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A Brief History of Riverdale
 Farm Riverdale Farm officially opened on September 9, 1978, and has long been the site of animal-related activities.
Originally owned by John Scadding, the City of Toronto purchased what was to be Riverdale Park in 1856. In 1894, the Riverdale Zoo opened to become Toronto's first zoo. The Riverdale Zoo was closed in 1974, and the animals were moved to the new Toronto Zoo in Scarborough. From 1974 to 1978, many of the Riverdale Zoo buildings were removed and the site leveled.
The Residence, the Donnybrook, and the Island House buildings are the only zoo buildings left remaining on the Riverdale site. Riverdale Farm has seen a number of changes since 1978, including many building initiatives and the expansion of farm activities and recreational programming. |
