Discover the best zoos and aquariums across the country. ThrillZing covers admission, must-see exhibits, animal encounters, and reciprocal membership tips for every major zoo and aquarium — plus the latest news from the world of wildlife attractions.
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/ July 15, 2026
The Dallas Zoo is Texas’s oldest and largest zoological park, sitting on 106 acres in Marsalis Park just three miles south of downtown Dallas. Founded in 1888, the zoo has grown from a small municipal menagerie into a major AZA-accredited institution that draws more than
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tz
/ July 14, 2026
The Fort Worth Zoo opened in 1909 with a lion, some bear cubs, an alligator, a coyote, a peacock, and a few rabbits housed at Trinity Park. More than a century later, it has grown into one of the most acclaimed zoological facilities in the
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/ July 14, 2026
The Houston Zoo sits inside Hermann Park near downtown Houston, Texas, and has welcomed visitors since it first opened in 1922 with a single deer pen donated to the city. Over the following century it grew into one of the most visited zoos in the
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/ July 14, 2026
Brookfield Zoo opened on July 1, 1934, in Brookfield, Illinois, just outside Chicago, and quickly became known for reshaping how American zoos presented animals. Rather than lining up cages, the zoo used moats, ditches, and naturalistic barriers to separate visitors from wildlife, an approach that
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/ July 14, 2026
Lincoln Park Zoo sits along Chicago’s lakefront in the neighborhood that shares its name, and it has welcomed visitors free of charge since it opened in 1868. That makes it one of the oldest zoos in the United States, predating most of the country’s major
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tz
/ July 14, 2026
The Saint Louis Zoo sits inside historic Forest Park in St. Louis, Missouri, and has been a fixture of the city since its founding in 1910, growing out of a flight cage built for the 1904 World’s Fair. Spanning roughly 90 acres, the zoo has
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/ July 13, 2026
Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute has anchored Rock Creek Park in Washington, D.C. since it was established by an act of Congress in 1889, opening to the public that May. As part of the Smithsonian Institution, the zoo has always been free to
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tz
/ July 7, 2026
Zoombezi Bay is a 22.7-acre water park owned and operated by the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium in Powell, Ohio, just north of Columbus. It opened to the public on May 26, 2008, on the site of the former Wyandot Lake Adventure Park, which the zoo
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/ June 28, 2026
Busch Gardens Tampa Bay is a 335-acre Africa-themed park in Tampa, Florida, that doubles as one of the region’s premier accredited zoos. Opened on March 31, 1959, as a hospitality attraction for the Anheuser-Busch brewery, it evolved over decades into a full-scale theme park featuring
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tz
/ June 26, 2026
Tucked into the historic FirstEnergy Powerhouse in Cleveland’s Flats, the Greater Cleveland Aquarium is Ohio’s only freestanding aquarium — a compact but captivating walk through the waters of the world. Worlds beneath the surface Journey from local Ohio rivers and the Great Lakes to tropical
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tz
/ June 26, 2026
One of the largest zoos in Ohio, the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo spans 180+ acres of hills and forest just minutes from downtown — home to thousands of animals and one of the most impressive indoor rainforests in the country. World regions to explore Walk through
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/ June 26, 2026
Founded in 1900 and routinely ranked among the best zoos in America, the Toledo Zoo & Aquarium blends gorgeous historic architecture with modern, immersive habitats — a Northwest Ohio gem worth the trip. Pioneering exhibits Toledo made history with the Hippoquarium, the first exhibit to
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/ June 26, 2026
Perched on California’s Cannery Row, the Monterey Bay Aquarium is widely considered the finest aquarium in the country — a place that turned ocean conservation into a world-class visitor experience. A living window on Monterey Bay Its towering three-story Kelp Forest exhibit sways with real
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/ June 26, 2026
In downtown Atlanta sits the Georgia Aquarium — one of the largest aquariums on the planet and the only one in the U.S. home to whale sharks, the biggest fish in the sea. Window into the ocean The centerpiece Ocean Voyager habitat holds millions of
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tz
/ June 26, 2026
Compact, walkable, and packed with personality, the Akron Zoo is a beloved Northeast Ohio destination that punches well above its size — and a perfect example of how much a local zoo membership can unlock. Animals from around the world Wander Pride of Africa for
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tz
/ June 26, 2026
Made famous by the late Jack Hanna, the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium is consistently ranked among the top zoos in the United States — a sprawling, world-class destination in central Ohio. Regions of the world The zoo is organized into immersive regions: Asia Quest, Heart
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tz
/ June 26, 2026
The Bronx Zoo is the largest metropolitan zoo in the United States — 265 acres of forests, rivers, and immersive habitats right in New York City, run by the Wildlife Conservation Society. Immersive, world-first exhibits The Bronx Zoo pioneered the immersive exhibit. Congo Gorilla Forest
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tz
/ June 26, 2026
Set in lush Balboa Park, the San Diego Zoo is one of the most famous wildlife destinations on Earth — home to more than 3,500 animals across 650+ species, all immersed in pioneering naturalistic habitats. A conservation powerhouse San Diego helped write the modern playbook
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tz
/ June 25, 2026
Disney’s Animal Kingdom opened on Earth Day, April 22, 1998, at Walt Disney World Resort in Bay Lake, Florida, near Orlando. Spanning 580 acres, it was the largest theme park in the world at its debut, and it remains the only Disney park built around
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