With summer heat tightening its grip on North Texas, two of the region’s most popular outdoor destinations, the Fort Worth Zoo and Fort Worth Botanic Garden, are adjusting their hours of operation in deference to rising temperatures.
Beginning today (July 10), the Fort Worth Zoo resumes summer hours, opening an hour earlier at 9 a.m. and closing at 4 p.m. Monday-Friday (5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday). Summer hours at the Botanic Garden are 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday through Friday and 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. The Botanic Garden offers a members-only hour at 7 a.m. daily.
“We know that many people enjoy visiting the Botanic Garden and Zoo during the summer, but we also want to offer an opportunity for our visitors to beat the heat,” Zoo Executive Director Mike Fouraker said in a news release. “By adjusting our hours, we hope guests will take advantage of the extra morning hour. Shaded pathways, ample seating, extra fans and misters exist throughout the Zoo to ensure that everyone has a positive experience. You can get a break from the heat by visiting one of our indoor, air-conditioned spaces, like the Museum of Living Art.”
The early openings and closings will apply to all areas of the Botanic Garden and Zoo, including the gardens, animal habitats, and guest areas. The last admission will be sold at 3 p.m.
“The summer heat continues to impact the outdoor guest experience,” said Botanic Garden CEO Patrick Newman. “We recently placed new drinking fountains and bottle-filling stations throughout the Garden and have begun running an air-conditioned shuttle bus to get guests comfortably from one end of the garden to the other.”
For more information visit the websites of the Fort Worth Botanic Garden and Fort Worth Zoo.
