Zoos in Texas

Texas has nearly thirty listed zoos, ranging from major city institutions to small private parks and sanctuaries. Dallas Zoo, established in 1888 on 106 acres in Marsalis Park, is AZA-accredited, as are Fort Worth Zoo (1909), San Antonio Zoo (1914) and Houston Zoo (1922). Smaller AZA-accredited zoos serve regional cities, including Abilene Zoological Gardens on 16 acres, Cameron Park Zoo in Waco, Caldwell Zoo in Tyler and El Paso Zoo in the far west. Gladys Porter Zoo in Brownsville anchors the Rio Grande Valley near the southern tip of the state. In the Hill Country, Austin Zoo is a rescue-focused zoo accredited by the Zoological Association of America, and Longneck Manor offers tours and overnight stays, and The Preserve, both near Fredericksburg, takes advance reservations.