Allan Gardens Children’s Conservatory

Allan Gardens was actually Toronto’s first civic park, and for years it was known primarily for its Edwardian glass-domed Palm House conservatory, which was built in 1910. But after being neglected for several years, the park has become a place of interest again since the University of Toronto relocated its Botany Greenhouses here in 2004. This newly restored and renovated greenhouse is now called the Allan Gardens Children’s Conservatory, and its mission is to teach children about ecology, biological diversity and conservation – usually in hands-on ways.

Details: 416-392-1111. Between Jarvis, Sherbourne, Dundas, and Gerrard streets. Free admission. Daily 10am–5pm.

Black Creek Pioneer Village

While the costumed interpreters here make this place look like a sound stage for a Western film, the truth is that this really was a village more than a century ago, and many of the existing buildings date from the 1860s. Kids can follow the “villagers” as they do their chores (rail splitting, sheep shearing, and threshing, to name a few). You can also sample foods, visit the homesteads, shop at the general store, or ride a horse-drawn wagon.

Details: 416-736-1733 or http://www.blackcreek.ca/. 1000 Murray Ross Pkwy. Admission $11 adults, $10 seniors and students 15 and up, $7 children 5-14, free for children 4 and under. Mon–Fri 9:30am–5pm, Sat–Sun 10am–5pm (hours change slightly depending on the season).

Centreville

The ferry ride to Centre Island takes just seven minutes from the docks at the foot of Bay Street, but it transports you into a world that’s very different from downtown Toronto. The Toronto Islands are famous for their serene charm, and the Centreville amusement park has its own old-fashioned charm. It's set up like a small town, with its own Main Street, firehouse, small shops, and the Far Enough Farm, where the kids can get close to lambs, chicks, and other barnyard babes. Centreville also features antique cars, fire engines, an old-fashioned train, an authentic 1890s carousel, and a flume ride, all of which the kids will love.

Details: 416-203-0405 or http://www.centreisland.ca/. An all-day ride pass is $17.50 for those 4 feet tall and under, $25 for those more than 4 feet tall. Open daily from 10:30am to 6pm from mid-May to Labor Day, and on weekends in spring and fall. (The ferry to the Toronto Islands operates year-round; call 416-392-8193 for information. Round-trip fare is $6 for adults, $3.50 for children 15–19, $2.50 children 3–14, free for children 2 and under.)

Harbourfront

This waterfront complex is one of Toronto’s top attractions, and it has plenty to offer visiting families. It’s an urban playground where you can spend an entire day strolling, picnicking, gallery-hopping, biking, shopping, and sailing. Kids can watch artists at work blowing glass and creating other works in the Artists' Studio, and they can make their own art through Harbourfront's many craft programs, which often tie in with cultural festivals that the center hosts. And if they do want to get out on the water, you can rent a canoe or kayak from the Harbourfront Canoe and Kayak School, and even arrange for a lesson.

Details: 416-973-4000 or http://www.harbourfrontcentre.com/. 235 Queens Quay W. Free admission. Open daily; different attractions here keep different hours.

Hockey Hall of Fame

If your children are ice-hockey fans, they will be thrilled by the collection here. The sights include the original Stanley Cup (donated in 1893 by Lord Stanley of Preston), a replica of the locker room of the Montréal Canadiens, and Terry Sawchuck’s goalie gear. But they don’t need to love hockey to enjoy the interactive displays, which let you whack at targets with a puck or don goalie gear and face down flying video pucks or sponge pucks.

Details: 416-360-7765 or http://www.hhof.com/. In BCE Place, 30 Yonge St. Admission $12 adults, $8 children 4–18, free for children 3 and under. Open Mon–Sat 9:30am–6pm, Sun 10am–6pm (hours are slightly shorter in winter).

Ontario Place

From May through September, this is a major theme park, complete with thrilling rides and attractions. It’s an especially good bet for young families, as it includes a Children’s Village that’s designed for the under-13 set, and a MicroKids play area that’s only for tiny tots. But year-round, the Ontario Place Cinesphere is always a draw. The 60-by-80-foot screen shows family-friendly IMAX movies, including educational gems such as The Living Sea, Mysteries of Egypt, and ROAR: Lions of the Kalahari, as well as select feature films.

Details: 416-314-9811 or 416-314-9900; http://www.ontarioplace.com/. 955 Lakeshore Blvd. West. In summer, admission to grounds only is $15 for ages 6 and over, $10 for ages 4-5 and for seniors, free for children 3 and under; separate fees for rides and events (day passes also available). Cinesphere films cost $9 for adults, $7.50 for children 13 and under. The summer amusement park is open daily from 10am to dusk in summer, but the Cinesphere is open year-round.

Ontario Science Centre

This is one of the highlights of any child's visit to Toronto. While the ten exhibit halls and more than 800 interactive exhibits keep kids entertained all day, they educate at the same time. Youngsters can test their reflexes, balance, heart rate, and grip strength in displays that teach about the human body; they can also explore the natural world by watching bees make honey, or by visiting the re-created rainforest environment. Other exhibits let them learn about lasers, space travel, and optical illusions.

Details: 416-696-3127 or http://www.ontariosciencecentre.ca/. Admission $14 adults, $10 seniors and children 13–17, $8 children 5–12, free for children 4 and under. Open daily 10am–5pm (open till 6pm in summer).

Riverdale Farm

Toronto is Canada’s biggest city, so it’s a surprise to discover that there’s actually a working farm just a few minutes from downtown. Riverdale Farm sits on the western edge of the Don Valley Ravine, so it’s got a bucolic natural setting. But what really draws children to the seven-and-a-half acres are the creatures that live here. The farm has its own cows, pigs, turkeys and ducks, as well as a collection of bunnies that children can hold and pet. They can also watch how a farm works up close, watching the horses get groomed, the cows and goats be milked, and the hen’s eggs being collected.

Details: 416-392-6794 http://www.friendsofriverdalefarm.com/. 201 Winchester St. (at Sumach Street). Free admission. Daily 9am–5pm.

Royal Ontario Museum

This is Canada’s largest museum, with a collection that includes more than six million artifacts. Because the museum wanted to get more pieces out of the vault and on display, it’s in the midst of an ambitious renovation project that will continue into 2007. But the museum will be open throughout, and many exhibits that are favorites with kids will be on view. These include the Bat Cave, the Hands-On Biodiversity gallery (which includes a fox’s den that small fry can crawl through), the CIBC Discovery Room (where you can see what your name looks like in hieroglyphs), and the Ancient Egypt gallery.

Details: 416-586-8000 or http://www.rom.on.ca/. 100 Queen’s Park. Admission $10 adults, $7 students, $6 children 5–14, free for children 4 and under. Open Mon–Thurs 10am–6pm; Fri 10am–9:30pm; Sat 10am–6pm; Sun 11am–6pm. (Note: Because of the ongoing renovations, hours are subject to change.)

Toronto Zoo

Roughly 5,000 animals call the 700 acres of the Toronto Zoo home. Different pavilions are dedicated to the continents, so that creatures from Africa, Australasia, or the Americas can be viewed together. One of the highlights is the African Savanna project. It re-creates a market bazaar and safari through Kesho (Swahili for “tomorrow”) National Park, and it includes the Gorilla Rainforest, which is the largest indoor gorilla exhibit in North America. Another hit is Splash Island, a kids-only water park that includes a replica of a Canadian Coast Guard ship.

Details: 416-392-5900 or http://www.torontozoo.com/. Meadowvale Rd. (north of Hwy. 401 and Sheppard Ave.). Admission $19 adults, $11 children 4–12, free for children 3 and under. Open daily 9am–7:30pm in summer, 9am–6pm in spring and fall, and 9:30am–4:30pm in winter.