Riverdale Farm

A peaceful escape in the heart of Toronto. It feels like stepping into the countryside, with friendly farm animals, beautiful gardens, and shaded walking paths. Great spot for a quiet stroll or a family visit, especially for kids who love animals. A hidden gem just minutes from the city noise.

This mini animal park is perfect for families, kids, or anyone who loves getting up close with animals. The enclosures are well-kept, and the animals look happy and healthy. Our kids loved feeding and touching goats. It’s the perfect size for a fun, relaxed visit without feeling overwhelming. A wonderful place to spend an afternoon—highly recommended!

A Wonderful Spot for Families and Nature Lovers Riverdale Farm is a fantastic place to visit, especially with children. It’s peaceful and welcoming, with plenty to see and explore. You can easily enjoy a relaxed breakfast here — they have lovely seating areas with a beautiful view of the surroundings. The trails are scenic and easy to walk, and you’ll find lots of vibrant flowers along the way. Of course, the highlight for little ones is the farm animals, which make the experience both fun and educational. A perfect blend of nature, relaxation, and family-friendly charm right in the city.

Nice little zoo in the middle of the city. Free entry. Public washrooms. Community room and picnic area. It connects to a greater network of parks in the lower area. Some animals there to see. Do not feed them or pet them. Very well maintained and clean area.

A great spot to visit if you're visiting Toronto. It was a lovely walk. The historic buildings are great and very photographable. There are live animals to visit and they may visit you. The farm is kept clean and it's a very unique attraction in Toronto. I also made a goat best friend here.

The loveliest little farm in the city. Been going since I was a child, and elated to be able to bring my children here now. Lots of animals to see up-close, and free! The property is also lovely to explore, especially in the spring, when it's in full bloom.

Went here in the spring with one of my friends and it was awesome to see animals for free!! Also there’s some trails to walk super close by It’s a good hour of walking around and looking at animals plus it’s pretty close to TMU so if you’re a uni student and have nothing better to do, why not look at cows and chickens!!!

Great city run, family friendly place. Animals are beautiful. Wonderful space to walk around and it’s free. I believe it’s been in operation since early 1800’s. Great piece of Toronto history.

Love this little free farm (we do donate every time we go) in the city with animals to observe. Been taking kid since she was a baby and we all love it. Now they have a centre open for babies and toddlers! Awesome!

Beautiful little farm tucked away from the buzz of the city to escape and connect with nature. There's something to do for all ages, and the farm and surrounding park seem to be very active with constant activities going on during the year. We went during the Halloween period and there was crafts and a haunted house for kids, but throughout the year there are multiple activities for all ages such as pottery for seniors and even Pilates! Great to grab a coffee and have a stroll around! And make sure to say hello to the animals! Goats, cows, chickens, pigs... You wouldn't even think you're in the city!

My wife and I decided to venture to the East side of Toronto, wanting to see the autumn colours and explore a park we haven't ever been to - Riverdale Park. With our Tim Hortons in our hand, we were pleasantly surprised when we saw a gate open, leading to Riverdale Farm. It was a nice, cosy Sunday where we saw lots of families enjoying the farm with their children.

This was my first time vising Riverdale Farm, even though I have lived in Toronto for so long! We found residential street parking along Winchester Street, and admission was free. There is a small splash area for kids, plenty of green space for picnics, but not a lot of benches or picnic tables. We saw a few animals - chickens, turkeys, ducks, pigs, horses, goats, and sheep, but some were hiding and sleeping. There is a short walking trail near the back end of the farm, down the stairs. This is where we found many picnic tables, and a few ponds. We ventured across a few historical buildings, but they are not accessible. The washrooms were surprisingly clean, and a staff member was on duty at the time. It was a nice first time visit, and refreshing to see a farm right in midtown Toronto.

It's really nice and awesome to have a small farm (and it's FREE!) located in downtown (ish) Toronto. Definitely an enjoyable walk if you're in the area to take a break. There is a free parking around the area. Avoid peak season (e.g. summer) and weekends when it can get super crowded. Depending on the weather, there will be various animals out and about. Horses, pigs, chickens, turkey, goats and sheep to name a few. It's a quick walk through everything so it's not a full day event which I don't mind. Great way to spend 30 mins to 1 hour if you're in the area!

Get a nice summers sunny day and it's a great stroll (pretty small). The surrounding park, necropolis and especially the homes are beautiful in this neighbourhood.

Rating based on a visit Thursday afternoon. PROS - Trails are shaded by lots of trees. - Many spots to to sit and rest or have a picnic. - Public washroom and a water fountain by the entrance - Free admission but you should make a donation at the kiosk at the front gate; they need some help! - Free neighborhood parking. - Across the street from the Toronto Necropolis - A short walk away from Cabbagetown stores and eateries. CONS - The pens don't allow very much interaction between the animals and people. It's not a petting zoo and you're not allowed to feed the animals. - The animals could use some grooming. - The enclosures are awkwardly designed and make it difficult to locate the animals. - No information about the animals to make it interesting (names, back stories, interesting facts) - The bigger pond was covered completely by duckweed, you can't even see the water. - The grounds need to be better maintained: overgrowth of vegetation, large bald patches in grass, flowerbeds messy. - No staff to welcome visitors or answer questions. The few staff I did see were busy doing work in areas away from the public. TIP: - Come when there's an event to make your trip worthwhile.

All of your favourite barnyard friends right here in the city! My husband and I visited on a Sunday morning at the beginning of April 2022. My parents had taken me to Riverdale Farm as a child but I had not been back in many years. It was a delightful way to spend an hour or two in Riverdale. The property is well maintained and easy to navigate on foot. The animals have shelter and outdoor space to roam around. It is a gentle way to enjoy the outdoors while seeing some farmyard animals like hens, sheep, cow, horses, turkey, pigs and Billy goats. We also wandered through the old Necropolis Cemetery across the street from the farm which connects to St. James' Cemetery and to the ravine trails. Free admission and street parking. Farm, cemetery, trails and park all within the same block for a low key, unplugged, outdoor city outing. There is a neighbourhood snack bar that operates nearby but otherwise bring your own snacks or walk up to Parliament Street for cafés or restaurants.

Horses, cows, goats, sheep, chickens, ducks and PIGS in the city! I gotta say the pigs are the best to see here. They are big, lazy, and kinda cute. The buildings are also nice, when open of course. Itll take you like 15 minutes to walk it all. And you could picnic in the adjacent park while watching the cows!

It is precious to have a farm in toronto for families and children to see the real farm animals. The best part is free. Nowadays, children learn a lot from TV or books, but first hand experience still give them a more vivid impression. My children copied the animals' sound when they heard it. The farm also gave limited information on the animal. I wish they would have more written info on each animal. The staff keep the barns in good condition and the animals are treated nicely and have lot of space to move. There are also monthly educational sessions available. I hope the city will give more support to this kind of facility. It will be good for Toronto people. There are plenty street parking nearby.

This is your reason to get out to the East End. If you've walked around all the trails you know, you should head on down to Riverdale Farms and just walk around the area. One of the highlights is seeing the old Zoo Pens, and learning a little bit of Toronto's history. There are so many secrets waiting to be revealed here. But, you know, if that's not your thing - who doesn't love seeing the animals, and watching them run around? Children love it, adults love it... there's no reason not to check it out.

I will always give five stars to a free children's activity in the city that isn't painful for adults. Riverdale Farm is an absolute gem for kiddos, and a little bit of fun for adults, too. This functioning farm in the middle of Cabbagetown is painfully cute. Horses, pigs, goats, cows and farm birds line the sweet little trails. Everywhere you look is something from yesteryear, and it's all beautifully maintained. When you visit make sure to give them a lil' donation. Bonus points for all of their family-friendly holiday programming!

Who knew there was a farm right in the middle of Toronto?! Loved visiting here and walking around the grounds. It's a smaller farm that's easy to walk around and see all the animals. We spent about an hour there. It feels like you're outside the city, yet you're right in it.

This is a really cute, cozy, small farm in downtown Toronto, about a 20 - 30 minute walk from the core downtown area! We came here on a weekend afternoon and it wasn't busy at all. It's a free to enter farm with mostly families and children wandering around. It's a cool place to check out if you have time and they have various farm animals here like sheep, goats, cows and horses! They have some interesting, older buildings around but I'm not sure what they're used for! It's really relaxing because you feel like you're not in the city anymore because it's quieter, a lot of greenery around and just relaxing to walk through!

I really like visiting the place and spent many, many hours there. It is a very popular destination and it gets really busy on the weekends (many families with small children - it is definitely a treat for the city kids to see real animals like cows, horses and pigs). the opening hours are 9-5 - I wish there were a bit longer, especially in summer. The place is well kept and maintained with beautiful flowers and many trees shading the area (don't miss out on the tulip season!). there are picnic tables and many benches. currently (summer of 2019) part of the area is fenced off for the renovations - like around the Simpson House (that's the lovely building right by the main gate) - I miss the benches around this building that were a great place for reading and relaxing, with less foot traffic and lots of shade. washrooms are also available and they are usually very clean. I like when sheep and goats are in the barn, as you can pet them there (and they seem to enjoy it! - oops scratch that - I've just read on the Riverdale farm website that the visitors are not supposed to feed or interact with animals, oops again) but I guess they are much happier when they stay in the paddocks (during warm months). there are also some cats (a cat?) which live in the farm. the black one I had encountered recently was very friendly and even sat on my lap for a while. the farm gets a few super cute piglets every spring who spend a few months there before they meet their fate... there is also turkeys, hens and rabbits (I wish the rabbits would spend some time outdoors - every time I visit the farm they are always in the poultry ban and look somehow sad :( the staff is very knowledgeable and there are daily presentations by a farmer who talks about different farm animals. altogether it is a really nice place to visit and spend some time exploring it - east of the farm buildings and paddock there is a sizeable pond and a gate - open during warm months - that connects the park with Lower Don River Trail and the pedestrian bridge that would take you to Broadview street. dogs are not allowed and there is no bike riding on the farm (but you're fine walking your bicycle). plenty of bike locks just outside of the gate. if you're planning a picnic bring your food as there are not that many food places in the proximity - great ice cream at SW corner of Winchester and Sumach at Park Snacks (also coffee and snacks).

Great place to bring your partner or kids to stroll around! Free entry to a nicely kept farm with a variety of animals.

Just love riverdale farm! we came on a quite weekday afternoon, which is a perfect time to go. The scenery is beautiful for a nice stroll and photos . I love animals so this place makes me smile:) They had baby goats when we went which were sooo adorable! Great place to bring the family or even for a first date !

Great spot of nature, farm, animals and landscape opened all year around in the heart of the city. Great and important for kids and all ages to learn and love nature, animals and plants...

Went to the farm for the first time ever. Yeah, I'm clueless. I don't know how I've been living in the city so long & not known about Riverdale farm. Anyhoot, it was really a lovely place to visit. Got to pet a mama & baby goat. The Clydesdale horse looked lonely. There was a sign that said the other Clydesdale named Dolly died due to old age. RIP Dolly! There was also a donkey only interested in its food, pigs, a turkey, numerous chickens, roosters & cows. The poor cows looked grumpy & bored. But other than that we had a nice walk around. The pond thereabouts is covered in green algae. So we didn't see any ducks, birds or fish about. I hope Ford doesn't close this place down! It would be a real shame. It's a great place for city kids to come meet some farm animals.

A cute little farm right in the city! I came here for the first time recently, which is proof that no matter how long you live in Toronto there are always new things to discover. It's free to go in (but donations are welcome) and look at the farm and animals -- everything from pigs, chickens, sheep, a pony, and my favourite - baby goats! So cute. Obviously this place is popular with kids and there were lots of families. There are some discovery walks passing through here. One of them takes you to a quiet pond and another path goes to a bridge over the DVP which takes you to Riverdale Park East -- also highly recommended! I'd recommend the farm to anyone looking for something off-beat to do in Toronto. It's also a good place to combine with wandering around the Cabbagetown neighbourhood. Lots of good places to stop for a drink or snack (e.g. Cafune, It's Jenny cafe, Jet Fuel, Omi, Kingyo, Gourmet Burger Co.).

A farm in the middle of the city! I really enjoying visiting the farm, especially on a nice day. You do not feel like you are in the city when you visit the farm, enjoy the animals, the greenery, etc. We enjoyed the pigs, cows, horses, goats, sheep, chickens, and the lovely pathways.

I visited Riverdale Farm a few summers ago & loved that there's a little farm right in the middle of Toronto. It's free to visit! If you're stuck in the city, Riverdale Farm is a good place to go on a lazy summer afternoon to look around & have a little picnic.

This place is great. Family loved it First of all it's free. And very chill. Not overcrowded at all when we visited late May. Quite a large variety of animals for a free farm! And they put on a few shows for the kids... We got to see some guy come and trim the horses feet. And also the sheep get sheared. There's also a crafts setup for the kids. Highly recommend.

Since changing my morning bicycle commute route to include Cabbagetown (SO gorgeous) I now have the added delight of riding past Riverdale Farm twice a day. I have to admit I have stopped to see the animals. Cabbagetown itself is worth the visit, as is the park around Riverdale Farm. Beautiful location, great for kids, really feels like a retreat from the hustle of the city as it is so secluded. FREE to visit. See Kat F.'s review for a more detailed breakdown on the animals that live here. Head down the path to the south to see Riverdale park West. Farmers Market on site Mondays in the summer months.

Picturesque, charming, and FREE!!! This is one of my favourite places to visit. Such a wonderful place for little kids and babies to come and see farm animals. There are pigs, chickens, roosters, horses, cows, donkeys, ducks, sheep, and I also think there is a goat. There is a little walking trail that is lush, shaded, and green. There is a little farm house with a porch that provides a wonderful backdrop for pictures. I also think there is a black barn cat roaming about ... or maybe its a neighbourhood cat, I have no idea. Well, I just absolutely adore this place. It gives me a warm fuzzy feeling when I visit. Its just so beautiful and cute :)

It's free. I guess you can't expect too much since it is free. The farm is lacking in animals. There's not much to see or do. There's a clean bathroom close to the entrance in the admin building though if you just need some facilities. Don't make a special trip to come though.

I love walking through Cabbagetown and one of the places to visit in Cabbagetown is the Riverdale Farm. It's located in the heart of the city yet it's quiet. Lots of people around, some jogging, some with kids, enjoying this little oasis in the middle of the city. Riverdale Farm was the first zoo built in Toronto and it's still here, though it doesn't have all the animals it had once, but it's a great place to visit with 2 or 20 year olds alike. If you enjoy photography, definitely take a trip down, bring your camera and snap away with endless Victorian homes as your backdrop... You will love it!

This is a small farm within the city, within walking distance of the Cabbage Town area. Among the things we saw: horses, roosters, a turkey, a goat, and lop-eared rabbits. It was very clean and scenic, and there are clean restrooms on site.

I came here for the goats. Is it wrong that goats make me laugh and I find them to be the most entertaining animals out there? Seriously though, we needed a destination for a bike ride and this was as good as any. I'd recommend this as an outing for or with kids, as there were many families there. But we met up with a family of friends and hung out with them so we didn't look like a weird childless couple cruising goats. Ducks, chicken, pigs, sheep, horses and cows, too! Make sure to leave some money in the donation box. This place can't run on fecal fuel!

My children spent many days here especially participating in the summer camp programs. I am not sure if these are still on. They used to managed by the School Boards and Toronto Parks and Recreation. Pond Ecology was one of the courses my kids took and loved. This is a great place for kids with little access to country life allowing them to view farm animals. Wonderful spot for families to visit should you just want to take a walk in a park. All kids love animals. They may be frightened of some but this is as safe a place as any to see them. Throughout the year you will see baby animals as part of the program.

I have lived in Toronto for 28 years and only found out this place existed after it was targeted for significant budget cuts by our troll of a mayor. I went down there this past summer, not knowing what to expect other than some barnyard standard animals. It turned out to be a pleasant place to take a walk but I don't really get the hype. Riverdale Farm is picturesque. The path that winds throughout the park area of the Farm is a nice place to take a brief stroll. Riverdale Farm is tiny. It took us about 30 minutes to cover the entire grounds and we were certain we must have missed something. Riverdale Farm is underwhelming. While I like zoos, this place just doesn't really cut it. While there are a few standard barnyard animals, they are simply that - animals. There are no real exhibits to go with any of the enclosures and you get bored of looking at them after a few minutes. While I understand while local residents want to keep this place open (it's better than another condo or mall), I also can see why the city may not want to fund it. If they liven up the place a bit, I am sure it can survive without government assistance.

Who could not love this place? It is a farm in the middle of the city. I love coming here on weekends and random weekdays during summer to see the animals grow. The calves are growing up so fast! A great place to come and appreciate where some of our food comes from.

Love that this place is in Toronto! Such a great idea to have a natural area like this to bring the kids to and teach them about animals and farming. Most of the animals were gone when we stopped by the other day, but the ones that were there were super cute. We didn't stop by the shop, but the next time we are in the area I totally am.

It's not a 5* farm or zoo. In my books, it's a 5* urban gem and one of the things that make our city so special. Just blocks from the downtown core, we have this awesome petting zoo and park where we can stroll through and catch-up with an old friend. There are barns and converted old buildings that house the animals. There are walking paths with beautiful landscape, including a little duck pond. It's flanked by Riverdale Park West with ample space to sit and read. A wonderful place to get out of the city while being right in the middle of it!

nice place to go for anyone of any age. One note before I review, this is very important. Don't dump your pet turtle or fish into the pond here, or anywhere else. It is probably a not native species (see the red eared slider turtles and goldfish/koi/asian carp) they ruin the environment here. If you are going to buy a pet either take care of it until it dies, eat it, turn in into a hat or euthanize it. Just don't destroy everyone's ecosystem please. The scenery is always nice here in any season although it gets very muddy here during the spring/rain. plenty of animals here in various barns and all fairly organized, the upper part of the farm is where the animals are and two very beautiful ponds are in the lower part. they have all kinds of farm animals here chickens, ducks, goats, cows, pigs and a bunch of other stuff. It's a great place to see some animals and go for a walk. Please though don't be a dumbass and leave the animals alone like Kat said.

Lovely for an hour of goat-watching in the city. The way goats scratch their ears with their little delicate hind hooves is worth the trip to Cabbagetown on its own: combine with brunch for optimal joy.

Nice place. I took my daughter here for alittle walk around. Very low key, not very busy and a nice quiet relaxing day out.

A great little gem of history right in the city! And free too! Visited the farm on the long weekend, as a last minute jaunt, and am never bored by it. We got to see the horses, donkey, turkey, chickens, pigs, sheep and goats and wondered down the path to the pond as well! When your on limited funds and kids are too young to appreciate all that the big zoo has to offer, it's great to have Riverdale Farm...and on those hot days, the well-shaded park and wading pool ain't too shabby either!

Riverdale Farm is the Heart of Cabbagetown...a working farm in the middle of the City! How incredible! Tuesdays is the Farmer's Market and we go every week to buy natural, Ontario grown food and schmooz with the neighbors. Come and check it out!!

I Really like this place because it's small, usually not too busy other than occasional weekends and it's so refreshing to have a small farm in the middle of the city. Well worth visiting. Across the street is the necropolis cemetery which is also an arboretum and very pleasant to walk around and look at the old gravestones. We saw a fox walking around on one occasion!

just plain natural fun is what i say. as cityfolk we dont get that many opportunities to go and see a cow unless its appearing on our plates with some frites, or a horse unless its being chomped on by our pets or even a goat unless we are slathering its milk-turned-chevre onto our bruschette. so here is your chance. take the kiddies and get close enough to smell all you like (for better or for worse) to even feed some grass to a pony or a horse (with supervision - you probably arent allowed to actually). and learn to: i didnt realize that pigs can grow that big. i was quite happy she was fenced in and i was protected - easily a good candidate for a new batman movie villain. i think that any adult will be just as tickled as any kid they bring along to have a taste of rural wildlife in this little zoo or farm (dont know that either moniker fits but it is what it is.)

We enjoy this place, the animals seems well cared for, there is a beautiful path to walk in. It feels like a short getaway from the city.

Such a beautiful area, beautiful place and great family outing! Highly recommend.

For a free zoo it's pretty decent. I would probably come here once every few years. Nothing really spectacular.

I've already been here a couple times this year when I wrote this review, and had been here a few times before then, and even before Yelp existed. Still love the place, a hidden gem of Toronto that mainly the locals know about, and one of the good free cool things still left to do, although I would gladly pay $5-$10 or slightly more per adult. Best to go in late spring and early fall early in the week if you can, when most students are still in school; avoid Fridays, weekends, and holidays especially if planning to take photographs as it will be difficult to take good shots at the busy times. And, PLEASE, don't feed the animals, as I and my husband saw some teens feeding them leaves from a tree, which is not appropriate food, and give at least $3-$5 per person per visit if you can at their donation stations.