Fort Worth Zoo

The Fort Worth Zoo is one of the great American zoos — and it's only 35 minutes from downtown Dallas. Consistently ranked in the Top 5 zoos in the United States by both experts and visitors, it offers a level of habitat quality and exhibit design that genuinely rivals the best zoos in the country.

The Texas Wild! section is the zoo's signature achievement: a collection of immersive Texas landscape habitats that walk visitors through the state's diverse ecosystems — from coastal wetlands to desert to Hill Country — each populated with native Texas wildlife. It's educational and visually stunning, and kids emerge with a genuine sense of how varied Texas's natural landscape actually is.

The Museum of Living Art (MOLA) is the most impressive reptile facility in the region. A climate-controlled building housing over 100 reptile species in naturalistic displays, MOLA doesn't feel like a typical 'snake room' — it feels like a reptile research institution. Kids who are even mildly interested in reptiles will be riveted.

The African Savanna area offers giraffe feeding (a fan favorite), elephant encounters, and a genuine sense of African landscape that rivals much larger zoo facilities. The rhino habitat and great apes area round out a truly world-class collection.

For families logistically, the zoo is well-organized with trams available for tired legs, multiple food options throughout the grounds, nursing rooms at guest services, and stroller rental at the entrance. The size is substantial — plan three to five hours for a thorough visit.

For DFW families debating between the Dallas Zoo and Fort Worth Zoo, many who've done both consider Fort Worth the superior experience. The exhibits are newer, the habitats more immersive, and the overall design more intentional. Both are worth visiting, but if you can only do one, Fort Worth is the choice.