Toronto Zoo offers free field trips for all students this fall
The City is funding a new pilot program that makes Toronto Zoo visits free for K-12 classes across all four public school boards.
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Starting the 2026–2027 school year, students from kindergarten through Grade 12 across Toronto's four publicly funded school boards will have free access to the Toronto Zoo through a new City-funded pilot program.
The initiative—inspired by the legacies of wildlife researchers Dr. Jane Goodall and Dr. Anne Innis Dagg—removes financial barriers and aims to ensure students can learn about conservation, biodiversity, and the natural world. The program is funded through $300,000 in the City's 2026 budget, including $100,000 proposed by Mayor Olivia Chow and an additional $200,000 approved by City Council.
The funding covers admission costs for school groups from the Toronto District School Board (TDSB), the Toronto Catholic District School Board (TCDSB), Conseil scolaire Viamonde, and Conseil scolaire catholique MonAvenir.
Chow said in a statement: "By removing financial barriers, we are opening the doors of the Toronto Zoo to thousands of students who may not otherwise have this opportunity. This is about making sure young people can build a meaningful connection to wildlife, conservation, and the environment we all share."
Schools will be able to register beginning in August. The program removes one more barrier to students experiencing one of the city's most important educational destinations.