Ripley's Aquarium of Canada

Ripley's Aquarium of Canada

Ripley's Aquarium of Canada
4.5
9:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Monday
9:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Tuesday
9:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Wednesday
9:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Thursday
9:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Friday
9:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Saturday
9:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Sunday
9:00 AM - 9:00 PM
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About
Explore the Waters of the World at Ripley's Aquarium of Canada. Located in the heart of downtown Toronto at the base of the CN Tower, the aquarium is Toronto's must-see attraction for tourists and locals of all ages. Immerse yourself in a world of 20,000 aquatic animals and discover your own underwater adventure. The Aquarium features North America’s longest underwater viewing tunnel with more than 5.7 million litres of water and over 100 interactive opportunities. Get up close and personal with several touch exhibits featuring horseshoe crabs, sharks, scarlet cleaner shrimp, and stingrays as well as daily dive shows every 2 hours. This awe-inspiring attraction consists of nine carefully curated galleries showcasing a cross section of saltwater and freshwater environments from around the world – starting with species from Toronto’s backyard, the Great Lakes basin.
Suggested duration
1-2 hours
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  • Phillip C
    14 contributions
    Very pricey, buy tickets before, and combine with other attractions
    This aquarium is very pricey, was overcrowded, and they do not offer city passes for multiple attractions at the ticketing counter. I recommend buying a combo of multiple attractions beforehand, i.e. if you combine the aquarium with the CN tower (which is right next door), you save a lot of money. However, it takes a couple of hours to get through, is on multiple floors, and the tunnel was amazing. Plus, there are several hands on activities. We were exhausted by the time we left.
    Visited December 2019
    Traveled with family
    Written January 3, 2020
  • dillsefoodie
    Bengaluru, India1,314 contributions
    Nice place but a little expensive
    Visited this place on a weekday evening. It was a good experience. There are a lot of different species of sea animals which you can see here. Most interesting ones were sharks, tortoises and jelly fish. They have a special kids section where they can play some games. I would recommend to buy the tickets online as the offline ones are costlier or you can visit after 7 to save some bucks.
    Visited January 2020
    Written January 31, 2020
  • Lisa Wolfe
    Boardman, Ohio57 contributions
    Pleasantly surprised
    I was in Toronto with my teen daughter and her friend for them to attend a dance program at the National Ballet School of Canada. I asked them what they want to do after their classes on the last evening and they wanted to visit the CN tower. As we arrived at the tower we could see that top of the tower was up in the fog and visibility would be zero. The girl working at the tower suggested the aquarium which is right next door. We decided to head over and wow are we glad that we did! The girls said after “we are so glad that the tower didn’t work out. This was awesome!” We all enjoyed it. The variety of fresh and salt water life was amazing. The girls are both 15 but even they enjoyed the water play area and helped some younger kids figure it out. We really loved the moving walkway and they giggled every time a shark swam over our heads. In fact we walked back and did the moving path again. They also spent a significant amount of time with their hands in the shrimp tank having the little shrimp clean their hands and talking to the gentlemen working there about various thing at the aquarium. Overall we spent about 3 hours on our visit. We would visit again in the future and highly recommend it for all ages.
    Visited December 2019
    Traveled with family
    Written January 3, 2020
  • May R
    1 contribution
    Stay away
    Unless you've already promised your children to visit, it's best to stay away from here. It's insanely crowded, people are packed in like sardines, you can barely move and you will be pushed and shoved. Literally thousands. It was pointless to try to take photos and we couldn't even get close enough to see most of the tanks. There are no Covid protocols, zero masks, zero spacing and zero sanitizing. It's very expensive ($83 for 1 adult and 1 child), especially because you will not be able to last more than 30 min. My experience: I called ahead to take my 8 year old on a weekday. I booked timed tickets, asked about Covid protocols and food options. On arrival there were several large groups (100+ in one), so timed tickets are pointless. No masks for staff or anyone else. No food available, even though I was told there would be. Immediately after scanning our tickets I asked to briefly exit to get lunch from the food truck outside and was told that if we leave, our tickets will be void. Eventually they let us leave for 15min exactly (they timed us). They made us stand in the entrance to eat our fries, even though it turns out they have a seating area with tables, where I later saw many families eating takeout. We HAD to exit through the gift shop, which was even more crowded. What a giant disappointment. This place is obviously very badly managed.
    Visited June 2022
    Written July 5, 2022
  • keeperof4
    170 contributions
    Over Crowded
    Purchased tickets ,time on line,$160+cnd ,understanding limited numbers permitted at one time. Arrived for 3pm,entrance was packed full. Numerous visitors permitted with large suit cases in tow.No order what so ever.People pushing in front of children others to get their selfies! Even at a snails pace with over max capacity took about 1hr+. Directed out through over priced souvenir shop. Only positive is you are up close with sea life (sharks) that are directly over head for a short time. Perhaps off season is a better time to visit more enjoyable experience.
    Hi there! Thank you for taking the time to leave your feedback. Summer is undoubtedly our peak season and our peak hours are 10am - 5pm. To help guests who wish to have a quieter experience, we have extended our hours all summer long from 9am - 11pm daily.
    Written August 15, 2022
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
    Visited August 2022
    Written August 15, 2022
  • Safi and Fariaa Adventures
    Ottawa, Canada760 contributions
    Awesome aquarium experience
    We visited the aquarium in early July 2020. We felt quite safe, as they were limiting the number of visitors. They were also collecting contact info for contact tracing. Everyone had their temperatures checked and hands sanitized prior to entry. Every passageway and staircase were marked for unidirectional walking. Staff was constantly sanitizing the rails and other touchable features. The shark conveyor belt had surfboard stickers to stand on marked for social distancing. The diaspora of aquatic wildlife you can see at Ripley's Aquarium is incredible. Not only is it gorgeous to see and great to take pictures with, but you can also learn a lot about the wildlife that inhabit our waters. The shark conveyor belt is by far the best feature of the aquarium. Ripley's Aquarium is for everyone, families, couples, kids, or even someone alone. We highly recommend visiting Ripley's Aquarium when in Toronto. We would recommend about 3 hours to thoroughly enjoy the aquarium. We personally purchased a Toronto CityPass and enjoyed this along with other Toronto must sees. We made a whole day of CN Tower and Ripley's Aquarium.
    Thank you very much for such a great review!
    Written March 23, 2021
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
    Visited July 2020
    Written March 11, 2021
  • Huong Doan
    Sydney, Canada1 contribution
    Great experience. Very engaging activities
    With a special interest in fishes and marine life in general, Ripley's Aquarium of Canada was one of the first places I decided to visit when I came to Toronto. As introduced earlier by one of the staffs, the underwater tunnel is truly amazing. I took a lot of great photos there. Besides, I especially like the jellyfish show, it was outstanding with very creative lighting. In addition, there are many interesting activities you can participate in to interact with marine creatures. It will take you more or less 2 hours depends on the number of activities you want to engage in. This is a great experience for all ages and I recommend this place for you and your family. Lastly, little advices, pack light and if you are here with your children, keep an eye on them. The underwater tunnel is very dark and usually crowded. I have seen many people rushing looking for their children in the tunnel after taking pictures of the marine creatures. If you don't have additional people to look after them, make sure the kids stick around you throughout the journey.
    Visited December 2019
    Written March 27, 2020
  • Laura K
    1 contribution
    Extremely overcrowded
    We visited the aquarium this week with my 2 young children and their grandparents. Tickets for the 6 of us cost over $220 and had a timed entry. Totally makes sense considering Covid and it being March Break. I thought I was being very smart buying tickets in advance for 3pm. Upon arrival, I discovered that timed entry meant absolutely nothing. The entire aquarium was absolutely packed. From a Covid perspective this made me extremely uncomfortable, but to top it off it was almost impossible to see anything, read any of the educational info or engage with any interactive elements. I paid over $200 to enter a zoo and see some fish from a distance. My children were very disappointed. Many of the tanks we would wait to approach for our “turn” and people would squeeze in front of us. There were no employees anywhere in sight or crowd control of any kind. I would not go back unless it was a random weekday maybe first thing in the morning and with a discount on tickets.
    Hello, thank you for taking the time and leaving a review - we are sorry you didn't enjoy your experience with us. March Break is our busiest time of year and I can assure you that the safety of our guests, animals and employees is our utmost priority. We utilize effective ticket monitoring software to ensure that we always remain within capacity as per strict requirements. As well, we do our absolute best to reiterate our peak hours of 11AM-4PM to guests via our phone lines, website scrolling banner, website FAQs list, and various social media platforms. Although not possible for everyone, we try to encourage guests to swim by outside these peak hours for a more comfortable aquarium experience. Thank you again for your valuable feedback.
    Written April 11, 2022
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
    Visited March 2022
    Traveled with family
    Written March 22, 2022
  • Gem Abroad
    Toronto, Canada185 contributions
    It is what you expect
    Beautiful, exciting at times and busy! It is exactly what you think it will be, you walk through checking out the different aquariums and reading some facts along the way, make your way to the moving sidewalk tunnel where you get the underwater view. There are also some unique popup spots where you can climb in and check things out from a different point of view. It is expensive to buy anything there, also to be expected. Try to visit during off hours to avoid the huge crowds so you can get upp close for a look. especially at the Stingray viewing, it can get backlogged there. They do feedings every couple of hours too, it gets busy for these times as well.
    Visited February 2019
    Written January 2, 2020
  • Jonisharps
    Spring, Texas59 contributions
    Great place for families and a great place to visit on a long layover in Toronto
    We visited the Ripley's Aquarium in February 2020 on a Sunday, because we had a very long layover in Toronto and we were looking for something easy to get to, that was indoors, and entertaining. Transportation was easy on the Pearson train from the airport. The weather was very cold that day so it was a good choice. If you have the opportunity to choose days, probably a cold Sunday is not the best idea, as it was very crowded that day...but still a great attraciton and it is also close to the CN tower...just about 100 steps!
    Visited February 2020
    Written April 4, 2020
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
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May R
1 contribution
Jun 2022
Unless you've already promised your children to visit, it's best to stay away from here. It's insanely crowded, people are packed in like sardines, you can barely move and you will be pushed and shoved. Literally thousands. It was pointless to try to take photos and we couldn't even get close enough to see most of the tanks.

There are no Covid protocols, zero masks, zero spacing and zero sanitizing.

It's very expensive ($83 for 1 adult and 1 child), especially because you will not be able to last more than 30 min.

My experience: I called ahead to take my 8 year old on a weekday. I booked timed tickets, asked about Covid protocols and food options. On arrival there were several large groups (100+ in one), so timed tickets are pointless. No masks for staff or anyone else.
No food available, even though I was told there would be. Immediately after scanning our tickets I asked to briefly exit to get lunch from the food truck outside and was told that if we leave, our tickets will be void. Eventually they let us leave for 15min exactly (they timed us). They made us stand in the entrance to eat our fries, even though it turns out they have a seating area with tables, where I later saw many families eating takeout.

We HAD to exit through the gift shop, which was even more crowded.

What a giant disappointment. This place is obviously very badly managed.
Written July 5, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

keeperof4
New Brunswick170 contributions
Aug 2022
Purchased tickets ,time on line,$160+cnd ,understanding limited numbers permitted at one time. Arrived for 3pm,entrance was packed full. Numerous visitors permitted with large suit cases in tow.No order what so ever.People pushing in front of children others to get their selfies! Even at a snails pace with over max capacity took about 1hr+. Directed out through over priced souvenir shop. Only positive is you are up close with sea life (sharks) that are directly over head for a short time. Perhaps off season is a better time to visit more enjoyable experience.
Written August 15, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi there! Thank you for taking the time to leave your feedback. Summer is undoubtedly our peak season and our peak hours are 10am - 5pm. To help guests who wish to have a quieter experience, we have extended our hours all summer long from 9am - 11pm daily.
Written August 15, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Safi and Fariaa Adventures
Ottawa, Canada760 contributions
Jul 2020
We visited the aquarium in early July 2020. We felt quite safe, as they were limiting the number of visitors. They were also collecting contact info for contact tracing. Everyone had their temperatures checked and hands sanitized prior to entry. Every passageway and staircase were marked for unidirectional walking. Staff was constantly sanitizing the rails and other touchable features. The shark conveyor belt had surfboard stickers to stand on marked for social distancing.

The diaspora of aquatic wildlife you can see at Ripley's Aquarium is incredible. Not only is it gorgeous to see and great to take pictures with, but you can also learn a lot about the wildlife that inhabit our waters. The shark conveyor belt is by far the best feature of the aquarium. Ripley's Aquarium is for everyone, families, couples, kids, or even someone alone.

We highly recommend visiting Ripley's Aquarium when in Toronto. We would recommend about 3 hours to thoroughly enjoy the aquarium. We personally purchased a Toronto CityPass and enjoyed this along with other Toronto must sees. We made a whole day of CN Tower and Ripley's Aquarium.
Written March 11, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you very much for such a great review!
Written March 23, 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Huong Doan
Sydney, Canada1 contribution
Dec 2019
With a special interest in fishes and marine life in general, Ripley's Aquarium of Canada was one of the first places I decided to visit when I came to Toronto. As introduced earlier by one of the staffs, the underwater tunnel is truly amazing. I took a lot of great photos there. Besides, I especially like the jellyfish show, it was outstanding with very creative lighting. In addition, there are many interesting activities you can participate in to interact with marine creatures. It will take you more or less 2 hours depends on the number of activities you want to engage in. This is a great experience for all ages and I recommend this place for you and your family. Lastly, little advices, pack light and if you are here with your children, keep an eye on them. The underwater tunnel is very dark and usually crowded. I have seen many people rushing looking for their children in the tunnel after taking pictures of the marine creatures. If you don't have additional people to look after them, make sure the kids stick around you throughout the journey.
Written March 27, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Laura K
1 contribution
Mar 2022 • Family
We visited the aquarium this week with my 2 young children and their grandparents. Tickets for the 6 of us cost over $220 and had a timed entry. Totally makes sense considering Covid and it being March Break. I thought I was being very smart buying tickets in advance for 3pm. Upon arrival, I discovered that timed entry meant absolutely nothing. The entire aquarium was absolutely packed. From a Covid perspective this made me extremely uncomfortable, but to top it off it was almost impossible to see anything, read any of the educational info or engage with any interactive elements. I paid over $200 to enter a zoo and see some fish from a distance. My children were very disappointed. Many of the tanks we would wait to approach for our “turn” and people would squeeze in front of us. There were no employees anywhere in sight or crowd control of any kind.

I would not go back unless it was a random weekday maybe first thing in the morning and with a discount on tickets.
Written March 22, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hello, thank you for taking the time and leaving a review - we are sorry you didn't enjoy your experience with us. March Break is our busiest time of year and I can assure you that the safety of our guests, animals and employees is our utmost priority. We utilize effective ticket monitoring software to ensure that we always remain within capacity as per strict requirements. As well, we do our absolute best to reiterate our peak hours of 11AM-4PM to guests via our phone lines, website scrolling banner, website FAQs list, and various social media platforms. Although not possible for everyone, we try to encourage guests to swim by outside these peak hours for a more comfortable aquarium experience. Thank you again for your valuable feedback.
Written April 11, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Gem Abroad
Toronto, Canada185 contributions
Feb 2019
Beautiful, exciting at times and busy! It is exactly what you think it will be, you walk through checking out the different aquariums and reading some facts along the way, make your way to the moving sidewalk tunnel where you get the underwater view. There are also some unique popup spots where you can climb in and check things out from a different point of view.

It is expensive to buy anything there, also to be expected.

Try to visit during off hours to avoid the huge crowds so you can get upp close for a look. especially at the Stingray viewing, it can get backlogged there. They do feedings every couple of hours too, it gets busy for these times as well.
Written January 2, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Jonisharps
Spring, TX59 contributions
Feb 2020
We visited the Ripley's Aquarium in February 2020 on a Sunday, because we had a very long layover in Toronto and we were looking for something easy to get to, that was indoors, and entertaining. Transportation was easy on the Pearson train from the airport. The weather was very cold that day so it was a good choice. If you have the opportunity to choose days, probably a cold Sunday is not the best idea, as it was very crowded that day...but still a great attraciton and it is also close to the CN tower...just about 100 steps!
Written April 4, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

roger v
Toronto, Canada64 contributions
Oct 2021
It's the third time we visited this wondrous location since it re-opened in July, which was significantly more than the entirety of the prior year. Luckily, our annual membership was extended for another twelve months, free of charge.

I like the freedom of coming any time of day, without time slots. The member's entrance also avoids the queue. Friendly greeters allow you to provide vaccination proof and photo ID, which can also be your member card. I also like the spontaniety of viewing any exhibit and stay as long as you need, without trying to cram the visit to see every site.

At the Kelp pool, you can daydream on how these massive plants would have soared to the light, and the myriad of life that teamed within it's embrace. At the Rainbow Reef, I sink in to visions of snorkelling on turqouise waters off the Spanish Main, with pirates, Pizarro gold and plunder. Imagine as brightly coloured fish reflect the luminous gems that fell from a Manila Galleon recently attacked by privateers. Or picture accompanying a Cousteau expedition with stingrays and sharks.

I am definately grateful for these havens in the heart of the city, where you can go to unwind and feed the soul. It is definately great therapy that the calming waters provide.
Written October 30, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi Roger, thank you for leaving such lovely feedback! We are so glad you have been able to enjoy the aquarium!
Written November 17, 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Delena I
Freeport, Caroni, Trinidad and Tobago130 contributions
Feb 2022
The aquarium was definitely one of the most fun things I did while I visited Toronto. Totally worth it due to the size and number of exhibits and species. It was clean, with ample seating and at the time we visited it was not crowded at all. We spent about 2 - 3 hours or so, but could have stayed longer due to the lots of information provided at the exhibits and also just staring at some of the sea life. I actually wish I had done the tube/tunnel twice. It was also interactive with trying to touch the sting rays, so that was lots of fun too.

I accessed the Aquarium as part of the City Pass, which I would highly recommend due to the savings by the way, as part of a couple in late February/early March. I would also recommended that time of year to visit as there was enough space and no crowds to be able to linger wherever you wanted to go.

There is also a cafe, the location of which was a bit misleading as it was so early on honestly, but there is a lot to explore afterwards.
Written January 4, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you so much for taking the time to write your positive review! We are thrilled to hear you had such a lovely experience at our establishment and that you enjoyed our amazing animals as much as we do. Our mission is to provide a world-class Aquarium that will foster aquatic education and conservation, while simultaneously providing entertainment for visitors of all ages. Our goal is to offer an exceptional experience for our guests, and we appreciate you taking notice! We hope you visit us again soon!
Written January 5, 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Joe S
2 contributions
Jul 2022
If you like the feeling of being claustrophobic and are hoping to test positive for COVID-19, this is the place to visit on the weekends. We went this past Saturday and it was impossible to actually view anything due to the crowds. (99% not wearing masks) I don’t understand why they don’t limit the number of people but still charge full admission for jam packing the building.
Written July 11, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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Ripley's Aquarium of Canada (Toronto) - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go

Frequently Asked Questions about Ripley's Aquarium of Canada

Ripley's Aquarium of Canada is open:
  • Sun - Sat 9:00 AM - 9:00 PM
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