If I could give the Elmvale Zoo more than 5 stars, I absolutely would. The BEST zoo in Ontario. Hands. Down. Seriously, this is one of those places you leave and immediately find yourself talking about. It's the kind of experience that stays with you. I came here completely last minute with my boyfriend's family, not really knowing what to expect. I've only ever been to the Toronto Zoo, so I assumed this would be a much smaller experience. I couldn't have been more wrong. This zoo is incredible. The entire place is beautifully laid out, easy to navigate, very accessible, and most of the pathways are shaded, which makes exploring so comfortable even on a warmer day. The variety of animals honestly surprised me, and so many of the exhibits allow you to get incredibly close in such a special way. Feeding the giraffes, goats, and pigs was something I'll never forget. There are so many opportunities throughout the zoo to safely interact with the animals and create memories you simply don't get at most places. I also loved seeing hand-washing stations available at every feeding area -- such a thoughtful touch! But what made this visit truly unforgettable wasn't just the animals. It was the people behind them. Because the zoo is outside the city, I had almost no cell service... which was honestly refreshing. Everyone in the zoo was disconnected from their phones and completely connected to their families, and the animal exhibits. Ironically, a bunch of important work calls all came through at once, and I desperately needed to get in touch with my team but couldn't. I asked if there happened to be Wi-Fi available, and instead of simply saying they didn't know the password, a staff member went above and beyond. She brought us into the office and kindly let me use their landline to make the calls I needed. Afterward, I thanked her and told her how amazed I was by the zoo. That's when I found out she was Michelle, the owner. We ended up talking for over ten minutes about animals, life, and sharing plenty of laughs. Within minutes, it was obvious this isn't just a business to her -- it's her life's work. She grew up here, knows every single animal personally, and genuinely loves them all. They truly are her babies. As an incredibly generous surprise, Michelle gave my boyfriend and I complimentary feeding baskets so we could enjoy even more of the animal interactions. It was such an unexpected act of kindness, but what stood out most was seeing how passionate she is about creating lifelong memories for every family that walks through those gates. That kind of care is rare. Something else I think deserves to be shared is the reason the zoo doesn't allow outside food for feeding the animals. At first, I didn't know the reasoning behind the policy, but after learning more, I completely understood and respected it. The animals' diets are carefully monitored, and the feeding baskets are specifically prepared to be safe, chemical- and pesticide-free, with carefully controlled quantities. They are distributed throughout the zoo so that every animal -- not just the giraffes -- receives proper nutrition. That isn't a cash grab. That is responsible animal care. After hearing the thought, effort, and love behind it, I have nothing but respect for that decision. (They allow you to bring your own food for you & your humans! And, have tons of picnic areas!) Throughout the day, we kept running into Michelle and other family members checking on the animals, chatting with guests, and making everyone feel welcome. We even took photos together before we left. That level of genuine care and connection is something you simply don't find often anymore. You can feel the love that has been poured into every corner of this place. The habitats are thoughtfully designed, the animals are happy, active, and clearly adored, and the entire zoo has such a warm, family atmosphere that it's impossible not to smile while you're there. Hi Charlie!!! This wasn't just a day at the zoo -- it was one of the most unexpectedly wholesome and memorable experiences I've had in a long time. Thank you, Michelle, for your kindness, your generosity, and for sharing your beautiful home and incredible animals with all of us. We can't wait to come back, and we'll be recommending Elmvale Zoo to everyone we know. Some places are worth visiting... Elmvale Zoo is worth experiencing. read more

Where else can you feed a giraffe! This place is cute, not as enriching at the Toronto Zoo but it's small walk around outside with opportunities to feed some animals. I was excited to visit this place and feed the giraffes and zebras, anything else is a bonus. Was impressed and also sad, they had two kinds of Lions, leopards, tigers, cougars and a bunch of other animals. The enclosure for the big cats was not stimulating for them and you can't help feel bad for them, but they are mostly sleeping the whole time. The entrance is also the gift shop and exit. Ask for change into loonies specifically there, to pay for coin operated pellet feed at three locations throughout the park. What's neat and unique here, is they sell cute plastic souvenir buckets with simple food for the animals. It's $10 to start and you keep the souvenir bucket or $7 for a refill. We got one banana, a romaine leaf, shredded/slim carrots, (no ice cream) cone. You are not allowed to feed the animals food from home for safety reasons. Feeding some of the animals was difficult as there is separation 3-4 ft from the cage and wires. You can see failed attempts that bounced off the wires onto the ground, that some animals cannot reach. Find a stick and help the poor little animals get their snack. Some animals were more hungry than others. Some of the monkeys could even catch your banana chunk if thrown to them. TIP: giraffes are hungry and interested in the morning, but by 2:30pm, they seemed full and migrate to the opposite side of the fence. They go inside at night, so they seem to wait there until then. Washrooms: only one building in the whole park, it's flushing and clean enough. Smells like washroom chemicals. Near the tigers by the entrance. Two foot pump washing stations around the park by the goats and giraffes. Food: nothing inside the pavilion, bring your own snacks or picnic. There's a food truck outside, fair prices for ice cream($4-6$ and hot dogs($5) read more

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A fun way to spend an hour or so, walking around. Very no frills - no food, no playground or other things to do. Almost like a petting zoo but with cages? The variety of animals was fun! From lion to lemurs to mini goats?...the giraffes come right up to you and there were a ton of zebras. We had a nice time! It was about $64 for a family of 3 (baby not included). read more

Disclaimer: This visit took place August of 2020. The COVID precautions were appreciated and admired; everyone that came here was by appointment only, and while in line they confirmed names and party sizes. Upon arriving to the front, it was contactless payment with an understanding it was a one-way zoo path, that is, do not backtrack. This was intended to help prevent cross over or other patrons from coming in contact with you/us. The only reason I didnt give this 5/5 is because multiple times people ignored this rule, and the limited staff present didnt stop them from going backwards. The treatment of the animals and the living conditions made it apparent they were in great care and fed well. When we arrived we opted for a bucket of food each, which had among vegetables and fruit, an ice cream cone. We didn't know which animal would eat this, but were pleasently surprised when we stuck it near the giraffes and one of them went over the cage to swallow it whole. The displays have clear signs of which animals can and cannot be fed which made the experience safer overall, and some of animals like the cockatoo even do tricks and sing! A great experience for anyone in the Wasaga Beach area! read more

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I went to this zoo for a date. It was the most childhood fun experience! First off I did check Yelp and I pondered this is not as big as Toronto Zoo it can't be that good. But it was. It has every animal you can think of and the best part is that you can feed Monkey Chow and Bananas to the animals. There are dedicated staff doing little presentations. The really fun part is that you can run with the goats-just be careful they are in a play pen and they pop everywhere so when they jump on you you're guaranteed to be covered with goat poo. But come on it's just uncompleted manure right Washrooms are at the facility, nothing five star. It's like public shower clean. The zoo has no issues with you entering with bags and you can bring a lunch a snacks. So I rate this 5 star because the tickets are affordable (download the City of Barrie coupon); the experience is unique with animals running to you, you get to feed them and you get to run around with the goats; it's long lived thrill - you can spend all day at the zoo we went half a day there and we could have spent longer. Things to consider, wear good shoes -I worked wedges and it was a dry day. If its wet it's pretty bad. Some area need some improvement like where the swans are it's pretty hard to see them. But there are very interested people running the live shows and it's just fun for the kids -or in our case adult-kids. read more

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Great family fun place! Lots to see and do. In the nice weather it's ideally an adventure you don't want to miss. Great staff and great environment. read more

We had an amazing time feeding and viewing the animals but had an unpleasant encounter with the staff. Only one washroom throughout the whole zoo and it's about 2 Minutes into the zoo. As we we're nearing the end my child needed to go to the washroom so we stepped over the barrier and we're bombarded by staff members telling us we aren't to do that. We must "ask permission to use the washroom" No posted sign saying "do not cross barrier" or "please ask for the washroom" As we continued to the washroom they followed and watched us, while also talking about us to other staff members. If you do decide to visit the zoo make sure to "ask for permission" to use the washroom, or stay clear of the staff completely. read more

We had so much fun here! It's a small, family-run zoo, but don't let that fool you! Tons of animals, the price was right, it's only about 20 mins from Barrie and best of all? You can let the kids walk on their own. It's small enough and the crowds aren't so crazy that you have to have hands on them at all times. Just wonderful! We'll be back! read more

Very good zoo, very interactive. Great for children of all ages. Personally believe it's better than Toronto Zoo. Not as many animals to see, but a more fun experience for sure. read more

Had a great time, was an awesome idea for a day out, not a big zoo but big enough to have some awesome animals and you can get up close and personal with most of them which you can't do with other bigger zoos, all in all a great day and would definitely recommend! read more