The animals are still very active during the winter. Infact, several of them interacted with us through the glass observation windows. There is a great play area for kids of all ages. They have a shallow wading river there as well so bring a change of clothes so the kids can enjoy that. There is no charge for the play area in the Children's Zoo.Things you will want to bring cash for are the carousel, giraffe encounter, children's train ride.The monorail is only open during the warmer months so keep that in mind and there are some animals that can only be seen if you ride the monorail.
I've been to dozens of zoos. It's kind of my thing, visit a new city and the local zoo is on my to do list. From the huge and famous San Diego Zoo to tiny small town zoos, I'm dying to see them. The Dallas Zoo is the best large zoo I have visited. Its beautiful, easy to navigate, exhibits are well spaced and there is plenty of shade along the way for sunny days. The animals were easily seen from various spots around their exhibits at all times and per usual the Texas hospitality is on full display by all the staff (something you really notice when live somewhere like Sacramento CA and visit the south). Loved the animal show, love that you can get good BBQ every where in Texas, and love love love the Dallas Zoo. Very impressed all around and would highly recommend putting on your itinerary.
The main issue with the Dallas Zoo is the traffic and parking. The Dallas Zoo is located right off of I-35, just south of I-30. However, traffic exiting the freeway was very heavy, leading to traffic backups on the off ramp from the freeway and also at the traffic light controlled intersection. After you make it through this mess, then you can finally park and enjoy the zoo. It is average as far as exhibits. They had a Gorilla that escaped a few years ago and had to be killed by the police. A better zoo in my opinion is the Ft. Worth Zoo. It is located off of University Drive, just south of I-30 in Ft. Worth. The traffic here is not nearly as bad a Dallas. The exhibits are just as good if not better than the Dallas Zoo. I would go here instead of the Dallas Zoo for a less stressful experience.
If you haven't visited the Dallas Zoo in the last few years - you are missing a treasure! The giraffe platform allows you to be on eye level with these wonderful animals, very up-close and personal! Be sure to stop by the Serengeti Grill as the lions are often right on the other side of the glass wall. The savanna area is great with good views of the elephants. The monorail is out-dated but is still nice for a relaxing way to see the animals. A great way to spend a day in Dallas!
We planned to go to this zoo for a month, then were pleasantly surprised to find out they had Penguin Days going on, so admission was only $5 a person! Sweet deal. Not really a secret, judging by the crowds, but it wasn't a problem. The place is designed for large crowds except for a few narrow paths that bottlenecked. We would definitely recommend this as a family destination.
This Dallas institution has gotten better with time.If you come here solo I recommend putting on headphones and then stroll where ever the music takes you.Do not pass up the monorail if it is up and running.The snake house is my favorite place on hot humid summer days.Used to be, getting a hot dog was the extent of the food choices.Gratefully that has changed.Do not overlook the gift shop.
This was wonderful! Many animals - cloudy day, they were out! Relatively low price for a zoo! We were just adults, no strollers, so we could do the whole zoo in about 3 hours. ($8 to park, oh well).
The new open area is wonderful, not quite like our South African safari but a good second choice. The giraffe actually licked my granddaughters head with squeals of delight. The zoo has childrens areas as well as the usual lion/ reptiles/monkeys,etc. The bird show is worth a visit. Suggest to go by DART train as the station is at the main entrance to the zoo and is a pleasant and inexpensive way to go - no parking fee involved.
I took my 14 year old daughter and 8 year old son to the zoo while my husband was attending a conference. I bought the two of them $10 passes for feeding animals and riding the trains/carousel. Next time I will buy just one as they hole punch off the money, so the passes aren't for an individual. The African exhibit looks like the native savanna and has several elephants, giraffes, zebras, and ostriches (didn't see then). They have an area for feeding the giraffes for $5. You clean your hands before and after and two attendants are their to help you and ensure the safety of the animals.The restaurant is limited in its offerings and very overpriced, but they have a nice souvenir cup with $1 refills. But, they have a plexiglass viewing of the lion cage with a giant rock overlook where the two lionesses perched. Very neat!Other exhibits include lions, tigers, cheetah, gorilla, chimps, okapi (not out), African penguins, koalas, lorikeets, meerkats, cougar.They have a show that features various birds including the penguin, some owls, a bald eagle, and a chicken. Near the amphitheater is the children's zoo, which has pony rides (under renovation), and chickens, rabbits, and ponies to look at. They have goats you can pet as well as a spiderweb rope net, some tunnels, and a waterfall area for kids to play in. The educational area could be interesting for kids who don't have AD/HD like mine and they have a trading post where you can bring in rocks to trade for fossils or other rocks (Sounds great for locals with memberships).Overall, I'd say five hours is about what it takes to see everything. Most of the cages are large and often resemble the animals native environment. Also, we attended talks about the elephants, lions (saw them eat cantaloupes), and spider monkeys held by zookeepers. All of the employees were friendly and helpful and the facilities including bathroom were clean.If I lived in Dallas, I'd definitely get a membership. Very nice zoo!
Better than some zoos I have been to before. I wish it would have been a littlebigger and would have paid to do the behind the scenes tour, but there was not enough spots and only one tour.