Fort Worth Zoo

About Fort Worth Zoo

Fort Worth Zoo sits at 1989 Colonial Parkway in Fort Worth, Texas, and has been operating since 1909, making it one of the older continuously running zoos in the country. It is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums and currently houses over 540 species — 72 species of mammals, 148 species of birds, and 172 species of ectotherms — amounting to nearly 7,000 individual animals.

The zoo states its mission as strengthening the bond between humans and the environment by promoting responsible stewardship of wildlife, and it commits to providing diverse, high-quality educational and entertaining family experiences through effective management of its resources. Alongside that mission, the zoo names commitments to facilitating conservation and sound scientific research and to providing factual information that nurtures appreciation and respect for wildlife and the environment.

The zoo licenses part of its grounds, including the Toyota Children's Ranch and Petting Corral and the Hudson Foundation Kiddie Corral, as a daycare facility under the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services, a designation that applies to all buildings and grounds within the zoo's boundaries and carries its own set of visitor rules, including a ban on weapons anywhere on zoo property.

Exhibits and habitats

The zoo's most recently highlighted habitat is Predators of Asia & Africa, a reimagined big-cat exhibit described by the zoo as bringing visitors "nose-to-nose" with carnivores including African lions, Sumatran tigers, and clouded leopards. Elsewhere on the grounds, the zoo maintains a gorilla habitat — currently surrounded by a construction fence, with the troop remaining outdoors and visible through habitat windows during the work — and areas built around a fishing village theme, home to Asian elephants and greater one-horned rhinos, as reflected in the gift-shop offerings tied to those species.

Texas Town, a turn-of-the-century western-themed section of the zoo, houses the Bluebonnet Cafe dining area and General Store, while the Savanna Marketplace area is home to Safari Traders and the Savanna Grill, near meerkat and hippo habitats. A separate area holds gharial crocodiles, turtles, and a saltwater crocodile, viewable from the indoor and outdoor seating of the Crocodile Cafe. The zoo has also announced a coming Flamingos of Africa habitat.

The Zoo's animal population is spread among these themed areas along with additional standard habitat zones for its broader mammal, bird, and ectotherm collections, though the zoo's public materials name only a subset of specific exhibit areas alongside its species totals.

Animal highlights

Fort Worth Zoo lists at least 540 species on its website, broken out as 72 species of mammals, 148 species of birds, and 172 species of ectotherms — reptiles, amphibians, and fish that regulate body temperature externally — for a total population approaching 7,000 animals. Named residents in the zoo's own materials include African lions, Sumatran tigers, clouded leopards, Asian elephants, greater one-horned rhinos, gorillas, meerkats, hippos, gharial crocodiles, and a saltwater crocodile. The zoo has also reported a record-breaking hatch of eight critically endangered gharial crocodiles, along with news of a growing elephant herd.

Because the zoo's species count spans mammals, birds, and ectotherms in roughly equal measure, its bird collection is a substantial part of the total even though the zoo's currently listed exhibits and news emphasize its large mammals and reptiles most heavily.

Planning your visit

As listed on the zoo's website, hours run Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., with shortened hours of noon to 4 p.m. on Thanksgiving and Christmas Day and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on New Year's Day. The zoo offers a discount on admission every Wednesday. Tickets are valid for one visit within 30 days of purchase, and the zoo notes that a membership can pay for itself in as few as three visits.

A limited number of complimentary wheelchairs are available, and other rental items — including a double stroller at $15 plus tax per day and motorized scooters at $40 for an all-day rental — are located at Safari Supplies just inside the front gate; quantities are limited, a valid ID is required, and children may not ride ECVs together with adults. The zoo is designated a Certified Autism Center by the International Board of Credentialing and Continuing Education Standards, and a limited number of sensory bags — containing a weighted animal, noise-canceling headphones, fidget tools, and a communication board — are available for checkout at the Guest Relations office at the front of the zoo, along with a downloadable accessibility guide and map showing quiet zones.

Guests are welcome to bring their own picnic lunches and small coolers, though glass, alcohol, and single-use straws and lids are not permitted; a range of concession stands and sit-down dining spots are located throughout the park, including Pizza Hut, Dickey's Barbecue, the Ranch Grill, the Jungle Grill, and several ice cream and snack locations. Beyond the sit-down spots, smaller carts are scattered near individual habitats — Jambo Snacks by the cheetah habitat, Safari Snacks between the meerkat and hippo exhibits, Splash Snacks inside the splash park area, and Penguin Snacks and Monkey Business elsewhere on the main path — along with a Kona Ice truck and several shaded picnic areas marked on the zoo's map. Gift shops are spread through the park as well, including the Safari Shop at the front entrance, Safari Traders in the Savanna Marketplace, the General Store in Texas Town, and a candy shop, Toadally Texas Treats, near Texas Town's entrance.

Service animals are permitted throughout most of the park, with exceptions for the Toyota Children's Ranch and Petting Corral and the Hudson Foundation Kiddie Corral. Group visits of 15 or more people are eligible for discounted admission with a reservation at least a week in advance, and a $5 parking fee applies per vehicle except for full-size school or charter buses; groups of 50 or more, and companies or organizations with 300 or more employees or members, can arrange separate ticket programs through the zoo's Event Sales team. Pre-paid admission tickets, parking passes, and "zoo bucks" are also sold for gifting, valid through the end of the calendar year of purchase or, if bought in November or December, through the following year.

Because dates, hours, and prices are subject to change, visitors should confirm current details on the Fort Worth Zoo's official website or by phone before a visit.