Enjoy A Trip To Gladys Porter Zoo

Heads of two giraffes in front of green trees

This spring and summer season is the perfect opportunity to take your family to the Gladys Porter Zoo. The zoo opened its doors on September 3, 1971. In just seven years in 1978, the Gladys Porter Zoo became a member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. This wonderful zoo offers Brownsville residents 31 acres to tour exhibits with over 1,600 animals and tropical plants. Come checkout the marvelous creatures at the Gladys Porter Zoo.

The Animals

From giraffes, zebras, spider monkeys, and white rhinos to kangaroos, kookaburras, addaxes, and camels, there are an array of animals from Asia, Africa, the Americas, and Indo-Australia to explore at the zoo. On top of all this, the zoo has several special exhibits and areas like the Small World. Small World has an animal nursery with miniature species and baby animals.

If you love marine life, then you can checkout the Russell Aquatic Ecology Center. The center shows visitors aquatic animals and plants that are indigenous of South Texas. You can observe spadefish, red snapper, sharks, moon jellies, octopus, seahorses, crabs, and more in the multiple exhibits in the Aquatic Center. For visitors who prefer to gaze at animals that take to the sky, the Gladys Porter Zoo has the Macaw Canyon and the Tropical America Free-Flight Aviary exhibits. The Macaw Canyon has a model canyon which is a replica of a canyon in Tamaulipas, Mexico. In this exhibit, military, blue, and yellow macaws can fly in the 56,000 cubic feet of free-flight space.

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How to Make the Most of Your Day

You may love your fur baby, but the zoo asks that you keep them at home. That way you can focus your attention on the fun wild and exotic animals in the zoo’s exhibits. You may bring water into the zoo, but do not bring other outside food and beverages. If you are feeling hungry, then there are plenty of concession stands and food carts, such as The Oasis, Asian Grille, and Coyote Café offer visitor plenty of options to grab a bite. If you want a souvenir to remember your trip to the zoo, there is the Congo Bazaar Gift Shop  and Zoofari Gift Shop that offer cute gifts.

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