Reviews of Saskatoon Forestry Farm Park & Zoo (Tourist Attraction)

Scott Oosterom

I love going to the zoo. Took students on a field trip. Lots of animals to check out, a train tour around, gardening area, and much more especially for younger kids. Enjoyed by all, including my 15 teenagers. Also had a gift shop and snack shop.

adamwuk

Although the variation of animals was good. The fact that they're mostly in relatively small cages and some in isolation is awful. That coupled with a lot of the animals showing signs of stress and depression makes me want to persuade people not to go and should instead just donate the money that would have been spent to a worthy animal charity.

Dewei Jiang

Very average park tbh. Went to Saskatoon Trout Pond three times, no fish at all. Went to Lake Diefenbaker, hooked a 3 Ib rainbow trout from shore in 30 mins. There is NO TROUT in the pond. They need to restock it. 10/10 Will not come again

Mahmoud Kashani-Amin

Nice & conviniet place for picnic.

Mehul Pandya

Very nice family picnic place. It is surrounded by trees and small lake. Just next to it is a zoo. Forestry farm has vehicle entry fee of 2 CAD and zoo has entry fees of 12.5 per adult and 7.5 for kids from 6 to 12. There is a family pass available at 25 CAD. The zoo have stroller and trolley renting as well with respective 2 and 3 CAD. Zoo is surely a long walk. We thoroughly enjoyed the park. We were part of a program and that had some arrangements worked out....so please confirm the fees with them again. It's a good half day family fun spot.

Amanda Slinger

Seeing all the animals was lovely as always, and I really appreciated the fact that they are phasing out some of the larger animals like the wolves and looking into a better enclosure for the grizzlies. It was nice to see that most of the animals have enough space so that they don't feel like they need to pace the wall. Please consider donating money to the zoo if you can, so they can make the new grizzly bear enclosure as nice as possible. Cheers!

Daniel Moreno

Is not the most amazing light show you'll ever see but still worth it. This is the first year I've been there but apparently a lot of the displays are back every year with a few new ones every season.

Sarah Vanderlinde

Went with big brother big sister's as I volunteer there. They have food, lots of animals and are currently doing renovations on the park. I have been going there since a little child and i really do like it there. The only thing I wished I saw was a larger enclosure for the bears. They have a map that you can use to help you get around. Lots of different building to enter to see different kinds of animals. Interactions with devices to learn about animals in one of the buildings too! I would definitely recommend at least dedicating 2 hours to see everything (min).

Ashwani Kumar

There were very few animals and some of them were in very bad shape. I mean, silver wolf's, who would like cold condition, pond was completely dried up and I could see it was suffering in 35 degrees. ????????

Tawnie Johnson

Great place to take the kids! My son loved every minute of it, he got to pet chickens and see all kinds of animals. the little park they have under the tunnel is great and there is often peacocks or other birds roaming around. the store is a little expensive but overall a great place in the summer. Also Jeff grabbed a air compressor and filled the tires on our stroller! So appreciated!

Sc H

Such a nice fall day with the family, very calm and all the animals were awake. Love what they are doing with the zoo

Dhinkar Sasi

It was raining so most of the animals where inside. I think the train ride is just waste of money. It wont stop for taking pictures, he just gives the tour and will tell the animals names. For just 12 mins ride its a completely waste. Its better to walk and see the animals and take pics rather than just seeing them in the train. Eventhough it has a roof but still the seats where all wet. We were standing in the middle.

Randy Robert

The Forestry Farm is a great place for families to get out and enjoy nature or to visit the zoo.

Fred Alexander

We had the seniors from Primrose Chateau at The Forestry Farm for the annual KFC picnic. The geese played nonchalant at first until everybody had settled into eating then they slowly and surely made their way to the picnic tables but left without incident once they realized they weren't able to mooch food from the visitors(us). I've been coming out here since we moved here back in 1957. It's changed over the years but is still a gem in Saskatoon. If you are a visitor you owe it to yourself to visit here plus take in the zoo. Great place. I didn't post pictures of our group for the obvious privacy concerns. They all enjoyed the day as they have in past years.

Skeletor Jopko

There were animals. Some of them made funny noises until they were bought ice cream by their chaperones.

K C

great place for kids to learn & play! they have an awesome playground in the zoo. lots of space for picnics & photos too. a great spot to spend time in the summer.

Shawna Stoicescu

We LOVE the forestry farm park. There's a large playground with equipment appropriate for a wide range of ages. Wood chips under the large playground and a smaller playground beside it that has sand as its base. SO much open green space for playing catch/frisbee etc, many bbq pits and picnic table areas available to bring your own supplies (note bring your own wood, etc.) There is a pond where you can do some fishing, a quiet garden area, and then theres the forestry farm part with the "zoo" animals (entrance fee) of course. There is a vehicle admission fee to enter the park but free to bike or walk in. Very well maintained area with bathrooms available.

Glojohn Permacio

It was great experience we have had, my kids enjoyed and learned something new as well. Awesome!

Diego Martinez Marin

It was really nice small zoo. We have gone during the regular hours but the best time is during the Christmas season as they have a light show/festival .

Cali Wiersma

A lot of the exhibits were empty and there wasn't a whole lot of places to sit down unless you say in the grass. No stroller rentals (because of COVID), so that kind of sucked. Other than that, the attendants we came into contact with were nice and eager to help out. It wasn't too busy so spacing between people wasn't an issue. The playground was awesome. We spent most of our time there with the kids.

Ciara Knox

Went to enchanted forest. Great every year with friendly staff.

M. Lourdes Paraiso

Last time we were at the zoo was 2019, now that we have a 1.5 year old son we figured it would be great to show him around. Nope it was such a waste of time and money. Most of the animals are not visible and a few fun exhibits are closed. I wouldn’t recommend visiting at this time.

Daxtin Cannell

The park and zoo has great grounds with wide spaces great for children.

Mr Cool

I had a terrible experience with my family this last weekend when we had unnecessary encounter with a security guard at the park. As a group of families with children we needed to go to the washrooms by 6.55pm and because you cannot really control children we were late until 7.04 pm when the guard came pounding on doors and being so rude and very angry. He started taking pictures of our cars and ignored us when we asked why he was doing that. We tried to explain to him that we had children and they needed to go to washrooms, but he just went back to his car and left saying "This is the law and I will give you all tickets". There were other people at the washroom at the same time that he did not even approach!! He was obviously being very selective talking to us this way. This is the first time we experience this type of attitude at the park. The park personnel were usually welcoming and friendly. We left by 7.06 and the park closes 7.00pm so I think what happened was uncalled for.

Jeff Hoard

Wolf was majestic, frogs were fun, snow leopard was hiding

Eugene Gnatyuk

The Saskatoon Forestry Farm is a really good place to come with family or friends on a weekend and watch for beautiful animals such as bears, foxes or bald eagles and many more kind of the animals. I would definitely recommend that place for young couples with kids or for tourists. By the way, there is cafe there where you can get a snack or ice cream or even lunch.

Jaclyn Bell

It was a good time and a good price. Lots of Canadian animals and different species from other countries (i.e. deer, sheep). It was really neat to be so close to see the animals, which you wouldn't be able to see in a really large zoo. I loved seeing the cougar and bear up close. I went on a cooler day and the animals were quite active and not hiding. There was a train (included with admission) to ride around the park and get a bit of information about the animals. Indoor and outdoor exhibits.

M Abdullah Tahir

Awesome place for both kids and adults alike.. some areas are closed off and animals removed due to the COVID pandemic.. kids play area, parks, trails all well maintained, spacious parking space, recommended!

Samad Khan

Very nice and place to visit. You have to pay a ticket to get inside the zoo area but you can easily kill hours watching the animals

Jasmine Akre

I do not understand why we cannot bring in our own snacks or picnic lunches.... At least half of the zoo is park and green space!! There is only 1 cafe and it doesn't serve much for healthy options! Let us bring in a bag lunch!!

Antonio Enrico (Señor Limpio)

The park is a nice place to walk around in, and a nice little picnic area. Just dont expect to see many animals. We went there for lunch and during the zoo walk, we saw a total of 3 different animals. It felt sad and abandoned. I do understand that with covid and renovations it might not be running at 100 percent, but i feel like there should be a disclaimer at the front stating the lack of wildlife to be seen. All in all I dont regret going, plus, Id like to think we were doing our part in keeping the place going during this trying period.

Fawn Swiderski

Most of the exhibits were empty. It was a great walk but for what you paid to get in, it was very disappointing. You had to walk a very long way only to find out the exhibit was empty. Not a lot of signage explaining why pens were empty. Very expensive for what was there. I know it costs a lot of money to care for and house the animals but there needs to be something done to make people want to come back. Sorry but this is how my entire group felt.

Matthew Esswein

There are carefully maintained rustic paths for seeing the animals. Lots of trees, flowers, shrubs, ponds and amazing animals.

Mr Parker

Pygmy goats are pretty cool. Don't know where the third one went though. Would like to know.

victor babale

Good picnic areas..lovely in Fall

Shane Clark

Such a beautiful park and so much to do and see. Went late in day in September and only really had the chance to see the meditation gardens. But I want to return again next summer and explore further. From what I saw I’d recommend to anyone, especially families with kids.

Sandra Kay

A great place for families to enjoy the outdoors and see and learn about animals!

Lisa Nguyen

Visited the zoo while we were visiting family in Saskatoon. The zoo was a great place for us to bring our toddler. They have strollers or wagons that can be rented for a cost but portion of that is refunded to you when you return it.

Vicki Boal

17 Open Exhibits/17 Different Animals. The website boasts over 300 animals but what I've counted, including the herds I'm pretty sure there is less than 50 animals total. Some of it is due to covid. But that's less than 50% of the park, maybe even only a quarter of it open and operational. Family pass went from $80 to $60. Kind of expensive. Current Animals: 3 Bison/beefalo 2 bears 2 eagles 2 dingos 1 Swift Fox 1 hawk 1 owl 1 wolf 1 lynx 1 cougar 1 porcupine Caribou Muflon Sheep Mountain goats Elk Fallow deer Pronghorn

Jonathan Katsiris

The perfect place for a casual Saturday stroll. Well maintained and nicely manicured grounds make for a pleasurable experience. The zoo leaves something to be desired but if you're just out and about for a couple hours it's a fun trip.

F Rawlyk

It is a fun outing as a family. It's a nice walk around to the animals (mostly outdoors). Bring a stroller or you can rent there. In the summer, there is a trolley that makes a circuit to the further animal pens, which is a nice break for little legs. Technically, you're not allowed outside food, but I'd recommend bringing snacks anyway unless you want fries and popcorn. They have a new playground that is accessible and fun for kids, though be warned: it is centrally located and if your kids are playground magnets, you may not see much of the zoo. The zoo society occasionally hosts little learning activities (meet an animal sort of thing), that I'd recommended trying to take it.

Asif Ali Rahman

Last night we went to this zoo. I would not say that the zoo is great but its OK for little children. Mostly, the zoo has various types of birds, goats, and deer. Among animals, the most interesting animals were a black grisly bear and a cougar. It was a good place.

Krista Dueck

The roadway in has been redone which is nice! The day was perfect as the animals were all out!

Tracey Marr

This is a great Zoo, clean & well taken care of. Some exhibits were not open this year & the train was unavailable due to Covid but we would go back for another visit to hopefully see more exhibits open next year. The kids enjoyed it.

Lisa Smith

I think we were a bit early. Not all the animals were on display. But I did buy a family pass so we can go back a few times.

Rihanna

It's not professional. Just a bear and a cougar were interesting. There were other common and simple animals such as geese, goat, sheep, eagel, etc. I won't visit for another time.

Ryan Toxopeus

Good selection of animals. Family favourites were the meer cats, bison, monkeys, bears (we saw one playing in the water, and another playing with a downed tree), and tarantula. I imagine we'll be getting a season pass next time we go!

Mike B

This is our first year attending this light show. At first I was hesitant because it seems expensive to see some Christmas lights...I was so wrong. It’s worth every penny (plus it goes to charity)! The amount of work they must put in to set up these lights is unbelievable.

Gurpreet Singh

Lol! What a zoo? They just have owls, gooses and some sheep’s exhibits to see. Not worth at all to go! Even many of the spots were empty.

Darcy P

I have always loved coming here. Note to management: Why is your staff using a very very loud high power blower to blow dirt around the path? Completely killed the serenity of coming here AND a broom would have been ECO friendly and much more effective.

Stephen Maryland

Fun park with lots to do like fishing, picnics and the zoo. Unsure if the butterfly farm is still there. It is worth a half day trip to look at all the exhibits

Alexandra Beres

Perfect for a family adventure day. It's not the biggest zoo, but still a ton of activities and animals to explore.

Melos

Maps were a little bit outdated (still listed burrowing owl exhibit and some animals were in different habitats than shown on the map), animals seemed to be well treated. Would not recommend visiting midday when it's rather hot as the animals will likely be seeking shade/resting. Was still worth the sunburn to visit. :)

Akarin Asavajaru

Not a fancy zoo, however this is a decent one in town for walking around and bring kids for outdoor activities.

Dana Wiebe

Well laid out paths. People generally keep distanced. A great variety of animals and a fair price for a family.

Dany Xyz

A great day to visit when it’s cool outside animals were all very active and seem to be energetic which intrigued me

Sarah

Your animals all look so sad and stressed. It would be nice to see more space given for your birds. It's crazy how I can go buy a drink and a snack but you don't have actual sinks to wash hands but portable toilet. It's gross to think hand sanitizer is supposed to be the way to go.. ew. Washing hands is best.

Mona Shehzad

Very good place to visit with family.

Logan Armstrong

Most animals were off exhibit or enclosures were in disrepair. It has a nice new playground for kids which was the saving grace for my young family.

hector lagdon martinez grisales

Good place to take your kids for Christmas lights we really enjoy it

Ameline Saanvi Johar

When I first arrived to Saskatoon this was one of the first places I visited. This Zoo is small but has a lot to offer. It mostly concentrated on the animals that live in Canada so they have bears, wolves, owls and other mammals that reside here in Canada. There’s also a select few exotic animals. They had the red panda for a bit and Komodo dragons. It is a very nice landscaped zoo. There’s chickens that walk around freely. So cute lol. Same with the peacocks. They have a good sized children’s play area. A decent concession and a really nice little gift shop. Really like this zoo.

Axtelera Ray

Fun place to visit. There are many animals to see and you can enjoy the views. Strongly recommended for a relaxing time.

Joseph Sieben

There was plenty of animals to see! But most were staying out of sight! And they got rid of the lions and peacocks which helped this zoo!

ParamPal Toor

Couldn’t see alot of animals and some of them where temporarily close for some reAson but good experience overall

Brad J.

The zoo has a lot of animals you can find in Canada. Wolves,cougars, bear, deer and elk usually. A few birds (hawks and eagles) They will usually have some sort of exotic animal as well (they usually have monkeys) when we were there in May they had MEERKATS which was amazing to see, they have also had baby white tigers in the past and usually have some sort of main attraction. There's not a ton of sun cover so plan accordingly. They also tend to have geese and peacocks wondering about (the geese were a bit aggresive in our last visit, just something to think about with younger children) parking at the park is $2.00 and it's 12.50 per adult (I believe there is a family pass available as well). Overall it doesn't change much from year to year but worth checking out if you've never been or haven't been for a while. See the exotic attractions (MEERKATS!) can be worth the price of admission in some cases.

Steph M.

Always a fun time no matter how old you are. Definitely best to go on a cooler, somewhat cloudy day for the animals to be out and about. Lots of fun with a little one for them explore and learn. They have good prices for the cafe food and snacks as well. Overall, I've gone over five times now and have enjoyed it each time. Plan to be a couple hours to just wonder around looking at everything.

Kimberly Hanson

Love going here a few times a year. However, the closure of many animal exhibits and the brutal hours (4pm closing time) make it less enticing and harder to get there after work. Seeing as how the best time to see most of the animals active is after 7pm, please consider adjusting your hours accordingly.

Arind Karmakar

Lots of native canadian animals and mammals to see but due to covid19, some parts of the zoo were cordoned off yet were charged full price admission. The place is definitely huge. Bring extra bottles of cold water and bring insect repellant. But for the amount of animals and the way they are taken care of including shelter and environment, a 5 thumbs up. Some of the vending machines ate our change especially on a very hot day. Would give 5 stars if it want for the full admission price and vending machines eating our change.

Vanessa Dow

Great fun for kids. Two dollars per vehicle to get in, then parking is free. There is a zoo, a great playground area, and plenty of picnic spots.

mark wilson

Great affordable place to take the whole family. Animals have lots of room and mostly all animals are from our in their natural habitat

Matt S

I’ve been coming here to wander the park for a few years and they have a fantastic staff, very friendly and accommodating. They also have a great variety of animals to see in the zoo and a number of wildlife you can occasionally find in the park. They have a really fun playground as well. It’s one of the best places in saskatoon to spend time outdoors.

Kamlesh Chaudhari

It was great experience with my wife n 3 years old son. Had a great time

Alexandre T. Dufour

Cougars, wolves, foxes, eagles, bears, monkeys and many more! We went there at the start of the season (end of April) and even if some animals were missing, there was still an incredible amount of diverse species. The enclosures were well maintained and safe for kids. You could be a family or simply by yourself, the zoo is a must for anyone who likes animals.

Bruce A Johnson

Fantastic place for the whole family lot's of stuff to see & do.

Christiana Beaudin

Great place to take the kids. Not great if you are looking for exotic animals. They are mostly animals you can find in Canada but it's a nice walking route. Buying a season pass is worth it if you plan on going a bunch in the summer. Winter it's free.

stephen phillips

great place to visit any time of the year. kids love it as do the adults.

shane hooper

Good value mostly animals native to North America, the grizzly bears were very awesome! Just a nice little. Piece of nature in the city!

H

They had Dingoes out, and most animals were available to be viewed. Park was fantastic, so much fun for kids on the playground

Blaine Mulligan

It was a great place to bring the kids for the day. We were able to see most of the animals, and the lynx were even getting fed while we were there.

Lenard Vatamaniuk

Great place to spend a couple of hours with the family. Excellant displays and interesting animal exhibits.

Chris Seib (Queso del Diablo)

3 stars because of enclosure sizes. I enjoyed the zoo and I was impressed with the variety of animals they had but the enclosures for the mid-size animals (Cougars, wolves, bears etc) seemed a bit too small. The animals all seemed well cared for and the grounds were well maintained. Admission price was fair.

Luz Cerda (DominicanosEnSaskatchewan)

Loved the zoo. I was so excited when I saw the bears there. The sheeps were nice as well. We will definitely go back. Highly recommended. Excellent place to visit with family and friends.

Joseph Young

We went there today and all the animals were out to greet everyone,a great visit,thank you for the experience and keep up the good work,staff and caretakers⭐

Cora Mullis

Absolutely love the forestry farm. All of it! The zoo and park. Only reason it's not 5 stars is that it's always in a constant state of construction. Always some minor inconvenience to either the walking route or parking, etc.

David Morrow

Great place to take the family. Some exhibits not open, but most are there and good to visit.

Michael Timmerman

Nice place to take the kids for a stroll. I bought a season pass so we can go regularly. I will be honest and say that places such as these are in dire need of additional funding for maintenance and upkeep. I can't stress enough how important it is that everyone make an effort to visit places like these. All in all it's a nice place with plenty of wildlife and lots of walking paths to enjoy.

Cliff B (YardieCliff)

Was an ok visit, needs more animals and activities though...

Roshan Xavier

Was a really great experience.. Good light show.. A must go visit place in the Christmas-New Year season..

Raman Singh

A small zoo but worth a visit.

Oliver M

Really enjoyed seeing all the animals here. Was very happy to see the grizzly bears, cougar, wolves. Lucky enough to see them all for quite a while since they weren't sleeping!

Gary Betker

Great place to take kids for a outdoor walk to see the different winter animals

Taylor Myrol

Very nice in spring, most of the animals were out and visible. Geese are nesting everywhere so children need to be aware not to approach them. It is a great place to bring the family for a walk and to get outside.

Louise Curtis

We loved having a quiet stroll through the park on a chilly, snowy afternoon! The park is free to enter in the winter and although some animals aren't on display or are hibnerating, there's still plenty to see. Never realized how big bison are!!

Dane Melby

Good place ... but I just wish we could see inside many of the animals enclosures as they were in there to avoid the 32 C heat. But ... my family had a good time anyways.

Amanda VanderHeide

Train ride around the zoo was informative and nice little break from walking. A few exhibits were getting redone but look forward to seeing something different next time we go. Good place to spend 2 hrs. New playground is open to give the kids a break and run around.

Maryann Saul

A nice place to go for a walk in the winter

Jillian Smith

Fun and a entertaining winter experience! Highly recommended ????

Ren the Dire Wolf

I loved seeing the animals but I didn't see all of them because it was just to hard to get around to all of them

Larry Le Sann

There was alot animals to get a chance to learn about and I was also able to share my experience with my loved one .

Den Dewar

Nice scenery, bbq pit, fishing pond, and a playground close by, you have to buy a fishing license and fire wood from the park, but a really good family place

Laurie Hafner

We were very disappointed in our latest visit as there were very few animals. Most exhibits were closed, a lot of the animals are gone. Not worth the money

Natasha Fox

Free to visit in the winter and beautiful with lots of open spaces and benches for families and a great playground.

Morgan Cote

You may think the zoo is just a bunch of deer and goats. But its also has beautiful trails and some more exotic animals. 10/10 good date idea

Mostafa Ali

Amazing place to watch animals, good landscape

orest chorney

Enjoyed the Zoo very much. Great place for families with children.

Shaundra Llewellyn

What a great small little zoo, my boyfriend and I had a great time here for a reasonable price! Great animals to see, beautiful park as well, we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and walking through the zoo, today! They even had a little train that goes through the whole zoo, with a tour guide who shows you all the animals, gives fun facts and introduces you to all the animals by name! Heads up though, to get into the park you have to pay $2.50 for your day park pass! Which isn't bad at all. We had a great experience and we loved it, we were a little bummed that the dingoes exhibit wasn't finished yet but would be very soon, we also didn't get to see the Cougars as they weren't out and the porcupine! Oh well! Reason to ce back and visit

Amir Movahed

I've been to the zoo about a year ago , it was amazing. Now I take my son and my wife to check it out, boasting about how great it was. Boy were we ever disappointed. Barely any animals, we basically walked which I can do at any other park without paying 3 dollars for parking and 26 dollars for me, my wife and son. I see more animals in my back yard!!. I get it, it's pandemic, and the place is getting an upgrade, but at least give us a discount or inform us that some animals are not there. Very disappointed. Would really love my money back because it was definitely not worth it!

filiz

Alright, most animals you could see outside anyways. Cool monkeys though

Dawn Woods

We went to see the Christmas lights. It was awesome. Very great. Alittle bit of a line up. But still so worth everything. My first time through.

Blaine Prentice

Nice, if fairly old, facilities. Not a ton of different animals, but the staff are great and if you support animal conservation and wildlife in general I'd recommend spending a day.

Gage Smith

13.50 for half the exhibits to be completely empty and not being able to go into two of the buildings is horrible value, than even more of the exhibits are covered with vines you can't even see into them, super disappointing, and every year it only continues to get more disappointing

Ashley P

Nice place to go walking with family or friends. Cute critters as usual. ( T.W. sometimes they leave out dead chicks around birds of prey enclosures so thats a bit gross)

Susan Rimell

Great for children and adults. A mini zoo with big personalities

harish patel

Good park area but Zoo is OK not enough animal that you can enjoy to watch , but there is train with guide that can let you tour the zoo...

Allan Farquharson

Very comfortable picnic area. Well setup allowing space between other parties making it comfortable for everyone

Mr. Doitall

Great place. Its beautiful and there is always something going on there.

Jody Taylor

It was hella warm out and most of the animals were inside, not at all blaming the zoo. There were quite a few enclosures shut down for repair and what not maybe I should have done more research as I don't know if they post stuff like that online but it was still a very pleasant walk around.

Randy Lear

There was dissapointment in Saskatoon Zoo as there was only a few wild animals in the Park !

Geoff W.

It is amazing you can go for a long walk, let the kids play, and see wildlife/animals at the same time. Thank you for letting us all enjoy the park for free during winter!