Gladys Porter Zoo — Attraction in Brownsville

Gladys Porter zoo is truly an amazing institution. Not only is it a fantastic place to go and visit and spend quality time with your family and friends, it is also an excellent place to learn about our local and global endangered species. What most people don’t realize is this is a conservation zoo. It is not only for visitors to view and enjoy, but it is also designed to help increase genetic diversity among endangered species and protect the populations. The Gladys Porter Zoo has been responsible for helping to rescue many species back from the brink of extinction, most notable is the Kemps Ridley Sea Turtle. The zoo is also a huge economic driver for the Brownsville area and the valley in general. It generates millions of dollars interest revenue every year. Going into the future, the zoo has a great vision for the next 50 years. In the near future it will be installing a zip line that will fly over the top of the zoo much like you see in larger metro area zoos. They will also be doing more immersive exhibits where guests will be able to pop-up inside of the exhibit and look firsthand at the animals. So although the zoo is exciting now there’s much more to come in the future. And remember before you have anything negative to say about our zoo, our staff does the best they can but animals are animals after all. Sometimes they may not cooperate and may not come out but that does not mean they are not there. The zoo is completely run through donations and charitable sponsorships. Although it does receive some money from the city and other entities, its primary fundraising is through private parties and corporations. There are many opportunities to volunteer and be involved at the zoo that would be highly rewarding for you and your family. If you’d like to learn more about volunteering at the zoo, just call the zoo office and let them know how you would like to help or ask what you can do. Most importantly get out there and enjoy our...

Came and visited the zoo by myself on Wednesday just to enjoy my afternoon. Towards the end of walking around I was approached by an older security guard named Bobby who came up to me and stood right next to me. I immediately thought it was to talk to me about something going on but instead he proceeded to make me feel EXTREMELY uncomfortable asking me questions about if i’ve been traveling certain places and how we can go together. He start putting his hand on my shoulder making me feel very uneasy, even when i’d take steps away from him clearly very uncomfortable he still proceeded to put his hands on me. I felt so uncomfortable I went to the nearest restroom to get away from him. I noticed he even started following me to the restroom and even waited outside for me to come out. I waited in there about 30 minutes. Thankfully there was a worker already in there helping me out and trying to get him to leave me alone but STILL he insisted on staying. Another worker then got involved and she even called another security guard who did absolutely nothing to help and even waved it off as it wasn’t important. Finally the second worker was able to shoo him away from the restroom enough to where I was able to safely go to my car. I’m extremely disappointed with how the people who should be making you feel safe are the ones that don’t. Thank you so much to the workers that helped. Please be very careful if you are by yourself and watch out for this...

Absolutely love the zoo. It is a bit small in comparison to other zoos, but it is a very pleasurable experience. I am glad that it will be expanding in the future.

My family and I decided to purchase the zoo membership and it has been completely worth it!! The membership is worth it if you plan on going to the zoo about 3-5 times per year. We purchased ours in the Spring and within 3 months we had already gone 5-6 times. So, it pays for itself. Additionally, you are included in their quarterly newsletter which informs you about new additions, attractions, animals, foundations, events, or any other news about the zoo you might otherwise not hear about. You enter through a different entrance that makes going in fast and you can park in the paid parking for free. I am extremely happy with our membership and will continue to purchase it for years to come.

The exhibits are great, the animals seem happy. My favorite part is the small world exhibits with all the little meerkats and other small animals. So adorable.

My husband and I enjoy the ambiance of the zoo, getting in a nice walk and enjoying the outdoors. Honestly, walking through the zoo twice in one day will result in about a 2 mile walk. Great for both your physical and mental health! A delightful way to spend...