Visitor Guide for the Winnipeg Assiniboine Zoo (for 2024)

Compiled by the Road Trip Manitoba team

Last updated August 14, 2024

One of the best things to do in Winnipeg is visit the Assiniboine Park Zoo. Whether you’re visiting the city for the first time or have lived here for years, there’s always something exciting happening at the zoo. With recent renovations, the zoo has quickly become one of the best zoos in Canada, especially when it comes to conservation and education. One of the highlights at the Assiniboine Park Zoo is the “Journey to Churchill” exhibit, an amazing exploration of the animals and ecosystem you’ll find in Manitoba’s far north.

From admission rates to special events to the kinds of things you can do at the zoo, here’s your complete guide for visiting the Winnipeg Zoo.

A Guide to the Assiniboine Park Zoo

History of the Assiniboine Park Zoo

The Assiniboine Park Zoo has a special place in Canada’s history, as it is Canada’s oldest remaining zoo. Established in 1904 in conjunction with the rest of the park, it was an innovative step in urban park development during the late 1800s and early 1900s in Canada.

Designed by Frederick Todd, the park and the zoo reflected Winnipeg’s aspirations of becoming a prominent metropolis in Canada and a gateway to the West. It was one of the earliest demonstrations of the importance of conservation in the country, and education has been a goal of the zoo since day one.

While the first animals included deer, bison, and elk, the zoo slowly expanded to include bears, lions, and more. “Aunt Sally’s Farm was established in 1959, and numerous renovations and additions have taken place since then, the largest of which is the award-winning Journey to Churchill exhibit, which opened in 2009.

In 2014, the Assiniboine Park Zoo became one of only five Canadian zoos to be accredited by the Association of Zoos & Aquariums. Today, it is home to thousands of mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and fish, with conservation still being the number one goal.

Location and Parking at the Winnipeg Zoo

Assiniboine Park Zoo’s official address is 2595 Roblin Blvd.

Though sometimes referred to as the Winnipeg Zoo, the Assiniboine Park Zoo is found – but of course! – in Assiniboine Park. The park itself is home to many of Winnipeg’s top attractions, including The Leaf (a botanical garden), a conservatory, a sculpture garden, an outdoor theatre, playgrounds, a duck pond, a restaurant, and many acres of sprawling fields. You could easily spend a full day exploring everything in the park, especially if you see both the zoo and The Leaf in the same day.

Thankfully, parking is free everywhere in Assiniboine Park, and there is a huge parking lot devoted to the zoo itself.

While you can access the zoo through the park itself, the easiest way to its entrance is from Roblin Boulevard. This is also where you’ll find the zoo’s largest and most convenient parking lot.

You can also take a few Winnipeg transit buses to reach Assiniboine Park and the zoo.

Admission and Tickets

The current cost of admission to the Assiniboine Park Zoo is as follows. Please note that you save a few dollars per ticket if you book in advance online! Additional GST is added at the time of checkout.

Admission Rates	Price at the gate	Online Price
Adults (18 – 59)	$24.70	$22.45
Seniors (60+)	$21.60	$19.65
Students (with valid student ID)	$21.60	$19.65
Children (3 – 17)	$14.00	$12.75
Children (under 2)	Free	Free

Opening hours

The zoo is open seven days a week from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in summer and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. in winter. The last entrance is half an hour before closing time.

The Assiniboine Park Zoo is open 364 days a year and operates year-round, regardless of the weather. It is only closed on Christmas Day (December 25th), although it also has reduced hours on Remembrance Day (November 11th). The zoo has regular hours of operation on all other holidays, including Louis Riel Day, Good Friday, Easter Monday, Victoria Day, Labour Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Boxing Day, New Year’s Eve, and New Year’s Day.

When is the best time of year to visit the Assiniboine Park Zoo?

As mentioned above, the zoo is open 364 days a year, and any visit – no matter what time of year – is fun! However, the warmer months do have their advantages, as more animals are present in the outdoor exhibits (such as the Open Range Exhibit), and there are more concessions and activities available. That being said, summer is much busier at the zoo, so spring, fall, and winter have their benefits, too. You may find you get an exhibit to yourself in the slower months!

What animals will you see at the Winnipeg Zoo?

There’s a vast array of animals to see at the Assiniboine Park Zoo, although it does depend on the season you’re visiting. With a focus on local wildlife – that is, wildlife that you would see naturally in the Canadian prairies – even a winter visit will allow you to see a lot of animals in the snow (think bison, mountain goats, and reindeer). And while there is never any guarantee of seeing certain animals at a zoo – they may be sleeping, for example – there’s a good chance you can see wolves, bison, polar bears, muskox, reindeer, seals, arctic foxes, goats, horses, llamas, ocelots, monkeys, camels, tigers, snow leopards, meerkats, cougars, and more.

This is not to mention all of the fish, reptiles, amphibians, and birds that live at the Winnipeg Zoo; one of the highlights is surely seeing one of the majestic snowy owls.

All told, there are thousands of creatures at the Assiniboine Park Zoo, and each visit brings the chance to see something new.

Exhibits at the Winnipeg Zoo

Journey to Churchill

The zoo’s newest and arguably most famous exhibit is the Journey to Churchill. This award-winning exhibit is cited as the “most comprehensive northern species exhibit of its kind in the world” and features the animals you’d find in Northern Manitoba. One of the highlights is walking through the underwater viewing tunnels, where you’ll hopefully get to experience a polar bear swimming above you. Animals featured include polar bears, arctic foxes, snowy owls, muskox, reindeer, and harbour seals.

Animals of Asia

Originally opened in 2010, the Animals of Asia exhibit features Amur tigers, camels, yaks, reindeer, gibbons, snow leopards, takin, and more.

Toucan Ridge

Once known as the Tropical House, the indoor Toucan Ridge highlights life from Central and South America. Here, you will see bats, monkeys, ocelots, red pandas, iguanas, turtles, snakes, frogs, and numerous species of tropical birds.

Kinsmen Discovery Centre

Open since 1990, the Kinsmen Discovery Centre has six galleries with many interactive displays. It features a huge number of fish, crustaceans, and insects, while other animals include tortoises, lizards, starlings, doves, porcupines, meerkats, squirrels, and more.

Open Range

Located at the zoo’s centre, the Open Range exhibit showcases animals from around the world, including kangaroos, wallaroos, llamas, and emu. Please note that many of these animals are only exhibited seasonally.

Grasslands and Boreal Forest

The Grasslands and Boreal Forest exhibit highlights animals native to North America, including bison, elk, cougars, grey wolves, Canadian lynx, Rocky Mountain sheep, and more. Birds featured include pelicans, geese, owls, hawks, and cranes.

Aunt Sally’s Farm

Aunt Sally’s Farm opened in 1959 and today features playgrounds, rainbow bridges for the goats to climb through, and the original wishing well from over 60 years ago! Animals that live here include goats, donkeys, miniature horses, llamas, pigs, and sheep.

Please note that Aunt Sally’s Farm is not a petting zoo.

McFeetors Heavy Horse Centre

The McFeetors Heavy Horse Centre features beautiful Percheron horses and has 4.7 acres of pastures, paddocks, and a barn. Here, you can learn how heavy horses were once relied on in agriculture, forestry, mining, and road construction.

How long should you spend at the Winnipeg Zoo?

You can easily spend the entire day at Assiniboine Park Zoo, as there is so much to see and do! Our recommendation is to plan to spend at least half a day there.

If you are visiting Winnipeg and want to see some of its best sights, we recommend combining the Assiniboine Park Zoo and The Leaf (a botanical garden with both indoor and outdoor gardens). You can also have a meal in the park, either at the Park Café or at Gather Craft Kitchen and Bar, while the zoo offers a few food options as well (see below).

Can you eat at the Assiniboine Park Zoo?

Yes, there are a few food options at the Assiniboine Park Zoo! Tundra Grill is open year-round and has a menu catered for families, so you’ll find lots of kid-friendly meals there. You can also get a fantastic view of the polar bears as you dine, which makes the restaurant extra special!

In the warmer months, the zoo also has a few concession stands, including Winston’s Ice Cream Shoppe, the Bison Snack Shack, a hotdog cart, a lemonade and mini-donuts stand, and a Hawaiian shaved ice stand.

Elsewhere in Assiniboine Park, you’ll find Gather at the Leaf and Park Café. Reservations are recommended for Gather at the Leaf, while Park Café usually accommodates walk-ins within 10-15 minutes.

Special Events at the Assiniboine Park Zoo

Keep your eyes peeled for special events that happen at Assiniboine Park Zoo, as there are many fantastic events throughout the year. With an emphasis on family-friendly entertainment, standout events include Spring Break at the Zoo (with face painting, musical performances, and more), Boo at the Zoo (a multi-evening Halloween event with lots of activities), and Zoo Lights, a magical tradition where the zoo is transformed into a winter wonderland with thousands of lights (it’s one of our favourite things to do in winter in Winnipeg).

Tours at the Zoo

If you want to learn even more about the zoo and its inhabitants, why not book a tour? While tours are usually reserved for larger groups – six people seems to be the minimum – there are lots of options to choose from, including a general zoo tour, a Journey to Churchill tour, and a tour called All My Relations, which explores Indigenous perspectives of the relationship between people, animals, and the land. For more information about tours at the zoo, click here.

Accessibility

The Assiniboine Park Zoo is very accessible, with flat surfaces and ramps available for wheelchairs and strollers. The zoo also has wheelchair-accessible bathroom stalls throughout the premises and accessible parking near the entrance. There are also limited wheelchairs, scooters, and strollers available to rent on a first-come, first-served basis.

Support workers enter free of charge. Service animals are allowed, although they must have vaccination papers to enter. However, for the health and safety of the zoo animals, there are a few exhibits where service animals cannot enter (including Toucan Ridge, McFeetors Heavy Horse Centre, Kinsmen Discovery Centre, and the barn at Aunt Sally’s Farm).

The zoo offers limited free sensory bags to borrow, all of which include noise-cancelling headphones, fidget tools, and verbal cue cards. There is also signage to alert visitors to areas where they may encounter loud noises.

What should you bring to the Winnipeg Zoo?

No matter the season you visit, you should plan for the outdoor weather when visiting the Winnipeg zoo. In summer, that means a hat, sunglasses, and sunscreen, while in winter, that means warm layers. As the zoo is open year-round, you might also deal with rain, so of course your rainboots and umbrella might be needed!

Besides preparing for the weather, you should bring a water bottle, snacks, and a camera/phone to capture memories. If visiting with children, you may want to bring a stroller or wagon depending on their age; the zoo encompasses quite a large area, so little legs might get tired throughout the visit. There are strollers available to rent at the zoo, but these are limited in supply.