Visiting the zoo as a child is one of those crucial formative experiences, and there are few places better to do that than Dallas Zoo. As the state’s largest and oldest zoo, it’s come a long way since its original founding in 1888, attracting more than 900,000 visitors through its gate in 2022.
But beyond the stats, it’s interactive experiences like keeper chats, special events and exhibits and its kid-friendly zoo within a zoo that makes this AZA-accredited zoo worth visiting again and again. Read below for a rundown of everything you need to know ahead of your family’s trip. (Looking for more animal fun in Dallas-Fort Worth? See our complete guide to zoos around North Texas.)
Zoo hours
The zoo open its gates every day of the year except for Christmas Day. Typically, hours are 9am–5pm March through September and 9am–4pm October through February. For summer 2024, from Monday, July 8 to Friday, Aug. 30, the zoo will open from 8am to 3pm, with last admission at 1pm.
Note that holiday weekends typically sell out, so before loading the kids into the car, be sure to go online and reserve your tickets in advance. Online you can select estimated entrance times every hour through 2pm. For any questions, call 469/554-7500 or email info@dallaszoo.com.
Location
Plug this address into your map app: 650 S. R. L. Thornton Freeway, Dallas, and you’ll see it’s located about 3 miles south of downtown. Dallas Zoo members get free admission and free parking, but for nonmembers, $10 parking passes must be purchased online in advance to park in the lot, which tends to fill up quickly on weekends. To avoid the parking hassle, you can also take the DART (Dallas Area Rapid Transit) light rail. Plan your DART trip here to take the red line directly at the Dallas Zoo Station.
Admission
Ticket prices range from $8 to $21, depending on the season, and admission is always free for children 2 years old and younger. Zoo members get free admission and discounts for their guests too. If you’re not a member, you can still score discounts on select days. Everyone gets $8 admission on Tiger Tuesdays, the first Tuesday of each month, and during Penguin Days each January and February. If you don’t mind the crowds, stay tuned for the possible return of Dollar Day when admission is only $1.
How big is the Dallas Zoo?
Dallas Zoo spans 106 acres, making it the largest zoo in Texas. Scroll to the map below to see its four main areas: Wilds of Africa, Giants of the Savanna, ZooNorth and the Lacerte Family Children’s Zoo.
How long does it take to visit the Dallas Zoo?
In this writer’s experience, visitors can plan to allot a minimum of two hours, but that of course depends largely on your own kids’ level of desire to see and interact with the animals, plus enjoy the other attractions. You could easily spend all day if you wanted, and if you do, we recommend arriving during the cooler morning hours when many of the animals are more active.
Most of the daily keeper chats are held in the mid-mornings or afternoons outside of the habitats of select animals. Have a favorite animal you’d like to learn more about? Check the schedule here so you’re sure not to miss it.
It might not take much cajoling to get your younger kids to go for a ride on the Endangered Species Carousel near the entrance (for an extra $4) or the T-Rex Express mini train in ZooNorth ($3 per rider), but the experience all ages will appreciate is feeding long leaves of romaine lettuce to the giraffes eye-to-eye from a raised platform ($6 for one or $10 for two).
What animals are at the Dallas Zoo?
Not including the 67-foot-tall giraffe statue that overlooks its entrance, Dallas Zoo is home to more than 2,000 animals and more than 400 species. See the map (above) for a quick look at your route through the zoo to visit the gorillas, elephants, llamas, goats, tortoises, lemurs, penguins, porcupines and big cat predators, like lions, tigers and cheetahs.
Whatever you do, don’t miss hippos at the Simmons Hippo Outpost with its underwater viewing area. A Nile hippo calf named Kalo was born at the Dallas Zoo in 2022, along with many other babies as part of the zoo’s conservation and breeding program.
And no trip to the Dallas Zoo is complete without a visit to the Lacerte Family Children’s Zoo. Here you can get up-close with cockatiels and feed two dozen bird species in the aviary, crawl through The Underzone to see the naked mole rats and visit with the alpacas and goats in the barn.
What are the food options at Dallas Zoo?
Visitors are welcome to bring their own food and drinks, though you’ll need to leave any glass containers, alcohol or disposable straws at home. Feel free to take a break on one of the picnic tables or benches throughout the zoo, or take advantage of the zoo’s dining options, which include desserts, popcorn and sodas at several snack stands around the park and three dining areas that offer a more immersive zoo experience.
The best is the Serengeti Grill, which looks directly into the lions’ den via a floor-to-ceiling observation window, and its outdoor seating area overlooks the elephants’ habitat. You’ll certainly want to say hello to these zoo residents before sitting down to eat. The Serengeti Grill offers kid-friendly fare like burgers, chicken tenders and other kid-sized meals.
If you’re timing your zoo experience to include a stop at the Wild Encounters Stage (see the schedule here for up-close animal viewings), you can grab a quick bite from Bantu Barbeque.
If you’re in need of gluten-free or veggie food options or a less simulating environment during mealtimes, head to the Prime Meridian Café in ZooNorth. It’s got indoor and outdoor seating, with a deck that overlooks the flamingo pond.
Can’t-miss events
Now, the zoo is truly a great destination for families any time of year, but for extra fun, be sure to plan a visit for some of the zoo’s most kid-friendly special events.
Some of the best-attended annual events include Dino Safari, an exhibit of animatronic dinosaurs; Safari Nights, a summer series of after-hours concerts; and Zoo Lights, a Christmas seasonal exhibit with larger-than-life animal lanterns, usually held mid-November through early January. Stay tuned for future dates for these and more events. When they’re announced, we’ll include them below.
All photos courtesy of Dallas Zoo
