Made in Fort Worth: The Fort Worth Zoo

When we start dreaming about this annual issue of Madeworthy, we dream of far-flung, exotic locales. But we also love a good staycation, and Fort Worth is one of the best cities for amazing staycations. Why not start your Cowtown staycation at the Fort Worth Zoo? [Editor’s Note: As usual, this was edited for space in the magazine, so we’ve run it in its entirety here.]

Madeworthy: The Fort Worth Zoo is one of the jewels in Fort Worth’s crown, constantly rated as one of the U.S.’s top zoos. Can you give us a brief historical overview of the Zoo?

Fort Worth Zoo: So the story goes… a traveling animal menagerie was coming through town, and city officials were so delighted by the animals that they decided to purchase them right then and there. Thus, the Fort Worth Zoo opened its doors in 1909. We were owned and operated by the City of Fort Worth, but the Fort Worth Zoological Association (FWZA) was formed in 1939 to raise additional funds for the Zoo. By the 1980s, the Zoo faced decreasing support and funding from the City, and FWZA was essentially defunct.

Around that time, Ramona Seeligson Bass had visited the Zoo and was determined to improve it. She’s been the visionary and driving force behind the transformation of the Zoo, taking it from a declining municipal zoo to an international powerhouse in conservation, animal care, and education. Under her leadership, the Zoo has raised $330 million, opened dozens of permanent habitats, and welcomed 35 million visitors and counting.

Courtesy of the Fort Worth Zoo

MW: “A Wilder Vision” was announced in 2016. As of publishing, three of the four planned habitats are complete. Can you give us a sneak peek into the last habitat, “Forests & Jungles of the World”?

FWZ: The final stage of A Wilder Vision will transform the middle section of the Zoo! No longer will you walk down a straight path to Texas Wild!; instead, this habitat will have guests winding through tree-lined trails surrounded by animals from the world’s lushest forests and jungles. Zoo visitors can prepare to see a few Fort Worth Zoo regulars, like the orangutan and bongo, as well as a few new faces like okapi and red pandas!

MW: Conservation is, along with education, one of the primary missions of the Zoo. Can you give us an overview of the Zoo’s conservation successes?

FWZ: The Fort Worth Zoo’s impact on saving species stretches beyond our 64-acre park. We’re involved in conservation projects in nearly 30 countries around the world – from funding anti-poaching and education efforts in Africa and Asia for rhinos and elephants to studying and banding wild flamingos in South America to breeding and releasing Texas native reptiles and amphibians right here in our own backyard. On your next visit to the Zoo, stop by the recently renovated Mountains & Desert building in Texas Wild!. Here, you can learn more about our Texas-specific projects impacting animals like the monarch butterfly, Texas kangaroo rat, Houston toad, and the iconic Texas horned lizard!

Courtesy of the Fort Worth Zoo

MW: Generations of Fort Worth’s children have become animal lovers and fans of the Zoo through Zoo Camp. What does 2025’s Zoo Camp have in store for the kids?

FWZ: Core memories are made at Summer Zoo Camp, no doubt! Each week of camp is filled with immersive experiences and animal encounters for children ages 4 to 17, from giraffe feeding and Zoo hikes to classroom animal visitors and craft time. Our middle school- and high school-aged campers can plan on behind-the-scenes access to areas like our animal hospital and nutrition kitchen to learn more about running a zoo and caring for nearly 7,000 animals!

At its heart, Summer Zoo Camp is about connecting children with nature, playing and exploring outside, making new friends, and just letting kids be kids!

MW: The Zoo has a preschool! I wish this were available to my (now almost-grown) kiddos! Please tell us about Zoo Preschool. 

FWZ: During Fort Worth Zoo Preschool, children experience an activity-packed, three-hour class with unique and interactive animal activities. Not only will students learn about animals and conservation, but they will develop social, language, artistic, and cognitive skills through an age-appropriate curriculum.

For children ages 4 and 5, we have a nature-based, extended-day program called Nature’s Navigators that runs twice a week. This class is a great next step for children who have already participated in a year of Zoo Preschool. We’re enrolling for the 2025-26 school year for both Zoo Preschool and Nature’s Navigators!

MW: Zoo membership definitely has its privileges. Tell us what members enjoy, other than unlimited admission and free parking. 

FWZ: Becoming a Zoo member is one of the best deals in town, and with parking perks, it pays for itself in just three visits! In addition to free admission and parking, Zoo members can expect in-park discounts on food and merchandise, discounts and early registration access to our Zoo education programs, special members-only events at the Zoo, as well as discounts on admission to 100+ zoos and aquariums around the U.S.!

What I love most about Zoo membership is that you don’t have to feel pressured when you visit the Zoo to walk throughout the entire park – you can come for an hour or two and call on your favorite animals and still be home for nap time or conversely, run over after school for an hour or so, just to spend time outdoors and connect with nature!

Photo by Jeremy Enlow

MW: Boo at the Zoo is the high point in a lot of Fort Worth kids’ lives. Can you give us a little bit of Boo at the Zoo history? 

FWZ: Boo at the Zoo has grown to be an annual family-favorite event for more than three decades now! We consistently hear from people who remember coming to Boo as a child, and now they’re bringing their own children and creating new family memories. As a kid, you might remember coming to Boo in the evening, as there were several years in the 90s when the event was held after dark. Wanting to ensure that the entire family can participate and see animals in the daylight, Boo at the Zoo ultimately shifted to a three-day daytime event packed with festive entertainment, including not-so-spooky stage shows, crafts, fall-themed enrichment for the animals and trick-or-treating through the park.

Courtesy of the Fort Worth Zoo

If you haven’t yet visited during Boo at the Zoo, I encourage you to make plans for 2025! It’s a great way to kick off the fall season and spend a day with family and friends.

MW: A birthday at the Zoo is a birthday to remember forever. Please tell us what your children will experience at a Zoo birthday, whether a day party or (even cooler!) a Zoo overnight.

FWZ: The Zoo is the perfect setting for a birthday party where kids can go wild! All party packages include a three-hour room rental, but we encourage you to spend most of your time exploring the Zoo and visiting your favorite animals! Party packages can be customizable to include animal visitors, a Birthday Buddies animal adoption, and Zoo Bucks to redeem in the park at various attractions and gift shops.

During the warmer months, hosting a party at our splash pad, Safari Splash, is also an option!

Photo by Jeremy Enlow

MW: If you have any news about the Zoo that you want to share, we’d love to publish it!

FWZ: On your next visit, be sure to say hi to some of our youngest inhabitants – we’ve got fluffy flamingo chicks, two juvenile elephants – Bowie and Travis, four giraffe calves, a playful mandrill sibling pair, and Moja, our juvenile lion that is growing fast and furious!

The Museum of Living Art (MOLA) is a world-renowned herpetarium, home to some of the world’s rarest reptiles and amphibians. Something cool about this building is that you are exploring just about one-third of this space. The areas behind the scenes are dedicated to the breeding and conservation of several cold-blooded species. Be sure to stop by the Discovery Hub to chat with a zookeeper and meet one of our scaly or slithering animals up close. It’s the perfect place to learn more about and develop an appreciation for the often-overlooked creatures in the animal kingdom.

Photo by Jeremy Enlow

Lastly, our gharial habitat is just outside of MOLA. We’re one of only a handful of zoos in the United States to care for this species and the only zoo to have successfully bred multiple offspring of this critically endangered species! We are so lucky to have them here in Fort Worth for our community to discover!