Centennial Park Conservatory
Hours of operation: 10 a.m. – 5 p.m., 365 days a year.
Free admission
Wheelchair accessible
Ward 3, Etobicoke York
151 Elmcrest Road, Etobicoke
TTC: Accessible by public transit from the Royal York subway station. Take the 48 Rathburn bus west to Elmcrest Rd. Free parking located north of the conservatory.
The main house contains over 200 different varieties of tropical plants that bloom year-round including palms, crotons, gingers, hibiscus, orchids and bromeliads. Economically important plants including fruit trees such as banana, soursop and papaya are also featured.
The south wing is an arid (dry) house. It is home to a large display of unusual cacti and succulents including collections of agave, opuntia, and aloe.
The north wing is a display house that contains a collection of local trees and shrubs as well as displays that change with the seasons. The conservatory is also home to several types of animal life including goldfish, turtles and birds.
Centennial Park has a diverse set of facilities including a BMX bike area, Frisbee golf, an outdoor track and outdoor fitness equipment, four drinking fountains, eight picnic sites and five shelters, four playgrounds, 12 ponds, a ski hill, two cricket pitches, 25 bike trails, six baseball diamonds, 14 parking lots, 11 sports fields, and a wading pool.
The Centennial Park Conservatory complex was designed and constructed in 1969 and was formally opened by Etobicoke Mayor Horton on March 21, 1970. It consisted of a large tropical house and two smaller wing houses originally used for plant production. Over time, the wing houses became an arid house and a seasonal display house. Plant production now occurs in an attached greenhouse where, along with all the seasonal display plant material for the conservatory, 300,000+ annual and perennial plants are also grown to beautify parks throughout the city. Seasonal flower shows are held each year in spring, Easter, summer, fall and Christmas.
