Danny Miles, 3, touches a Texas Horned Lizard held by Robyn Doege, an assistant curator for aquatic ectotherms, during a media event for the grand reopening of the reimagined Mountains & Desert exhibit in the Fort Worth Zoo on Thursday June 20, 2024.
Chris Torres
ctorres@star-telegram.com
Why spend spring break inside ?
Fort Worth ISD’s spring break is from March 16 to March 20. From Stockyards crawfish boils or kayaking at the Fort Worth Nature Center and Refuge, it’s the time to be outside.
One way to do so is by visiting the Fort Worth Zoo.
Last year, the zoo saw more than 158,000 guests from March 8 to March 23. This year, between spring break camp and half-off Wednesdays, guests can expect it to be crowded once again.
Here’s what spring break zoo-goers should expect.
Spring break camp at Fort Worth Zoo
During spring break, the Fort Worth Zoo is offering an all-day camp for children to learn more about animals and wildlife conservation. Families have until March 12 to register.
The camp will be Monday, March 16 until Friday, March 20 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., with a day off on Wednesday, March 18, when camp will not take place.
Campers can go for one of the days, or all four. It costs $85 per day or $335 for all four days.
To register, you must create a family profile on the Fort Worth Zoo website. Once you are logged in, you can register for zoo camps.
Two gharial hatchlings are revealed at the Fort Worth Zoo on Wednesday, July 9, 2025. This is the zoo’s third year in a row to successfully hatch gharial newborns, a critically endangered species. Chris Torres ctorres@star-telegram.com When are tickets cheapest at Fort Worth Zoo?
The Fort Worth Zoo offers half-off Wednesdays year-round.
Admission for non-member adults (ages 13 to 64) is $22. Children (12 and under) and seniors (65+) are $18.
On Wednesdays, these prices are cut in half. An adult ticket is $11, and children and seniors are $8.
Once you buy a ticket ahead of time online– which is what the zoo recommends, especially during spring break– it is valid for 30 days.
Parking is $5 and can be purchased at ticket booths located in the parking lots.
Advice for spring breakers at Fort Worth ZooNote that between March 14 and March 22, ticket booth lines will be longer than normal. Buy tickets online ahead of time.Zoo parking lots are located at 1989 Colonial Parkway. Do not park in surrounding neighborhoods or commercial parking lots. Allow extra time for traffic. A zoo spokesperson told the Star-Telegram they plan to have police officers help direct traffic and parking.The zoo is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. They recommend visiting right at opening or making an afternoon trip, as the crowds are biggest during lunch time.Guests can see the whole zoo within four hours. Outside food and drink in small coolers are allowed in the park.No glass, alcohol, or disposable lids and straws are allowed. Siblings Imara, left, and Tamu at the Fort Worth Zoo. The lion cubs were born on June 29, 2025. Courtesy of the Fort Worth Zoo Animals to see at the Fort Worth Zoo
The Fort Worth Zoo has more than 7,000 animals to see.
In September, the zoo welcomed a baby elephant named Lady Bird. She lives with her mother Bluebonnet, father Romeo and 4-year-old brother Brazos. Visitors can see her daily from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Other zoo babies, who were all born in October 2025, are Pancake, Imara and Tamu. Pancake is the nearly 6-foot giraffe calf. He’s the smallest calf born at the Fort Worth Zoo, which inspired his name. And Imara and Tamu, are a pair of lion cubs. Another juvenile worth seeing is the 2-year-old gorilla named Bruno.
For interactive activities, the Zoo has a Herpetarium (the Museum of Living Art, MOLA) that guests can visit daily from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., where they can learn about and interact with reptiles. There is also a Bait Shack touch tank down in Texas Wild exhibit.
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Ella Gonzales is a service journalism reporter for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. She is part of a team of local journalists who answer reader questions and write about life in North Texas. Ella mainly writes about local restaurants and where to find good deals around town.