Dallas Zoo, Dallas, USA | Dallas Zoo Lights, Hours, Tickets

Dallas zoo, Dallas Overview

Opened in 1833 the Dallas Zoo is Texas’ largest and oldest nonprofit zoo. The Dallas zoo is spread over 106 acres of land, 3 miles from the main city of Dallas. The zoo is home to over 2000 animals representing 406 species. They have programs and events that take place in the zoo itself. In addition to this, they also have dining and shopping facilities at the zoo for visitors to have a memorable and comfortable visit.

Established in 1888, it is the oldest and largest zoological park in Texasæand is managed by the non-profit Dallas Zoological Society. The zoo is divided into two major regions: ZooNorth and Wilds of Africa. ZooNorth is the original and oldest section of the zoo. The Wilds of Africa region was constructed seventy-eight years after ZooNorth and is accessed from ZooNorth via a tunnel beneath Clarendon Drive.

How to reach Dallas Zoo

The Dallas zoo is very easily accessible by both train as well as a car.

By train:
To reach the zoo by train is pretty simple. Visitors should take the DART (Dallas Area Rapid Transport) to the Redline and stop at the Dallas Zoo station. This would lead them directly to the zoo.

By car:
For visitors who are traveling by car they must exit at Marseilles avenue from interstate at 35E. The zoo's main entrance is located on the north end and is marked by the statue of a tall giraffe across road I-35E. The zoo also has paid parking facilities, the prices are $10 per car. The Dallas zoo members have the privilege to free parking in the zoo premises.

Zoo Rentals

The park has several rental services for visitors who do not wish to carry their strollers or wheelchairs. They have rentals for the entire day that is useful to the visitors:
Single stroller: USD10
Double stroller: USD14
Wheelchair: USD15
Electric convenience wheel with a canopy: USD32

Tickets for Dallas Zoo

The Dallas Zoo has different admission prices for different people before they enter the park premises. Although the in and out in the zoo are limited visitors are allowed to go to the park in case they forget any essentials.
Adults (12-64)- USD 17
Youth (3-11)- USD 14
Seniors ( 65 and above)- USD14
Children below 2- FREE
Members- FREE

Unique Exhibits at the Zoo

The most exciting and attractive part of the zoo is the well preserved and homely exhibits of the exotic range of species. The exhibits are extremely well crafted and well preserved to make the animals feel comfortable as well as provide a better idea of the natural habitat of these animals to the visitors.
Daily Keeper Chats- The exhibit provides the visitors with a chat with gorillas, otters, tigers, reptiles, crocodiles and warthogs. This basically means a short interaction of the visitors with these animals to observe their behaviour and actions.
Giraffe Feeding-The park also offers a giraffe feeding experience for the visitors. This is a close encounter with the 9 reticulated giraffes in the zoo. This is open during normal zoo hours, the cost of feeding the giraffes is $5. The tallest giraffe here is Jesse who is 17 feet high!
Birds Landing- The birds landing offers a close experience with over two dozen birds from all over the globe. The birds landing also allows them to feed the birds at the cost of $1.
Wild Encounter: The zoo also offers wild encounters with reptiles, birds, porcupines and many more other animals. The encounters usually take place at 9.30 am and 5 pm although these are subject to change based on the weather condition and the comfort level of the animal.
Animals in Action: The animals in action exhibit is the zoos most exciting and also the newest exhibit. Here visitors can encounter birds of prey, tortoise and ostriches. In addition to this, there is also the wild cheetah, Winspear who is often referred to as the ambassador of the zoo. These encounters are at 10 am on Monday through Thursday and at 2 pm also on the other days. These timings are subject to change based on the comfort level of the animals and weather conditions.
Wonders of the wild: The is home to an amphitheatre where zoologists introduce the visitors to the wonders of the wild. They introduce them to birds like the charming capybara, precocious penguins, high-flying birds of prey, and more. They have shows every Thursday-Sunday at 11 am and 1 pm.
Rainforest Rendezvous: The exhibit is home to a couple of colourful and magnificent Macaws. The shows here take place every Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday at 11 am and 1 pm and last for 15 minutes.

Dallas Zoo Attractions

The Dallas Zoo, Texas has many attractions that make the place extremely fun and memorable. These attractions are especially loved by children as they are interactive and exciting. Here are the three major attractions of the park:-
Adventure Safari Monorail
The adventure safari monorail takes the visitors to five major animal habitats of the African continent. These include the woodlands of Kenya, mountains of Ethiopia, the arid Saharan Desert, the Great Rift Valley, and the bush of the Serengeti in Tanzania. The cost of taking the train is $7/ rider. The ride is very exciting and educational and teaches the visitors about the lifestyle of the animals of Africa.

T-Rex Express Mini Train
The T-Rex Express Mini train is a very exciting attraction, very popular among the kids. The train with its smoking front takes a ride along with the dinosaur attractions and explains to the visitors about the long-extinct species. The cost for the ride is $2/ person.

Endangered Species Carousel
The most popular attraction among little kids, the Endangered Species Carousel is a customized ride that has the animals customized creatures with a bird’s nest in the center. The cost of the ride is $2/person.

Shopping at Dallas Zoo

The Dallas Zoo has numerous different gift shops and dining centers where the visitors can eat or shop for gifts and memorabilia. Here are some of the gift shops and dining centers:-

Zoo Gift shop
The Zoo gift shop has many different gifts and stuff for both kids and adults. The gift shop is very popular and sells many animal-related things. These include keychains, t-shirts, soft toys, and much more. The gifts are affordable and durable.

Dining and Food at Dallas Zoo

Prime Meridian Cafe
The Prime Meridian Cafe is a very popular eatery located in the northern part of the Zoo. The place has both indoor and outdoor seating arrangements. Food options include - sandwiches, salads, burgers, pizza, Farmer Brothers Coffee, and more.
Serengeti Grill
The Serengeti grill is a popular and unique eating place in the zoo. Located near the savannah's exhibits, the restaurant offers the customers to eat with the lion. One can enjoy a nice burger, kids meal, or fries while watching a lion with the floor-ceiling view.
Bantu Barbeque
Bantu Barbeque is a local serving restaurant famous for its Texas-style barbecue. The restaurant is located near the wilds of Africa plaza. It is very famous and can be enjoyed with a couple of beers and other beverages.
Other Options
Other eating options in the zoo include the snack stands located all over the zoo. These snack stands offer pretzels and ice-creams that everyone can enjoy. You can also bring your own food and enjoy s at the Dallas Zoo.

Fun Events at the Dallas Zoo

There are several events that the Dallas zoo hosts regularly with the aim to protect and conserve wildlife as well as entertain the audience.
Safari nights- These are late-night concerts that are held in the zoo that takes place on Saturdays during the summer season.
Running for Rhinos- This is a 1k or 5k run to raise money to protect the wild rhinos.
Halloween Nights- A four-day event that takes place 4 days just before Halloween.
Zoo to do- The Zoo To-Do is an annual fundraising gala that takes place annually at the Dallas zoo.
Dollar Day- This event takes place one day in July and November where they show gratitude to the society by reducing the entry fee to $1 only.

History of Dallas Zoo

The Dallas Zoo was established in 1883. The first animals brought into the zoo were two lions and two deer. The beginning of the 20th century was very bright for the zoo. It got funding from the city after which it moved to a new location. At Marsalis Park, they got hundreds of new animals and kept making more advancements. The Dallas Zoological Society was established in 1955 and has been supporting the zoo ever since. The zoo had a dip in popularity during 1980, that’s when the zoo shifted its focus to improving the lives of its animals more than running behind profits. After a couple of bond borrowings amounting to more than $30 million, along with other funding helped the zoo to make many advancements at the end of the 20th century.

With the introduction of the bus, the rail survives and multiple expansion projects, the zoo once again became a buzzing hub and gained back its popularity. It opened many new exhibits in the coming years including the ExxonMobil Endangered Tiger Habitat in 1999 and Giants of the Savanna habitat in 2008. The latest addition was the dinosaur exhibit in 2015. Since then, the zoo has become one of the most famous and popular destinations and tourist places in Dallas.