One of the local attractions we visit most often is the Dallas Zoo, and with Lily seeming to have a different favorite animal we visit, it never gets old.  A lot of DFW locals overlook the zoo, thinking it has been crammed into a small downtown space, so it’s not uncommon to find the perception that it isn’t as extensive as some of its other area counterparts (namely, the Fort Worth Zoo).  We found it to be quite the opposite, though – having visited what most think is the gold standard of zoos in San Diego, the Dallas Zoo actually holds its own quite well, and for us, the smaller footprint makes it easier to navigate with a toddler.

As we try to do with our other posts, we’ve put together some of our favorite tips and tricks to help you enjoy and maximize your visit to the Zoo.  To do so, here are some answers to some of the bigger questions you might ask before your visit.

How much does it cost?

This one is the most obvious, and candidly, you can look up the price pretty easily online. What you’re probably looking for here is whether or not the zoo is actually worth the price.  Our opinion?  Definitely.  We suggested as much in the introduction, but to elaborate: not only is the Dallas Zoo a top-quality zoo, but it very well may be the top attraction in DFW for kids between 2 and 6 years old.  Where it ranks on that list is an argument for another day (possibly in a later blog post – let us know if you’re interested in the comments), but suffice it to say, whether or not you’re paying the $8-$21 per person quoted on the website (or if you’re taking advantage of Dollar Days over the summer), we think the Dallas Zoo is definitely worth it.

For us, the question quickly became “is it a better deal to buy a membership?” And our answer was ultimately “Yes.”  Our first trip included both of us (Karen and Dallas), Lily, and a set of grandparents for total of five people.  Lily was free (she was under 2 for her first trip), but with a day’s entry for each of the adults at around $20 per person – and anticipating that we’d be visiting again relatively frequently in similar sized groups – we opted for the Family membership.  That membership costs $159 annually, and comes with 4 free admissions per day (plus a host of other benefits you can view here).

How should you plan your day?

When you enter the zoo, you very quickly come to a fork in the path: to the left, you’ll find the ‘Giants of the Savannah’ and ‘Wilds of Africa’ exhibits, and to the right, you’ll find the ‘Zoo North’ and Children’s Zoo sections. For which to visit first, it unsurprisingly depends on how you want to spend your day. The larger animals are generally in the ‘Giants of the Savannah’ exhibit — there you’ll find elephants, tigers, giraffes, and more. If you have a limited amount of time, this would likely to be the side to go to first. However, most visitors go to the left first; so if you’re looking to avoid those crowds, the path to the right might be your best bet as a starting point. ZooNorth and the Children’s Zoo also have the largest gathering spaces, so if you’re going for a planned event (birthday party, etc.), that’s likely where the group will be convening together.

What are the “can’t miss” attractions?

For this section, we tend to lean on Lily for her expertise, and there are two attractions in particular that she absolutely loves (and talks about going back to do regularly). Both are some of the more interactive things you can do: in the ‘Giants of the Savannah’ section, there is a giraffe feeding station, and in the Children’s Zoo area, there is an aviary for feeding a selection of birds. They each are a bit of an additional cost ($3-6 for a bundle of lettuce or carrots for the giraffes, and $2 per birdseed stick), but we consider both to be well worth it – we typically go straight to one or the other to start the day and avoid at least one line. It’s also worth noting that there is carousel immediately upon entry into the zoo, as well as a petting zoo (primarily featuring goats) in the Children’s section, but even though they stand out as attractions beyond the standard animal observation throughout the zoo, they’re also pretty similar to other carousels/petting zoos that you’ll see other places.

What should you eat at the zoo?

There are a number of places to eat at the Dallas Zoo, and although a lot of the food is pretty standard fare (burgers, chicken strips, sandwiches, personal pizzas, etc.), there are some items that stand out: the mac n’ cheese at Prime Meridian (their largest restaurant) is very good, and the chicken strips at the Coop on the Fly food truck – different from those at the other restaurants – are huge and come with a decent copycat version of Raising Cane’s sauce (which is a favorite in the Key household).

One potential cost-savings measure at the zoo, though, is the potential for guests to bring in their own food and drink. Not only are you allowed to do so, but they actively encourage it – just South of the Prime Meridien Cafe (in the Zoo North section of the zoo) is a large open air space with a large number of tables for family picnics. Although the food at the restaurant isn’t outrageously expensive, we certainly wouldn’t consider it to be cheap either, so packing a lunch could be an easy way to save money and some time on busier days.

Overall, the Dallas Zoo has become one of our absolute favorite places to visit in our “own backyard,” and it’s something that we would recommend to anyone that’s interested (especially for those who have kiddos to entertain). Rest assured, we’ll be visiting again soon, and we’ll always be sure to update this post with more tips and tricks along the way!