When Lucas was in grade 8, he visited Toronto with the school band. He came back with great stories of the CN Tower and Ripley’s Aquarium. We visit Toronto regularly for hockey tournaments and each time, my other kids want to visit Ripley’s Aquarium, but we’ve never had the time … until this month. Sydney and I did a girl’s trip to Toronto to pick up her prom dress and her one request was to visit Ripley’s aquarium and it was incredible. I can’t believe we’ve waited so long. I now need to find a way to get Caiden there because he was super jealous.
Where is Ripley’s Aquarium?
Ripley’s Aquarium is located in downtown Toronto, just a stone throw from the CN Tower and Union Station. Its location makes it super easy to find and visit if you’re in the downtown Toronto area.
How to buy tickets to Ripley’s Aquarium?
While tickets can be bought onsite, it is recommended to purchase your timed tickets online in advance. All tickets, other than the more costly Flex Ticket, are timed tickets in order to avoid overcrowding. We visited on a weekday in January and had purchased in advance so we walked directly in but there was no line at the ticket office, so I expect advance purchase isn’t always necessary. That said, I’ve also heard terrible stories of people purchasing tickets in person and having to wait hours for their entry time. If you have an idea of your arrival time, just purchase online. The timeframe for entry is one hour so there is some flexibility. Their website also says that tickets are valid for one year from the date of purchase so if you are late, you don’t lose your ticket. You may just have to wait to enter.
Activities for small children at Ripley’s Aquarium
While the big draw at Ripley’s Aquarium is the incredible sea life in the massive aquarium tanks, they’ve done a wonderful job ensuring that young children can do some hands-on exploration.
Throughout the facility, you’ll find several play areas where children can climb inside an aquarium or climb under a small aquarium and pop their head inside to get a 360-degree view of the sea creatures.
Ripley’s Aquarium also has a crawling tube that allows little ones to crawl through a clear glass tube and explore the sea life. It also has a great touch tank!
There is a photo booth on entry that makes for a nice photo and Ripley’s Café is available in case your little one needs a snack or something to drink.
One of the largest aquariums has a moving sidewalk to save little legs from getting too tired … and I’m sure they’ll find the walkway super cool. It also lets mom or dad explore the sea life without being concerned about pushing the stroller.
Note that while strollers are permitted, wagons are not, and large back carriers are restricted on busy days.
How long will it take to visit Ripley’s Aquarium?
Sydney and I spent almost two hours at the aquarium. We visited everything but didn’t stop at the children’s play stops that are found throughout. We also didn’t visit Ripley’s Café. If you have young children with you, I expect your visit will take longer so allow for three hours of exploration.
Our favourite spots at Ripley’s Aquarium
Honestly, we loved every spot at Ripley’s Aquarium but if I had to choose, I’d say that my favourite spot is the octopus tank. This guy is huge and so incredibly cool! When we finished visiting the aquarium, rather than leave through the exit in the gift shop we walked around their reef and re-entered the aquarium so I could visit him again!
Here he is crawling through his tunnel to get to the other aquarium!
And below, just having fun exploring.
I also loved the rainbow reef. These little guys are so incredibly bright and beautiful. Check out their live rainbow reef cam!
Syd’s favourite spot by far is Planet Jellies where you can get close and personal with some amazing jelly fish. Check out their live jellyfish cam!
She also loved the moving sidewalk at the Dangerous Lagoon. So did I! Having the sharks and stingrays swim over you is incredible!
Other activities at the aquarium
Ripley’s aquarium has a host of events for all ages. From Jazz Night, Paint Night and Sharks After Dark. They also offer sleepovers! You can find the latest on the aquarium website.
Other places to visit near Ripley’s Aquarium
Downtown Toronto is filled with incredible activities for people of all ages. Syd and I visited the CN Tower when she was younger, and we were in Toronto for a gymnastics tournament. Despite being a huge hockey family, none of us have had a chance to visit the Hockey Hall of Fame yet so that definitely needs to happen. The Royal Ontario Museum is amazing and if you like castles, you’ll really want to visit Casa Loma. In summer, consider doing a walking tour or a sightseeing cruise!
Final Thoughts
We absolutely loved our visit to Ripley’s Aquarium in Toronto. I can’t wait to visit again with Caiden. I’d say that next to the National Museum of Science and Technology in Ottawa, this is our favourite museum’s in Ontario.
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