The return of Dollar Days Presented by Amazon. Tickets are required to be purchased online in advance and will not be available for purchase onsite. A $10 parking fee will be collected at the admission booths at the Zoo.
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Back in June, I purchased online our family tickets for the July 21, 2022 day and I am glad that we did. The weather was certainly warm, a nice breeze and there was an overcast.
Expect to see extra zoo volunteers present at exhibits to help with foot traffic and point out where the animals are hanging out. There are two shows at the amphitheater at 11am and 1pm for approximately 15 minutes. If the sun is out you may want to wear a big floppy hat or bring an umbrella because the majority of people do not want to sit down in the direct Texas heat. Or get there early to take a seat under the limited shaded area.
Which Zoo Exhibits Should I Go See First?
For early morning arrivals that enter from the main entrance we recommend to go towards the Tunnel to the Wilds of Africa. Then south to the Giants of the Savanna. Go back through the Tunnel to the Children’s Zoo then follow the pathway to Zoo North and south again towards the entrances.
Dallas Zoo Map 2022
One of the advantages of coming early and limited ticket sale days. There is plenty of room to walk the paths and there are not much overcrowding at various exhibits.
The Birds Are Back!
The penguin colony had returned and we watched their first moments to dive into the water. Our son Corban (7) says, “That’s my favorite animal and I’m happy they are back.”
We noticed that most of the morning the animals were quite lively, like the cheetahs, alligators, chimps, hippos and many more!
The hippos were quite entertaining and gave us a good show near the glass. The Hippo Outpost is a good spot to go to the restroom, cool off and of course learn about the life of semi-aquatic mammals.
Walking through the aviary around to the Chimpanzee Forest was very peaceful. It was like we had the entire zoo to ourselves. The winding path through a canopy of trees and we spent quite some time looking for the silverbacks. When we came upon them before the research station they were certainly looking for shade themselves. It looked like they were enjoying a nice healthy breakfast of lettuce, a vegetable medley and watermelon.
The Dallas Zoo coordinated the day pretty well for the friendly zoo volunteers to direct traffic to enter the Gorilla exhibit by going through the Wilds of Africa Plaza. Which is a great idea so that it limits the bottlenecks at the exit area.
Passed the Predator Encounter we spotted a frozen dessert pushcart vendor. We bought mango, strawberry and lime flavored paleta ice creams from the pushcart for $5 each each. The sales person was able to take cash and credit card. That was a nice convenience. We found some shade under a palm thatched roof with benches. The view was perfect to watch the elephants, ostriches and zebras roam.
As we headed for the Giraffe Feeding Station to spend $6 for a bushel of lettuce. Each of my kids were able to treat the giraffe with some lettuce. Although, they were not able to touch him it is really a beautiful moment to watch your children’s reaction. My daughter Nic Nic (5) wanted me to share with you that the mango flavored paleta is her favorite and that you should try it too!
After a needed potty break at the Serengeti Grill, my kids were so ecstatic to see the three lionesses just so close to the glass. It is certainly a sight to see.
We headed back to the Main Entrance to ride the carousel for a $4 pp and then the kids got to feel high winds in a hurricane closet for $2.00. The tube is located just before you cross the Flamingo Bridge. The pink flamingos were peaceful to watch as they chilled in their pond and across the shorelines. Lots of ducks were nestled in the grass quite close to the fence just watching us silly humans.
What Are the Dallas Children Zoo Attractions?
The Children’s Zoo has a babbling brook that many parents let their kids run free through the water or splash around. Come prepared with a towel and change of clothes. If not, try to avoid the slide or any of the play stations because they will be inevitably wet. The Birds Landing is a good spot to watch the birds fly or perch. They try to limit amount of people to enter at a time in the enclosed area. Around the corner is a light wooded path to see the naked mole rats in the Underzone. There is a little tunnel system that small children can enter and pop their heads in a bubble to get a closer view of the animals in their enclosure. Those particular animals have super sensitive ears so try to be respectful of how loud you and your guests are.
There is a giant koi tank with an underwater viewing window. You can pet the alpacas and a variety of barnyard animals with their handlers present.
Where To Have Lunch At The Zoo?
Lunch at the Prime Meridian or the Serengeti Grill serves the same type of food (burgers, pizza, chicken tenders, fries, etc.) The only difference is really finding a table to sit. The Prime Meridian has more air conditioned space and there is also a wrap around outdoor patio. Nearby is The Grove where you can also take your food to go to sit on the wooden benches in the shade or enjoy a family-size picnic. They do hand you buzzers to let you know when your food is ready. Also be mindful of the heat of the fries. If they are cold let them know at the pickup window and they will replace them. The zoo collector cups offer lids with a small opening.
The Tiger Viewing Building has some information where you can learn about the life of a tiger. There is a tiger skeleton in a glass enclosure. Trying to find the twin cubs was a bit of a bummer. BUT when you go around the fence line with the bamboo. You may be able to see through the reeds one or more tigers in the shade.
It’s always a good day to check out the otters. The Otter Outpost features a water enclosure to an open wooded area where you can see a variety of them show off their personalities. You may catch a few of them having a cuddle party.
Herpetarium
My daughter Vivi (5) really liked the variety of turtles that were there. She expressed that they were not as slow as portrayed in storybooks and she wanted to take one home as a pet. There is a separate enclosure to view a special type of alligator just to the right passed the entrance. Bearded dragons, iguanas, spiders, snakes and more are viewable with lots of informational displays to learn more about each of them. Hopefully, when you visit the Herpetarium building the air conditioning will be running efficiently. It can definitely get quite warm in there.
The giant anteater is always a good exhibit to visit. Sloths and giant tortoises have quite an interesting area to walk around and it is mostly shaded. You could probably have a staring contest with a couple of tortoises and be in awe of how long they do not flinch. There is an entire row of birds and one is a condor. That bird is certainly fascinating to see in person. I certainly wouldn’t want to be his prey.
Just passed the Birds of Wonder there is a tiny cottage that is filled with all sort of bugs! Definitely a place to see some creepy crawlies and learn where you may find them in the state of Texas.
I’m sure dollar days was a complete madhouse in the past. It was a warm day and it was probably one of our best visits to Dallas Zoo as a family outing. In the morning, our kiddos were so eager and convincing of how they were going to watch Darla the tiger, Bluey and Pandy–somehow we ended up carrying them all. OH and Vivi’s Barbie’s plastic purse too! Daddy really loved holding on to all of that gear. Next time, we will have to bring a singular backpack that Jason will need to wear. One last thing, if you forget bandaids or you run out for those preppers out there the Information Booth stations will have complimentary bandaids available.
Check out my IG reel below. Tell me what is your go to back pack that you like to take to hold your kids stuffed animals or toys in the comments.
Photo Cover Credit: Adrienne Balkum | Vivi (5) visiting the Giraffe Feeding Station