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The Dallas World Aquarium
Rating Details »
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
56 reviews for The Dallas World Aquarium
OK. This place is cool, but there are a few things to know before you go. The below points could quickly knock this place down to a 3 star rating.
1. This place is EXPENSIVE, $20 to get in.
2. This place isn't really that big, and has a limited number of attractions.
3. IMPORTANT The schedule of events is important, as they have talks and feedings throughout the day. These are easy to miss, and I've gotten different instructions on where to go, and always end up missing one.
Try to carefully plan these.
4. Some of the restaurants are good.
5. Try to avoid the massive kid traffic if you can, this place gets insanely crowded.
That being said it can be a good date place, or an outing for the kids.
It's like being inside a jungle.
cool animals: jaguars, otters, sloth out of it's cage, crocodiles, flamingoes, seahorse, jellyfish, shark tunnel, sea cows.
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I have been twice. I love this place. Although, they should not have called it the aquarium because it is more like a little zoo. I think if they said that they would get much more business.
The price is a little high, but it you keep an eye out for discounts and special days it is much more affordable.
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I'm like a 5 year old when I come here....seriously, I scream at everything, touch everything and are practically swimming with the fishes (not in the Godfather type way...no criminal record here!). By the time the docent actually catches up to me "What I have no idea what you're talking about...hand and arms to myself...I swear!"
It's pricey for a day pass, but I really think its worth it. When you walk in you go through a jungle...you pay and you're on you way through. You start at the top and move down a spiral staircase-esq type thingy. They have everything from the obvious fish to birds to snakes to monkeys to even sloths...yes SLOTHS! Weird animals, but cool. The actual fish exhibits are really something. In the center of the aquarium they have a large pool with some of their biggest fish (and I mean big...like 400 lb fish), turtles, manatees. The manatees have an amazing story. I believe there are two of them and they were rescued. So you can see their scars and "battle wounds" as they just float around. Such an amazing creature to see up close. When you finally get down to the bottom, practically underground, there is a thick glass wall that you can see all these fish. You can literally sit there for hours.
Also, on your way out you pass through a glass water tunnel filled with sharks, stingrays and other fishies. So your standing right under them. Wicked cool. THEN when you finally get towards the gift shop, they have about 10 different tanks with fishes from all over the world. Like Caribbean, Great Barrier Reef, Indian Ocean...etc. One of the tanks have jellyfish that glow in the dark, so the tank is pitch black and all you can see is them floating around.
This place is awesome. Only warning. Beware of the smell and the humidity. That's all I'm saying. Otherwise, you won't be disappointed. If I also remember correctly, I believe they have either a bar or a restaurant right in the middle of the "downward" exhibit. Saweeet!
Great date place or even a Sunday Funday! One of Dallas' many great attractions!! I absolutely love the DWA!
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I was shocked to find this place. I really expected the aquarium to be a bust but it pleasantly surprised me. Took the kids here last summer. An aquarium in downtown? is what I was thinking but it didn't disappoint. I thought the admission was a little high and there was no teacher discount....boooo. But oh well. Inside the joint was really super nice. I loved the way the place is organized...in tiers. Layers of the rain forest. The variety of wildlife was great too. You never feel rushed through and just go through at your own pace. Only down side about going in the summer are the tons of camp kids/day cares or whatever. That was a little annoying. But besides that and the high price I liked it.
Like others said, it would also be a cute spot for a date.
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In this non-discript building you will find a fascinating rain forest that you would never expect in downtown - Dallas. There are different levels and views both interior and exterior to the cityscape. Kids of all ages with enjoy the aquarium and the tigers.
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This place was awful! There weren't any water rides or anything! Some of the animals were making terrible noises and smells and nowhere in the brochure does it say "beware of birds pooping on you". That sloth creature they've got hanging from a branch only inches from children's heads should be kept in a cage. Those things are deadly quick and have claws on them that are designed to kill monkeys. What were they thinking?! I suppose the fact that they have a couple of cute cuddly sea cows swimming around makes up for the deadly mix of crocodiles, sharks, and piranhas hanging around nearly every other corner, but what chance does a peace loving manatee have against one of these creatures if it wants to attack a child? Those sea cows can't possibly get out of their tanks quick enough to help anybody and besides, did you ever see one of those things? They look like a heart attack waiting to happen! FAAAT! Which leads me to the food at this place... menudo cabrito would probably taste better and I swear that one of the aquarium tanks looked like it had some menudo cabrito - that's "goat tripe" for you Anglos - swimming around in it. The sign said "jellyfish", but I really think somebody''s trying to pull the wool over the public's eyes with that one. Can't they afford to put real animals in those fish tanks instead of animal organs that kinda look like jellyfish? Cheap cheap cheap....
Count this place off my list. I'll stick with Dynasty's Hu Nan Buffet when I want undersea entertainment. They've got a huge fish tank with giant bug eyed goldfish and the best beef and broccoli this side of Beijing. Now THAT'S worth the price of admission!
I love this oasis of wildlife! I felt like a little kid again looking at all the wonders of the world. I couldn't get enough. What a treat:) At first I thought it was highway robbery for the price, but once I entered the atrium- it was worth every penny.
This is a wonderful place! Where else can you get so close to beautiful birds and walk under sharks?
We went one afternoon and after the camp group cleared out, we had a great time. There are lots of things to look at and one walk through doesn't do it justice.
My favorites were the leafy sea horses and the manatee. The penguins were very cute too. Check out there website and they tell you when they feed the animals. We got to see the sharks eating. COOL!
I only give it 4 stars because of the price and that the jaguar was not there. :(
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This is where I proposed, great location for kids. A bit pricey but really worth the cost. I love the coral exhibits.
I was expecting many tanks with exotic fish and didn't expect it to be a virtual green house/aviary in the middle of the city. It was really nice, honestly.
Kind of interesting when you're walking along the path and you see a bird, standing on the drinking fountains turning and glaring you, expecting you'll hold the button so it can get a drink.
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This review is for one of the restaurants/cafes in the aquarium. Although, the aquarium was AWESOME, the food wasn't that great...
The Dallas World Aquarium has three food venues: Jungle Cafe, Cafe Maya, and eighteen-O-one. We were starved after going through the whole aquarium. And Cafe Maya was closest to where we were.
We were seated & our waiter brought chips and the most delicious salsa I have ever tasted to our table. It was smoky and not too spicy. Off of the menu I chose the Taco Salad (Beef, cheese, sour cream, avocado, lettuce, & tomato) for $7.95. My friend got three tacos (Beef, cheese, lettuce, tomato, & sour cream) for $8.95. For dessert, we shared a Mexican Wedding Cookie with Ice Cream, for $4.95.
When our food came, I found my Taco Salad to be a little bland. The meat blended into the cheese, the avocado into the lettuce, and so on. Nothing popped. The best part had to be the shell. Light and crispy. My friend thought her tacos were Ok. Nothing to shout about. Our dessert was just a giant Pecan Sandie with a scoop of bland chocolate ice cream on top.
I wouldn't go here unless you are reallllllly reallly hungry.
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MANATEES!! RIVER OTTERS!! SEA TURTLES!! ANACONDAS!!
I go to the the Dallas World Aquarium atleast once a year. I loves it.
Oh they have a sloth, he sits in a tree and you could literally just reach up and touch him because he is RIGHT there, but he is guarded by someone who works there so I've never tried it. so cute!
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Wow sloths are still around? Well they have one here. The only thing I don't like is that you can't pet him. They are the neatest selection of birds, monkeys, and fish to photograph.
I brought friends and little ones here and everyone loved it.
I think on Wednesday you can go watch the sharks being fed. It actually is really interesting.
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First off, I'm disgusted at the price; 18.95 per adult is way too much.
My parents, brother and I really enjoyed ourselves, the "way" your supposed to go is kinda weird but it made sense once you started going the right way. I don't care much for lizards, spiders, snakes or bats but had a great time watching the HUGE tank of manatees, fish, ducks and birds. Walking by, I noticed one bird circling and thought oh great we're going to be covered in poop. But actually it landed on my dad's shoulder and allowed him to also move the bird to a ledge/perch. The food smelled delicious but we didn't eat there. They have two mammoth alligators, a couple babies and one medium croc. I think my favorite exhibit was the tanks of discus, piranhas and more. Also, the leafy sea dragons were a sight to see. I'll be back, I'm sure.
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Hey we only had an hour to spend at this great place to be able to catch our plane back to CA in time, but it was definitely an hour well spent!
The entrance to the building is an attraction in itself. It winds around for what seems like miles, up a ramp to the place where you finally buy your tickets and go in. In the meantime, you can hear and see birds while you're waiting. Big, gorgeous, exotic birds. Awesome!
I would have enjoyed it a lot more if I didn't need to pee desperately. Oh, was that a long wait for the bathroom! Where do people go to pee in downtown Dallas?!
Upon entering, I went tearing through the place like my bladder was about to explode, which it was ready to, and staff kindly pointed me to the restrooms. Then I could finally relax and enjoy what the Aquarium had to offer.
Since we had such limited time, we ranked our sights in order of priority: manatees, jaguar, sharks. It was SO cool to see manatees somewhere outside of Florida. I love going to Florida, but this was a much shorter trip from CA and they were absolutely adorable! They swim right up to the glass and I wanted to get in there and swim with them! The turtles were awesome too, as were all the other creatures in there.
The jaguar put on quite a friendly show! SO cute! Rolling around, showing the tummy, posing for tons of pics. The sharks were fab, too, swimming over our heads. We also enjoyed the fuzzy penguins, spotted owls, and little red monkeys I'd never heard of. The programs we got were full of pictures and very helpful with identifying species.
The layout is quite different from any other wildlife facility. Tall, winding, circular, narrow paths, very interesting. We zoomed all over the place to try to take in as much as we could in only an hour. Wish we could have spent more time, but the smell was rank. It stank really badly. I'm sure the staff and regular attendees are used to it, but for us it was really bad.
Was it worth the money? Definitely! Just make sure to empty your bladder, if possible, before you get in line because it's not a short path to admission!
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Did you know that they serve booze at the aquarium?
I realized I'd found my afternoon time waster 5 margaritas in, 57 pictures of the alligator, wanting to steal the marmoset and an hour staring at jellyfish later.
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I try not to repeat what others have consistently mentioned in their reviews of the DWA.
I simply appreciate that there is something like this in Dallas. Too often, kids (of all ages) stay indoors surfing the web, playing with Wii, or just being a couch potato.
The DWA is something everyone should go to at least once. It really does try to provide a cool experience. And, all in a space that is a bit small for DWA's aspirations.
Yes, the price is a bit steep if you consider for half its price, you can get into the Dallas Zoo.
But, for something a little different, sometimes a business has to charge a bit more to recoup some cost.
I enjoyed my visit and this is now one of my Take my Friends who visit Dallas stops.
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This is more than just an aquarium I'd refer to it more as a zooquarium; we made that word up thank you very much.
It had a nice mix of animals, reptiles and birds but in my opinion it did lacked some of your typical aquarium finds, like seals and sea lions and even a touch pool but what they had was great.
The layout was perfect; you walked in the top and roamed your way down passing one exhibit after the next and they all flowed nicely into each other. I saw all kinds of things an anaconda, bare-throated bellbird, channel-bill toucan, desjardini sailfin tangs, electric eel, freshwater stingray, giant Pacific octopus, howler monkey, ivory-billed aracari, jaguar, kinkajou, leafy seadragon, MANATEES, northern red anemone, orinoco goose, porcupine pufferfish, queen triggerfish, red-handed tamarin, spectacled angelfish, three toed sloth, unicorn fish, vampire bat, weedy scorpionfish, and even a yellow-billed hornbills. They pretty much had it all here. The one thing I could have gone with out seeing where the hairy, scary spiders and I really would have loved to have seen more otters the river otter was sleeping the day I was there, so I missed him.
The Dallas World Aquarium is well worth the price of admission and a great way to spend the afternoon while escaping the heat. Oh before I forget no free parking you have to park at one of the lots and it was $5.00 for the day.
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I finally got to go to the aquarium (I've been trying to get there for a year and a half)! I loved it. I was prepared for the price so I didn't have the sticker shock that some people might have when they see the $18 whatever entrance fee. We were like kids in a candy store for the next 2.5-3 hrs while we were there. The aquarium is laid out where you kind of stroll your way along through the jungle-y interior and see the sights along the way. I like how you can peek over the rail and see what's down on the next level - it's like a free preview. My favs - penguins, manatees, cool looking birds, the cheetah-ish cat thing, the sloths. I liked other things too but those were probably the favorites.
If you've never been here - go! It's way more than a regular aquarium.
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Pretty elaborate place. As many others have mentioned, they really made it have a jungle or wilderness feel to it. The walkways are small though, any it gets pretty packed--especially with all of the strollers.
My favorite part was just at the bottom with the coral reef. Very beautiful and cool. They should mention more about the importance of maintaining the reef worldwide.
Also the price is pretty high.
***Cafe Maya
The aquarium has 2 small places to eat and a snack stand. The menus are not on the website (grrr) but you can check them out in the gift shop before you enter the museum.
Maya is supposed to be Mayan inspired..it's just Tex-Mex though. The menu is very limited. My lil sis had enchiladas which came with black beans and rice. They were ok. Normal sized portion, do not plan to share it. I had the 4 choices salad which is your BEST bet. I picked the SW chicken salad, black beans, guacamole, and ceviche. You get a TON of food for $9. Could easily be shared by 2 people (or 3 light eaters) especially if you ask for tortillas or fill up on chips. Their salsas are not spicy, but have a nice flavor.
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Def more expensive than it should be... However, I went on a date so I wasn't too worried about price at the time.
Pretty depressing. Smaller than one would think. The penguins looked like they wanted to die.
The sloth was the best! (and really the difference between two and three stars)
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Sloths. Sure, I'd read some children books way back when starring the big eyed suckers- but I was not prepared to see one...live...at an aquarium!
The Dallas World Aquarium has not one, but two of these mythical creatures. One was chillin like a villain by the jungle drink bungalow. He was just eating, slowly, in a tree--no bars or fence. I could have hugged him, and I wanted to- but some paper sign said that was inappropriate. After about 5 hours of careful sloth watching, I left in pursuit of sloth #2. He was behind glass, unfortunately. I think he had one less toe than sloth #1- so maybe he needed more protection. Anyway, he had a bonafide hammock and a silly little grin.
If you're not into sloths, then you should know:
1. This aquarium smells more than any other I've ever been to, so be prepared. Just write it off as the beautiful smell of artificial nature. Clean nature. The tanks were very sparkly.
2. It was difficult to navigate and the map is unhelpful. It's hard to get where you want to go, especially with the giant spiral ramp circling several stories around monkey island.
3. It costs $18.50 for adults and I didn't see cheaper prices for students.
4. Some of the exhibits were empty and lacked signs saying so. But trust me, a jaguar can't hide in a cage that small.
5. There are lots of unexpected surprises: huge gators and manatees. The manatees were really neat and swim right next to the glass downstairs.
Bottom line- if you have time to navigate all the levels of the rain forest and love sloths, you might be surprised by the variety of animals featured.
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I'd worked downtown for over a year before I finally made it to the Dallas World Aquarium and I was really impressed during my first visit - went with a bunch of family that had flown into town. Looking at this place from the outside you wonder what in the world they could possibly fit into this old-looking cramped brick warehouse - but once you get in, you'll be impressed with the nice job they did designing the place.
You'll go through on Ikea-like maze that starts at the 3rd or 4th floor overlooking a huge waterfall and snakes you all the way down to ground level. Along the way you'll see all sorts of birds and animals - they have a lot more than just fish here! Some of the cooler things I remember seeing are giant otters, manatees, a jaguar (yes, a freaking jaguar), a sloth, and flamingos. Like I said...had no idea all this was right here in downtown Dallas...crazy.
Make sure you make it all the way down to the absolute bottom level to see the huge pool window looking into the main river exhibit with the manatees - that was definitely a highlight.
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I thought I reviewed this place, but apparently not?
I came here last year and it's a pretty neat place because it allowed you to walk around freely, getting close to the animals.
The "rainforest" was cool, and lots to just listen and look around.
By the time I saw the "acquarium" part, my feet were tired, but still neat.
It's a little pricey, so I took a star for that. I feel like museums, galleries, and acquariums shouldn't be that expensive, in fact, it should be cheap for people to enjoy it and for more people to come!
Definitely a kids place too.
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Very spiffy! Not sure Aquarium is the right word for it, so if you're looking for just water variety, you may be disappointed. However, if you're looking for a compact zoo, you have the right place.
From top to bottom, this place is amazing! I've been here on numerous visits, but had the opportunity to go with my husband this weekend for our anniversary. He very much enjoyed it, though was rather hoping for an aquarium; still trying to find one to hit tomorrow. We've decided that the DFW area is fully of moneys and grapes. Between the FTW zoo and here, you will definitely fill a monkey craving! The anacondas were sadly hiding along with most of the other animals, but what we did see what pretty darn awesome. We think we were there around noon-ish which appeared to be nap time so you may want to hit it when it opens or later on in the afternoon.
Overall, still as spiffy as I remember. Will have to try the restaurant next time we visit as that wasn't around last time I was here years ago. Great for a family trip and cool if going just as a couple or with a small group of friends; not a lot of walking room for more people than that and still be able to see everything and stay together.
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This place is great and is one of my favorite places in Dallas. They have a large variety of animals (including birds, monkeys, and large cats) which I'm sure are mentioned in the reviews below, but the one that I go back for is the Cuttlefish. They seem to get rotated in and out of the display fairly often, because of the 3 times I've been there I saw something different each time. One time they were babies, the next time they were full grown and a guy was in the tank cleaning as they sprayed ink everywhere, and the last time they weren't in the tank :(
If you get to see them feed the otters that is fun to watch too. If you like animals/fish I am sure there will be something here that will surprise and entertain you. This is the best aquarium that I've been to and I've read that it is one of the top aquariums in the country.
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How is it possible that the best aquarium i've been to is in Dallas? No joke, I've been here twice and it's spectacular! The Jaguar, the lush plants, waterfalls, giant catfish, penguins...the list is endless.
Having grown up in Florida, I was way thrilled to see manatees.
I have to agree with others on how it's not really an aquarium, so much as a rainforest/ place with fish... but it's cool.
I've been a few times, once with an adult and 3 times with kids. We all had a great time...
I do miss the huge Japanese Crabs though... they were ginormous.. and awesome!
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Impressive aquarium with plenty to see. I loved the sloth and the manatee. Penguins always make me sad though. Why do they always look so sad?
Plenty of bugs and snakes and birds and fish to look at. They have a couple small sharks.
I'm glad I went, but it's not the type of place I'd visit more than once every two years. If I had kids, I might go more often, but honestly, it's pretty pricey at $20 per person.
Don't forget to check out the jaguar in the giant glass box.
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This is my favorite place to take visitors in Dallas - I have spent a lot of time at the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago and the Monterrey Bay Aquarium in Cali, and while they are top-notch, the layout of the DWA is unique - you walk into a canopy of trees under a greenhouse-like roof with monkeys and birds and wind your way down to the jungle floor where there are alligators, spiders and snakes waiting! You can see a beautiful waterfall, and after winding your way down even more, you get to see the actual aquarium it's pouring into! Its depth is impressive as it somehow manages to fit giant sea turtles, manatees, and sharks of all sorts.
In a nearby room, there are several tanks containing groups of fish from around the world, all labeled by where they live. From here, there's still a penguin habitat, a walkway where sharks swim over your head, a gorgeous flock of flamingos, a black panther and jaguar, and many more beautiful and happy creatures.
If I was a fish, or any animal for that matter, I'd want to live at the Dallas World Aquarium. For that, it gets 5 stars.
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Compared to the Dallas Zoo (sad sad place) and the Dallas Aquarium in Fair Park. This place is much nicer - much nicer by a landslide.
They just expanded this facility so there's so much more to see! The exhibits are all new and the animals seem pretty comfortable in their lush environments.
They have manatees. So cute. You can also find tons of non-aquatic animals such as monkeys and tropical birds. A great learning experience for kids and adults alike even though it IS a little expensive.
OMG Check out the Dallas World Aquarium Webcams! They're Awesome! http://www.dwazoo.com/...
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Decided to take the squid to the DWA on Saturday. What did I see? Hmm, fish, bats, birds, monkey's, aligators and a cheetah. Wait, what?!? A cheetah, what's a big cat doing at the DWA?. regardless of the confusing nature of the DWA, we had fun. The sea turtles scared the hell out of her, the shark tank gave me vertigo. Nice layout, easy to maneuver. More expensive than I thought, but it's not like I go every weekend. I'll say this though, I lived in DC for a few years and I used to go to the National Aquarium in Baltimore and that blows Dallas out of the water. I'll go back next year when she's older.
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Very respectable aquarium. It's actually more of a cross between a zoo and an aquarium since there are quite a few mammals & birds (jaguars, sloth, penguins, manatees, etc) and not as much fish as other aquariums. But that is cool too because you get the best of both worlds.
The place isn't that big, but they pack a whole lot into such a small area. Layout is pretty nice.
The main floor/attraction is the artificial rainforest they created indoors. It has a very open air feel with birds and monkeys flying/roaming freely around you rather than you being separated from you by a glass/cage.
One sad thing I thought was that they were selling beers, lemonades, cotton candy, and other junk food right there in the middle of the fake rainforest. Sorta ruins the moment a bit. Here you are admiring a sloth literally 2 few feet away from you, and you've got a 5 year old bratty kid with a spilled icee all over his shirt pushing to get a better view of the sloth as well.
Oh, and the feeding of the pythons was really dope as well. Avoid the weekend crowds if at all possible.
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I love aquariums, my favorites being monterrey, and boston(due to nostalgia), but the Dallas aquarium really has a lot to offer. In addition to the usual life aquatic ( sans zissou), there is a large greenhouse and a number of other animals ranging from a reptile collection to ubearably cute otters.
It's a great spot to take kids, and a pretty good option for a novel weekend afternoon date. Try and avoid crowded days, cause if you follow the rain forest path you'll be stuck behind the slow moving for what seems like an eternity
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I haven't been to many aquariums, but this one is awesome! I felt like I was in a rain forest and listening to the monkey's yell was pretty fun too. I can't get enough of animals and was thrilled that the DWA had more than just fishes and gators and the like. Going to the DWA prepared me for swimming next to a REAL manatee in the wild while visiting Florida too. Ok, not really, but just being able to see those babies up close was thrilling. At the aquarium I mean. If going on the weekend, look for street parking. You might have to shove in a couple quarters, but it's still less than the surrounding lots.
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It's ok nothing super exciting.
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Wow....what fun.....only perhaps the Jaguar needs more space to run around......and the subterranean fish area smells kind of funny. More "Dallas Jungle Book" instead of misnomer "DWA" but hey......we had fun.
The DWA is an interesting experience, though not one that I necessarily have to repeat. The first half of the aquarium is more of an greenhouse than anything else, which is unfortunate because the design tends to limit your views of the animals to those from relatively far distances. In my opinion, the aquarium really doesn't shine until to the actual "aquarium" , which begins with a really impressive manatee/large fish display.
We went on a Saturday afternoon, and it was packed. Unfortunately, they recommend going upstairs through the rain forest first, which is a single path that often bottlenecks around popular exhibits. Even with the crowds, we went through the entire aquarium in a about an hour and a half. As tickets are currently $16 for adults and $9 for children under 12, that makes for an expensive and brief family outing, though I would imagine that it is expensive to maintain the habitats.
I took a 12 year old to the aquarium, and though its often to cut through the veil of apathy that teenagers carry with them, she was suitably impressed with somethings (the jaguar and the 'Finding Nemo' fish), yet seems overall underwhelmed. There are better aquariums in the South- the ones in Chattanooga and Atlanta come to mind- but this is probably the best in the immediate area.
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one word... BAD ASS
ok.. that was two words.
love it, i can live there... and i want a manatee! yes sir i want one in my backyard. but first i need to build a really really big pool :/
i want them so i can save them!!
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DWS is one of those places where you see what a properly funded aquarium should be. Unlike the "Dallas Aquarium" at fair park, there are live species in all the exhibits (including river otters and the sloths), not to mention the place doesnt stink like mildew. The entry fee is in line with other marine facilities around the country. Id like to see them expand their foothold downtown and build new exhibits that emcompass other climates or ocean environments
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