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Riverdale Farm
Categories: Active Life Zoos Active Life Parks Zoos, Parks [Edit]
201 Winchester StToronto, ON M4X 1B8
Neighbourhood: Cabbagetown
(416) 392-6794
- Hours:
Mon-Sun 9 am - 5 pm
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
19 reviews for Riverdale Farm
19 reviews in English
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Review from Eric T.
Toronto, ON
5/2/2012
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!
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Review from Zachary G.
Toronto, ON
2/5/2012
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. -
Review from Sandra T.
Toronto, ON
7/5/2011
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 :)Listed in: Mommy Stuff
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Review from Jennifer M.
Toronto, ON
7/5/2011
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.Listed in: If I was a Tourist, I'm outdoorsy, in that I like…
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Review from Hazel P.
9/14/2011
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. -
Review from Aviva S.
5/1/2011
Not going to say much as everything's been said.
This place isn't really expectional but it's so enjoyable. Very nice to get away from the city.
But yes, people with kids, please keep your kids down and let us enjoy this place. Haha.
Seriously though, check it out, you don't know what you might see (on one occasion I saw a fox, it was amazing). -
Review from Addy S.
Toronto, ON
3/17/2011
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! -
Review from Kat F.
Canada enjoys a 99% literacy rate***, but visiting Riverdale Farm you certainly wouldn't know it. Does literacy go out the window when you become a new parent??
I saw no fewer than 50 clearly marked signs saying:
"Please don't feed the animals. We feed them enough."
"Don't put your fingers in the fence. Animals bite, kick and butt."
"Cows bite. Do not approach the fence. Do not touch."
"DO NOT FEED THE ANIMALS, FUUUCK!"
...and yet, I saw dozens of infractions by both children and adults alike. Poking the animals and touching things meant to be untouched, reaching into the pens and climbing into cramped spaces. And guess who probably gets in trouble if something 'bad' happens? Yeah.
Anyway - loved this farm. I only saw a few of those clever and very serious looking Nubian goats (the ones that look like this: http://farm3.static.fl...) - the rest must have been hiding. The horses and donkeys looked pretty chill but it was the pigs that were the star of the show.
They have Tamworth pigs (http://en.wikipedia.or...) here! There were two adults and over a dozen little ones that entertained me by chasing each other, rolling around in the mud, pouncing on each other and otherwise frolicking. The pigs are soooo cute, and apparently they are pretty hard to find, but love Canada's "adverse climate" so they thrive here. I could watch these pigs for hours.
I had to remove a star for two reasons - one being the lack of proper signage around the farm (I inadvertently found myself in the adjacent park twice; the path isn't clearly marked to indicate that you're leaving the farm area) and the pens don't have large enough species indicators. Remember back in the day at the Metro Toronto Zoo where the ground was painted with hooves/paw prints leading you to certain animals? They could benefit from that here.
The second reason is the cows.
They looked extremely sad and it was hard to look at them. One of the cows was outside and roaming freely, chewing on something grassy and just generally hanging out. She looked OK, but kind of bored (I dunno, what do cows do?). There were two other cows stuck indoors at Francey Barn and they were in total darkness, tied by the collar with a two foot chain, which was scarcely long enough to allow them to dip their heads into the feeding and water trough. Why are they in here? And why can't they roam freely? Why so dark? It really bummed me out.
Come here year round from 9am-5pm but come early if you don't enjoy the presence of children. Did I mention it's free?
*** http://en.wikipedia.or...Listed in: The Best Places To Eat &…
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Review from Connie T.
Toronto, ON
1/14/2009 1 photo
I was raised in a town of 400, so most of my field trips involved going to some manure-filled animal farm, which usually ended in me puking into my mitten and spreading the vomit along the wall.
Now that I've moved to the city and my sense of smell has gotten less sensitive (and my public puking behaviour, more refined), I pine for an escape every now and then.
Riverdale Farm is a jewel. Whenever I'm up for a long, wandering, introspective photo walk, I make my way over there. My favourite times to go are the spring and fall, especially during the weekday when it's less busy.
It's not really a large farm, but it does have a couple of each animal, and there are a lot of "speak to the feeders" sessions over the weekends. Great country experience in the city, and close to Cabbagetown for a post-farm coffee.
And bonus? Not once have I puked there. Riverdale is safe!Listed in: Free and cheap hangouts in…
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Review from Evangeline P.
Toronto, ON
7/6/2011
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! -
Review from kelly h.
Toronto, ON
5/1/2011 1 photo
I took off one star only because other people's children are everywhere. And loud. And I just want to visit the chickens in peace.
Otherwise this place would get five out of five for me, mostly because I like that sassy mini rooster who struts around with his harem of hens, all of whom are three times his size--go rooster!
Also, whoever does the gardening for Riverdale Farm does a bang-up job. Last summer, they had some of the most beautiful lettuce I'd ever seen. Beautiful lettuce! Who would have thought. -
Review from Phillip Jessie j.
Toronto, ON
3/2/2011
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. -
Review from Jocelyn G.
2/22/2009
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. -
Review from Mike S.
Toronto, ON
8/29/2008
I am a city boy, I'm not proud nor am I ashamed of the fact, but for city boys like me and my two year old niece, who is so far a city girl, there are places like the Riverdale Farm. Riverdale Farm is not really a farm it's a zoo with farm animals for us city folk. They have cows, chickens, goats, pigs, sheep and several other animals that I most commonly come into contact when they're wrapped in plastic. If I had been alone I'm not sure if Riverdale Farm would have been for me, but it was about 3 minutes of entertainment. My niece however was ecstatic to pet a goat and to see how big cows actually are. This is a place for a family outing or a place where you (as someone who has very little regular contact with children and have been pressed into babysitting service) go to show your children what beef looks like as a cow.
Like the review? Check out the link to my blog on my profile. -
Review from Julianna B.
Toronto, ON
10/12/2009
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.
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Review from Irene S.
4/21/2009 1 photo
if there's anything better than a farm full of baby animals, surely it's taking that farm and placing it smack dab in the middle of a bustling city! and then taking me there, so i can coo over the baby animals and delight in being on a farm that's in the middle of the a bustling city.
riverdale farms has got horses and goats and pigs and sheep and at least one donkey, and it's very, very cute. -
Review from Richard S.
Toronto, ON
8/11/2009
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!!
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Review from Jimi S.
ON
11/19/2008
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.) -
Review from Liz K.
9/16/2008
Ponys and pigs, goats and sheep, roosters, turkeys, ducks and fowls of all kind. Great family place foe education and a taste of the countryside right in Cabbagetown.
