Gladys Porter Zoo

500 E Ringgold St, Brownsville, TX 78520, USA

Address:	500 E Ringgold St, Brownsville, TX 78520, USA
Phone:	+1 956-546-7187
Site:	gpz.org
Rating:	4.5
Working:	9AM–5PM 9AM–5PM 9AM–5PM 9AM–5PM 9AM–5PM 9AM–6PM 9AM–6PM

Location

Photos 100

Reviews 7

Jessica

This zoo has a great atmosphere. Its beautiful and well-managed, the animals are a joy to observe, and they are clearly cared for here. There are many benches, water fountains, shaded areas, and rest stops in lieu of hot summer days. Theres also plenty of trash cans around the zoo to discourage littering for the protection of the animals which is much appreciated. Theres so many gorgeous photo opportunities for family memories with all of the scenery, statues, and thoughtfully decorated walls. Refreshments are pricey, so be sure to come prepared, either fed or pockets heavy. Employees in the gift shop which stocks affordable and adorable trinkets and mementos are friendly and happy to assist. Its incredible being able to pet the sting rays and it is really fun to bond with the other guests over mutual amazement and hesitation to reach in and make the initial contact. The only exhibit I felt I should have skipped was the one I was most excited for: The butterfly garden. There is a dollar entry fee and its awkward to enter and the lighting is very dim and drab. There is no bracelet or other proof of payment, so if you leave for any reason you will have to pay to enter again. Its very small in a little metal greenhouse with a chaperone keeping an eye on you the entire time from the door. I saw more butterflies outside of the garden for free than I did inside of it.

Gateway Operations

We took our granddaughter here today. We paid $32 for the 3 of us to get in. I dont have an issue with this. My issue comes with the conditions. They have construction projects in so many areas. None of them even close to being finished. With the amount of people this becomes a hazard for kids. Our granddaughter wanted to experience everything and we wanted her to. 1st thing we did was go to feed the stingrays. $3.00 for 4 very small pieces of shrimp. Ok, I got over it. We continued on our way. We were looking at some monkeys a man drove up on a golf cart. Took 1 small bag of cut up fruit and veggies and tossed it across the moat onto their island. Between the birds, ducks and monkeys Im not sure they all got a piece. We noticed a couple of guys trimming some trees, we kept going. Our granddaughter wanted to see the giraffes. When she seen that she could feed them she could hardly contain her excitement. We went up and the kid said $3. Ok, hand him the money and he handed her a trimming from what looked exactly like what they were trimming from the trees. 1 small trimming from a tree that the giraffe took before she could even turn. Our granddaughter was like what happened? She wanted more and the kid said $3. When my husband made a comment to the kid he smirked and ignored us. The petting zoo area was so filthy I wouldnt even let our granddaughter in there.

A Private User

Mary Weyn, Michigan I was excited to go see the GLADYS PORTER ZOO. I had read about it on the internet prior to our visit. When we arrived at our condo for the week we read the brochures left for us and found an add saying to make sure we did not miss the zoo. AND ON 9/11/11 the entrance fee was only $2. WELL LET ME TELL YOU. When we got there they charged us $9.00 because we were not residents of Brownsville. 1st of all the lady never asked me if I lived here or not, and second the brochure never said anything about being a Brownsville resident. THEN THE REAL KICKER. My sister was hurt in an accident and needs a wheelchair to walk any distance. The gift shop told us where to go for one. When my Daughter got there the people told her they were all rented out. So being the trooper she is my sis said she would go as far as she could. I noticed I never saw a wheelchair all the time we were walking. When we decided to leave I stopped at the rental again and asked the lady if they even have wheelchairs. She finally told us the truth. NO THEY DO NOT. THEY HAVE ONE AND IT DOESNT WORK MOST OF THE TIME. So we paid full price and got to go home early because they lied to us in the beginning. I would not recommend any place that cant tell the truth or advertise the whole truth.

Jorge Gonzalez

Ive been coming here for years and instead of getting better, its stayed stagnant. The exhibits are looking more poor every year. Why add stuff is you dont work on the stuff you already have? There are a lot of exhibits that are not marked are just flat out empty. I understand its a zoo, but there are some days when it just stinks in there! I like the aquatic exhibit theyve added. Thats a big plus. They butterfly place for kids is also really nice because they can run around and the parents can relax for a bit. The gift shop is SUPER overpriced, its not even funny. 20 dollars for a stuffed animal? Naw man. Thats ripping off kids. I love this place and will keep coming back, but they can always make it better. I feel that they arent really trying anymore, but maybe thats just me. I would say that this is still a must if you visit this town. Its pretty nice if youve never been here before. 4 stars mang!

A Private User

i have been going to this zoo since i was a little kid Ive been probably to many zoos and this one is probably the best of them all by far. other zoos have high prices, animals just in cages, long uninteresting walks, mostly they all seem the same. Well Ive been to over 10 zoos and this one is refreshing its different its nice the animals dont just look like there in cages but natural surroundings it makes you feel like your actually in another country with all the terrain decoration theyve done. they have islands were some of the animals live on with no bars or cages your walking along a bridge watching the animals on islands? how cool is that! its great for kids, teens, parents and even grandparents all around your family will love it! well anyway id give this zoo a 5+++++ star review ps-also great for birthday parties....

William DeWald

I enjoy this zoo and visit here often. The service has always been great from my experience. Its not as big and fulfilling as some zoos, especially if one comes from a larger city, but for the small town of Brownsville, it is impressive. Children can have birthday parties hosted there with extra activities and some fun education about some animals. The zoo often has special events. The "Boo at the Zoo" during Halloween is one of the most popular. For certain activities within the zoo, you must be at specific places at specific times such as the giraffe feeding. The only complaint I have about the zoo is the exhibit holding the bats. Either the glass is never cleaned or it is so old that it cant be. It really needs to be dealt with because you can hardly see the bats and it has been this way for at least four years.

Tony T

Gladys Porter Zoo is a world renown wildlife preserve! Because of its location it takes advantage of the natural subtropical climate that exists in the region. This climate makes it ideal for harboring the worlds exotic animals in open air exhibits! And for those of you that love exotic flora, the Gladys Porter Zoo is a contained botanical garden that showcases some of the worlds flora specimens as well as its fauna! Located in the heart of Brownsville, its stands as one of the citys iconic attraction! A Clear winner for the whole family! Certainly not to be missed if your in town! FunNote: Sit with Americas National Bird at the aviary and enjoy some ice cold beers to cool you off while you enjoy the magnificence of the American Bald Eagle.