Overall Rating
The Dallas World Aquarium was opened to the public in 1992, and is located in downtown Dallas Texas. The approx. number of animals inside the aquarium is 464, they represent approx. 248 species. The species encompasses all animals from Marine to Terrestrial to Arboreal. The Aquarium is a member of the American Zoos and Aquariums and the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums. The Aquarium also participates in the Species Survival Plan.
Dallas World Aquarium Website: www.dwazoo.com
Hours:
Open Daily 10:00am-5:00pm
Closed:
Thanksgiving Day
Christmas Day
Tickets:
Adults (13-64)-$22.95 + tax
Senior (65+)-$20.95 + tax
Kids (3-12)-$16.95 + tax
Kids 2 & under-Free
Group Rates:
15+ Adults (13-64)-$20.95 + tax each if total is paid by one person (cannot pay individually).
Military Rates (Active Duty & Retired Military personnel) plus one guest can each purchase admission for $20.95 + tax (photo id required).
Restaurants/Concession:
The aquarium has 3 restaurants for visitors to dine in. The 3 restaurants are all differing in price range to accommodate families on a budget. The restaurant are as follows: Eighteen-o-one, Café Maya, and Jungle Café. All 3 restaurants menus can be found on the aquariums website.
Pet Daycare:
None available. There was no information on the aquariums website about allowing service dogs. With any extra service provided I would always call ahead for any information.
Animal Habitats
Education
Cultural Immersion
Navigation
Food Variety
To see how we rate each category check out our ratings page here.
Our Aquarium Experience
This was our first visit to the Dallas World Aquarium (DWA). It was very cool to be completely immersed in the rainforest.
The DWA is easy to navigate, you don’t have to look at the map. All the pathways are pretty much one way. They have a nice flow through all the different levels and it ends where you started, at the gift shop.
The Exit is out the side of the building. Make sure when visiting you locate the parking lots on Google so you won’t have to park too far away. Also make sure you have cash to pay for parking.
When you enter the DWA you will be on the ground level. You will want to get there a few minutes before they open to find parking and to get in line.
You walk through a serpentine path all the while surrounded by different Bird species, a few Fish, and lots of Mayan decorations.
After you pay for your admission, before entering through the glass doors, make sure you catch a glimpse of the Matschie’s Tree Kangaroo. You can also see a Shoebill Stork (they look funny).
There are also adorable Fairy Penguins, and they are tiny. The Fairy Penguins are the cutest, especially when they have just come out of the water and they are shaking their little bottoms.
Once you are finished looking at all that awesomeness, head through the glass doors and up the stairs to the second level.
There is also an elevator if stairs are your enemy. When you reach the top of the stairs be prepared to be in awe.
There are birds galore, there is also a Giant Anteater to the left. On all the exhibits there is touch screen with information about all the animals in that particular exhibit.
The area you are in when you first enter the second level is the Orinoco Rainforest, and you are in its canopy level. In the middle of the building is a massive tree, island, waterfall, and pond.
In the canopy you can find Birds, of course, but also Pied Tamarins, Howler Monkeys, Pygmy Marmosets, Saki Monkeys, and Three-Toed Sloths.
The way they exhibit the Sloth is incredible. They have a keeper standing with the Sloth in an open area.
People are allowed to take pictures (no flash) or selfies (no touching). The keeper will educate you about the Sloth and answer any questions you may have.
Next to the Sloth is an Emperor Tamarin. Let me tell you, they are so cute with their little white mustaches.
Once you have meandered down the path you will be in the understory of the Rainforest.
Here you encounter Giant Otters, Vampire Bats, Anaconda, Golden Lion Tamarins, Electric Eel, and Orinoco Crocodiles. There is also a Two-Toed Sloth on this level.
Everything together makes you feel as if you are in the rainforest. After you make your way down the stairs, or take the elevator, you are on the Aquatic level.
Here you can see Manatee (or I like to say Sea Cow!) under water. Along with the Manatee there are Giant Red-tailed Catfish and Arrau Turtles.
Across from the Manatee exhibit is a room full of aquariums with creatures from all over the world. The creatures of the water can be found from Palau, Australia, Lorde Howe Islands, Solomon Islands, Fiji, New Guinea, British Columbia, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Japan, and the Continental Shelf.
It was amazing to see all the different colors that fish (and non fish) could be.
Head right out of the Aquarium room and you enter the Mundo Maya exhibit on the lower level. In this exhibit you encounter Owls, Rabbits, Snakes, Lizards, and Frogs.
Once you follow the path out of the cave area, you come to a tunnel which is the underside of the Cenote.
When you walk through the tunnel you can see different species of sharks swimming above. There are bench seats in this tunnel; you can sit as the sharks swim above and behind you.
A few of the species of shark swimming around you are Brown Sharks, Blacknose Sharks, Sawfish, and Eagle Rays.
Follow the path as it leads you to the upper level of the Mundo Maya. Here you can find Flamingo, a wide range of Birds, six or more species of Hummingbirds, and numerous Fish species.
On this level you will also find the Temple of the Jaguar. There are also Birds of El Triunfo, which includes the Harpy Eagle, one of the largest species of eagle.
The Jaguar is sometimes tricky to see. The DWA lets the Jaguar choose to be inside or outside on nice weather days. If he is inside there is a 360 degree view of his inside habitat. If he chooses to be outside, they do have a camera on him that you can watch near his inside habitat.
There are a few places where you can see a glimpse of him, I’d he is outside. I would recommend trying to catch the keeper talk, if he is outside, they will give him a few treats to come down for a minute so visitors can get a look at him.
Also on this level is the top side view of the Cenote next to the Jabiru Stork. Also, on this level is the gift shop and exit.
The DWA has three different restaurants to choose from. The Jungle Café is your standard concession fare with a bit of a Mexican overtone. The Jungle Café is located on the third level of the Rainforest next to the Three-Toed Sloth exhibit.
Café Maya is on the second floor where you started your Rainforest expedition. I would say this is the middle tier restaurant. It is a sit down table service restaurant.
This is where Steve and I ate lunch. You get chips and salsa. Steve had the Quesadillas of the Day and I had the Chimichanga of the Day. They were both chicken. It was delicious; I recommend this restaurant. It is also moderately priced.
The last restaurant is Eighteen-O-One, located on the first level in the Aquarium room.
We arrived at the aquarium at 10:00am when they opened, and we left a little before 3pm. We were also able to go back through a few areas we wanted to see again.
If you haven’t been to DWA and you are in the Dallas area I recommend you try to stop by. It is a very neat place with some species of animals even Steve and I had not seen till this visit. All in all a really cool place to visit.