The Fort Worth Zoo set an all-time, single-day attendance record Wednesday (March 13) as 26,433 visitors poured through the gates to enjoy the world renowned attraction amid beautiful spring-break weather ahead of some late-week storms.
The previous record of 26,370 was set in 2013, also on a spring-break day in March. Spring break is historically the most popular week of the year at the zoo, officials said in a news release.
Zoo management attributed yesterday’s record-setting attendance to a surplus of baby animals born within the last three months, the summer 2023 opening of the state-of-the-art Predators of Asia & Africa big cat habitat and also the zoo’s half-price Wednesday admission discount.
“We are, once again, grateful to the families in North Texas for their support,” said Michael Fouraker, the zoo ‘s executive director. “Our community consistently shows up for the zoo, whether exploring new habitats, discovering new animals, watching zoo babies grow or sending their own kiddos to zoo school. Their continued loyalty is a major reason why we remain among the top zoos in the country.”
The Fort Worth Zoo draws more than 1 million visitors a year and has been voted a top zoo in North America by USA Today, one of the “World’s Greatest” by BloombergTV, the Best Zoo in Texas by Yahoo Travel, the No. 5 zoo in the nation by USA Travel Guide, the No. 1 family attraction in the DFW Metroplex by Zagat survey and a Top 10 Zoo or Aquarium by FamilyFun magazine.
Home to nearly 7,000 animals, the zoo is beginning the final phase of a four-part master plan. The first phase, African Savanna, opened in 2018; the second phase, Elephant Springs, opened in 2021; the third, Predators of Asia & Africa, opened in June 2023. The fourth and final phase is Forests & Jungles of the World.
More information about the zoo is available on its website.