Zoo or Aquarium

Ft. Worth Zoo, Log Cabin Village, and Mayfest--goes on the first weekend in May. They are all around the same area.

The Dallas Zoo sucks but the Aquarium is awesome. A little expensive but well worth it. If you really want to go to the zoo it is worth the drive to FTW because that zoo is much better. In fact, it is rated one of the best zoos in the country. Have fun and go early becauase they both get packed.

I haven't been to the dallas zoo in years so I can't really give you feed back on that... the dallas aquarium, however, is a really neat experience, and it's indoors. We typically save THAT kind of a trip for when the weather is nasty so that we don't have to waste a beautiful day indoors.... the exhibits are wonderful but it's rather expensive for as fast as you can get through it...

We prefer the Ft. Worth Zoo over the Dallas Zoo.

The Dallas World Aquarium downtown is great, but expensive. I would recommend saving that for a really hot day during the summer since it is indoors. It won't take more than 2 hours to see everything either.

Hi R.,

They are both great places to take kids :) The Dallas Aquarium is VERY small and can be seen in an hour or less. It's a great place for toddlers/preschoolers, because there isn't as much chance that they can get lost, etc. Plus, since they have such short attention spans, they can handle the trip well.

The Dallas Zoo is also nice, but of course, you will need to plan to spend more time there. It is big, and in order to see everything, you can plan to spend several hours there.

If you choose the Dallas Aquarium, there are other nice museums right around it, so you could make a day out of it too. There is a wonderful science museum right there next to the aquarium, so you could plan to do both if your kids were up to it.

There is also a different aquarium in Dallas called the Dallas World Aquarium. This one is more like a zoo and is pretty big. Plan more time for that one if you decide to go there.

Have fun :)
E.

Regardless of where you go, I would advise Sunday over Saturday. I have a membership at FWZoo, but NEVER go on Saturdays because it is too crowded to be fun - that probably goes for Dallas as well. I also agree with the aquarium - don't waste money on Dallas Aquarium at Fair Park. Definately spring for the World Aquarium (again - go on a weekday or be the first in line on Sunday morning...)it is awesome - we go there once a year as a Dallas outing.

I disagree with the other posters about the Ft. Worth Zoo being better than the Dallas Zoo. The Ft. Worth Zoo is over-commercialized, and even though I live nearer to it than the Dallas Zoo, I drive the extra distance every time. We have maintained a family membership there since 1996. They have a great children's zoo, with a petting zoo, a huge aquarium of koi, a learning center, a place for the kids to bring things they have found (for example, rocks, leaves, seeds, whatever) and exchange for points to "buy" cool stuff other kids have brought in, a little running creek for the kids to splash in. They are also always putting in something new. One of the things I like best about the Dallas Zoo is their reciprocal program. As a member, we can get into the Dallas Aquarium & the Gladys Porter Zoo (in Brownsville) for free, the Fossil Rim Wildlife Park & Corpus Christi Texas State Aquarium for 50% off, and many more nationwide.

The Dallas Aquarium at Fair Park is okay as far as only aquariums go. The Dallas World Aquarium is much better, and is like an indoor zoo, as well as an aquarium. However, it is expensive for admission, but worth it, imo.

The Science Place at Fair Park is a great place to take the kids, too. The Dallas Museum of Art has a kids area, and good displays as long as you keep your kids at your side.

Hope this helps,
D.

Hi R.!

I am not sure where you are located but I prefer the Fort Worth Zoo to the Dallas one. FW is in a better area of town and the exhibits are wonderful. I was disapointed with the Dallas World Aquarium. The tickets were expensive and my son wasn't really interested in trying to find the animals in the jungle setting. Just my opinion.

PS - the FW Zoo has 1/2 price admission on Wednesdays so it is pretty crazy but a great value!

I don't know which Dallas Aquarium the other poster is talking about but the one that I've been to in Fair Park is terrible. It's a 5 minute deal and costs alot of money for so little.

The Dallas Zoo is "okay" but the other poster is correct... Ft. Worth Zoo is sooo much better and it's near the Botanical Gardens which are lovely right now.

The Dallas World Aquarium I hear is fantastic but it's not at Fair Park. They're in downtown.... http://www.dwazoo.com/default.html

There is a 5K Fun Run at the Fort worth Zoo this saturday , free admission to the park too..There is 1 mile for the kids as well..

I'm going!!

If you want to make it an entire day I would go to the Aquarium and the museums there at Fair Park. The Aquarium alone is small. Or you could go to the World Aquarium downtown which is fantastic. If you want a nice outing of a few hours the zoo. However, I would make the drive to the Fort Worth Zoo over the Dallas. It is great and easily will make a nice outing for the day.

Dallas Zoo all the way! We have been to both but for the kids, Dallas Zoo is the best. Our kids are 6,3 & 1 and they absolutely love it! Hope you all have fun-let us know which you do and how it was.

I have always heard the Ft Worth Zoo is better then the Dallas zoo. The Dallas Aquarium was great. It is sort of plants and amimals. Fun. Not sure if the kids would like the Aborteum. Lots of walking. It was aweful a few years ago as they were remodeling but it takes about three good years to get the plants back up. They do a lot of picture taking for weddings and once when I was there a couple got married by the pool as we all looked on and clapped when it was over.

R.,
The aquarium is wonderful. However, the Dallas Zoo leaves a lot to be desired. I grew up in Fort Worth and that zoo is AWESOME! It is rated in the top 5 in the nation. Well worth the drive which is really not too far. About 30 min. from Dallas. Have fun!
M.

I went to the Dallas Zoo a few weeks ago. It was okay but not near as nice as Fort Worth Zoo.

i would take them to the fort worth zoo is much bigger and i like a lot better than the dallas zoo

If you have any bug loving children go to Ft Worth. The Ft. Worth Zoo is having an Arachnatopia exhibit right now (a spider exhibit).
The Dallas Zoo is smaller and usually less crowded than the Ft. Worth Zoo. The Dallas zoo is less commercialized too. But the Ft Worth Zoo just looks better and more natural. It's bigger and has more animals. The animal habitats there look natural and they have more room to roam about. The paths are nicely planted and surrounded by natural looking structures (fake rock formations and wood decking and arbors) and meander amongst the various animal exhibits. There is also plenty of shade along the paths you can stop and rest in and animal statues the children can "ride" and get their pictures taken.
The last three times we have been to the Ft. Worth Zoo though the petting zoo was closed. Though they do have a toddler play area and a large sand box for little ones to play in. There is also a carousel and a better variety of foods to eat than at the Dallas Zoo. And of course the Train. It's the best zoo train I have ever been on.
RPocai

I would take them to the Dallas Aquarium, the Dallas Zoo is ok but at the Dallas aquarium they have so much more stuff than just fishes. It's like a rainforest in there, really beautiful. I like the Fort Worth Zoo alot better than the Dallas Zoo.

the zoo is not good - not compared to SD zoo. The Dallas World Aquarium is really nice - sort of like the Monterrey aquarium - not sure what part of Cali you're from. The Ft. worth zoo is much better that the dallas zoo and it should be really nice right now. There is also a wild safari drive thru in Glen Rose - south of Ft. worth and it is fun - close to the brazos river. There is also a dinosaur track area - and a place to go "archeological" digs for the kiddos. If your kids are older - they have a bike trail that goes thru the wildlife park. pretty cool

I agree with other posters- the Ft Worth Zoo is better than Dallas zoo. But if your choices are Dallas zoo or Dallas Aquarium in fair park, go to zoo. The Dallas World Aquarium downtown is so so so much better than Dallas Aquarium.

R.: The Dallas Aquarium is awesome. It is small but nice so it depends on how much time you want to spend. And actually, the Ft. Worth Zoo is tons better than the Dallas zoo so I would recommend it - plus they have an aquarium there. Good luck. Have fun.

L.

Hi R.! The Dallas World Aquarium is awesome! My 3 year old absloutely loves it. It's a little pricey ($24 for an adult ticket), but well worth it.

Fort Worth Zoo is top rated. We love it.

Hi R.,
I didn't check to see how many responses you had but we were recently at the Dallas Aquarium with my 20-month old and I found it difficult for her to engage in the exhibits. There were a few that were interesting...penguins....but she couldn't really see a lot of the other stuff. It seemed too expensive and a waste of money, in my opinion. Good luck figuring it all ou!
H.