Dallas-Fort Worth Trip

nczoofan

nczoofan

Well-Known Member
5+ year member
Hey. I am visiting Dallas-Fort Worth in just a couple weeks. I have since moving to Texas always wanted to visit and now I have the opportunity. This will be largely a zoo trip, although I am balancing it out with other stuff to do. The three zoos I plan on visiting are the Dallas Zoo, Fort Worth Zoo, and Dallas World Aquarium. As well I will be visiting the Fort Worth Botanic Gardens as they have some plant species I am interested in.

I would love to get some advice on visiting these three zoos (especially in regards to their bird collections). I am gonna have nearly four days, so plenty of time to enjoy the region. I would also love some advice on the best museums in the area, birding spots, or just cool areas of the cities to walk around. Thanks.
 
No advice really, just enjoy your trip :) I did those three a couple of years ago, when I visited a friend who lived between the two cities. This was right after the first phase of Africa opened at Ft Worth.
 
nczoofan said:
Hey. I am visiting Dallas-Fort Worth in just a couple weeks. I have since moving to Texas always wanted to visit and now I have the opportunity. This will be largely a zoo trip, although I am balancing it out with other stuff to do. The three zoos I plan on visiting are the Dallas Zoo, Fort Worth Zoo, and Dallas World Aquarium. As well I will be visiting the Fort Worth Botanic Gardens as they have some plant species I am interested in.

I would love to get some advice on visiting these three zoos (especially in regards to their bird collections). I am gonna have nearly four days, so plenty of time to enjoy the region. I would also love some advice on the best museums in the area, birding spots, or just cool areas of the cities to walk around. Thanks.
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I'm hoping to go to Texas at some point in the future as well and hope to see some of the ranches with exotics as well. I used to want to go to DWA but since they got rid of the Jabiru Storksits not on my must see list anymore. I hope you have a great trip. I can't wait to see the Fort Worth Zoo!
 
I went to DWA a few years back, it is a good facility IMO. Dallas has a good transit network, you can stay outside of down town to save some cash and ride the train in to DWA and the zoo. Get to DWA early if you can, I was there at opening and had the place largely to myself.
 
SwampDonkey said:
I went to DWA a few years back, it is a good facility IMO. Dallas has a good transit network, you can stay outside of down town to save some cash and ride the train in to DWA and the zoo. Get to DWA early if you can, I was there at opening and had the place largely to myself.
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Got an Airbnb just like 1.5 miles north of DWA. So walking distance to there. Might take light rail to the zoo. Obviously gonna drive over to Fort Worth though.
 
nczoofan said:
Might take light rail to the zoo.
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I took the light rail to Dallas Zoo, it's only a short ride from the city centre and the station is just across the street from the Zoo entrance.

For the zoo, I'd recommend going to the Reptile House first, mostly for the Tutara but it's also just a great building. The bird collection is nothing too crazy, although the Harpy Eagles are really nice (DWA and Fort Worth also have them). Not sure how useful this is for you but binoculars are really useful at DWA; a lot of the free-flying birds live near the top of the building.

Non-zoo wise, Dallas's Natural History museum is quite nice and the historical downtown is also worth walking through. Hope you have a great trip!
 
I was wondering how long people would estimate a zoo nerd would take at the three zoos? I will do each on its own day, but wonder what I can do after the zoos. I will likely spend extra time with birds, ungulates, and elephants though.
 
TZDugong said:
I took the light rail to Dallas Zoo, it's only a short ride from the city centre and the station is just across the street from the Zoo entrance.

For the zoo, I'd recommend going to the Reptile House first, mostly for the Tutara but it's also just a great building. The bird collection is nothing too crazy, although the Harpy Eagles are really nice (DWA and Fort Worth also have them). Not sure how useful this is for you but binoculars are really useful at DWA; a lot of the free-flying birds live near the top of the building.

Non-zoo wise, Dallas's Natural History museum is quite nice and the historical downtown is also worth walking through. Hope you have a great trip!
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Its been almost two years since I have been to a natural history museum (Thanks covid). To be honest I miss dinosaurs, so I might have to make a visit one afternoon.
 
Dallas takes the longest, I'd say 4-5, especially with the fantastic elephant exhibit and plethora of birds. Fort Worth a bit less, but it's difficult to give a good estimate based on the construction being different from my visit. DWA really depends on how busy it is and how much time you want to devote to looking for (and possibly IDing) bird species. On the very short end I'd say 90 minutes, but you could probably be there open-close and not get bored, as well.
 
Dallas and Fort Worth Zoo can take up to a full day. Dallas Aquarium maybe half a day. Re the elephants you can spend a long time on the deck Dallas has watching the elephants walk buy, it’s very nice. Dallas it’s possible to get around largely using the DART train system while Fort Worth will have you be much car dependent.

Fort Worth’s art museums are pretty top notch. You got Six Flags for an amusement park in Arlington. If you want BBQ, stay on the Fort Worth side. I’m a big fan of Denton north of both cities, think “what if Austin was a suburb?”

I’m originally from Houston, now live in Austin, but went to college in Denton; it’s been a bit since I’ve been to the metroplex but it’s fun. Dallas is more proper (high class); Fort Worth is more fun and country, check out the stockyards, you may even see cattle go down the street as they unload some days.
 
TinoPup said:
Dallas takes the longest, I'd say 4-5, especially with the fantastic elephant exhibit and plethora of birds. Fort Worth a bit less, but it's difficult to give a good estimate based on the construction being different from my visit. DWA really depends on how busy it is and how much time you want to devote to looking for (and possibly IDing) bird species. On the very short end I'd say 90 minutes, but you could probably be there open-close and not get bored, as well.
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Is the bird collection really that big at Dallas? I know they are scattered around but tbh did not think much of it. I expect to take a lot of time at DWA, so gonna leave at least 4 hours for it. Will bring my binoculars as well to help ID birds.
 
nczoofan said:
Is the bird collection really that big at Dallas? I know they are scattered around but tbh did not think much of it. I expect to take a lot of time at DWA, so gonna leave at least 4 hours for it. Will bring my binoculars as well to help ID birds.
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It's bigger than the average zoo that doesn't have a bird-specific building, and several of their species are uncommon in zoos. There's several walk-through aviaries, Wings of Wonder row, lots of cranes and storks and vultures, several ponds.

At Fort Worth, make sure to take the train, it's the only way to see the secretary birds.
 
TinoPup said:
It's bigger than the average zoo that doesn't have a bird-specific building, and several of their species are uncommon in zoos. There's several walk-through aviaries, Wings of Wonder row, lots of cranes and storks and vultures, several ponds.

At Fort Worth, make sure to take the train, it's the only way to see the secretary birds.
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Cool. Sounds like a nice collection. To be honest I grew up going to the Bronx Zoo, so I have been spoiled in regards to the size of certain bird collections :D

If I have time I'll take the train. Luckily San Antonio just put Secretary birds back on display, so I get to see the species regularly up close.
 
nczoofan said:
Cool. Sounds like a nice collection. To be honest I grew up going to the Bronx Zoo, so I have been spoiled in regards to the size of certain bird collections :D

If I have time I'll take the train. Luckily San Antonio just put Secretary birds back on display, so I get to see the species regularly up close.
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Jealous :P It actually saves you time, the zoo is one really long loop but the front walking part, where the train goes, is pretty much all eateries, picnic tables, and bathrooms, except for the red-crowned cranes.
 
There's the Fort Worth Zoo, the Botanic Gardens, the Nature Center, the Stockyards, Downtown, the Water Gardens, the Museum of Science and History, the Modern Art Museum, the Kimbell, the Amon Carter, the Cowgirl Museum, there's a SeaQuest at Ridgmar Mall, the Palace of Wax...I don't know much about Dallas save for the zoo, the aquarium, and their Botanic Gardens.

By the way, Wednesday is half price day at the Fort Worth Zoo. Which means you should either pick that day to save money, or avoid it so there's less of a crowd.
 
I saw about Wednesday. So am gonna definitely avoid that day for Fort Worth. I am fine paying full price, its not expensive compared to other zoos I have visited (plus zoos need every dollar right now). I am gonna try pairing the FW Zoo and botanic gardens. The botanic gardens have the nations largest begonia collection. I grow about a dozen species and absolutely love them, so am excited for that. The botanic gardens open 8am-6pm (talk about good hours), so will either go before or after the zoo which is open 10-5pm. Seems like a whole bunch of other things to do as well in FW.
 
Visiting this week. Lots of rain and storms expected so this'll be interesting. Gonna make the best of it though and have plenty of time in the reptile houses, any time a front moves through :rolleyes: Not the best of zoos in regards to indoor attractions though.
 
nczoofan said:
Visiting this week. Lots of rain and storms expected so this'll be interesting. Gonna make the best of it though and have plenty of time in the reptile houses, any time a front moves through :rolleyes: Not the best of zoos in regards to indoor attractions though.
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Dallas in particular has lots of indoor viewing areas dotted around, though that's more to provide AC and seating in the heat :D
 
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