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Heading to Dallas for the weekend and have a question about the Zoo and Aquarium! (self.Dallas)

submitted ago by Fritoontheradio

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Hey /r/Dallas! The wife and I are spending our Memorial Day weekend in your fine city and I want to take her to the Zoo. My question is, though, which do you prefer: The Dallas Zoo or the Ft. Worth Zoo? We'll probably only have time to hit one, so I want to choose the one you citizens think is the best.

Also, I'm a big aquarium geek and it looks like the Dallas World Aquarium is the place to check out, but are there any others in the DFW area that I'm missing?

Thanks!

Edit: WOW! You all are awesome! So many great suggestions and perspectives on which one to go to. I'll show this to my wife and we'll decide, but it looks like a for sure on the Dallas World Aquarium and we'll probably make the drive out to the Ft. Worth Zoo. We're staying in Las Colinas, so we're fairly centrally located. Thanks again for all the suggestions and any additional ones that come in!

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[–]AdamOasCarrollton 7 points8 points ago

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We have season passes to the Dallas World Aquarium. It's much more zoo than aquarium. There are a number (10 or so) large aquariums in the basement, plus a number more in random places (mundo maya I think) a large wall that is the main lagoon in the middle of the place and a shark tank that has a walk through tunnel. It is a great place but a touch spendy.

[–]Fritoontheradio[S] 1 point2 points ago

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I checked out their website and it still looks cool regardless. Are there any other aquariums in the area or is that the only one?

Edit: Have you checked out the aquarium at the Grapevine mall? Better/worse? Thanks for the reply!

[–]marfalightDallas 0 points1 point ago

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I think there is a children's aquarium in fair park (which is home to the incredible Museum of Science and Natural History), but the World Aquarium is incredible. I could go there all day, everyday if I could. :) I think I spent an hour just watching the manatees and sloths one time. I love both of the zoos, but I'd go to the aquarium over them any day.

[–]Fritoontheradio[S] 2 points3 points ago

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Very cool. The DWA looks to be the type that you can get really close to the animals and I like the idea of the look and layout. I think we'll definitely check this out. Thanks for the info!

[–]logandjAddison 0 points1 point ago

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You'll definitely get close to the birds at DWA. One might even land on you.

[–]ChrisadactylDowntown Dallas 1 point2 points ago

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Definitely check out the Dallas World Aquarium! I was there on Sunday and I love that place! The Fort Worth Zoo is supposed to be really great as well.

[–]Herschey 6 points7 points ago

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Dallas Zoo just added a "Giants of the Savanna", a $30 million dollar addition in Spring of 2010. It adds a naturalistic landscape with giraffes, elephants, ostriches, zebras, warthogs, and other animals all together in the same enclosure. They even have feeding times several times a day in which you can stand head level on a bridge to hand feed lettuce leafs to the giraffes. They will even let children pet the giraffes. A very nice improvement to this zoo. Do a search for "Giants of the Savanna" and see for yourself if this is something you would like to see. Ft. Worth Zoo is nice and nicer than the older part of the Dallas Zoo. But the new "Giants of the Savanna" of the Dallas Zoo is nice too.

I have been to the aquarium at Grapevine Mall. It is small and will take you only about one to two hours to go through depending on how quickly you walk through it. Feels like a place for a kids' birthday party as it is right next door to Legoland. Go to the Dallas World Aquarium, it is much bigger and nicer. You will like the rainforest experience with the waterfall at the Dallas World Aquarium.

Fossil Rim Wildlife Center in Glen Rose, Texas, about an hour drive Southwest of Ft. Worth, is another place I would recommend if you like the safari type experience. You can drive through with your own vehicle or take tours on open-air vehicles to view wildebeasts, addoxs, gazelles, blackbucks, waterbucks, antelopes, bongos, rhinos, and other animals. They offer different types of tours and different prices and a cup of feed to feed the animals.

http://www.fossilrim.org/

There is a big cat sanctuary in Bridgeport, Texas called "CARE" - Center for Animal Research and Education. About an hour drive Northwest of Ft. Worth. They have about 50 tigers, white tigers, lions, leopards, snow leopards, and other big cats. You get to walk right up next to their enclosures, standing just a foot in front of them. If you decide to go to this, take a bag of thawed chicken legs and kitchen tongs. They will let you hand feed most all of the big cats by poking the chicken legs through the fences using kitchen tongs. No cost to go see this. Donations only. Allow visitors on Saturday and Sunday only. Last time I went was several months ago when they had a 9 weeks old baby lion that was born there. I got to hold the baby lion briefly. Probably about 16-18 weeks old now. Not sure if they will still let you hold him at this age. They don't sell drinks or food there. So bring bottled water or other type of drinks.

http://bigcatcare.org/

[–]Fritoontheradio[S] 1 point2 points ago

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Awesome! Thanks for all the insights and links...I'll be checking these out for sure. I really appreciate it!

[–]Herschey 1 point2 points ago

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I will add that in Dallas there is a DART rail that goes all around Dallas. You can park at one of the stations and ride the DART rail to the Dallas Zoo, Dallas Fair Park (Museums are here), and the Dallas World Aquarium. The DART rail stops right in front of the gate at the Dallas Zoo and Dallas Fair Park. To get to the Dallas World Aquarium, get off at the West End station. It is about 1 or 2 block walk. You can park at the Mockingbird station or any of the other stations, pay $4 for a day pass. It will save you about $5-$10 each in parking fees if you park at the Dallas Zoo, Fair Park, or Dallas World Aquarium. Maybe not much savings, but nice that you can ride the rail, not worry about directions or traffic, and that it stops directly in front of the gate at several of these places. You can do a half day at one place, ride rail, and do half a day at another place.

No one mentioned what Dallas Fair Park has to offer. There is multiple museums there. There is the Dallas Museum of Natural History, The Science Place, and Dallas Children's Museum. Three different buildings - Nature Building, Science Building, and Planetarium. Also, there is the African American Museum, Texas Discovery Gardens, as well as the Children's Aquarium.

[–]Fritoontheradio[S] 1 point2 points ago

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Good to know. Thanks again!

[–]MrTovsonCoppell 3 points4 points ago

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After the FW Zoo, check out the FW Botanical gardens. I haven't been to most of it but it's free and very close to FW Zoo. Pay a little $$ to go to the Japanese garden. Very serene & tranquil unless there's construction. Being quarters for food stations to feed hundreds of koi.

[–]Fritoontheradio[S] 0 points1 point ago

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Nice! We may just do that!

[–]jesuswigFort Worth 2 points3 points ago

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Ft worth Zoo is one big loop. You can walk it, see everything. They have also added some shows that might be worth the trip. The only great thing about the Dallas Zoo is you can feed giraffes. The newish giraffe pen has a little hut right next to it where you can buy treats for the animal. You get to stand right over the pen, and the giraffe will come up and eat right out of your hand.

Dallas World Aquarium is well worth your time. Again, built like one big loop so you start at top, and work your way to bottom, seeing most everything. If you find yourself in Grapevine Mills, you can skip that aquarium. They have changing exhibits, but it feels very cramped and when I went (after it first opened) there was not very much. I have not been since, but my fiance and I were not very impressed.

[–]scotty2012Bedford 11 points12 points ago

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Ft. Worth zoo is way better. The Dallas zoo is a sad place I think.

[–]Fritoontheradio[S] 0 points1 point ago

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If I may, what is it about the Ft. Worth Zoo that you find better than the Dallas Zoo? Size? Exhibits? Variety of animals? Layout? Thanks!

[–]scotty2012Bedford 0 points1 point ago

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All of the above. The whole place is just better designed, it's larger, cleaner and better maintained.

[–]Fritoontheradio[S] 0 points1 point ago

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Got it. Thank you!

[–]StinsonBeachFrisco 0 points1 point ago

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LIke everyone else says, and pretty much like you've said in your edit, the Fort Worth Zoo is a world class Zoo. The Dallas Zoo, well it's better than it used to be, but really it's what I would call a "3-hour Zoo." It's a lot like San Antonio's Zoo, than the big zoos like you would see in San Diego or Chicago or something. Fort Worth's is on par with those larger Zoos, and you won't be disappointed.

Also, enjoy your stay in Las Colinas. Here is some unsolicited dining advice: Might I recommend going to 7 Salsas if you like Mexican food. Across the parking lot from it is I Heart Pho, also awesome. Really, most of the good eateries are in that area, although there are some other good places in the area, a decent hole-in-the-wall Thai place as well, whose name I don't remember, but it's not Blue Ginger.

[–]Fritoontheradio[S] 1 point2 points ago

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Thanks for the suggestion! We love mexican food, so I'm always excited to hear about good restaurants. We've done Pappasito's and El Fenix, and we'll try to hit 7 Salsas while we're there!

[–]not_mrs_wade 2 points3 points ago

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I feel like the aquarium is more of a jungle. It's definitely cool, though. And generally people like the FW zoo better.

[–]Fritoontheradio[S] 0 points1 point ago

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If I may, what is it about the Ft. Worth Zoo that you find better than the Dallas Zoo? Size? Exhibits? Variety of animals? Layout? Thanks!

[–]darkpaladinAddison 1 point2 points ago

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The FW Zoo is bigger and newer than the Dallas Zoo. The Dallas zoo recently installed an african safari type exhibit but about half of the zoo is still the old school "Animals in cages" type experience. That part of the zoo is just depressing.

[–]Fritoontheradio[S] 0 points1 point ago

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Thanks for the info!

[–]not_mrs_wade 0 points1 point ago

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Here are some responses to that question from a variety of people: http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080214161731AA3Ego8

[–]Fritoontheradio[S] 0 points1 point ago

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Awesome! Thanks for the link...looking like Ft. Worth Zoo may be the way to go.

[–]Herschey 0 points1 point ago

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The comments and reviews here are from four years ago. Does not include any comments about the new addition of the "Giants of the Savanna" at the Dallas Zoo in Spring 2010, a $30 million dollar improvement. So keep that in mind.

[–]StinsonBeachFrisco 0 points1 point ago

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Yeah, I tell people I went to the Dallas Zoo, and they are like "Why?" It's much better than it was before, probably 200% larger, with some cooler animals and stuff. It's still not on par with Ft. Worth Zoo though. So for out of towners, I would say go to Fort Worth Zoo.

[–]sheisaevalGrapevine 2 points3 points ago

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Fort worth if I HAD to pick one of those two, but I would much prefer to go to Fossil Rim if you want to see animals. It's much more fun and you can see animals closeup.

It is a bit farther though

[–]rotinom 1 point2 points ago

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FW zoo FTW. It's one of the top 5 in the nation IIRC.

[–]x52495 0 points1 point ago

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The Science Place in either Dallas or Ft Worth!