Gladys Porter Zoo image

Gladys Porter Zoo

Tourist attraction Zoo

One of the Best Places To Visits in Brownsville


Address

500 E Ringgold St, Brownsville, TX 78520

Website

gladysporterzoo.org

Contact

(956) 546-7187

Rating on Google Maps

4.60 (7.8K reviews)

Open on Google Maps

Working Hours

  • Friday: 9 AM to 5 PM
  • Saturday: 9 AM to 5 PM
  • Sunday: 9 AM to 5 PM
  • Monday: 9 AM to 5 PM
  • Tuesday: 9 AM to 5 PM
  • Wednesday: 9 AM to 5 PM
  • Thursday: 9 AM to 5 PM

Featured Reviews


Frequently mentioned in reviews: animals (68) time (32) great (25) kids (22) clean (22) exhibits (20) nice (20) family (19) good (15) enjoyed (14)
Reviews are sorted by relevance, prioritizing the most helpful and insightful feedback at the top for easier reference.
  • 5/5 lizbeth f. 2 months ago on Google • 48 reviews New
    Haven’t been here in a long time and after coming with family it was a lot of fun. I see lots of upgrades that have been completed and others that seem to be in the works. Love to see that this Zoo is growing. Lots of animals and great facts and information about them.
    9 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Arthur G. 2 years ago on Google
    This place has plenty of animals and a few more new additions coming soon!, the petting zoo wasn't open, but I'm sure by the beginning of next year it will be up and running again. This place also has a children's playground, available for kids 4 years and older. You can expect to spend at least 3 hours here, including time for the concessions, and a quick 5-10 minute sit down. It's a very decent sized zoo, my son and wife loved it.
    9 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Jaelene B. 2 years ago on Google
    I usually have mixed feeling about zoo's. In this case, I was surprisingly impressed with almost every individual environment. Very clean with several waterfalls, and sensory items. Other than the black bear. That little guy needs more. So great job zoo! 👏
    9 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Chris P. B. 2 years ago on Google
    I was shocked how big this place was for a relatively small city like Brownsville. They have a variety of different animals from all corners of the world. Some you can encounter up close. Very nicely laid out and most animals were present and active. Gorilla enclosure is a must, just be careful, as you might get a surprise, won't tell what it is, it has to be experienced in person.
    7 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Gilbert R. 1 month ago on Google • 222 reviews New
    More animals than you think could fit in a small zoo. Had a wonderful time
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Steven E. 1 month ago on Google • 200 reviews New
    Gladys Porter Zoo is a world renown wildlife preserve! Because of its location it takes advantage of the natural subtropical climate that exists in the region. This climate makes it ideal for harboring the worlds exotic animals in open air exhibits! And for those of you that love exotic flora, the Gladys Porter Zoo is a contained botanical garden that showcases some of the worlds flora specimens as well as its fauna! Located in the heart of Brownsville, its stands as one of the city's iconic attractions! A Clear winner for the whole family! Certainly not to be missed if your in town! FunNote: Sit with Americas National Bird at the aviary and enjoy some ice cold beers to cool you off while you enjoy the magnificence of the American Bald Eagle. We enjoyed the winter Texas discount for out of state people.

  • 5/5 William B. 2 years ago on Google
    The best small zoo we have ever been to. You are real close to the animals and the grounds are well maintained. There are many animals we just don't get to see in Ohio. It's inexpensive and worth much more ththey charge.
    4 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 4/5 Jaime S. 1 year ago on Google
    Great zoo, to bad they did away with the elephant. Lots of construction going on for some new exhibits. Hope this zoo picks up new animals. Used to be a great zoo now it's just a zoo. They only had one tiger and 3 camels where the elephant used to be.we need a miracle for these animals. Will continue to visit and report how the progress is going.
    4 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Rick 2 years ago on Google
    The place is really amazing, the zoo is clean and there is a variety of animals to see, and there are animals you can touch and see up close like the giraffe or stingray. I highly recommend you to come to this Zoo, you will not be disappointed.
    3 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Shanna N. 1 year ago on Google
    Even though it was terribly hot outside, the zoo offered plenty of shady paths and places to cool off. The animal exhibits are wonderful and there were several air conditioned buildings including the aquarium and reptile buildings. The prices in the gift shop were reasonable and we really enjoyed our time here. Would definitely visit again!
    3 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Alicia L. 2 months ago on Google • 92 reviews New
    Very nice zoo. We had a great time. It was a little chilly so some of the animals weren't out but it still is a pretty zoo!
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Anouk A. 3 months ago on Google • 29 reviews New
    Great experience ! Price was more than affordable for a family of 4. It took about 4 hours to do a full tour of the zoo. Lots of animals to see. Very clean park with lots of parking spaces.
    2 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 3/5 Caroline H. 3 years ago on Google
    We had an enjoyable visit, all wearing masks (shame we still had to wear them outside but those were the rules at the time). Some of the animals seemed extremely cramped, like the kangaroos, who were packed into a tiny area with barely any room to jump. Some exhibits were empty (no cassowary birds which I'd been hoping to see). The "elephant in the room" is that there isn't an elephant but I knew that upfront. That being said, it was fun to feed the giraffes (still permitted) but not currently allowed to feed the stingrays. The flamingos were a surprising favorite of ours.
    2 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 James S. 2 years ago on Google
    This smaller zoo is in Brownsville Texas. There are so many different animals to see. Don’t miss your chance to feed the giraffes $. You can touch the rays in the aquarium. Birds are in abundance here and there are so very exotic colors. The normal water, food, beer, gift shop, etc.. Maybe a little pricey but we’ll worth it. They offer discounts. Parking closer to the entrance $ but across the street is free.
    2 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Bill B. 2 years ago on Google
    Very impressive for a smaller zoo. Really enjoyed our visit. Hippocampus,rhinoceros, minkeys, lemurs, lions, tigers, and more.
    2 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Nancy S. 1 year ago on Google
    Good layout. Kids enjoyed feeding the giraffes, playing at the playground and liked petting the goats. We saw a good variety of animals
    2 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Kyle S. 2 years ago on Google
    Looks small on the outside and parking is $5 but for less than $20/ person the entrance fee is well worth it and will easily fill half a day of fun for you and whoever you bring along for the journey.
    2 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Carolina Y. 1 year ago on Google
    I've been here before but it was the first time going with both of my kids by myself. I only wish the sprinklers in the play area worked better. It was my daughter's first time at the zoo and she really enjoyed it, specially feeding the giraffe and hearing the lion roar
    2 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 4/5 Cori M. 8 months ago on Google
    With children I give it ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. There are a decent selection of animals. 🦩🐇🦝🦦🦔🦥🐿️🦒🐪🦣🦧🦍🦓🐆🦓🦚🦜 There’s plenty for kids to engage with & they have a very nice playground. 👶🏻👧🏽🧒🏼👦🏿 ⚠️ There weren’t a ton of food options when we last went. 🥨🌭🍕🍨🍦🥤🧃Another big PRO in my book is the gift shop has a decent selection of CHEAP gifts. That way when your kid is begging you don’t have to pay a small fortune to get out of there. 🤑It’s worth the drive to give the kids the experience even though it’s not the most spectacular zoo it’s a good experience. 🐒🦍🐘🦛 (For my family to date. Check back things could always change. 😁)
    2 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 1/5 Roy C. 5 months ago on Google
    Absolutely a HUGE disappointment! Filthy place(exhibits) Trash laying next to where the animals are . IN the exhibits! No one there bothering to clean up anything. Staff wandering around everywhere looking at their phones instead of keeping the place clean. Where people are is OK but the animals languish in filth. Empty water bottles, paper, food boxes(obviously tossed there by busy) BUT NO ONE CLEANING ANYTHING. This could be a nice place but it is unkempt. I was going to demand a refund but just wanted to leave. I will not go back and recommend spending your tourist dollars on a museum or something else. I HATE to leave this bad of a review but I can’t find anything positive to say about it except the price is very good ( if it were worth it)
    2 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Rosa Elena V. 3 years ago on Google
    (Translated by Google) Very nice .... very well cared for animals very clean (Original) Muy bonito.... muy cuidados los animales muy limpió
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Cindy C. 2 years ago on Google
    Very beautiful i had a blast with my family were 8 in total i wanted to see a tiger up close really had alot of fun and very good lemonade! NICE WORK you guys did with this place!
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Apollyon a. 2 years ago on Google
    We were surprised how close you can get to the animals. The park is well kept up the bathrooms were clean. The staff was very helpful and friendly. The primates seem to have a good amount of babies. It was neat seeing them getting carried around. All of my posted photos were done without zoom.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Allison M. 2 years ago on Google
    So much fun! We just went and we loved it. There is also a tiny waterpark which makes things better especially in the hot weather! Totally enjoyed today.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Alex G. 2 years ago on Google
    A lot of people especially especially teenagers see the zoo as a pretty disturbing experience, but speaking as a teen I can confidently say it's a lot better than what everyone thinks. About a year ago I went to the zoo for my birthday and even though a lot of my friends did not want to participate, they still did, and enjoyed all of the time there. Just today I went out on my first date to the zoo, and even though a lot of people advise me not to go to the zoo it was 1000 times better than I expected. If you want to have fun for a few hours I highly suggest going to the zoo. It is a lot of fun.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Karen 2 years ago on Google
    It's a great place to go with your kids. Everything was pretty clean and people weren't crowded so we were actually able to walk around without a mask. There is also a great water park about halfway through where kids can go and cool down. I do wish they had more food places open but it was still a great visit.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Naomi H. 2 years ago on Google
    They have a wide variety of animals. The exhibits are large, clean and have natural looking settings. It is a good sized zoo, but not too big for children to walk it with their families.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Joseph M. 2 years ago on Google
    We have season passes so we can go whenever we want, the zoo is always clean staff is always nice..
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Jamarcus C. 2 years ago on Google
    Took My Family Down To Brownsville For Spring Break. We Decided To Spend One Day At Gladys Zoo. Overall It Was A Great Experience. They Have Animal Interactions, Plenty Of Food Concession, Lots Of Animals.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Krystal B. 1 year ago on Google
    Such a cute zoo. Wish more of the concession stands were open in the zoo, but I know with covid there are staffing shortages. The zoo is well maintained and the staff were all friendly. Especially the young man running the petting zoo today.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 1DivineLine 2. 1 year ago on Google
    I was impressed for being a small zoo they did a great job in maintaining the place. The giraffes were unavailable since it was cold and rainy. The gift shop had some really nice gifts at a decent price.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Gab U. 1 year ago on Google
    I like it! I have a membership so it’s really nice to have access to all events for the year with no extra charge and free parking! The zoo is really expanding its habitats and animals so its really nice to see it grow. I like to come throughout the week and mornings when it is calm, its a nice walk throughout the zoo.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 4/5 Laura A. 1 year ago on Google
    I usually love the zoo and I've been to the zoo many times. The only reason why I'm giving it four stars today is because I think on this particular day was a little bit cold, but a lot of the animals that usually are out. We're not out on display and it actually had been a while since I've been to the zoo so I was kind of hoping to see the other stuff that I used to like. Also, I got to feed a giraffe and it was an extra $3 per person but it was well worth it
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Yami H. 1 year ago on Google
    I am very impressed with the zoo. They have such a wide range of animals to look at. They also have a petting zoo area for kids to brush the goats. Very cute and thoughtful programs. Highly recommend for people of all ages.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Rob R. 8 months ago on Google
    My family loved the new additions. It was great to get out of the house for the summer to see the animals of the World. It was great to cool off with the water sprayer and the AC was super cold which was great at the fish auditorium.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 4/5 gabriela meza c. 2 months ago on Google • 35 reviews New
    There are many rare species and I was able to see them for the first time!!!, kids were happy and impressed at the aquarium. Zoo needs a little cleaning or renovation, the construction looks old or lacks maintenance

  • 5/5 clint s. 1 month ago on Google • 22 reviews New
    What a great zoo/sactuary. We spent 3+ hrs there and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. Not overpriced at all, friendly and knowledgeable staff.

  • 4/5 Luke M. 3 years ago on Google
    Clean walkways and exhibits. Good flow through park. Lots of sanitizing stations.

  • 5/5 Sheryl M. 3 years ago on Google
    Great place the animals look healthy and well taken care of and eat and clean. I was like to see lots to do and the foliage was beautiful butterflies everywhere

  • 4/5 Kenneth C. 3 years ago on Google
    A very nice mid-sized zoo.

  • 5/5 Richard S. 3 years ago on Google
    Had a great time walking the holiday lights at the zoo. Would highly recommend for anyone with kids in the area

  • 5/5 Rachel C. 3 years ago on Google
    Full of FUN!! Had an Amazing time with my family and was happy to see that Covid19 precautions were in place!! Hand sanitizer stations were placed along the way and tape on ground showed directions to go in order so that you don't go against the flow! Enter/Exit signs also helped with the Exhibit traffic flow. Some exhibits were closed due to weather but that is expected. No discounts are available for admission due to low funding throughout the Pandemic; so if your able...a Donation can go a long way...even a small one! All in All..we had a Safe and Fun time!

  • 4/5 lucky 9. 3 years ago on Google
    It was good, great for kids but alot of stuff was closed

  • 5/5 Richard K. 3 years ago on Google
    Love this zoo. The animals are not "caged" they are in great shape, available to see, and plentiful. Been twice now, both times have been wonderful.

  • 5/5 Brenda D. 3 years ago on Google
    We went on the Christmas lights special. They had live music and. It was very nice

  • 5/5 Laura S. 3 years ago on Google
    We went for the first time and appreciated the ease of flow moving through the zoo so we didn't miss anything. Most exhibits have such an open feel that it was easy to enjoy the animals. Our family particularly loved visiting the gorillas, giraffes, birds, and flamingos! We will definitely go again.

  • 4/5 Jacqueline C. 3 years ago on Google
    For out of town folk this is a good place to take your family for a fun time. It has an assortment of animals and a souvenir shop. For locals our zoo is the same, it does have Otters now and it will soon have African Dogs, but still a fun place to distract the mind from the same routine.

  • 1/5 Cris 3 years ago on Google
    Always a big deal to find a parking space,they make good money and can't ever upgrade their parking lot 😑 All their animals look depressed even the monkeys that are naturally hyper!!

  • 5/5 Eduardo S. 3 years ago on Google
    Nice place to visit. Lots of animales. 🎉🎉🎊

  • 5/5 Alexa T. 3 years ago on Google
    (Translated by Google) Beautiful ride !! (Original) Hermoso paseo!!

  • 2/5 corpse_lover 3 years ago on Google
    Not many animals and the linonade tasted like water

  • 4/5 Jack D. 3 years ago on Google
    It was a delightful time

  • 5/5 Esmer R. 3 years ago on Google
    Hand sanitizer in each exhibit also there is a limit how many ppl can enter them. No playground or other stuff opened. Still fun for the kiddos.

  • 5/5 Jose G. 3 years ago on Google
    Great 👍

  • 5/5 T T. 3 years ago on Google
    The zoo was awesome.

  • 5/5 Greg v. 3 years ago on Google
    A valuable asset to our city, The Gladys Porter Zoo is rated one of the top 10 zoos in the country. . It is compact, but has an incredible variety birds, reptiles fish, from all over the world. The membership is A bargain; We bought a family membership for the grandchildren. Note: Zoos need our help because of the current situation and any donations will help keep this vital attraction going.

  • 5/5 Sandra G. 3 years ago on Google
    Super excited! Very well organized and clean!

  • 4/5 Joseph H. 3 years ago on Google
    I enjoy the herpetarium!

  • 5/5 LUCAS R. 3 years ago on Google
    Good

  • 5/5 Kamron F. 3 years ago on Google
    I've been to a total of seven different zoos in seven different cities and I can tell you this one's better than them all.

  • 5/5 JACOB E. 3 years ago on Google
    Great place to get away and be with family.

  • 5/5 Martina e. 3 years ago on Google
    It was a good day had a good time with my kids n friends🙏❤

  • 4/5 Tiffany & L. 3 years ago on Google
    Nice day to walk around and enjoy the animals not all exhibits were open due to covid.

  • 3/5 Deyanira C. 3 years ago on Google
    Has gone downhill and prices uphill

  • 4/5 S P. 3 years ago on Google
    Awesome Zoo I love it.

  • 5/5 Rebecca Cruz S. 3 years ago on Google
    Brought me back into time! The last time I was here I was nine years old and then I got to bring my son at the age of 10 and now I'm 45 wow how time does fly!

  • 3/5 Alicia C. 3 years ago on Google
    Is about 10 years ago I've been there, decided to take my daughter and I was very surprised of how nice it was. The only upside is the area where the animals are at even tho they try to recreate to the habitat they are used too. Is very disappointing very often you see one or two depending the type of animals in an empty area. Just water surrounded. Once again I am no expert but would expect more in the area they are in!! My daughter was in awe, we probably will go in the future again.

  • 5/5 Rosa Virginia P. 3 years ago on Google
    A great place to spend a day with your family

  • 5/5 Makayla H. 3 years ago on Google
    It’s really a amazing place with beautiful animals You’ll have so much fun.

  • 5/5 Claudia Fraire C. 3 years ago on Google
    Great place to take your kids on their next adventure.

  • 5/5 Octavio C. 3 years ago on Google
    Great place to take your kids and explore. Many animals to see. Definitely coming again.

  • 5/5 Nancy R. 3 years ago on Google
    (Translated by Google) Very good place to spend with the family (Original) Muy buen lugar para pasar con la familia

  • 5/5 Jose Luis D. 3 years ago on Google
    Simply awesome!

  • 5/5 Claudia G. 3 years ago on Google
    Loved don't get tired of it and stuff super awesome.

  • 5/5 Kristin W. 3 years ago on Google
    My daughter loves it here, we go every time we visit Grammy. Loved feed the giraffe, but was sad she couldn't touch the sting rays.

  • 5/5 claudia m. 3 years ago on Google
    (Translated by Google) The best of the best for family walks (Original) Lo.mejor de lo.mejor.para pasear en familia

  • 5/5 Alicia T. 3 years ago on Google
    (Translated by Google) It is very remodeled, very clean, with benches to rest. And the animals very well cared for (Original) Esta muy remodelado, muy limpio, con bancas pata descansar. Y los animales muy bien cuidados

  • 5/5 Adrián T. 3 years ago on Google
    This is the best zoo this side of Brownsville, the other one is on our brownsville pub

  • 5/5 Pablito J. 3 years ago on Google
    Fun place

  • 5/5 Jess M. 3 years ago on Google
    What an amazing place! We were delighted at the array of animals we encountered here, many of them up close! Even though it was a little cold, the animals were very active and were ready for pictures. This is a great place for people of all ages...ENJOY! 💯

  • 5/5 Yon Z. 3 years ago on Google
    (Translated by Google) Excellent (Original) Excelente

  • 4/5 Aaron K. 3 years ago on Google
    Excellent experience.😍

  • 5/5 Lori D. 3 years ago on Google
    We have an AZA membership, but due to covid hardship they could not honor at the time. We we're happy to pay or donate as it's such a great zoo. There were so many new babies, fee the giraffe, talked to the birds, got nachos/popcorn at the snack bar. Be prepared to walk, so much to see! Layout is nice too with some paths, walkway, bridge.

  • 5/5 Eric ,Ash zai l. 3 years ago on Google
    Great fun . Very well kept and clean. Had alot of fun walking around looking at the animals. Also you can feed the giraffe. Definitely recommend

  • 4/5 martha g. 3 years ago on Google
    With covid restrictions it was ok, a little bit confusing on where we could and couldn't go.

  • 5/5 Jeremy W. 3 years ago on Google
    Very nice little zoo. This was our first zoo visit since Covid and it did not disappoint. It took my wife and I about an hour to walk the zoo. Everything was easy to view and there were a wide variety of animals. Worth the stop if you're in the area and enjoy zoos.

  • 5/5 Crystal S. 2 years ago on Google
    I have come to this zoo since I was a little girl and am so happy to be able to continue the tradition with my own children. I may be a bit biased but this zoo is perfect for a family! You can peruse leisurely or pick up the pace (in case the kids start dialing up the chaos factor!) it works for seeing all the animals you love. The snack stands are AMAZING and have a great variety of foods. Their burritos are to die for 😋 There's also plenty of options to help you beat the heat (Lucas Popsicles, I'm looking at you!) Love this place, I'm sure you will too.

  • 5/5 Adhlemy S. 2 years ago on Google
    Love this place! Great for evening visits with our 1 year old. We like to go late as they allow you to stay in past closing time until about dusk time. There is way less people around and it was much cooler during the summer hours. Although you won't be able to enjoy many of the exhibits or concessions during this time as they will already be closed. Food here is not great, take your own or snacks and build an appetite for when you leave. Definitely recommend the membership for an entire year as you reap the benefits of special events and honestly worth it even if you 3-5 times a year! Place is always clean, exhibits seem taken care of. If you go during the summer you'll feel for the animals because it's HOT and no one is happy even the humans!

  • 5/5 genedream 1. 2 years ago on Google
    May not be the grandest but memories are made regardless. Plenty to enjoy with the family!

  • 5/5 Johnny N. 2 years ago on Google
    Nice place to spend a couple hours with your children

  • 5/5 Zach P. 3 years ago on Google
    We had an absolute fantastic time at the zoo. The weather started of a bit crummy but quickly became enjoyable. The various exhibits are nicely done and we all enjoyed seeing and observing the animals present. Having the gorillas right there at the front was an amazing way of kicking off the tour. We would love to come back when more exhibits are open.

  • 5/5 Jesus S. 2 years ago on Google
    Excellent experience at GPZ! Lots of well thought out exhibits and clean grounds. Will be back soon!

  • 5/5 Nate C. 2 years ago on Google
    Was blown away by how awesome this zoo is. There are so many animals in a variety of enclosures. I loved the reptile house and seeing the larger mammals (rhinos, giraffes, monkeys). Had an awesome time, can't wait to go back!

  • 5/5 brown b. 3 years ago on Google
    What a beautiful Sunday it turned out to be... It was nice cool and cloudy.. The zoo was awesome and clean and it was packed of people and certain parts of the zoo are closed. That didn't matter much.The zoo is very special place. It feels good that they still take care of zoo.. If you can always make a donation of any size to help the animals. Happy Health to all...

  • 5/5 Jenny K. 1 year ago on Google
    Brew at the zoo was a great experience. Good variety of food and beer tasting. Hot and humid, but there was an air conditioned area to cool off. Not all the animals were out, but some to enjoy and walk around the zoo. And of course my favorite, flamingos.

  • 5/5 Nicholas N. 1 year ago on Google
    Excellent Zoo, great use of shade trees scattered throughout the Zoo, to allow some relief from the sun at most exhibits. Great selection of animals. Excellent flow and design to the zoo, to allow the natural landscape of Texas to be incorporated into African, Australian, and other continents natural habitats. Side notes.... $5 parking to get into the zoo, low traffic levels during the week (which is nice, you won't be walking on top of other patrons). Bathrooms are clean, walkways are well kept. The walk through bird cages are awesome!!

  • 5/5 Lisa X. 11 months ago on Google
    I was very impressed by this zoo. Adults and kids in the family enjoyed it. There were so many different animals. Go during their lunch time the animals are very active and you can watch them be fed. We spent about 3 hours here. It was helpful with kids that there was always a bathroom available and close by. The zoo is clean amd well kept.

  • 4/5 Imelda C. 1 year ago on Google
    Our Field trip was pleasant and our kids enjoyed it. We were pretty Sad because they didn’t get to feed the giraffes! Also the horse shoe crabs & sting rays were not there and missed the interaction. Hope they bring them Back soon! My kids did have fun feeding the flamingos! And observing the other animals and also enjoyed visiting the Gift shop!

  • 5/5 Bonny C. 1 year ago on Google
    The VIP Tour Behind the Scene was a great experience with animals and seeing the workings of the zoo. It increased my appreciation of the care and love the animals receive. It was fun to see how enthusiastic and knowledgeable the zoo keepers were.

  • 5/5 Alecia D. 1 year ago on Google
    We went during the winter so half the food places were closed but we still managed to get some dynamite eats! I had 5 mini fajita tacos with a slice of avo and a little cilantro on corn tortillas and they were much better than I expected. Almost all the animals were out and about. Their areas were clean and they all looked very well kept. The zoo employees we encountered were super helpful and we felt very welcomed. The maze of the grounds can get a little confusing but there was always someone around to help point us in the right direction. I recommend this walking zoo for sure.

  • 5/5 Lynn E. 7 months ago on Google
    Stopped by on our way home from SPI and my kids loved it. It was clean, the animals were awake, and the whole experience was really nice.

  • 4/5 pokemon f. 7 months ago on Google
    Was a great day. 1st time our baby’s going. They had lots of fun. Extremely hot. But FUN

  • 5/5 Felipe D. 9 months ago on Google
    It was a beautiful zoo all types of wildlife birds butterfly's water park for the kids to cool of educational activities for children and adults

  • 4/5 Amanda J. 5 months ago on Google
    We visited the zoo while on a vacation at SPI. It was a weekday and drizzling off and on, but it was still a good time! Overall, the zoo was great. Our kids enjoyed the animals and there was plenty to see. It was a good way to spend a vacation day after being at the beach several days. There are some things which could be renovated or cleaned, but it did not negatively affect our visit.

  • 1/5 Danielle K. 5 months ago on Google
    This is hands down the saddest zoo I've ever been to; I'd give it zero stars if I could. We're members at our state's biggest zoo, so we get discounted admission at other zoos and have been to many throughout the years, both large and small. We put it to use while in South Padre Island today, and the first issue was that they charged us half price when our zoo's reciprocity sheet says it should be fully covered. Based on what the zoo looked and smelled like once we were in the front gate, I want a refund. The second and more concerning issue was the state of both the exhibits and the animals. I've never seen anything like it; I left the zoo in a somber mood. It looked like the zombie apocalypse between the lack of others in attendance, the empty exhibits in various states of decay, and the few animals that were there, including the orangutan with matted fur. I found myself checking to see of the animals that were on exhibit were breathing. Really. And the smell of urine was overpowering throughout the open air zoo. Steer clear of this failing zoo. It's surely used to be a beautiful asset to the community, but that is no longer the case. May their animals find themselves in better places soon.

  • 5/5 Maria Gabriela R. 4 months ago on Google
    Beautiful zoo with lots of animals. Fun day with family

  • 5/5 Ramses S. 3 months ago on Google New
    I have been to this zoo plenty of times since ive been 5 years old, I am now 25. This place never gets old. they have removed the big wood bridge and changed it to concrete. I still do miss the elephants. Harambe the gorilla was born in this zoo btw.

  • 2/5 SJ 8 months ago on Google
    Limited amount of animals and few were out for viewing. Remodeling exhibits . The flamingos at the entrance were the only active animals ...No elephants!? . Not much of a variety. My kids did not have fun until the gift shop. Will not be returning .

  • 4/5 S G. 3 months ago on Google New
    Beautiful zoo with open spaces for the animals. My only suggestion would be to improve the signage. As a 1st time visitor, after parking it was easy to see the sign for group sales, but not the entrance. You could only see the sign if you were walking that path. Also one of the 2 gift shops was open, but we were at the closed store and there was no sign indicating the 2nd store was open. Fortunately a friendly staff member was walking by and was able to help us. Overall though it's a very nice zoo with friendly helpful staff.

  • 5/5 Louise W. 2 months ago on Google New
    The best zoo I think we've ever visited. Great layout, easy to navigate and clean. Very informative.

  • 5/5 Guadalupe G. 2 months ago on Google New
    Wow very nice experience!, It was very fun giving the giraffes 🦒 some food and just overall very cute animals! This place is very nice and full of fun for the whole family! 😊

  • 5/5 Sam 3 months ago on Google New
    What a pleasant surprise! We went on a cool day and really enjoyed this zoo. We were visiting the area and it was recommended to us. We are so glad we found this gem.

  • 5/5 Julie E. 1 month ago on Google • 4 reviews New
    Plan to spend some time here, so many animals to look at. The monkeys are so much fun to watch!


Call (956) 546-7187 Open on Google Maps

Amenities


  • Accessibility
    • ✓️ Wheelchair accessible entrance
    • ✓️ Wheelchair accessible parking lot

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