The Dallas World Aquarium

Dallas world aquarium is nice small aquarium with lots of fun things to do with kids. It can get crowded at times, but if you come early in the morning, it usually not that bad. It’s nice that they have a large parking area and usually no problem parking at all, it’s clean and in good condition.

SO. MUCH. MORE. than I expected! Way more to see than a normal aquarium. The rainforest area in the beginning is impressive, as is the room above the shark tank (although the shark feeding was anticlimactic). Its pricey, but definitely enough bang for your buck. If you want to save a few, take quarters for street parking. On a Sunday morning there was PLENTY within 2 blocks but still people were shelling out the $ 10+ for the lot.

First of all… this place is SO AMAZING! Anything from a panther, manatee, flamingos, worlds smallest monkey, to even having the cutest sloth ever! Went yesterday (on a Saturday) and was pretty busy… and was still overall a good experience! It was about $ 45.00 for two people and for the experience and what we saw… it was WELL WORTH IT!

I love this aquarium! The sloths are adorable and the monkeys are fun to watch! The shark tank was the icing on the cake!

Love this place, it’s a great way to spend a day. It’s fascinating to watch all these deep sea species, 20,000 gallon water tank filled with exotic fishes and creatures is just incredible. If you’re taking the whole family could get a little costly. Try to eat before ’cause it could get expensive in there. They could work more on their little café because it doesn’t offer much for the money they’re asking.

3^rd visit in the last 8 years and still impressed. This time came with a big group of friends after a boozy brunch which made the experience more entertaining :). This aquarium isn’t like any other aquarium I’ve been to before. Don’t expect to just see a bunch of fish tanks because this place is set up to feel like you’re in the animals’ natural habitat, so instead, you will enjoy soaring glass ceilings, lush plants, flowers, and trees. Look up and you’ll see exotic birds and even monkeys hanging from the ceiling beams. Not only are there standard aquarium animals, you’ll also see exotic birds, monkeys, a crocodile, puma, bugs, snakes, penguins (!!), a couple of funny lazy sloths, and many many more.
Cost for adults is $ 22/​person. I didn’t pay attention to children or senior prices but did notice children under 2 are free. They do have a café and even a bar ($ 4 for domestic beer), and you can walk around with your drinks!
Weekends can get very crowded with families and kids… Lots of kids. The set up is a bit IKEAish where you follow a path and everyone is going the same direction so not much room to split and take short cuts. Also, after you get to the exotic fishes area, don’t be fooled that it is the end of the aquarium (since its next to gift shop), go back out and there is still more to see.

I would come again to this aquarium that isn’t really an aquarium — and I would come on a weekday when the crowd is thinner. Otherwise, the experience may not be as great as it could be, since really this zoo is not that large.
But while it’s not that large, they certainly do have a lot of animals. And some of them are quite free, which is a plus. This zoo, or pseudo-​aquarium, is also showing its age, and it smells in some parts, and is also humid in some other parts. There’s also some dysfunctional information screens for some exhibits. But I’d say the humidity and the smell goes with the tropics and with the animals being as free as they were.
Another downside to this is that this zoo isn’t very well organized. Supposedly their main two exhibits are Mundo Maya, reflecting the wildlife of the Yucatan, and Rio Orinoco, reflecting the wildlife of the rainforest surrounding South America’s second largest river. But honestly, I couldn’t even once figure out which exhibit I was in — it seems like they just mixed everything up inside. Even the maps inside were left unlabeled, with no exhibit or animal names. It’s as if they expected us to click on the screen for each exhibit to figure out which exhibit each animal belonged to — and no way I was going to do that! There were far too many animals and screens to bother with!
After seeing what I thought was everything, and near the gift shop at the bottom, the sign wasn’t very clear that there was more to see — and the second part of what there was to see is the critical part, since it’s the aquarium itself, the very thing that gives DWA its name.
There were two tunnels, one long one with sharks and one shorter one with a large variety of fish (the shorter one was much better as the large one felt pretty empty).
There was also an outdoor exhibit to showcase animals from some tropical country that starts with the letter M. And apparently that whole section was left empty, «due to cold weather.» Now… this baffles me — why do they have an outdoor exhibit showcasing tropical animals in a city like Dallas with its crazy weather? They should have invested in enclosing that space.
And the aquarium had an excellent variety of fish and corrals. However, they were mostly in small tanks — or at least small for what I would expect from an aquarium. But perhaps it was cutting edge when it first opened in the 1990s.
I did love finding how tropical this aquarium is — I bet this zoo has Dallas’ tallest coconut tree. No kidding! Being inside this zoo reminded me of the jungles of South Florida, being almost as green as Pinecrest Gardens — and that’s saying a lot! I also liked that they made a large effort to focus on the wildlife of the Venezuelan Orinoco river — an ecosystem that I think is often hidden under the shadows of that of the Amazon river, even though they both share the same rainforest. Kudos to this place for making it one of their main mission to bring to light to one of the most overlooked ecosystems.
If you stroll, take your time looking for the animals and finding them, and even attempt to learn more about them, it’ll definitely take your sweet time to get to the end. And it’s easier to do so when the place is not so crowded so that you can make the most of the sometimes minimal viewing space. Doing this make me think that the whole $ 21 ticket was worth it.

This was a nice surprise. We were looking for something to do and this was close to our hotel. The only downside was the crowds. There was a line to get in. I would estimate it took about 15 to 20 minutes to get in. The crowds also caused delays progressing through the aquarium. I would bet it would be worth it to come during the day during the week.
Other than that it was a very good experience. You start on the top floor and wind your way down to the basement. The top floors are more like a zoo. There are all sorts of animals. As you make your way to the lower levels you get into the aquarium part of it. There are several viewing areas including a couple glass tunnels.
The sharks were cool to see, but my favorite was easily the penguins. They have a nice area where you can watch them swim around.
This is well worth the trip.

This place is more like a zoo than an aquarium, which makes it well worth the entrance fee! From aquatic birds and creatures to land mammals like sloths and jaguars, this aquarium has a lot to offer.
The pathways are cleverly designed, so just walking around and enjoying the view is already a pleasant experience. There are restaurants and cafes you can dine at, so if you need a break, they got that covered. There are educational talks and feedings here and there, so check the pamphlet and try to catch those! The gift shop is full of neat items, and you may be tempted to buy cool keychains or fluffy stuffed penguins.
The Madagascar exhibits were closed due to the cold temperature and some parts were under renovation so we missed a few things during our visit, but overall, it was a fun and educational experience.

This was really great! The entrance is a long entrance but they really look like they take care of these animals. The walk ways are a bit narrow but you see soooo much. Also parking isn’t a hassle we found meters nearby so that was nice. All in all Id be back, it was really cool. There was no trash laying around or anything. I kind of wish they had staff walking around to monitor that everyone was being polite and ensure safety of the animals, because there was a lot of children running around.

Disclaimer: I’m from Chicago which is home to one of the best aquariums in the country. (Shedd) Admittedly, I might be a little biased when it comes to aquariums so take this review with a grain of salt.
Honestly, I feel like the Dallas aquarium is a waste of time and money. I was stunned at how small it is. We probably walked though the entire place in 20 minutes. We only went in the place to get out of the heat but that turned out to be a mistake. The aquarium was cooler than the hot Dallas sun but not by much. It was humid in certain areas and warm due to the size of the crowds inside.
The aquarium is akin to a maze in my opinion. You walk in and you’re immediately in a tight space. You have to wind around tight corners kinda like a spiral staircase, in some spots, to view the exhibits. Imagine doing that in a cramped space with a crowd of people around you. Heavy people, smelly people, little rambunctious kids! Due to the tight quarters it was hard to see certain exhibits but we made the best of it.
The scenery was nice and the animals were nice to look at per usual for these types of places. I think the aquarium might be more interesting for kids rather than adults. Adult admission was about $ 20. I don’t recall how much it cost for kids. I also don’t recall there being any shows or interactive activities going on during our visit either.
I wouldn’t visit DWA again or recommend it unless you have little ones that you’re desperate to entertain on hot muggy days.

This is probably on my list of favorite aquariums. The rainforest theme/​all around exhibit made it unique and so much more fun. There were so many different exhibits spread throughout the area including birds, monkeys, fish and reptiles. My favorite part was probably the sloth that just hangs out in a tree by the café. They also have a shark tunnel that you walk through and the sharks are swimming around you. Some reviews mentioned that the aquarium was pretty busy… but I didn’t have that issue. We visited around 3pm on a Friday and it wasn’t too crowded.

A crocodile, a jaguar, flamingos, oh my!
I would say it’s more of an aquarium zoo. An equal combination of land and sea animals.
But very nicely done.
I have been a couple times and enjoy the fact it is very open and you almost feel like you’re literally in a rainforest.
They let birds fly around, so don’t look up with your mouth open! They have a sloth hanging within reach — signs saying DO NOT TOUCH of course (but I have seen people that do).
It can be crowded on the weekends. It seems a little small with a decent amount of animals squeezed in.
It’s worth doing if you’re downtown and looking for something to do. Check out the times for feeding and they have a small restaurant if you decide you want to eat there too. I know a couple who got married there and I heard it was pretty amazing.

WOW! This place was awesome! Sooooo many exhibits!
It’s basically have rainforest exhibit and half aquarium!
I liked that a ton of the rainforest exhibits were open, so it felt like you were truly walking around the forest seeing the animals in the wild. Tamarins, toucans, crocodiles, flamingos, oh my!
The best part of the aquarium is the shark tunnel that you can walk through with sharks swimming above you.
Gift shop is also pretty reasonable. I officially finished my Christmas shopping thanks to the DWA gift shop!

I like this aquarium. I felt like its more of a zoo. There are tons of animals and birds. And they have a big shark tank where you can see through in a tube.

I love this aquarium considering this is the best one I’ve ever been to.
I went here for the first time in fifth grade and I have never forgotten my experience.
This is a great place for all ages and you can even take the train to get here if you don’t want to drive.
The interior is so amazing, it gives you the feel of walking through an actual rainforest in the beginning. All kinds of animals and even cute penguins!
They have cafes and a souvenir store if you’d like to eat there as well!
Just go and have fun!

Just know that they should call this place the Dallas World RAINFOREST and Aquarium.
Primarily rainforest.
If you’re expecting a building full of sea creatures, you’ll be disappointed (case in point: me and my friend). I’m not going to take away points though, because this place is definitely worth visiting… just make sure you know what to expect.

Went today for the 1^st time ever, as a born and raised Dallas-​ite I had never been, now I live in Nor Cal, but here visiting family and decided why the heck not?! Loved everything! My favorite was the owls of course! Loved the flamingos! and all of the fishes from all over the country.
Loved the Jellyfish too! What more could you ask for? Only con is the location, I took the Dart Rail, but trying to find the place on foot was kind of a hassle, finally was able to locate it. I have nothing bad to say!

I had such high expectations as this was my first time at the aquarium but sadly I was let down…
A lot of the animals weren’t even in their exhibit! And the walk through tank with the sharks was extremely murky I couldn’t see anything swimming in there unless it was a few inches away from the glass! Overpriced parking and entrance. Perhaps they were having an off day but I don’t see myself returning anytime soon.

The Dallas World Aquarium makes for a perfect family afternoon. It’s a tad pricey (we generally pay $ 60 in admission for myself, my husband and our daughter) but I think the experience is worth it.
The aquarium has a natural flow to it, no pun intended. From entrance to exit, you’re on a clearly «guided» path that leads you through each exhibit, keeping traffic moving seamlessly and ensuring you get to experience each attraction naturally. And there is so much to see!
A few of the perks that make this a great day for all: One of the first stops includes a cabana where you can purchase snacks and drinks to take with you through the aquarium, including alcohol like beer and daiquiris and frozen ritas. There are frozen options for the kids and novelty cups as well. There are also a number of cafes scattered throughout where you can enjoy a sit down meal.
An interesting aspect of this place is that it is honestly more zoo than aquarium. In my mind that made it a nice surprise. Aquariums tend to bore me after not too long. Here you get a vast array of aquatic life — jellies, sea horses, crabs, exotic fish, anemones, and more, including massive carp and catfish in a huge tank you could spend hours staring into along, plus a walk-​through shark tank including hammerheads and saw fish. It’s really fantastic. But in addition to this, you have reptiles, crocodiles, alligators, bats, penguins, amazing birds and even a jaguar. If you come during the right time, you’ll catch a fantastic traditional Aztec show on top of the jaguar cage (the jaguar won’t be present for this as it’d probably be very disturbing.)
You naturally finish the tour at the gift shop where they have a great, yet pricey, selection of memorabilia.
The only missing star is because I wish it were more affordable — general admission is just plain high.