9 exhibit halls, Weston Family Innovation Centre for teens, KidSpark & hands-on workshops (8 yrs & under), planetarium shows (under 5 yrs), IMAX Dome educational films, sleepovers, Sci Fri nights, birthday parties & summer camps. Tel: (416) 696-1000
Ages: All ages
Major Intersection: Don Mills Road & Eglinton Avenue East
Address: 770 Don Mills Road, North York, ON
Good to Know
- The Ontario Science Centre is included in the Toronto CityPASS which includes one-time admission to 5 of Toronto’s most famous attractions.
- Free strollers available.
If you make an inquiry, please mention that you saw this listing on the Melanie On-The-Go / Kids On-The-Go website. Thank you!
Want to give your two cents?
Share your thoughts below with other parents, caregivers and management. Only the rating and your child's age are mandatory, the rest is up to you!
Activities We Did:
Our Top 5:
5- MEGA blocks & tinker toys table
4- Super Market
3- Making mosaics on the wall with magnetic pieces
2- Making prints in red/white ‘straws’
1- Playing guitar & watching herself on TV as I do the lighting effects
Good to Go!:
KidSpark is amazing! Two sections with lot’s of fun and educational play equipment.
There is so much to do, you can easily spend all day there and not be bored.
If one section is too busy (school groups/camps) just head to the other section until they move on.
They have spacious washrooms with baby changing stations.
The one in the KidSpark section on the left even has a mini-toilet for little ones!
There is a seating area where you can have a snack or lunch.
There are some vending machines there too.
Or you can buy some warm food (like pizza & Starbucks for example) on some other floors of the Science Centre.
Not so Much/ Suggestions for Improvement:
Entrance can be a little on the expensive side, if you think you’ll come often I would suggest you buy a yearly pass.
Sometimes the Super Market area is SUPER MESSY! If parents/caregivers don’t encourage kids to put back the items they played with they often all end up in a HUGE mountain on the floor behind the make believe checkout counters. No fun for the kids coming in after they have left. They also don’t have enough baskets & carts for the market and if your child’s hand leaves theirs for even a millisecond another child will swipe it from them… I felt like saying “Swiper, no swiping” over a dozen times one day! It took the fun out of it completely for both me and my pre-schooler.
Quick Tips for Others:
Avoid paying for parking by parking in the restaurant/mall complex one street South of the Ontario Science Centre. I made a purchase at Shoppers Drug Mart and kept my receipt. There is no way for anyone to know if you are on site of not (there are probably over 30 shops & restaurants there). So I chanced it on 3 different days and never had a problem.
KidSpark is on the 4th floor – BUT you have to take the elevator DOWN (not up!) as I found out the hard way!
Bring $1 for the lockers if you want to store you coat/lunch/belongings.
Additional Ratings:
- Amenities: 5/5
- Value: 4/5
Activities We Did:
Nico loves this place! You can run around the entire centre and toddler activities aren’t limited to only the KidsPark. Nico loved the bubble and water sections, also loved the innovation section where you put papers up a wind tube and they fly up!
Quick Tips for Others:
If you want to bring your child’s lunch they have microwaves, if not there’s lots of options to buy! We got a membership and you get discounts for parking and at the food place and the mastermind store with the membership card
Additional Ratings:
- Amenities: 5/5
- Value: 5/5
Activities We Did:
We went to Kidspark, and attended a show at the planetarium for little ones.
Good to Go!:
We have a yearly membership at this place. We don’t use it much in the summer months, but once the cooler months come we got alot. Kidspark is great – two huge rooms with plenty of activities for little ones. Also, a “space” area where kids can learn about space.
Highly recommend the planetarium show where kids get to “go to the moon” – I think it’s on at 10:30 every Saturday and Sunday, but check the OSC website for exact showtimes.
My daughter loves the music room, the marketplace, and “building the house” with soft bricks the most. The marketplace is a huge hit with most kids – its a huge pretend supermarket.
We always spend about 3 hours there and our 3 year old doesn’t want to leave!
Not so Much/ Suggestions for Improvement:
The price of single admission is quite expensive, but if you buy the yearly membership, it’s worth it if you go more than twice for a family of 3! I highly recommend getting a membership, if you think you will visit this place at least occasionally.
Quick Tips for Others:
There are lockers that take $1 coins so you can leave your jacket and bags behind! Also, there is a “family washroom” by the toddler area. It has a little toilet for little ones!
Additional Ratings:
- Amenities: 4/5
- Value: 4/5
Activities We Did:
Kids play area was filled with lots of stimulating activities that my daughter loved!
Quick Tips for Others:
Go early, it gets busy fast!
Additional Ratings:
- Amenities: 5/5
- Value: 4/5
Activities We Did:
Everything my little guy could get to. Ball shoots, roofing on the play house, supermarket shopping, rock ‘n roll room (he loves rocking out with the guitars)
Good to Go!:
So many different hands on activities. Lots of Cause and Effect type activities that just get those toddler brains cranking….
Lots of seats and tables in the cafeteria area.
Great place to spend the next 5 to 6 months until the outdoor weather comes back again
Not so Much/ Suggestions for Improvement:
Unless you are going to get a year long Membership (which value wise is totally worth it) it is quite pricey for just one visit. However, the GREAT thing is that if you want to check it out first, you can pay a one time visit and if you decide you want the membership, before you leave you can still buy the membership and just have to pay the difference from your one time visit…. did that make sense?! haha
Additional Ratings:
- Amenities: 4/5
- Value: 4/5
Activities We Did:
Kidspark and cafeteria.
Good to Go!:
We go to The Science Centre on a weekly basis.
You can bring your own food, there’s a microwave in the cafeteria. As well as a full restaurant with pre-made sandwiches, salads, hummus/cracker packs, fresh juices, milk, pop, burgers, fries, pastas, hot dogs, Pizza Pizza, Starbucks, chili, soup, and all kinds of snacks and sweet treats.
Getting a membership is totally worth the expense if you live within a reasonable distance as the place is huge, so it’s great to visit all year round. Plus, memberships give you a 20% discount in the restaurant, and a 10% discount in the Mastermind store inside the Centre. Not to mention all kinds of other perks.
Parking is half price, or free depending on what level membership you get.
Not so Much/ Suggestions for Improvement: You can’t bring your Starbucks into the Kidspark area.
The toddler area on the Market Place side, is unbearable to play in sometimes as the bathrooms reek like diapers. I have learned that the bins get changed 3 times a day, but it gets pretty bad. Just close all the doors and you’ll be fine.
Quick Tips for Others:
There’s an exhibit through the rear of the restaurant that has 3 different water fountains. Fountain A is bottled water, so fill up your bottles there!
I got a membership before my daughter could move, and spent a lot of time walking around the grounds over the winter. I was tired of malls!
In my opinion the Science Centre is best for kids who are old enough to have at least started crawling. There are two different play areas that are corraled off, just for kids under 3. You can always tell one of the people in the white coats about any concern you may have, they are always happy to help or to answer any questions.
They change up the exhibits and Kidspark area every once in a while to keep it new and exciting.
The Science Centre ends up being really cost effective with a membership. You pay for the year, so it’s free after only a few visits. If you bring food, then you only have to pay for transportation, or parking.
Additional Ratings:
- Amenities: 5/5
- Value: 5/5