Dallas Zoo
Dallas Zoo
4.5
8:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Monday
8:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Tuesday
8:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Wednesday
8:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Thursday
8:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Friday
8:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Saturday
8:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Sunday
8:00 AM - 3:00 PM
About
The largest zoological experience in Texas, the 106-acre Dallas Zoo offers fun, educational and entertaining experiences for the whole family. The Zoo's mission is to inspire a passion for nature and conserve wildlife, and guests can see a number of endangered species and learn about a variety of conservation projects the Dallas Zoo supports. Opened in 2010, our award-winning Giants of the Savanna habitat is internationally known. The savanna features elephants, ostrich, zebras, impalas, giraffes, and guineafowl, often mingling together. The Dallas Zoo is home to a herd of five female elephants and 11 giraffes, which guests can feed by hand. Guests will see the fastest land mammal on Earth, the cheetah, as well as African lions who often spend their days sleeping just inches away from the viewing wall inside the Serengeti Grill restaurant. The Wilds of Africa area features rare animals such as gorillas, chimpanzees and okapi. Guests will enjoy getting eye-to-eye with African penguins as they swim effortlessly underwater. Highlights of the ZooNorth section include the Lacerte Family Children's Zoo, a top-rated reptile and amphibian complex featuring albino alligators, and the Koala Walkabout, featuring the only koalas in Texas, red kangaroo, wallabies, and a lorikeet feeding area for up-close adventures. For alternative transportation to the Dallas Zoo, consider the DART Red Line, which delivers guests to the Zoo's front entrance.
Duration: More than 3 hours
Meets animal welfare guidelines
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See what travelers are saying
- Michael HElk River, Minnesota1,766 contributionsAwesome zoo great for families.A fun day at the zoo AND an effective on-site NRPA tour regarding private/public partnerships, community engagement and mission. We were impressed by the large Savanah area and the whole layout of the zoo. It’s the largest zoo in Texas and an awesome one for families to learn and play.Visited October 2023Traveled on businessWritten October 9, 2023
- Debbie M21 contributionsPretty goodI think a lot of the experience has to do with the weather. We went on an 83 degree day. Most of the animals were out and about. We saw almost everything. This is a very nice zoo for little ones but they will get tuckered out if they don't have a wagon or stroller. The signage could be a lot better. The bathrooms could be A LOT BETTER. The hand dryers are useless. The restaurant we ate in had no chicken available, no trays, no silverware and no little cups for condiments.Visited October 2023Traveled with familyWritten October 11, 2023
- Keith DRichardson, Texas1,136 contributionsMuch Improved SettingThe Dallas Zoo has made great strides over the years, improving the exhibits and the experience. We came on a day that wasn’t crowded and go to interact with several of the employees that clearly have a passion for the animals in their care. It had been many years since we had visited and were glad we went back.Visited October 2023Traveled as a coupleWritten November 25, 2023
- AbigailKingsport, Tennessee17 contributionsGreat animals + kid friendlyWent in early AM to beat crowds and it was lovely - got to see more active animals (most are fed prior to 11 am) than we would have later in the day. Definitely an amazing zoo but the layout can be confusing and some sections felt half-finished, especially compared to Fort Worth's zoo. Worth a visit regardless!Visited October 2023Traveled as a coupleWritten January 1, 2024
- Tom from TexasSan Antonio, Texas236 contributionsGreat zoo close to the cityThis is another great zoo in the area, and close to the city. I thought the price was a bit high. Parking was limited, but you can get there via local rail. The zoo does much better than most in mimicking the animal's natural habitats. Some enclosures were much larger than other zoos, some were smaller. I thought the primate exhibits, and savannah were well done, as well as the reptile house. There was a good amount of educational information.Visited March 2024Traveled soloWritten March 23, 2024
- Ric41 contributionsLovely weekend!!!Wow!!! Carousel, bird show, 3d, dinosaur exhibit, and so much more. This place was amazing! We arrived a little later so were able to walk around for 2 hours and still not able to go to everything. Definitely will return.Visited April 2024Traveled as a coupleWritten April 16, 2024
- jerry@worldtripHouston, Texas80 contributionsThe Dallas Zoo is an absolute gemThe Dallas Zoo is an absolute gem and a must-visit destination! Plan to spend at least half a day here; it’s worth every minute. Make sure to grab a map as signage can be lacking, but once you navigate, the experience is unforgettable. The variety of food stalls and restaurants within the zoo is unparalleled, offering a delightful culinary journey alongside the wildlife adventure. This zoo is not only vast but also incredibly beautiful. It’s a definite highlight for anyone visiting Dallas. Highly recommended!Visited April 2024Traveled as a coupleWritten April 19, 2024
- Clyles22London, Arkansas123 contributionsAlways a must stopDallas zoo is always a great stop. Even as an adult I enjoy the trip. Getting tickets for when they first open is definitely the way to go, way less people and hot if you're going during the summer.Visited May 2024Traveled with familyWritten May 27, 2024
- Nofrillstraveler103 contributionsGreat zooI've been to zoos all over the US and this ranks right up there with the best. Well laid out and upkept. The staff was friendly and informative wherever you went. Spending the extra money to feed the giraffes is well worth it.Visited June 2024Traveled soloWritten June 10, 2024
- Newbridge 127Newbridge, Ireland54 contributionsDay out at Dallas ZooMy wife and I spent a good few hours walking around Dallas Zoo. It is a great place to entertain children. They had a large Dinosaur display with sound effects. We bought City Pass tickets which also gave us the opportunity to do other tours. If you are looking for a family day out it is well worth a visit.Visited June 2024Traveled as a coupleWritten June 15, 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
1,807 reviews
Excellent
902
Very good
586
Average
238
Poor
50
Terrible
32
Ebony P
Loveland, OH9 contributions
Mar 2020 • Family
Parking was a nightmare! I have a child with special needs and there were no available handicapped parking spaces open despite the parking attendant pointing down to the end of the lot where the handicapped spaces were, but they were full. I drove down to the area of the parking lot and couldn’t turn around because there were no open spaces and the entrance to the zoo was just beyond the handicapped parking, so all the people with strollers and kids were just walking behind my truck and I was stuck. I had to let the children out of the truck there and park about a half mile away. Then, I preordered tickets and parking passes online so I could just scan my phone and avoid the lines. Well.... I was sent just an order number and not the attachment to my email for entrance, so we had to wait in line for about 35 minutes to get the tickets printed out. Then after getting tickets printed, another 20 minutes in line to scan our tickets. Finally got in the zoo about an hour and a half after we got there, but by that time everyone was tired and frustrated. The lines were way too long to see anything. So we did the basics. We rode the carousel, got Kona ice, took the monorail which only showed a few select birds and some different types of horned antelope, walked pass the elephants, and waited in another line to get romaine leaves to feed the giraffes before we went home. We were all really disappointed. Staff was not friendly. We will not be coming back.
Written March 13, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thomas T
Clarksville, TN7 contributions
Feb 2020
The zoo maximized the space that there is to work with in the area, but it felt small. It was an inexpensive way to enjoy one of the prettiest winter days we have had and all of the animals were very active. Feeding the giraffes lettuce by hand was the coolest part.
Written February 19, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Rosalinder
Amsterdam, The Netherlands21 contributions
Oct 2020
The entire zoo campus was just great. A variety of animals in fairly humane conditions. The zoo has done an amazing job trying to keep people safe during the time of covid. That part was all stellar. The problem? The zoo guests. Too bad so many of the visitors thought they were way too special to wear masks or follow directions. Oh, and social distancing? Something the people of Dallas simply can't do or what? Wear your mask, up over your nose, people. Except when you're eating. PS I've left of the mask-less man w/ the large Alsatian. No sign that the dog was a service animal & no sign he had a mask.
Written October 2, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
margaret
1 contribution
Mar 2023 • Family
I’ve grown up with this zoo and it was always decent enough to where I never had any real large complaints. I’m now older and disabled and was shocked by the lack of thought and planning for disabled people. We went mid-week before spring break and purchased the $10 parking. On arrival we were directed to a different parking lot that was 2 stoplights away and you had to cross the rail line… there was no one directing the flow of traffic and people were standing around and blocking the path so there was overflow on to the busy streets. The stoplights take forever to turn and then inevitably you also can’t make it across without it turning— haven’t even added in the fact that I’m disabled and have trouble walking long distances. Upon arriving to the gate is when I noticed the original parking lot was mostly full but also how sparse the disabled parking was— why was the lot near the entrance not all disabled parking? It made no sense. Then when they scanned our tickets to go in is when I realized no one was verifying who parked and who didn’t. They scanned our parking pass but I could have easily said we took the DART (if asked) and saved $10. They should have been scanned at the point of parking entrance.
Aside from that, the zoo is a zoo. We did come across a zoo keeper near the chimp area that was extremely nice and spoke with people for a long time about their behavior and environment. He seemed to really enjoy his job and it made me less grumpy about the initial entrance issues.
Aside from that, the zoo is a zoo. We did come across a zoo keeper near the chimp area that was extremely nice and spoke with people for a long time about their behavior and environment. He seemed to really enjoy his job and it made me less grumpy about the initial entrance issues.
Written March 19, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
badkinz
Kansas City166 contributions
Nov 2022 • Family
We apparently decided to make our first ever visit to this zoo on the one day of the year that half the zoo was closed for a private event. Sign at the zoo entrance said “some” exhibits were closed. I guess in Texas, some means half. We did not find out half of the zoo was closed until we paid the $10 parking. At least zoo admission was half price - but it still was not worth the money paid as animals were missing from a good amount of the “open” exhibits. Overall would not visit this zoo again.
Written November 6, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
AC
4 contributions
Feb 2023 • Friends
I visited in 2/2023 coming from Asia & I really wanted to see the Reptiles but the Reptile Building was closed that afternoon due to some roof leaks. 😫 They could have fixed those leaks during times when the Zoo was closed. All the customers who visited that day including me & my friend were denied that day despite paying the full fare. We visited the Fort Worth Zoo the day after and we were so much happier after seeing their beautiful gharials and Komodo Dragon.
Written March 13, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
danielskdey
Fairfield, TX4 contributions
Apr 2022 • Family
Never have I been charged so much money for so little to see. Over half of the exhibits were closed, areas blocked off, signs everywhere reading "Animals not on exhibit". When asking what the deal was because it was full price, and was treated like a liar. So with that being said, there are plenty of zoos and aquariums to spend your money and time at, with lots of happy, healthy animals....this zoo is not the one you want to visit.
Written April 18, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Louis F
Altus, OK1,182 contributions
Feb 2022 • Family
The zoo is really nice and they have all the standard zoo animals you would expect to find at a zoo. You can’t beat the pricing as it was only 26 dollars for 2 adults and a 2 year old and that includes a 10 dollar parking fee. You do need to book tickets in advance so make sure to check out the website. Suggest going in the morning as it is less crowded.
Written March 7, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jason60097
Lebanon, TN60 contributions
Mar 2022
Almost all of the animals were visible on our visit in early March. Was great seeing the tiger, lions and river otters. Zoo is creatively designed and attractively presented. Line was very long at the one restaurant we saw open - we ended up just buying some soft pretzels at a small vendor stand. We spent a total of 2 1/2 hours there, and thought that was enough time to see everything. We arrived on the DART, which is located right across from the zoo, and was very convenient.
Written March 8, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Robert in Rowlett
1 contribution
May 2022 • Family
The Zoo has completely disintegrated. I was a Platinum member and the zoo wouldn't honor the passes that I paid for and wouldn't provide a refund without spending all day getting it. The animals are sad and the employees are rude.
Written May 14, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Yes, we brought 8 bottles of water.
Written September 7, 2024
It's possible they make exceptions for support dogs, but I'm not sure.
Written August 12, 2020
Hi, both the Dallas zoo and botanical gardens have a holiday light event. If I only have time to visit one, which would you recommend?
Written November 10, 2019
If you have young children I would do the Dallas Zoo. If older kids and adults do the Botanical gardens x Hope this helps you x
Written November 10, 2019
How long should we plan to spend there with a 2.5 year old and a 5 year old? Is it pretty stroller or wagon accessible?
Also, is there food there and how is the wait time on that? We went to another zoo once and waited over an hour for some burgers.
Written May 18, 2019
Very stroller accessible, I really regretted not bringing the stroller (because I feared it wouldn’t be). Carry a big bag with snacks. The food was gross at worst so-so at best (good fries though)and you get a huge extra serving of “rip-off” for a cafeteria eating experience.
I’d plan on spending 3-4 hours easily.
Written May 18, 2019
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