The zoo rents ten indoor and outdoor venues, including picnic sites and boardrooms.
About the venue
The Special Events Centre is an enclosed, climate-controlled 8,000-square-foot space with a 28-foot vaulted ceiling and an outdoor patio. Standard rentals run from 9:30 am to 4:00 pm, with after-hours bookings available. Catering and parking are not included in venue rental, and parking at the zoo is paid. Accessible parking spaces are available, and some pavilions are wheelchair accessible.
On EventPlans.ca it is listed as a unique venue and park or garden in Toronto, at 2000 Meadowvale Road, Toronto, ON M1B 5K7.
Event spaces
The venue lists these spaces. Capacities are the venue’s own figures and change with the layout you choose.
- Special Events Centre: 300 (8,000 sq ft, 28′ vaulted ceiling)
- Wildlife Marquee (outdoor sheltered)
- Conservation Clubhouse
- Africa Picnic Site
- Savanna Picnic Site
- Simba East & West Picnic Sites
- Atrium
- Learning & Engagement Auditorium
- Wildlife Health & Science Centre Viewing Gallery
- Boardrooms
Capacity
The venue does not publish a single maximum for every room, so ask for the capacity of the specific space in the layout you want: seated dinner, standing reception, theatre or classroom.
A useful rule: a seated dinner at rounds of ten needs about 1 to 1.2 square metres per guest, a standing reception about 0.7, and theatre seating about 0.6, before you add a stage or dance floor. The venue capacity calculator does the arithmetic for your room.
Events it hosts
According to its own event pages, the venue hosts corporate events and private social events.
For timelines, budgets and checklists, start with the corporate holiday party hub.
Questions to ask on your site visit
Bring these to your walk-through. Get the answers in writing before you sign.
- Which spaces are included in the rental, and which are shared?
- Are caterers and bar services in-house, approved-list, or bring your own?
- What are the rules on décor, rigging and open flame?
- What time must music stop and the space be cleared?
- How do vendors load in?
- What is the weather or overflow plan?
Planning entertainment here
Unique venues have their own rules, so send any performer’s technical needs (ceiling height, floor space, power, sound) to the venue before you book the act.
Send every performer’s technical needs to the venue before you book: floor space, ceiling height, power, sound and changing room.
Getting there
The venue states that its event spaces are accessible. Check the venue website for directions, parking rates and accessible entrances, and send the details to guests with the invitation.
Official website: torontozoo.com/hostyourevent/venues
Access & logistics
- Accessibility
- Accessible event spaces (venue information)
About this listing
EventPlans.ca lists venues independently so planners can compare them in one place. This listing is not an advertisement: the venue did not pay for it, has not reviewed it, and is not affiliated with EventPlans.ca. Capacities, rooms and policies are taken from the venue's own published information and can change, so confirm every detail with the venue before you book.
Sources: torontozoo.com/hostyourevent/venues · torontozoo.com/hostyourevent/eventscentre · torontozoo.com/plan · checked November 2026
Related guides, venues and vendors
Fairmont Royal York
Downtown, Toronto · 300+ guests
In-house catering
The hotel lists more than 70,000 sq ft of meeting space across 36 venues.
Read more
Team building entertainment ideas
Team Building
Workshop and activity formats that work for GTA teams: cooking, improv, magic, circus skills, self-defence, hosted competitions, scavenger hunts, field days and…
Read more
Deer Creek Golf Club
Ajax · 300+ guests
In-house catering · Outdoor space
Deer Creek is a public golf facility in Ajax with 54 holes of golf.
Read more