The Zoo and Aquariums in Dallas

Dallas, Texas is a great place to visit with children. Several animal attractions are available to fill up a fun week or have a weekend trip. Be sure to call ahead or check on the Internet to make sure of opening hours changes occur during the year based on school and holidays.

The Dallas Zoo, founded in 1888, was the first zoo in Texas. The City of Dallas' Parks and Recreation Department currently manage it. The zoo covers 95 acres with many specialty areas. The ZooNorth area of the zoo contains many exhibits. Bug U! is the newest, featuring all kinds of invertebrates found in Texas. A termite colony and a honeybee colony are designed for observation. There are even leaf-cutter ants on the job. The Lacerte Family Children's Zoo is two acres of fun and education. The Kresge Foundation Farm teems with farm animals that can be petted, fed, brushed and watered. There is even a separate area for toddlers with size appropriate activities. The ExxonMobil Endangered Tiger Habitat opened in 1999. It was built to resemble a recovering rainforest and even has heated rocks for tiger napping. Others areas include the Primate Place, Historic Bird Valley and the Mammal buildings. The other main area of the Dallas Zoo is the Wilds of Africa exhibit. This 25-acre area contains six African habitats with animals, birds, murals, map and stations with information. There is even a Monorail Safari that will take you on a 25-minute tour of the areas. The Dallas Zoo is located at 650 South R.L. Thornton Freeway.