Zoos & Aquariums of DFW

The metroplex is unusually rich in places to see animals, with two nationally respected zoos anchoring opposite sides of the region and a scatter of aquariums and sanctuaries in between. This driving tour links them into one wildlife circuit, big enough to spread across a few weekends rather than a single day. You'll meet the Dallas Zoo's celebrated elephant and giraffe habitats, descend through the Dallas World Aquarium's indoor rainforest, walk the historic grounds of the Fort Worth Zoo — one of the oldest in the country — peer into a mall aquarium's shark tunnel, and finish at a McKinney nature sanctuary where the wildlife is native Texas. Some stops are full-day destinations and others are quick visits, so think of this as a menu: pick a pairing that fits your part of the metroplex, or set out to see them all and watch the region's astonishing range of creatures, from African megafauna to local box turtles.