Fort Worth Zoo: Review

The Fort Worth Zoo is located on Colonial Dr, just off of South University Dr, near I 30 East in Fort Worth. Texas.

Admission and Hours of Operation

From February 21^st to October 16^th, the Fort Worth Zoo is open every day, from 10:00AM to 5:00PM. Winter hours are 10:00AM to 4:00PM daily.

It costs $12.00 for adults, $8.00 for kids ages 3 to 12, $7.00 for seniors 65 or older, and infants and toddlers (two or under) are free. It also costs $5.00 to park, per vehicle.

(Check the Fort Worth Zoo website for up to date hours and price of admission as they change based on season; the link to the website is listed under resources).

Highlights and review of Fort Worth Zoo

As I sat down to write this review I wondered how exactly do you review a Zoo? Aren't they pretty much all the same? Does the experience really vary that much from one zoo to another?

Turns out not all zoos are created equally. Fortunately my experience with the Fort Worth Zoo was a superior one.

There's something about going to a zoo that makes me feel like a kid again. Perhaps it's that renewed sense of wonder and awe of seeing and watching animals that we don't encounter in person on a daily basis. But there was something more about the Fort Worth Zoo that ignited that child like spark in me.

Immediately upon entering the Zoo grounds, I was filled with excitement over the jungle like architecture, structure, and landscape. It truly felt like going on a jungle adventure and spotting wild animals.

The massive primate exhibit was one of the first places we visited and by far one of the most impressive. With a giant tree in the center sitting atop cliffs, and tumbling waterfalls and vines, I was amazed. There were at least two massive silver back gorillas and several smaller female gorillas to see.

In another section of the exhibit were orangutans, baboons, chimpanzees and other monkeys swinging around and having a good time. I think we spent at least a half an hour in the primate exhibit alone.

Another one of my favorite animals to see was the black rhino. There are excellent views from above and below the animals living area. While we were there, the black rhino put on quite a show, kicking his large bouncy ball around, diving into the water for a swim, and pushing the ball around with his snout.

I was also impressed with the tiger exhibit, with its large cliffs, streams, and waterfalls. The tiger exhibit also has a white tiger.

An interesting feature of the Fort Worth Zoo that I've never seen at another zoo is the old Western town. Here they have old buildings that house make shift jails and shops. Some of the old western buildings are actually restaurants, gift shops, and other places you can go into to shop or enjoy a treat. My favorite was the ice cream parlor.

Some of the restaurants available are Pizza Hut, Dickey's BBQ, and Grandy's. I'm not a huge fan of fast food, so I wasn't that impressed with the food choices. But the Western town was quite amusing, and also provided a petting zoo for kids.

Some of the other animals you can expect to see at the Fort Worth Zoo are, Lions, Zebras, Flamingos and other birds, black bears, hippos, giraffes, kangaroos, and many, many more. I can honestly say you will not be bored by the variety of animals to see at the Fort Worth Zoo.

It's a fairly large Zoo, so you'll want to make sure you allow yourself at least four hours to see everything, and even more time if you have children with you and will be stopping to eat during your visit.

Prices on food and souvenirs are a little high. I paid over $10.00 for a personal pizza, bread sticks, and a fountain drink. You can find some things in the gift shops that aren't too pricy, but if you want anything like a T-Shirt, hat, or hoody you're going to pay around $15 - $30.

It can definitely get a little pricy, but it's an amazing zoo and definitely somewhere you'll want to visit if you're in the Dallas Fort Worth area.

Location and Contact Info

Fort Worth Zoo
1989 Colonial Pkwy
Fort Worth, TX 76110

Phone number to call for information: 817-759-7555

Link to Fort Worth Zoo website is listed under resources.