About
Education Programs at Gladys Porter Zoo take place within a zoological and botanical park that includes four zoo geographic areas: Africa, Asia, Tropical America, and Indo-Australia. Children can visit areas such as the Herpetarium, Aquarium, Tropical America Free-flight Aviary, Macaw Canyon, Bear Grottos, Komodo dragon exhibit, and Small World, which features a nursery and an animal contact yard where they can touch and interact with domesticated animals. In a ¾ mile trek through the Zoo, a visitor encounters 377 species of animals and 225 species of plants.
• Schedule: Open Monday–Sunday from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM, with extended Spring Break hours on Saturday–Sunday March 15–16 and 22–23 from 9:00 AM to 5:30 PM
• Price: Admissions range from $17.00–$21.00 for adults, $11.00–$15.00 for children ages 2–13, free for children under 2, and $15.00–$19.00 for seniors over 65, with prices varying by day of visit
The Gladys Porter Zoo opened to the public on September 3, 1971. The Zoo covers 31 acres and includes some 1,600 animals and is known for successes in breeding endangered species of wildlife. Its mission states that it is dedicated to the preservation of nature through education, conservation, healthy outdoor recreation, and research. The Zoo is an accredited member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) and has held this accreditation since 1978.
Gladys Porter Zoo’s Director Emeritus, Don. D. Farst, D.V.M., serves on the Board of the International Rhino Foundation, and the Zoo’s General Curator, Colette Hairston Adams, serves on the Board of the International Iguana Foundation. The Animal Health Department serves as the principal wildlife rehabilitation unit for the Rio Grande Valley and assists the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service with ocelot health monitoring at Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge. Staff from the Department of Herpetology work with the Philippine government and the Philippine National Recovery Team, and the Zoo contributes to various conservation projects and funds programs in the home ranges of specific animals in need of attention. The Zoo participates in the American Zoo and Aquarium Association’s Species Survival Plan program and administers the United States’ field portion of the joint U.S./Mexico effort to protect and increase the production of Kemp’s ridley sea turtles in Tamaulipas, Mexico.
Last updated January 28, 2026.
• Schedule: Open Monday–Sunday from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM, with extended Spring Break hours on Saturday–Sunday March 15–16 and 22–23 from 9:00 AM to 5:30 PM
• Price: Admissions range from $17.00–$21.00 for adults, $11.00–$15.00 for children ages 2–13, free for children under 2, and $15.00–$19.00 for seniors over 65, with prices varying by day of visit
The Gladys Porter Zoo opened to the public on September 3, 1971. The Zoo covers 31 acres and includes some 1,600 animals and is known for successes in breeding endangered species of wildlife. Its mission states that it is dedicated to the preservation of nature through education, conservation, healthy outdoor recreation, and research. The Zoo is an accredited member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) and has held this accreditation since 1978.
Gladys Porter Zoo’s Director Emeritus, Don. D. Farst, D.V.M., serves on the Board of the International Rhino Foundation, and the Zoo’s General Curator, Colette Hairston Adams, serves on the Board of the International Iguana Foundation. The Animal Health Department serves as the principal wildlife rehabilitation unit for the Rio Grande Valley and assists the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service with ocelot health monitoring at Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge. Staff from the Department of Herpetology work with the Philippine government and the Philippine National Recovery Team, and the Zoo contributes to various conservation projects and funds programs in the home ranges of specific animals in need of attention. The Zoo participates in the American Zoo and Aquarium Association’s Species Survival Plan program and administers the United States’ field portion of the joint U.S./Mexico effort to protect and increase the production of Kemp’s ridley sea turtles in Tamaulipas, Mexico.
Last updated January 28, 2026.
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