Dallas Zoo facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Dallas Zoo

Entrance to the Dallas Zoo
Date opened	1888
Location	Dallas, Texas, U.S.
Land area	106 acres (43 ha)
Coordinates	32°44′24″N 96°48′54″W / 32.74000°N 96.81500°W / 32.74000; -96.81500
No. of animals	2,000+
No. of species	406
Annual visitors	1+ million
Memberships	AZA, WAZA
Major exhibits	Gorilla Research Center, Endangered Tiger Habitat, Chimpanzee Forest, Simmons Hippo Outpost, Penguin Cove, Giants of the Savanna

The Dallas Zoo, also known as the Dallas Zoological Park, is a huge zoo covering 106 acres! It's located about 3 miles south of downtown Dallas, Texas, in Marsalis Park. Started way back in 1888, it's the oldest and biggest zoo in Texas. A non-profit group called the Dallas Zoological Society helps run it.

You can find over 2,000 animals from 406 different species here. The zoo is a proud member of important groups like the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) and the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA). These groups make sure zoos care for animals properly.

In 2009, the Dallas City Council decided to build the amazing 11-acre Giants of the Savanna Exhibit. They also voted to let the Dallas Zoological Society manage the zoo. Since then, more and more people have visited. In 2015, over 1 million people came to the zoo for the first time! The Dallas Zoological Society helps raise money, manage memberships, and organize fun events for the zoo.

Discover the Dallas Zoo's History

Historical photos from the zoo's early days in 1917

The Dallas Zoo first opened its doors in 1888. The very first animals bought for the zoo were two deer and two mountain lions. They cost $60 and came from a seller in Colorado City, Colorado. These animals were put in pens and shown off in City Park.

In the 1890s, the Dallas City Council gave money to the zoo. This allowed them to buy more animals for the collection. The zoo stayed in City Park until 1910, when it moved to Fair Park. Then, in 1912, it moved to Marsalis Park, which was 36 acres at the time. The zoo has grown from there to its current size.

A special Zoo Commission was created in the 1920s. They helped the zoo get many new animals from a famous hunter and trapper named Frank Buck. During the Great Depression in the 1930s, the zoo got a big makeover. This was thanks to funding from the Works Progress Administration.

The Dallas Zoological Society was started in 1955 to help support the zoo.

By the 1960s, the zoo was a very popular place. In 1966, it had over 500 different kinds of animals. But by the 1980s, zoos started to change. They focused more on science and treating animals kindly, as suggested by the AZA. Saving endangered species became very important, partly by helping animals have babies in captivity. The Dallas Zoo joined this effort and became accredited in 1985.

Around this time, Zoo Director Warren J. Iliff suggested a new area called the Wilds of Africa. An architect named Herbert W. Reimer designed it to group African animals together. He also imagined a slow monorail ride, like a safari, for visitors. With $30.4 million, this expansion opened in June 1990.

Giraffes, zebras, antelopes, and elephants in the Giants of the Savanna

Getting to the zoo became much easier on June 14, 1996. The Dallas Zoo station opened for the Red Line train.

In 1997, the Kimberly-Clark Chimpanzee Forest opened. It's a huge 19,000 square foot exhibit.

On May 8, 1999, the amazing 2-acre, $4.5 million ExxonMobil Endangered Tiger Habitat opened.

In 2008, the zoo received its largest gift ever: $5 million from Harold Simmons. This donation helped speed up the building of the Giants of the Savanna habitat.

On August 12, 2009, the Dallas City Council voted to let the Dallas Zoological Society manage the zoo. This change officially happened on October 1, 2009.

The Giants of the Savanna habitat opened on May 28, 2010, and everyone loved it!

On April 1, 2015, a special Dinosaur exhibit opened. It featured over 20 moving, lifelike dinosaurs.

Explore the Zoo's Amazing Exhibits

A Hadada ibis perched on a Dallas zookeeper's arm

The Dallas Zoo is split into two main parts: ZooNorth and Wilds of Africa. ZooNorth is the original and oldest section. The Wilds of Africa was built much later and you get there through a tunnel under Clarendon Drive. This area includes the Giants of the Savanna, which opened in 2010.

You can even download the free Dallas Zoo iPhone app! It helps you find your way around and gives information about hours, tickets, parking, animals, and special events. The Dallas Zoo was the first zoo in the United States to offer an app in both English and Spanish.

ZooNorth: The Original Zoo Area

ZooNorth is the oldest part of the zoo. It has many cool exhibits like the Otter Outpost, Galápagos tortoises, the Lacerte Family Children's Zoo, and Bug U!.

Other animals you can see in ZooNorth include Sumatran Tigers, Sloths, Toucans, Maned Wolves, Capybaras, Clouded Leopards, and Flamingos. The Wildlife Amphitheater hosts "SOAR! A Festival of Flight," a fun bird show. Primate Place has monkeys from Africa and South America. The Pierre A. Fontaine Bird & Reptile Building teaches visitors about endangered reptiles and amphibians.

Endangered Tiger Habitat

A tiger using a tree as a scratching post

The ExxonMobil Endangered Tiger Habitat is a 2-acre area that cost $4.5 million to build. It opened on May 8, 1999. This habitat looks like a forest growing back after trees were cut down. You can watch Sumatran tigers and Malayan tigers through glass windows and from pathways.

The tigers' home has sunny and shady spots, shallow pools, running streams, and climbing trees. The viewing area has two buildings, House of Tiger and House of Man, designed like Thai pole houses. This setup lets you feel like you're right in the middle of the tiger's world.

Children's Zoo: Fun for Young Explorers

The Lacerte Family Children's Zoo in ZooNorth is a great place for kids. It has the Nature Exchange, the JC Penney Discovery House, the UnderZone, a petting zoo, and pony rides. There's also an artificial creek where children can splash and play.

BUG U!

This exhibit is all about the zoo's amazing collection of invertebrates. You can learn about termite colonies, honey bee colonies, Texas leafcutter ants, black widow spiders, and brown recluse spiders.

Wilds of Africa: A Safari Adventure

An African lion at the Dallas Zoo

The Wilds of Africa is the other half of the zoo. It opened in 1990 and was the first exhibit to show all the main habitats of Africa. You can explore rain forests, mountains, woodlands, rivers, deserts, and the African bush.

The Nature Trail takes you through the rain forest. You'll see two large, natural homes for gorillas. You might also spot Nile crocodiles and wattled cranes before reaching the Forest Aviary. In the middle of the forest is the Kopje, home to klipspringers. The rain forest also has hippopotamus and okapi. The zoo is famous for breeding and researching okapi. About 20% of okapi in zoos in the U.S. and Japan can trace their family back to the Dallas Zoo!

Penguin Cove

Penguin Cove is home to about a dozen African penguins. You can watch these cute penguins above and below the water as they waddle and swim around their exhibit.

Chimpanzee Forest

The Chimpanzee Forest exhibit

The 19,000 square foot Kimberly-Clark Chimpanzee Forest opened in 1997. You can watch the chimpanzees from an open viewing area or through large windows. The Chimpanzee Forest has a waterfall, a stream, climbing structures, trees, and rocks. These rocks are heated in winter and cooled in summer to keep the chimps comfy.

There's also a fake termite mound where the chimpanzees can use sticks to "fish" for treats like peanut butter and honey. Besides their regular food, they have over 40 types of edible plants in their area to snack on.

Gorilla Research Center

Juba and B'wenzi in the bachelor habitat

Shana and Zola in the bachelor habitat

The Gorilla Research Center first opened in 1990. It's a 2-acre habitat with a lush, natural landscape. It was designed to let the gorillas roam freely in an environment that looks like their home in the equatorial forest. The exhibit has two separate areas, giving enough room for two gorilla families.

The exhibit closed in 2004 and reopened in 2006 after a $2.2 million update. The walls were made taller, and a new visitor's center was added. This center, called the Gorilla Research Station, has high viewing spots and big windows. You can see both gorilla families and ask questions to guides.

The habitat is currently home to two groups of western gorillas: a bachelor group and a family group. The bachelors are Juba, B'wenzi, Shana, and Zola. Zola became famous online in 2011 for his "break dancing" video! The family group includes Marcus, Shanta, Saambili (born in 2018), Megan, her son Mbani (born in 2019), and Asha.

Crocodile Isle

At Crocodile Isle, you can view Nile crocodiles safely from behind glass. Watch them swim, relax in the sun, and even eat during public feeding times.

Forest Aviary

The Forest Aviary is home to colorful and unique birds from Africa. This habitat has a wooded landscape, rocky cliffs, and a peaceful stream.

Giants of the Savanna: A Unique Mix

Elephants in the Giants of the Savanna habitat

Giants of the Savanna opened on May 28, 2010. This 11-acre expansion to the Wilds of Africa is amazing! It features six female and two male African bush elephants, a large group of reticulated giraffes, African lions, South African cheetahs, impala, ostriches, vulturine guineafowl, warthogs, red river hogs, and African wild dogs.

You can even feed lettuce leaves and rye crackers to the giraffes at the Giraffe Feeding Station! Five of the eleven acres are just for the eight African bush elephants: Jenny, Gypsy, Kamba, Congo, Tendaji, Mlilo, Zola, and Okubili. Their facilities are very modern, with soft floors and a special room with seven feet of dirt for them to dig in.

This exhibit was the first in North America to mix elephants with giraffes, zebras, ostriches, impala, and guineafowl. In 2016, five new African elephants arrived from Eswatini to escape a drought.

The exhibit also has a group of four lions and a pack of African painted dogs. Between the lion and painted dog exhibits, there's a "Predator Encounter" area where keepers give talks. You can even eat at the Serengeti Grill and watch the lions through a big window, sometimes just inches away!

Awards and Recognition

On October 6, 2011, the Dallas Zoo received a special award from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. This was for their Giants of the Savanna Habitat. This $32.5 million habitat was the first in North America to combine many large animal species in one exhibit. It truly recreates the look of the African savanna.

Helping Animals: Conservation Efforts

The Dallas Zoo works hard to protect and save animal species. They are part of over 40 Species Survival Plans (SSP) with the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. These plans help manage and breed endangered animals in zoos to keep their populations healthy.

Here are some of the animals the zoo helps protect through SSPs:

A Rhinoceros Hornbill at the zoo

The zoo also supports many conservation projects around the world. These include helping okapi in Zaire, rhinos, chimpanzees, and hornbills. The zoo also tries to be sustainable. For example, they grow bamboo and cabbage that they then feed to their plant-eating animals!

Recycle Your Cell Phone!

The zoo collects and recycles cell phones through a program called ECO-CELL. Why? Because making cell phones uses a material called Coltan. This material is mostly mined in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. This mining destroys the homes of gorillas, elephants, okapi, and other animals. When you recycle your old phone at the zoo, the zoo gets a donation for its conservation fund.

Fun Events at the Zoo

Safari Nights is a concert series held on Saturday nights during the summer.

Zoo To Do is the zoo's yearly fundraising party. Guests can see animals, enjoy food from top Dallas chefs, bid on auction items, and dance.

Dollar Day happens twice a year, once in July and once in November. On these days, admission to the zoo is only $1! You can also find $1 deals on food, drinks, and gifts.

Zoo Lights is the zoo's Christmas celebration. Visitors can drive through a one-mile trail with over a million lights. Many of the lights are shaped like zoo animals!

What's New and Coming Soon?

Hippos playing in the water

In Spring 2017, hippos returned to the zoo for the first time in 15 years! This was with the opening of the Simmons Hippo Outpost. This 3.5-acre habitat cost $13.5 million to build. It's home to four Nile hippos: one male (Gus) and three females (Boipelo, Addy, and Kalo). The habitat has a viewing deck and an underwater area where you can watch the hippos swim.

The Dallas Zoo also plans to build a Conservation Education & Science Center. This 70,400 square foot building will be a teaching lab for learning about world ecology. It will include research and teaching areas, and will become the new main entrance to the zoo. This project is still being designed and needs funding.

Getting to the Zoo

The closest DART train station is Dallas Zoo on the Red Line line. The zoo is also served by DART bus routes 19, 515, and 522.

Every Monday and Tuesday, from March through December, the zoo offers $2 off admission. Just show your DART pass from the same day at the ticket booth!

Images for kids

• 

  The Wilds of Africa Adventure Safari Monorail, which closed in 2020.