My wife and I and our 17 month old daughter recently moved to Dallas. We were thinking about getting a membership to the Dallas Zoo, but have also heard really good things about the Dallas World Aquarium and were wondering if we should get a membership to there instead. The aquarium membership is more expensive than the zoo membership. Which do you think we would enjoy or go to the most if we had a membership?

The DWA doesn't have quite the multi trip appeal of the zoo. There just isn't quite the pull to hit that one more than once every 12mos imo.

I like hitting the Zoo on Sunday morning at 9am. Nobody is there and you can zip around real fast and get out before the heat hits.

DWA only opens at 10am and there is always a crowd of tourists. Maybe the crowd is down now with the Perot though, not sure.

We have memberships to the dallas zoo and perot museum. Both are partially tax deductible.

The Dallas Arboretum is opening a kids' section later this month. Will probably be packed for a while, but it's worth considering:
http://www.dallasarboretum.org/RoryMeyers/index.htm

The arboretum is a huge beating for kids...and men...in my opinion.

Have to disagree about the kids at the arboretum. We use ours alot with 4 kids(1,3,7,8). We also use the heck out of our Dallas zoo membership. The Aquarium is a once a year kind of thing.

"When the government fears the people, you have liberty; when the people fear the government, you have tyranny." Thomas Jefferson
"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing."
Edmund Burke

I prefer the aquarium, it is unique and you can go any time of the year in comfort, plus you don't have to worry about getting shot on the way there.

If want a nice zoo go over to FW.

CPA, I am guessing you are not from Dallas. There is nothing wrong with the area around the zoo. You are welcome to stay North of 635.

"When the government fears the people, you have liberty; when the people fear the government, you have tyranny." Thomas Jefferson
"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing."
Edmund Burke

You may get discounts at the other places with a membership to 1.

Highly recommend the Dallas Zoo membership. We did this several years in a row when our kids were younger. Cheap and easy entertainment for the little ones. The membership also includes free parking.

Also, imo, the Dallas Zoo's new development has closed most of the gap between it and the FW Zoo. FW Zoo is still better, but only marginally now. Definitely not worth the extra drive from Dallas proper anymore in my book.

The DWA is nice, but I also think it's overpriced and relatively small. Not someplace we were interested in visiting more than once a year.

And whoever commented about worrying about being shot couldn't be more offbase. The chances of getting mugged in one of the open downtown lots is significantly higher than in the guarded, fenced-off parking lot of the zoo (which is a few hundred yards from the I-35 exit, btw). I spent 5 years working in the green BofA building and parked in a lot right by the DWA, and got robbed at gunpoint about 10 years ago.

[This message has been edited by DannyDuberstein (edited 9/4/2013 8:59a).]

I would suggest zoo. Nothing wrong with that part of Dallas...

Dallas zoo has improved. Not worth the expense and time going to Fort Worth anymore. having said that, while the kids enjoy the zoo, I consider it a beating. I only go to spend time with the kids.

Dallas World Aquarium would be further down the list for me. You would have the same experience every single time.

We have a Perot membership, and while the facility is nice, I think much of the charm of the old museum has been lost. And the current one is boring.

Thank you for all the suggestions. We got the membership to the zoo and went on Monday. Even though it was rainy, we had a great time.

Dallas Zoo is now better than FtW Zoo.

Just my opinion, but no one I know that has been recently disagrees. I think the idea is a left-over from 10-15 years ago when Dallas was awful.
Also, since you are new to the area, know your Zoo membership also gets you into the aquarium at Fair Park. Much smaller but small-kid friendly.
There is nothing wrong with either area and both are very safe in my opinion.

Both are good, but I'd go with the zoo over the aquarium if you had to choose. A lot more to do in the zoo, plus there is a children's area that is very interactive. Definately agree with whoever posted to go 9am on Sat or Sun. You beat the crowd and the heat. Membership also gets you free passes for various things in the zoo, as well as 10 or 15% off of concessions.

We've been going to the Dallas Zoo 1-2/month since my son was 18 months old, he's 4 now. If you have a young kid, the Dallas Zoo is much easier than the FW Zoo. About every 2 months we hit up the Childerns Aquarium. Heck, it got us a nice discount at the Sacramento Zoo back in June.

I have two days of training at the Dallas Zoo next week.

[This message has been edited by ursusguy (edited 9/5/2013 8:58p).]