Family Things to Do in Toronto: 8 Picks by Age

You do not need a long list to plan a good day with children in Toronto. You need a few places that fit the ages in your group, a clear idea of what each one costs, and a simple way to reach them. This guide gives you all three, and it says plainly where an official page does not have the answer.

1. The CN Tower: a glass floor for ages 6 and up

The CN Tower is a good pick for school-age children who like heights, and it is the main sight to build a downtown day around. The tower's ticket page says general admission covers the Main and Lower Observation Levels, a glass floor, an outdoor terrace and OverView stations. Timed General Admission is CA$47 for ages 14 to 64, CA$34 for youth aged 6 to 13, CA$18 for children aged 3 to 5, and free for ages 2 and under, all before tax.

The tower's common questions page says children 12 and under must be with an adult aged 18 or over. Teens aged 13 to 17 can try the EdgeWalk, an outdoor walk that takes about 90 minutes in total, but a parent or guardian must give written consent at check-in. Our page on CN Tower tickets explains the ticket types, including the add-on level called The Top.

The hours page says the tower is open all year round, with the Observation Levels open from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. and last entry at 9 p.m. It does not list Family Day. If your trip falls on that holiday, check the date first. Tickets bought from the CN Tower are final sale. The CN Tower ticket on GetYourGuide is listed from €34 per person for about 1.5 hours, and the listing states free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead. The listing says it is not suitable for people with heart problems or high blood pressure. Guests rate it 4.8 from 60 reviews, which is a small sample. The listing is marked as an official ticket and names the CN Tower as the operator.

The listing says the ticket includes both observation levels, the glass floor, OverView, the outdoor terrace, the Artmosphere art display and free Wi-Fi. It says food from the VUE Bistro, fast-track entry and The Top are not included. For comparison, the other four tickets in this guide cost €30 for Ripley's, €25 for Pocket Planet, €22 for the zoo and €17 for the ROM.

Teens have more to do here than younger children. Teens aged 13 to 17 can try the EdgeWalk, which takes about 90 minutes with 30 on the walk. The page says walkers get a certificate, a video and two printed photos. EdgeWalk tickets are non-refundable, and changes need 72 hours' notice. The page lists no price or minimum age, so call the Tower on 416 601 3833. For other teen ideas, see the Casa Loma and Hockey Hall of Fame prices near the end of this guide, where child rates stop at 13.

Pro Tip Book the CN Tower, Ripley's Aquarium and the Railway Museum as one downtown day. They sit at 290, 288 and 255 Bremner Boulevard, so they share one street.

2. Ripley's Aquarium of Canada: all ages, best before 11 a.m.

Ripley's Aquarium suits every age, and it is the easiest rainy-day pick next to the CN Tower. The aquarium is at 288 Bremner Boulevard. The GetYourGuide listing says it has nine galleries, daily live dive shows, a shark tunnel and touch pools, and that children under 2 go free with a paying adult.

Ripley's own pages do not publish a single fixed ticket price, so this guide does not quote one. The listing says to arrive before 11 a.m. or after 3 p.m. to avoid the crowds. Ripley's also runs "Sharks After Dark", which takes CA$5 off tickets for visits that start from 5 p.m. A timed ticket needs a date and a one-hour entry window. Our page on Ripley's Aquarium has the rest of the details.

You do not need a tour here, because the ticket is an entry pass and not a guided visit. Doing it on your own is the plan. The ticket is worth buying ahead when you want to skip the ticket line and keep free cancellation. The listing gives no meeting point or length, so go to 288 Bremner Boulevard and plan two to three hours. It mentions a small-group option but gives no group size.

The Ripley's Aquarium ticket is listed from €30 per person, run by Ripley's Aquarium of Canada, with free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead. Guests rate it 4.6 from 2,358 reviews. The ticket does not include food or drink, which you can buy at the aquarium's cafe and kiosks.

3. Pocket Planet Canada: the miniature Canada you may know as Little Canada

Pocket Planet Canada, which used to be called Little Canada, is a good pick for children who like small models, and it takes about two hours. The attraction is at 10 Dundas Street East, with a second street-level entrance at 319 Yonge Street. Its own site calls the name change "Formerly Little Canada". It is open Sunday to Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Thursday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., with last entry at 8 p.m.

Children under 13 are not allowed in without adult supervision. To get there, take Line 1 to TMU Dundas Station. The site gives a visit time of 90 to 120 minutes and does not list ticket prices, only add-ons. The Pocket Planet Canada ticket is listed from €25 per person for about 2 hours, with free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead. The listing says workshops and food are not included, and guests rate it 4.7 from 152 reviews.

4. Toronto Zoo: a full day, best for ages 3 and up

Toronto Zoo needs a day of its own, because it is far from downtown and has 10 km of walking trails. The zoo says it is home to more than 3,000 animals from over 300 species. Through 12 March 2027 it is open daily from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and the last admission is one hour before closing. Splash Island is closed for the season.

The zoo is at 2000 Meadowvale Road, Scarborough, and it takes some planning to reach. Take Line 2 or Line 5 to Kennedy Station, then the 86A bus. After Labour Day the 86A runs only on weekdays. On weekends and holidays, the zoo's transit page says to use the 85A or 85B bus from Don Mills Station. Parking is CA$20. Strollers and wagons are first come, first served, and a double stroller costs CA$15 plus tax.

The zoo shows date-based prices and takes 5% off if you buy more than three days ahead. The Toronto Zoo entry ticket is listed from €22 per person, with free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead. Guests rate it 4.1 from 113 reviews, so read that sample as mixed and small. Our page on the Toronto Zoo covers the visit in more detail.

5. Royal Ontario Museum: dinosaurs and a free floor for ages 6 and up

The Royal Ontario Museum, or ROM, is the best indoor pick for a cold or wet day. The GetYourGuide listing says you can see Barosaurus, which it calls the largest mounted dinosaur in Canada. The ROM's own pages do not name its dinosaur galleries, so check its site for the current galleries. The museum is at 100 Queen's Park, and the ROM says to take the subway to Museum Station, where children 12 and under ride free.

The ROM's visitor page says strollers are allowed, but backpack-style child carriers and wagons are not. It also warns about low ceilings when you carry a child. Admission prices change by date, so look at the calendar. Our page on the Royal Ontario Museum has more.

Until 29 November 2026 the museum offers a Free Main Floor with an advance ticket, and it is free on the third Tuesday evening of each month from 4 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. The ROM admission ticket is listed from €17 per person, with free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead. Guests rate it 4.6 from 1,582 reviews. The listing says the ticket is valid for one day and gives no meeting point beyond the museum's address.

Free or cheap in this guide: the TTC is free for children 12 and under, and the ferry to the Toronto Islands is CA$4.51 for a child, with under-2s free. The Railway Museum charges $8 for youth aged 4 to 17 and nothing for ages 3 and under. The ROM has the free floor and free third-Tuesday evenings above, and the ROM ticket is the cheapest of the five tickets here.

6. The Toronto Islands: a ferry ride and beaches, with Centreville closed

The Toronto Islands are a cheap, outdoor pick for any age, but the Centreville rides are closed until spring 2027. The Centreville site says the park and its Far Enough Farm petting farm are "now closed until spring 2027". The ferry and the walking paths are still open, and our page on the toronto centre islands explains the three ferry stops.

The ferry costs CA$9.57 round trip for an adult and CA$4.51 for a child aged 2 to 14. Children under 2 ride free, and strollers are welcome on the main deck. From Union Station, the TTC says to take any southbound streetcar to Queens Quay Station and walk south to the docks. Lifeguards ended for 2026, so the City does not recommend swimming at Hanlan's Point until summer 2027.

Centreville listed an all-day ride pass of CA$35.18 under 4 ft and CA$44.25 over 4 ft. Its footer is marked 2025, so expect the 2027 prices to differ. Plan the rides for spring and use the ferry for a picnic and a walk in the meantime.

7. Toronto Railway Museum: trains by the CN Tower, for ages 3 to 10

The Toronto Railway Museum is a small, low-cost pick for children who love trains. It is in the John Street Roundhouse at 255 Bremner Boulevard, a short walk from Union Station. In the winter schedule it is open Wednesday to Sunday from about noon to 5 p.m., and it is closed on Monday and Tuesday.

Admission is $18 for adults, $8 for youth aged 4 to 17, and free for ages 3 and under, with HST (Harmonized Sales Tax) included. The mini train costs $10 per rider, but its 2026 season ends on November 1 and it stays closed until mid-May. The museum shows renovation closures on November 4 to 6 and November 11 to 13. Check its site before you go. No GetYourGuide ticket exists for it.

8. Medieval Times Toronto: a dinner show for all ages

Medieval Times is a dinner show at Exhibition Place, and it works best for a family with children who can sit for two hours. The Toronto castle is at 10 Dufferin Street. Its site describes a two-hour event with a four-course meal, Spanish horses and jousting between six knights. The page says the show is "fun for all ages, from lap children to grown-ups" and opens its gates 60 minutes before showtime.

The ticket page lists $57.95 for a child and $83.95 for an adult, and it does not state the age range for a child ticket or the currency. Parking at Exhibition Place costs money. By train, GO Transit says Exhibition GO serves Exhibition Place, which sits on the Lakeshore West line. Medieval Times says the GO stop is a five-minute walk from the castle. No official page read gives GO train times, so use the GO trip planner. It is not a good pick for a family on a tight budget, because the listed prices make it the most expensive pick here.

How to choose family things to do in Toronto

Pick by your youngest child, then by weather and budget. The table sorts all eight picks by the ages they suit, the time they take and what to watch for.

The Best Travel Destinations' count of GetYourGuide listings for Toronto in October 2026 found 10 entry tickets under €30 per person. Four of them are picks in this guide, so the self-paced choices can be cheap. If you want more castle, hockey or rainy-day ideas, see Casa Loma, where children aged 4 to 13 pay CA$30 and under-3s are free, the Hockey Hall of Fame, where youth aged 4 to 13 pay CA$19.95, or our guide to indoor attractions in Toronto.

Key Takeaway Two adults and any number of children aged 12 or under pay CA$6.60 for one TTC trip, because the adult fare is CA$3.30 and children 12 and under ride free.

Our guide to getting around Toronto shows how the subway, streetcar and buses link these places. The TTC's PRESTO day pass costs CA$13.50, but its page does not explain whether it covers a family, so check before you buy.

Where to stay as a family

Stay downtown, because the CN Tower, Ripley's Aquarium and the Railway Museum are within walking distance, and a short walk back suits tired children. Delta Hotels by Marriott Toronto has a heated indoor pool and sits about 350 m from the CN Tower and 550 m from Union Station. It is rated 9.1 on Trip.com from 111 reviews. For a cheaper option in Old Town, Holiday Inn Express Toronto Downtown offers free breakfast and sits about 400 m from St. Lawrence Market. It is rated 9.1 from 136 reviews. Neither Trip.com listing shows a nightly rate or says what a family room holds, so check room size and price for your dates before you book. Our guide to where to stay in Toronto compares the main areas.

A day out with children goes best when you plan two stops and leave the rest open.