Tucked inside Leonard Park in Gainesville, you’ll find the “world’s greatest small-town zoo,” which opened in its current location in 1960. Frank Buck Zoo supports a number of local and global conservation organizations and projects, including Bat Conservation International, Blackland Prairie Raptor Center, Monarch Watch, Cheetah Conservation Foundation, Giraffe Conservation Foundation, Save Giraffe’s Now and Giant Armadillo Project.
In addition to seeing various animals in Frank Buck Zoo, guests can also visit the petting zoo; feed giraffes, flamingos and pygmy goats; and adopt an animal that calls the zoo home. And since it’s just an hour and a half north of the Dallas-Fort Worth area, Frank Buck Zoo is a great day trip destination for your next family outing—especially if you also visit Circle N Family Dairy to tour the farm and enjoy fresh, homemade ice cream. Here’s what you need to know to make the most of your visit.
Frank Buck Zoo Hours
From April through mid-August, the zoo is open daily from 9am to 5pm. Last entrance is accepted at 4:30pm. Mid-August through March, the zoo is open daily from 10am to 4pm. Last entrance is at 3:30pm. The zoo is closed on Thanksgiving and Christmas Day.
Zoo Location
1000 W. California Street, Gainesville, about a 1-hour, 30-minute drive north of Dallas-Fort Worth
RELATED: A Guide to Zoos in Dallas-Fort Worth
Zoo Admission
General admission is $9 for adults; $7.50 for seniors ages 65 and older, active military and children ages 1–12.
How big is Frank Buck Zoo?
One of the smaller zoos in the DFW area, Frank Buck Zoo is set on 12 acres, and a stroll through the zoo is just shy of a mile. Families who want to take a leisurely stroll through the zoo, with stops at all animal exhibits, should plan to spend 1-2 hours in the zoo. The zoo is designed in a circle and is easily navigable with strollers and wheelchairs.
Can’t-Miss Exhibits and Activities
Frank Buck Zoo is home to dozens of animals, including alpaca, black bears, big cats like leopards and cheetah, red fox, pygmy goats, ostrich, lemurs, giraffes, tortoises, camels and alligators. Highlights at the zoo include the 5-acre, mixed-species African savannah habitat, which you can view from an elevated walkway, watching playful gibbons and the antics of the prairie dog colony in the award-winning habitat. You can also catch a keeper chat in the interpretive gazebo.
But what makes the zoo super-special? The animal encounters guests can participate in.
With Frank Buck Zoo’s Giraffe Encounter, participants can feed the zoo’s reticulated giraffes from the elevated deck overlooking the savannah habitat. This is available daily, 10:30–11am, weather permitting, for $6 per person (cash only).
Visitors ages 6 and older can feed the flamingos daily at 10:15am (just make sure to show up early; feeding starts promptly on time). The flamingo feed encounter is not available in the winter or during breeding season, so call ahead to check availability. The flamingo feed encounter is $15 per person.
Stop by the Petting Zoo for a chance to get up close to and feed pygmy goats, and occasionally a pig and mini horses. Goat feed in the Petting Zoo is $0.25 per handful, so bring plenty of quarters. Make sure to arrive early to feed goats—a limited amount of feed is available each day to ensure the health of the goats.
Adopt an Animal Program
Want to make your visit to Frank Buck Zoo extra special? Adopt an Animal before your visit, then bring your kiddos to see their adopted animal! Adoptions help the zoo provide habitat and enrichment for the animals. Adopt an Animal ranges from $30–$250, depending on the adoption level you select; each level comes with various goodies.
Dining options at Frank Buck Zoo
There are no cafés or restaurants in the zoo, and guests aren’t allowed to bring food in, so be sure to eat before visiting. The Frank Buck Zoo Gift Shop does sell some snacks and beverages if your little ones need a nosh during your visit. Want to pack a picnic to enjoy after your visit? There are two covered pavilions outside the zoo, in Leonard Park, numerous picnic tables, and some grills.
Tips for Visiting
Getting ready to visit Frank Buck Zoo? Here are a few more things you’ll want to know:
- The zoo’s restrooms are located behind the gift shop.
- Guests can bring in drinks, as long as they’re not in glass containers or to-go cups.
- Annual passes are available if you plan to bring your family a few times each year. A Family Pass is $75, which includes admission for two designated adults and up to four children under age 18. A Grandparent Pass is $65, and it includes admission for one designated grandparent, one additional adult, and up to four grandchildren under age 18.
- You can leave and come back into the zoo as long as you still have that day’s wristband on (wristband colors change each day).
- Right outside the zoo is Leonard Park’s wooden playground, where your little ones can burn off some energy before hopping in the car to go home.
Want more info? Follow Frank Buck Zoo on Instagram @frankbuckzoo, Facebook or YouTube; call 940/668-4539; or visit frankbuckzoo.com.
Top two photos courtesy of Frank Buck Zoo
