This is easily the best zoo I've ever been to. My heart goes out to the founders, curators, staff, and all those involved in the creation and maintenance of this zoo. The zoo is beautifully designed and is easy to walk. The layout lends to a great experience. I couldn't believe how close we could get to some of the animals! I had no idea this was the birthplace of Harambe, which made it all the more special. TITS OUT. I recommend this zoo to anyone visiting the Brownsville area read more

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Let me start by saying this is my childhood zoo. It holds a very special place in my heart, so what I'm about to say comes from a place of love. More mister fans could be placed throughout the zoo. It's so humid and hot that the little shade, along with the sparsely located mister fans throughout the property, isn't sufficient enough during the hotter times of the year. Yes, I have noticed that there are fans and some other locations with smaller patches of canvas shading, but it's not enough; maybe the zoo can look into plants that will provide shade and vine plants that will grow and climb and create shade naturally in time. This location is currently going through a lot of remodeling. A lot of animals were not out. This could be due to the heat and humidity, and also, maybe they got relocated due to the remodeling. Trash. My biggest pet peeve is the trash that's lying around on the ground or an empty soda cup in the sections of the zoo where, before entering the doors, it states "no food or drink allowed." But somehow, while looking at the lionfish and seahorse, I found a kid's cup on the step, empty. I don't understand why people don't just pick up after themselves. I don't care for the zip line, but I get it; it's a tool to draw people into the zoo. I know the zoo is doing everything it can to improve itself, but it also needs to focus on the current exhibits it has, as well as the animals whose enclosures are outdated. read more

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This zoo was okay; they had some areas under construction. Some areas looked like they lack upkeep or maintenance. Some of the animals looked like they were lacking in their care, like the emus were hungrily pecking at the wired fence when people would get near. Of course whenever you have animals some areas smelled more than others, but it seemed that it lacked of proper cleaning in some areas. All the different workers that we encountered were very polite and helpful. The restrooms were clean and well mapped throughout the areas. There were several areas with benches to rest or watch the animals. read more

Gladys Porter Zoo - Entrance of the zoo. - Zoos Near Me - Brownsville, Texas

Place was fun. Been awhile since I'd been to the zoo. Saturday so it was busy we still had a good time. I thought it was a little pricey at 40.00 for two w lots of discount (vet). read more

Gladys Porter Zoo - Always a hit - Zoos Near Me - Brownsville, Texas

This was a neat zoo with some great animals to see. It was affordable and fun. We loved feeding giraffes!! read more

Gladys Porter Zoo - Spoonbill - Zoos Near Me - Brownsville, Texas

We came to the zoo when visiting my mother in law. It's a nice zoo with a little bit of everything my little guy loved it. The fun part was in the reptile exhibit we watched the gators and didn't know if they were statues on no if your in the area it's a must see read more

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The zoo is a very fun place to be at I love the animals my favorite animal was the girrafes and also the playground is a very fun place for the kids to play on read more

Gladys Porter Zoo is a world renown wildlife preserve! Because of its location it takes advantage of the natural subtropical climate that exists in the region. This climate makes it ideal for harboring the worlds exotic animals in open air exhibits! And for those of you that love exotic flora, the Gladys Porter Zoo is a contained botanical garden that showcases some of the worlds flora specimens as well as its fauna! Located in the heart of Brownsville, its stands as one of the city's iconic attractions! A Clear winner for the whole family! Certainly not to be missed if your in town! FunNote: Sit with Americas National Bird at the aviary and enjoy some ice cold beers to cool you off while you enjoy the magnificence of the American Bald Eagle. read more

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$15.50 for adults and discounts for students and seniors. The zoo has a great variety of animals, it's not too crowded either. The only bad thing is that some of the animals spaces are too small and that made me sad. They need to upgrade the small monkey cages and some other animals that need more space. read more

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Had a blast. Never believed such a zoo even existed this far south. Lots of different varieties of animals and such. Pictures do no do this place justice. read more

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Brownsville, Texas is a place so far away that it could be on the other side of the world. It's long drive from San Antonio but close proximity to Mexico puts it in a precarious spot. It doesn't have the tourist points of South Padre Island yet it's a quick passage way to Mexico. Without a true metropolitan, architectural focal point The Gladys Porter Zoo fills in a necessary tourist void. At first glance it's a city zoo but on a much smaller scale. If you were to take it and place it into the San Antonio Zoo it would inhabit maybe twenty percent of it. In other words you couldn't make a day of it. However, its smaller size makes it more accessible creating an intimate experience. Admission to the zoo is $12 for adults, I believe lesser for children. My first impression is that it's the antithesis of the SA Zoo, to which I'm accustomed to. I point this out as I am used to a place filled with screaming kids, overwhelmed adults and convoys of field trip buses. And while some of those things are present here, it's not so frenzied. You can enjoy all the exhibits more freely. The simple layout makes it user friendly. For example there are enclosures where you are literally walking among the zoo life. One directed me to the path of Ibis birds. Others guide you through various themed houses with reptiles, monkeys, marine life, etc. An image that stuck with me was seeing a boy putting his face to a plexi glass window. Whilst a few yards away a lion was lounging about, totally oblivious to the human hoopla. Unfortunately these majestic animals if left in their natural habitats would be hunted into extinction. I went back and forth with that realization. Still zoos in general fulfill a childhood fascination we have with untameable animals, that carries into adulthood. If you or your family want to experience a zoo in an intimate setting and happen to be in Brownsville I highly recommend it. It's small simple layout allows you to view animals up, close and personal. Whatever level of interest you have in zoo life there is something here for everyone. I always wonder though if we are observing them are they just as curious as we are? I wonder sometimes. read more

Gladys Porter Zoo - Staring contest with a Meerkat! - Zoos Near Me - Brownsville, Texas

Great exhibits! The trails are easy to follow, but the smell is not for everyone. Overall, they could do better with their gift shop, it seemed a little outdated last time I went. read more

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In general, I never liked zoos--nasty, smelly places where animals pace back and forth in their cages. Yes, it was interesting to see animals I might otherwise never encounter but a what price? In my musings of childhood, I would unlock the cages and let them all free. But then I realized that I would probably be trampled or eaten in the process, so my humanitarianism quickly faded to apathy. Peg, however, loves zoos and so on our recent trip to South Padre Island, I agreed to accompany her to the Gladys Porter Zoo in Brownsville. And I'm very glad I did. The zoo is named after Gladys Porter, the daughter of Earl C. Sams, former president of J. C. Penney. Porter, a wildlife enthusiast, helped to plan and stock the zoo, which was entirely funded by the Earl C. Sams Foundation. After its opening in 1971, the zoo was given to the city of Brownsville. Upon entering, it's obvious this zoo is different from my early memories. The entrance is arched with vines, leading one gradually into a different world. There are concrete tiles depicting various animals, favorites of the generous patrons who donated them. I've not seen their likes before and took a few photos to share with you. As one enters, the gorillas are the first exhibit. We were lucky in that Mama Gorilla had recently given birth and both Mama and Baby were sunning themselves one the "gym set." Papa was on the level beneath, seemingly oblivious to everyone and everything. One follows a path of about three-quarters of a mile to circumambulate the zoo and in that relatively short distance encounters 377 species of animals and 225 species of plants. Impressive for a zoo twice the size. And not a cage in sight. It's a very easy walk and the vast majority of it is shaded; there are comfortable benches throughout that bid one to "sit a spell" and take in nature and the animals. Like most zoos, Gladys Porter offers a tram; do yourself a favor and chose to walk rather than ride if you are able. Both Peg and I have knees and legs that are far from the best but we were able to walk the entire distance with little trouble, thanks to those benches which gave us a breather every now and then. The employees deserve special mention. Every one that we encountered was friendly and obviously proud of the zoo. We talked to keepers, groundmen and executives; each was welcoming and more than glad to talk about their role. It is said, "a picture is worth a thousand words," so rather than ramble on, I'll let the photos speak for themselves. If you find yourself within a hundred miles of Brownsville, make a side trip to the Gladys Porter Zoo. I believe you'll be glad you did. read more

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Great zoo. Large variety of animals. Great value. Plenty of room to wander. Tropical location and feel. Highly recommended

Really loved this zoo. It was bigger than I thought it would be, but ended up being the perfect size. Lots to see, but we were ready to go after seeing everything. read more

This was my childhood zoo, I hadn't been there since college 2008? Going back now, they've made a lot of improvments. I'm glad that it's still up and running and kept some of the old buildings around. They added a fish area which is pretty nice but kind of small. I would expect it to be be bigger since we're close to the gulf but it's an upgrade to what we didn't have. The reptile exhibit was always my favorite and the white tiger is still around which is really cool. The turtles are still there and will probably be there until the end of time. The petting zoo was closed due to THE RONA I guess so we didn't get to check that out. I forgot how small it was! My husband actually liked this zoo better than the Houston zoo...which the Houston zoo is a whole other story. Good job on keeping up w/the maintenance of the animal cages! read more

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My husband and I were running in the area and decided at the last minute to check this place out. So happy we did!! We were so pleasantly surprised at the vast assortment of animals at this zoo. All of the animals seemed well taken care of, and they all had large enclosures with toys and such. I loved how enteractive this zoo was. There are opportunities to feed various animals for a small fee throughout the day. Then, some of the animals are separated from you by only a ledge or thin screen. I loved being able to see so many animals so close! One of my favorites were the kangaroos. We were able to see them within an enclosure while eating, and they were just right there!! Parking is free here and convenient. We went during the day on a Saturday, and it was so peaceful and not too crowded. Gift shops have a fun little assortment of souvenirs. Total, it was $28 for the both of us, and well worth it! Stop by this zoo, you won't be disappointed. It is also a lot bigger than you think, so be sure to set aside enough time to explore and see all the animals. read more

Gladys Porter Zoo - Zoos Near Me - Brownsville, Texas

Blinked back a few happy tears here. I normally get depressed at zoos. I look at gazelles who will never run, lions who will never rule. etc. But, it appears to me, that this zoo is all about baby-making and repopulating species who are struggling to survive. It is extremely well-maintained and the animals appear to be as happy as one can be in a confined area - like me at work (grin) It was well worth the 45 minute drive from the beach at SPI and one of the highlights of our vacation read more

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This is our family's go to spot to relax and unwind, we love all the animals and love how they have a splash park inside the zoo for those extremely hot days! My son enjoys all the animals and we love it here, the snacks are a great price and love a refill cups! Definitely a go to place for anybody looking to see amazing wil read more

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Totally worth the trip. GPZ never disappoints. They alway have new exhibits. You won't regret it.

This zoo was nice . It's a good size(not big and not tiny) with plenty of exhibits but small enough for us to get through and see everything with a 6 and 10 year old. The employees were nice & helpful. It was nicely kept. Able to keep our socially distance & everyone work their mask read more

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What a gem! We loved to the area recently and just discovered this lovely zoo. It's well-worth the hour drive to walk around and enjoy the animals. I feel like this zoo has amazing animals experiences. I've been to zoos in the big cities and this is still one of the best. It's very walkable and there are so many active animals to see. Every time we come, we are so thankful we did. The stingy ray touch pool is open again, too! And we got to feed a giraffe for $3! read more

Gladys Porter Zoo - Stingray touch pool - Zoos Near Me - Brownsville, Texas

Can't say enough about how impressed our family was with the Zoo. We decided to take a day trip from our SPI vacation as it was a quick drive from the island. We are members to the San Antonio Zoo and wish our zoo had half the animals and habitats this Zoo had. Had great shade through most of the zoo and the habitats had shade for animals that had them up close to front of enclosures. The Gorillas were fantastic to watch with their babies. Fantastic reptile house and Aquarium areas. read more

What a great zoo this is! I would even say maybe the best zoo I've been to and I've been to a lot, (even in other countries). The walkways are all shaded with big trees and vines. The animal enclosures are all spacious and clean. We got there as soon as they opened and all of the animals were up and about and not just sleeping... there were several places to stop and rest and also several places to get a snack or meal and drinks. The reptile, aquatics, and Australia exhibits were inside and actually open right now (most we've been to the past year have been closed due to Covid) so that was great that we got to enjoy them. We enjoyed every minute of being there! read more

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I loves zoo's....... was looking forward to the visit. Unfortunately most of the zoo is under renovations, so there wasn't much to see.. most disappointing was the attendant didn't say anything about how much of the zoo was unavailable, while purchasing our tickets. read more

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Loved it! Going to zoos takes me back to my childhood of going to the Oakland Zoo often. This zoo is clean and last time I went they were still developing new and bigger animal habitats. I know I know, zoos are believed to be bad for animals. You do realize that indoor cats live 15 years longer than outdoor cats? read more

To be a sue the variety of animals is not very big. The few times that I have been there all their maps are not up to date they say that they have bears lions leopards but in reality when you do go to the such expectations they're never there. read more

A very nice zoo with different species and also different kind of birds. Remodelated and some new animals and some old ones. Not so cheap but it will make the day for the family read more

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I used to live by this zoo, it is the zoo I grew up with never have I had a bad experience! I volunteer there and was a member for a few years, it was also very helpful for me when I decided to pursue a career in the animal sciences since I moved out and visit other zoos I notice how sad this zoo is, yes it has a lot of animals but the amount of animals compromises they environment and enrichment, I visit other zoos and notice how big and rich their environment are next to the Gladys porter zoo. I just wish they could improve the animal's exhibits, zoos are meant to be education on the conservation of animals but they also need to try to make their environments as cools as possible to their natural habitats, all that said I feel is important we still support this zoo. read more

The Zoo has been greatly improved since the last time I was there. Lot of the same attractions though. I would like to see more exotic animals. And possibly more user friendly directions perhaps more guided signs and investing in carving out animal tracks in the pavement. I appreciated that the food stands are now open. If your looking for a fun, local adventure, Gladys Porter Zoo is worth your time! read more

This is not only a great zoo and a must do. They rehabilitated a baby blue heron and nursed it back to health to be released into the wild. They do so much for the local wildlife that's behind the scenes that should be shared as well. Great people that really care about their animals!!! Fins to Feathers- Captain Paul and Heather read more

Gladys Porter Zoo - Blue heron spreading his wings at his new home - Zoos Near Me - Brownsville, Texas

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I am a Houston Zoo member, so I took advantage of the reciprocity zoo rate of 50% off my family's tickets, which was awesome. The zoo provides many animals very close to really get a good look. I did not feel overwhelmed with having to cover alot of ground as it is pretty nice to stroll through. My kids loved feeding the Galapagos tortoises. It is $3/celery stick and the kids were able to get inside the exhibit and pet them. I would visit this zoo again. read more

Omg first time going to the zoo in 19 years and it's soooo amazing, I absolutely loved it, I'm so happy with the experience. I saw so many cool and breathtaking animals, my favorite pet was the rhinos, flamingos and the fishies!!!! read more

What a beautiful day and experience at this zoo! This was a short drive from South Padre to see something different and we were not disappointed. This zoo is big and you definitely get your money worth. Thank you for the military discount. I like that they all you to show up until 5pm and you can stay until dusk but I will say because we arrived late we missed a couple exhibits like the butterfly, reptile and snack areas because they closed at 5. There are a lot of variety of animals that I've never seen and it was clean and well kept. Restrooms are placed strategy well. Overall we spent about 2 hrs strolling through. Great zoo! read more

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It's a subpar zoo. The last 4 times we went there, there was a rotation of exhibits closed off, in the middle of construction, out of order, or animals were out. They don't have a long list of exotic animals, I wish they would add more shading throughout the zoo as south Texas can be boiling hot. We miss the elephants that have been transferred out of the zoo. read more

I love this classic and innovative Zoo environment, friendly staff coupled with well taken care of Endangered and Exotic species, makes for a great day at any Zoo. The food is second to none and affordable. I'd give this place 10 out of 5 Stars..! read more

If I could give negative stars I would. I'm amused that their website claims it is a world class zoo? Maybe from a third world country? I found what I saw with the animals disturbing and sad. Many of the animals exhibited bored behavior. Most, but not all, do not have the room needed by their species to freely move as needed. The crocodile exhibit was particularly disturbing as the crocs didn't even look like they were alive. Steve Erwin would have cried. The exhibits are all old and out of date. This zoo needs a major revamping as the animals are suffering from lack of enrichment. They did not look neglected or underfed, thank goodness for that. The landscape was ignored, the plants that needed water were wilted with massive amounts of detritus on everything everywhere. The butterfly exhibit was pathetic, 3 butterflies was it. I am not oblivious to the fact that perhaps employees, volunteers or funding may be limited, but can't you work with what you have? This is the type of place animal activists get their panties all in a twist. Someone that actually cares needs to be in charge of this place because it largely looked ignored. Enough said, as there is more. This all comes from my heart as I love all animals and want to see them happy. read more

While it's not the biggest zoo, it was the best zoo I have ever been to. We went on a misty day and were the first to arrive. It was almost as if the animals were giving us VIP service. EVERY animal came running to the glass and put on a show for us. Our faves: the White Tigers, The Orangutan and her baby that she brought out and right up to the window for us to see and the Gorilla. I honestly wanted to go back the very next day! read more

Gladys Porter Zoo - Zoos Near Me - Brownsville, Texas

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LOVE this zoo! I'll admit that I've been spoiled by cosmopolitan living my whole life. I've been to great big city museums, aquariums, and zoo's, but I have to give Gladys Porter some MAJOR props. I've been to the Miami Metro zoo multiple times. It's bigger than Gladys Porter, but that doesn't mean it's better. Gladys Porter really does take the cake. It's small, but very very well done. I was not just pleasantly surprised, but I was shocked at how great this zoo is. The jewel of the zoo is definitely the primate exhibit. I've never been able to interact with them like I did when I was there. The primates come right up to the window. They want to check you out as much as you want to check them out. There are many proud primate mommas who love to show off their babies to the crowd. I was just in awe at the interaction and closeness I got to have with them. There are so many things to look at. Lions, reptiles, adorable little mammals, bats, fish, etc..... You can even pet sting rays and feed giraffes! I would proudly take any big city friend to Gladys Porter Zoo. Can't wait to go back for another visit. read more

Gladys Porter Zoo - Cutest little bat having a healthy snack :-) - Zoos Near Me - Brownsville, Texas

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Recommend going when there live Events or in The Mornings When The Animals Are Wide Awake and Out