Toruń Zoo And Botanical Garden

The Ogrod Zoobotaniczny w Toruniu is a compact zoological and botanical garden on ul. Bydgoska 7, with the main entrance right next to the tram stop "Ogrod Zoobotaniczny". The site holds over 250 animals of about 100 species across 3.81 hectares, alongside pavilions that include an aviary, the Ptaszarnia, and a herpetarium. The garden has been a member of the European zoo association EAZA since 2007, and breeding endangered species is its core task, with most newly acquired species covered by European breeding programmes (EEP).

What Are The Toruń Zoo Opening Hours?

The garden at ul. Bydgoska 7 opens at 10:00 every day. From May to August it closes at 19:00; from 16 to 31 March, in April, September and from 1 to 15 October it closes at 18:00; from 16 October to 15 March it closes at 16:00. On the first two weekends of March it stays open to 17:00. The ticket office shuts half an hour before closing, and after that tickets are sold in the aviary building.

The aviary pavilion keeps its own shorter clock. The Ptaszarnia closes half an hour before the garden in the warmer seasons, at 18:30 from May to August and at 17:30 in spring and early autumn, and from 16 October to 15 March it runs the same hours as the rest of the garden. Anyone coming mainly for the birds should therefore arrive with that earlier deadline in mind rather than the garden's own closing time.

How Much Do Toruń Zoo Tickets Cost In 2026?

From 1 April to 31 October 2026 a standard ticket costs 27 zl and a reduced ticket costs 20 zl. The reduced rate covers children over 3, pupils and full-time students up to 26, pensioners and disabled visitors. An adult may bring up to three children under 3 on one ticket. A separate winter price list applies from 1 November to 31 March.

The ticket office sits just past the main entrance and closes half an hour before the garden. When the office is shut, tickets are sold in the aviary building instead, so a late arrival does not mean a wasted trip. For a family visit, the under-3 rule is the one to remember: one adult ticket can carry up to three children under 3 at no charge.

For the rest of the day, the zoo pairs naturally with a look at the river. The Evening Cruise, 50 Minutes is a river-cruise option for late in the day, and the operator's live listing carries the current departure details.

What Animals Live At The Toruń Zoobotanical Garden?

The collection numbers over 250 animals of about 100 species. The city names the Mishmi takins, a keel-billed toucan, military macaws, Bali starlings, black-and-white ruffed lemurs and golden-headed lion tamarins as the most interesting animals in the garden. The birds live in the Ptaszarnia aviary pavilion, and reptiles have their own herpetarium.

Breeding endangered species is the garden's core task, and most newly acquired species are covered by European breeding programmes (EEP). That focus explains why several of the named species are endangered birds and small primates rather than large herds. The Bali starling and the golden-headed lion tamarin are the two names on that list most closely tied to conservation breeding. Visitors can use the YourWay mobile app on the way round to find their bearings and locate the pavilions. Everything else covered here is indexed on Toruń Travel Guide.

How Old Is The Garden On Bydgoska Street?

The exact founding date of the botanical garden is unknown, but the site is linked to 1797, when Dr Johann Gottlieb Schultz, a physician and keen botanist, bought the estate, tidied the tree stand and brought in plants from across Europe. The animals are a later chapter: the first were brought to the garden from 1965, thanks to Arnbert Sadecki, a Torun native living in Argentina who traded in exotic animals.

That two-stage history still shapes a visit. The tree stand and plantings descend from a private physician's estate bought by Schultz in 1797, while the zoological side begins with the animal arrivals from 1965 onwards, and the collection has kept growing under European breeding programmes since. In 2007 the garden joined the European zoo association EAZA, the body that coordinates those programmes across member zoos. For readers planning a wider circuit of the city's sights, the medieval Old Town walking route shows how a zoo stop fits into a single day.

How Do You Get To The Toruń Zoo?

The main entrance is at ul. Bydgoska 7, directly next to the tram stop "Ogrod Zoobotaniczny", which takes its name from the garden itself. The stop's position beside the entrance means no walking transfer is needed between the tram and the ticket office, which sits just past the main entrance.

Bydgoska runs out of the city centre towards the west, and the tram stop makes the garden reachable without a car. A 60-minute MZK ticket costs 5.00 zl on paper or 4.60 zl from a mobile app or on the city card, which is enough for a single journey out and some time to spare. For visitors combining the zoo with indoor sights on a changeable day, the Toruń rainy day guide lists covered alternatives, and the planetarium is one more stop families often pair with the garden. The climate normals for Toruń show why the seasonal hours matter: July has a mean high of 25.1 C and 13.6 days with precipitation, while January averages a mean low of -3.8 C with 16.1 days with precipitation.

Is The Toruń Zoo Good With Young Children?

Yes, for a short, contained visit: children over 3 pay the reduced 20 zl rate, and up to three children under 3 enter on one adult's ticket at no charge. The garden's 3.81 hectares make it a walkable size for small legs, and the Ptaszarnia aviary and the herpetarium give two covered pavilions on the way round.

The YourWay mobile app is available for visitors on the way round, which helps a family find the pavilions without covering the whole garden. The reduced rate covers pupils and full-time students up to 26, pensioners and disabled visitors as well, so the same ticket rules serve several generations travelling together. Families pairing the zoo with the rest of the city will find more ideas in the Toruń with kids guide.

Once the garden closes for the afternoon, the river takes over. The 25-Minute Panorama Cruise is a short river option, and for a fuller look at the medieval streets on the way back towards the centre, the Medieval Town Walking Tour is the guided walk to look at. The medieval Old Town area guide covers what surrounds the zoo's near neighbours, including the Leaning Tower of Toruń, whose exterior can be seen at any time.

Common Questions About The Toruń Zoo