Want to plan an epic animal adventure with your kids? Head to Texas Zoofari Park in Kaufman County. What sets this park, opened in March 2023, apart from other zoos in the Dallas-Fort Worth area is how up close and personal visitors can get with the 85 species of animals that call the park home.
Throughout the 6-mile safari drive-thru, animals will walk up to your car, and your little ones can give them special feed you purchase at the park. Then, in the walk-thru section, your kiddos can pet farm animals, feed giraffes and delight in brightly colored parakeets landing on them.
Read on for what you need to know to make the most of your visit to Texas Zoofari Park with your little animal lovers.
Texas Zoofari Park Hours
The park is open rain or shine most of the year, only closing seasonally during January and February (depending on weather) and closed on Thanksgiving and Christmas Day.
Zoofari opens daily at 9am, and closing times vary slightly by season and whether you’re visiting on a weekday or weekend. Typically closing times are as early as 4pm in the winter or as late as 6:30pm in the summer, depending on time of year. Check here for the most updated times.
The important thing to remember is that you can’t squeeze in a visit near closing time. The last car is admitted about two hours before close, so be sure to show up as early as you can to enjoy the entirety of the park and the animals experiences.
Texas Zoofari Park Location
You’ll find this safari park, located on the map at 9773 FM 429, Kaufman, about a 50-minute drive east of Dallas or 90 minutes east of Fort Worth.
Texas Zoofari Park Admission
General admission is $24.95 for adults; $22.95 for seniors ages 65 and older; $20.95 for children ages 2–12; and free for children younger than 2. Military and law enforcement also get a 15% discount with a valid ID.
How big is Texas Zoofari Park?
Texas Zoofari Park is a 900-acre drive-thru safari. For safety purposes, guests aren’t allowed to get out of their cars in the drive-thru section of the park, however it does also have a 10-acre walk-thru zoo called Safari Village, which is included in the price of your ticket. With 6 miles of road and hundreds of animals to see, the park recommends at least 2 hours to drive through the safari, plus another 30 minutes (minimum) to walk through Safari Village, though if you’re feeding the animals in the walk-thru, you might want to give yourself at least an hour.
Can’t-Miss Exhibits and Activities
The main event at Texas Zoofari Park is the 6-mile drive-thru safari. Separated into four main areas. You’ll find different species in each area, but the animals have free roam within their designated area, which can be hundreds of acres.
Animals you’ll be able to feed in the drive-thru safari include zebra, emus, llamas, camels, deer, bison, water buffalo, Texas longhorns, wildebeests and gazelles. The park is also home to two Southern white rhinos, a species that is near threatened, according to the World Wildlife Fund. (Learn more here about the park’s partnerships with conservation programs and CEO Eric Mogensen.)
In addition to the drive-thru section, Texas Zoofari Park offers Safari Village, a walk-thru area with a petting zoo. Here, you can pet friendly farm animals, such as goats and hundreds of budgies (colorful parakeets).
There are also plenty of opportunities to feed the animals that call the park home. Purchase Safari Buckets ($5 per bucket) full of feed that’s okay for all animals in the drive-thru safari to eat (except the rhinos, which aren’t allowed to be fed by the public). Stop by to feed the friendly farm animals ($4 per cup) in the walk-thru area.
Pick up some $2 seed sticks and head to the Budgie Adventure Aviary, where colorful parakeets will perch on your hand and feed from the stick. Purchase romaine leaves ($5 per cup, with a souvenir cup to take home) and feel the giraffes’ tongue on your hand as it takes leaves from your palm.
The park also has plans to open the Kangaroo Walk-About, where visitors will be able to follow a pathway and share space with the kangaroo mob. An expected highlight? Seeing joeys (babies) in their mothers’ pouches! There isn’t an exact opening date announced yet, but it is in the final building stages, so keep an eye on the zoo’s website.
Dining options at Texas Zoofari Park
The park’s full-service restaurant is currently in development, however you can find snacks, beverages and ice cream in the Safari Trading Post Gift Shop. There are picnic tables available by the gift shop, and guests can bring their own food to eat in this area.
Tips for Visiting
Getting ready to visit Texas Zoofari Park? Here are a few more things to keep in mind:
- The best way to interact with the animals in by rolling down your windows.
- Safety of visitors and the animals are paramount, so be sure to follow the park’s regulations as you drive through:
- Your vehicles must have doors (sorry, Jeeps! doors on), and all doors and hatches must remain shut during the drive.
- Got a pickup truck? Keep your littles inside the cab. Riding in the truck bed is a no-go.
- There are restrooms located at the park entry and near Safari Village.
- If you want to avoid large crowds, it’s best to visit on weekdays when school is in session.
- During the summer, it’s best to visit early in the day as the animals tend to find shade to beat the heat.
- Make sure to purchase plenty of animal feed so you can enjoy feeding the animals throughout the 6-mile drive.
- Fall is one of the best times to visit the park, as that is when several species, including the fallow and red deer, exhibit breeding season behaviors.
- Your ticket is good for the whole day. Take a drive through the safari, then visit the walk-thru area, grab a snack and drive through the safari again. Each drive through is a different experience because the animals are free to roam in very large areas.
Want more info? Follow Texas Zoofari Park on Instagram, Facebook and TikTok; call 469/966-4608; or visit texaszoofaripark.com.
RELATED: The Best Zoos in Dallas-Fort Worth
Images courtesy of Texas Zoofari Park
