Dallas Zoo, Zoo in Marsalis Park, Dallas, United States
The Dallas Zoo covers 106 acres in Marsalis Park, about 3 miles south of downtown Dallas. It is split into two regions: ZooNorth, the original section, and Wilds of Africa, reached through a tunnel beneath Clarendon Drive. The entrance shown has a flat orange fascia with dark capital letters reading "LAS ZOO" above round orange, green and pink columns and low stone planters.
The facility opened in 1888 with two deer and two mountain lions and grew into the largest zoological park in Texas. Over the decades, operators expanded the original collection considerably and added enclosures for animals from all continents.
The zoo's name honors the city of Dallas, and its 1888 origin is tied to a purchase of two deer and two mountain lions for $60 from a seller in Colorado City, Colorado. The animals were first kept in pens in City Park. The Dallas Zoological Society, founded in 1955, runs fundraising, membership and events under contract with the City of Dallas.
The grounds open daily from 9 AM to 5 PM and are accessible via Interstate 35 or the red line of Dallas Area Rapid Transit. Visitors should plan for comfortable shoes for longer walks and bring enough water.
The zoo's first animals were two deer and two mountain lions bought for $60 from a private seller in Colorado City, Colorado, and shown in pens in City Park. The collection stayed there until 1910, when it moved to Fair Park, then reached Marsalis Park in 1912.
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