Toronto Zoo, in Ontario, lets 1 teacher per class in free when the class comes on a booked school visit. The Book a Visit page lists it first under School Visit Rates, and for kindergarten it covers 1 teacher and 1 ECE (early childhood educator) per class. It doesn’t offer a discount to a teacher who shows up with their own family, so this one is for the field trip.
Your students pay $10.50 each in elementary (K-8), with HST included, and prices here are in Canadian dollars (CAD). The page also sets a supervisor ratio for every grade and charges you for the minimum if your group falls short, so the ratios are worth reading before you book.
How To Get The Toronto Zoo Teacher Discount
Book a school visit through the zoo’s Book a Visit page. It lists Self Guided School Group Booking, Fee-Based Elementary & Secondary On-Site School Programs and Toronto Complimentary School Field Trips as the ways to bring a class, with a Book Now! button under them.
The school rates are for groups from schools registered with a provincial Ministry of Education or Ministry of Training, Colleges, and Universities, plus other education facilities, and the page says the visit has to be for meeting learning requirements outlined in a course curriculum. During the summer months, the school rates only apply to educational institutions on a modified school year, so plan the trip for the school year unless your school runs a modified calendar.
The zoo keeps you to its supervisor ratios for the whole visit: 1:5 for licensed child care and Grades K-3, 1:10 for Grades 4-8 and 1:20 for secondary. If your group falls short, the page says you’re charged in accordance with the minimum supervisor ratio, and every supervisor has to be at least 18 years of age. The page also says the zoo will accommodate changes in the number of students and supervisors on the day of the visit, so you aren’t locked into the headcount you booked.
What The School Rate Covers
The rate table lists $10.50 for elementary (K-8), $11.50 for secondary (9-12) and $12.50 for post-secondary, all with HST included. Licensed child care groups pay $10.50 too, with conditions attached, including a minimum of 20 students per booking.
Parking is $20.00 for a personal vehicle and free for a school bus. School groups also get 50% off picnic site rentals during the school year, which the page limits to groups booked Monday to Friday between 10:00 am and 2:00 pm, subject to availability. To ask about a picnic site, contact Toronto Zoo Group Events at 416-392-5940.
If a student or supervisor already holds a Toronto Zoo membership, the page says it’ll be honored toward their admission. Bring the original or a photocopy to Guest Relations when you pay. A support person who gives one-on-one support to a student with special needs, for health and/or safety reasons, receives complimentary admission, and the page says that person shouldn’t be counted in your supervisor ratio.
The page takes on the weather worry directly. It says the zoo has a variety of indoor spaces that offer protection from the elements, and it adds that the winter months are a great time to see the polar bears and Arctic wolves in their snowy element. It also notes that, as a not-for-profit organization, the zoo puts the revenue from all visits, school field trips included, toward conservation efforts.
Visiting On Your Own
The Book a Visit page is the school page, and it doesn’t list a general admission price or a teacher rate for someone visiting with family. The school rates are for a visit meeting a course curriculum’s learning requirements, so a teacher on a weekend outing shouldn’t count on them.
What We Couldn’t Confirm
The page doesn’t say you need to show a teacher ID at the gate, that the free teacher admission is limited to school hours, or that it can’t be combined with other offers. It doesn’t explain what the Toronto Complimentary School Field Trips option includes, and it says all rates are subject to change without notice. For the details of your own booking, the Book Now! button is the place to start.
Q&A
Is there a Toronto Zoo teacher discount?
Yes, on a booked school visit: 1 teacher per class receives free admission, and kindergarten classes get 1 teacher plus 1 ECE. The page doesn’t list a discount for a teacher visiting alone or with family.
How much do students pay?
$10.50 for elementary (K-8), $11.50 for secondary (9-12) and $12.50 for post-secondary, with HST included.
How many supervisors do we need?
The page lists 1:5 for licensed child care and Grades K-3, 1:10 for Grades 4-8 and 1:20 for secondary. Support persons aren’t counted in the ratio.
Do school rates apply in the summer?
Only for educational institutions on a modified school year, according to the page.
What does parking cost for a school bus?
Nothing. The page lists school bus parking as free, and a personal vehicle at $20.00.
Is there a discount on a picnic site?
Yes, 50% off picnic site rentals for school groups during the school year, for groups booked Monday to Friday between 10:00 am and 2:00 pm and subject to availability. Group Events is at 416-392-5940.
Can a student with a zoo membership use it on a school visit?
The page says memberships will be honored for students and supervisors to cover admission. Bring the original or a photocopy to Guest Relations at the time of payment.
More Information:
The details above come from Toronto Zoo’s own Book a Visit page as it loaded when we checked, and programs change without notice. See more entertainment discounts for teachers.
