play structures suitable for all age groups. It is far and away the biggest and most diverse playground area in the entire city and also has the cities biggest and best splashpad area. The splash pad is open from May to October and is ideal for entertaining children during the hot summer months. Photos of both can be seen in the gallery below. For older kids (and adults!) there is also a frisbee golf course.
Another favorite attraction for kids is the miniature train ride, pulled by a replica of an 1860 locomotive. The ride takes you across the Otonabee River and is open from Victoria Day weekend to Labor Day.
With all the fun things to do for kids at the Peterborough Zoo, it wouldn’t be a zoo if we didn’t mention the animals! There are 27 exhibits in total, with over 45 species of animals and birds. Species include reptiles, camels, yaks, lemur, monkeys, cougars, meercat, emu, parrots, wallaby, otters and more. The zoo also has a meet the keeper program from May to September where visitors can meet one of the zoo keeper’s at the Peterborough zoo and ask any questions they might have.
For a more relaxed atmosphere, the Riverview Park & Zoo has huge sprawling picnic areas located throughout. Perfect for a nice relaxing lunch and leisurely walk along the river.
The zoo remains open during the winter months and still encourages visitors to bundle up and come for a visit, as almost all of the animals can still be seen. The wide open park area is great for cross country skiing and there is a great tobogganing hill at the north end of the park.
Click here to see a Map of the Riverview Park & Zoo
