Had a great time walking the holiday lights at the zoo. Would highly recommend for anyone with kids in the area

It was nice and interesting, the only thing is the animals seemed really sad and other customers kept breaking the covid rules and trying to reach the animals to touch and no one was really around to stop them. Ill definitely visit again but I feel they need to have more employees around and host more fun attractions.

Great place the animals look healthy and well taken care of and eat and clean. I was like to see lots to do and the foliage was beautiful butterflies everywhere

We went for the first time and appreciated the ease of flow moving through the zoo so we didnt miss anything. Most exhibits have such an open feel that it was easy to enjoy the animals. Our family particularly loved visiting the gorillas, giraffes, birds, and flamingos! We will definitely go again.

Zoo nights and lights was nice. Animals not up for viewing though. Several concessions open and beautiful decorations all throughout the zoo.

Indoor exhibits are marked off and workers are ready with hand sanitizer. Not crowded at all, good distance between groups were maintained today. Though things have changed, it wasnt bad.

Been here twice and each time it has been very nice! Place is well kept, clean and they make updates frequently. Staff is also very friendly and the animals are well cared for. The kids love it! Try to go in the winter when weather is cooler, makes experience even better.

Love this zoo. The animals are not caged they are in great shape, available to see, and plentiful. Been twice now, both times have been wonderful.

For out of town folk this is a good place to take your family for a fun time. It has an assortment of animals and a souvenir shop. For locals our zoo is the same, it does have Otters now and it will soon have African Dogs, but still a fun place to distract the mind from the same routine.

Some zoos are just too big or way too small. This is just the right size for a great morning or afternoon stroll. Well maintained and clean facility. Staff are courteous and friendly. Kids use to love the play area and water spray park(now unfortunately closed due to Covid). Not too crowded so you can maintain social distancing with ease. Variety of animals, aquarium, herpetarium and serpentarium. Home of the famous Komodo dragon. Petting zoo and lots of little eateries and ice cream carts to stave off hunger. Generous amounts of clean restrooms interspersed at regular intervals. Best of all, if your kids still have the energy, the children’s museum is just down the street.

I grew up going to this zoo as a kid in Brownsville. This is the first time Id been back in many years and it didnt disappoint. Of course some things were different, some things were just the same but overall i loved it. We were probably the first people through the door. Bought our tickets online, had the phone scanned at the gate. The layout is roughly a circle with cuts through the middle but its easy to navigate. There are plenty of concession stands along the way. The petting zoo called Small World was closed sadly but this was because of the ongoing pandemic. This area has the pettable critters like bunnies and goats. Also the nursery is visible from this area but it says closed off too. Its a great zoo! We were with someone who had never been too a zoo and she loved it and left with the excitement of a young child. Youll enjoy it. Also the weather here is most likely going to be great the majority of the year.

Very fun and amazing place. It helped me be less afraid of bats and had a wide variety of splendid, amazing animals.

My son loved it! He loved the splash zone and all the animals they have! Great family spot

So happy to visit the Zoo last sunday. The weather was perfect and kids had a blast!

Very nice experience and my daughter loved it for her birthday! Zoo is kept nice and clean and the animals are kept comfortably with sufficient space.

Great zoo! Was expecting it to be so-so, but it was alot bigger than youd expect. Great variety of animals and they even have an aquatic area and a reptile house. Definitely worth the yearly membership if you have a family, it will pay for itself after a few visits.

It. Was. Amazing. Please. Go. Here. Now. PLEASE. No seriously though it was amazing.

GPZ still delivers a great experience even with Covid.

Nice variety of animals to showcase. Easy flow of walking around. May not be as big or prominent such as the one in San Diego, but its a really good quality zoo if zoo was like a commodity you can trade in the stock market.

This is a wonderful small zoo that has everything you could want. The orangutans are fun and the young ones seemed to enjoy interacting with people. We saw rhinos wrestling for a mud hole. The last time at the zoo we saw a baby giraffe born. They dont allow food in but the do sell decent food inside the zoo. You can get pretty close to most of the exhibits and see the animals great. The parking lot is small but i have never had a problem finding a spot. The have a wonderful playground in the back of the park the water effects in the summer.

Great place to kill time. Friendly staff and awesome sights to behold. The food and drinks are a real treat and its a nice way to support the wildlife.

Absolutely beautiful! If youre visiting the area, and wondering if you should go to the zoo,: do it! It wont disappoint, lots to see and something for everyone. Lost of shade and places to cool off when hot. My group of 5 had a blast, ages 9-16. Water and snacks are reasonably priced.

My first time here and what a fantastic day. The weather was perfect, the animals were active, the facility was clean, and the staff was incredibly kind and professional. I have visited zoos in 8 States. And this was the best single day at the zoo Ive ever had.

Good place for the fam. Entrance not to bad i price. But they should be cleaning the park more. Lots of weeds on grounds. To many cages looked broken or outdated. To many cages empty. Some of the animals just looked out of place not natural. Small took less then 2 hrs to walk.

Loved going here with family. Decent sized zoo and they had many animals I haven’t seen at other zoos

A bit of a surprise that they have so many animals in the space they have in Brownsville. The flimingos are beautiful. Think I forgot how pretty the real things are. Great monkey population. A bit disappointed I couldnt find a Nilguy there. Maybe next time.

I had a wonderful time. It had been a while since I came to the zoo, but it was like going back to my childhood. Seeing all of the amazing animals and loving Gods creations. Great experience for the whole family. Please consider donating to the zoo so that they may continue care for the beautful animals.*updated pictures*

Had a great time reliving the experience of going and now with my grandson, he loved seeing the animals and hope we get to go back once all the exhibits are open again. Pandemic is really hurting all places, even the zoo..

It was good. It was by appointment. Not too crowded. SOME snack shops were closed .

They do have measures in place to help with social distancing and keeping hands clean. My family and I enjoyed ourselves.

Love coming here with my friends. The adults can enjoy this place as much as the kids with plenty of exciting activities and special exhibits. Food and drinks are fairly priced. And they typical have deals if you check before going! We always love going to their aquatic exhibit ️

It was a nice small zoo with reasonable entry fees. all staff members we interacted with were friendly and knowledgeable and excited to share info with you. there were quite a few empty exhibits with no reasoning behind it. some were under construction but most were not. there were a few animals clearly mislabeled in the nursery section. petting zoo was fun. all animals that we did see seemed healthy and happy and we were very happy to spend a few hours here. we will definitely return here for a visit the next time we are in town.

A truly unique zoo experience, loved it!

It was a great experience, I learned about some new insects and spiders I never new about and I loved to long adventure.

Im pretty biased about this place. I grew up with it. Were talking about early 1980s. It was only a matter of time before I brought my baby girl here. She loved it, too, by the way. The weather was favorable and it was a school day so there were very few people. If you are from out of town you have to make time for it.

Try and get there early to beat the heat. They actually have an area where you can feed a giraffe. Very cool

Give the Kangaroos more space! Everything else is great but like cmon. At least 20 kangaroos in a 20x15 room with fake grass painted on the walls. It’s depressing. There are other animals that have a much larger space than actually needed.I would have rated 5 stars because it really is a great zoo with great staff & kept clean. But go see the Kangaroos for yourself.

Always A wonder Experience . Happy 15 Bday Naomi We love u.

Great experience to take the kids out for some fresh air and fun time during covid hand sanitizer in all areas btw and good social distancing practice.

Its a nice zoo. Good attractions of animals. I would totally recommend

Beautiful day at the zoo. The animals were active waiting to be feed.

Been coming here since I was a child. I love zoos period but this is the prettiest most well kept zoo that Ive been too. Animals are all super happy and healthy. Its so very clean. Its well worth the trip each and everytime.

My family enjoyed the zoo. It was a great day, not too hot nor cold. Food was reasonably priced. Overall our trip to the zoo was great! The dinosaur exhibit was an awesome tour and a good introduction to other types of animals.

We love this zoo. The bathrooms are super clean. The staff is friendly. Concessions are easy to find and lots of food choices. It was kinda cool today so not all the animals came out to play . But that’s ok we have a yearly pass.

Adding my 5 star review. What a fabulous zoo. YOU CAN FEED GIRAFEES HERE!!! The monkeys were all very active, the staff were all very engaging with my curious kids. We also loved the splash pad and the playground. Its very smartly placed halfway through the zoo. A very enjoyable day.

I visited when they had a South valley special so I got in for 3 dollars! Im not sure what the normal price is but it was very fun, the animals where awake and playing, they where selling pop cycles and that helped keep us cool from the sun, they are a little expensive however, it was like 3 dollars each, they also had ice cream and snack places. The gift shop doesnt have a lot of cool things and they are kind of expensive too, but over all it was pretty fun.

A very nice zoo, in a small space. They have a great variety of animals and very good educational displays. Lots of refreshment stands.

Great time a the zoo like always, animals were at nap time .

Always have a fantastic time here at the zoo. There is a WIDE variety of animals, reptiles, and fish to see. We especially like the aquarium experience and the sting ray touching tank. The kids go crazy for that, especially feeding them, the Giraffes, and the fish. Make a fun day for your kids and take them to Gladys Porter Zoo. You will be glad you did. Enjoy!!!

Excellent zoo with dozens of exotic animals. Its a fun packed time. Dont miss it if you live in the area or are visiting Brownsville TX.

Really neat smaller zoo. Lots of reptiles in outdoor exhibits which is awesome!

This is an amazing zoo. A wide range of animals from all over the world. When I took my family there all the animals were very active. It helps that we got there when the zoo opened for the day so it wasnt too hot. That is probably the best time to go. South Texas is really hot during the day during the summer. I highly recommend going to this zoo. We love it there.

I really enjoyed the time here. The animals look healthy and well taken care of.Theres a huge variety. From snakes, to bats, giraffes, lions and acuatic animals too.I like the fact that you can interact with some animals. They have a place where you can let goats and a bull. You can feed giraffes and also you can let rays!!!The gift shop is overpriced, as if it was sea world or something! That wasnt good.Also something negative, some spaces are not very handicapped friendly.

Perfect place to visit! Fun for all ages :)

Much larger than expected. Lots of animals from all over the world. Went on a Wednesday and none of the food stands were open. Lots of golf cart traffic from workers and even a truck on the main walkways which was annoying. Run down in some areas. Kids had fun.

Had a lot of fun. There are missing some animals and the prices for the food are really high.

I was a little disappointed with the upkeep of the zoo. Not worth all the money spent tbh..But it was ok for a little getaway...plan other things to do because its a short tour. Employees were rude..not friendly. Except for the young lady whom works with the large tortoise exhibit...she was very friendly and knowledgeable. I thank you for your time and help.

Easily the best place to visit in the RGV, going out on a limb and saying this is more enjoyable than SPI. Herpetarium in particular is incredible, with a very impressive connection of venomous snakes including mambas, cobras, rattlesnakes and various other vipers/elapids. Several species of monitors, crocodilians, turtles and amphibians both inside and outside the herp. Beautiful aquarium with stingray touch tank and deep water exhibit. Large mammal collection including lions, tigers, bears, zebras, giraffes, rhinos, hippos, etc. Lots of monkeys and apes, indoor Australia exhibit with reptiles and mammals inside, free flight aviary, giraffe feeding and plenty of places to eat. Definitely not a gigantic zoo but thats one of the major pros. Everything is very well organized and the zoo is easy navigate and see in a single loop, you wont have to be backtracking and walking everywhere as everything is very clearly marked and organized. This zoo is very surprising considering the incredibly high quality of it and that its located in thr valley. A must visit for alk valley residents and tourists alike!

What a wonderful surprise! Beautifully cared for small zoo. ️

Very nice zoo. Good to go see at least once.

Plenty to see here could actually take a whole day to see everything. Different areas are available for you to eat and/or drink.

It was great and beautiful. My mother who is 90 years old enjoyed it so much, it was the first time she had gone. My little nephew enjoyed it also, especially the robotic dinosaurs. Lots of shade and the misters keep you cool its near the palapa and its so cool there. The exhibits with air condition are great. The lion was my favorite.

I love going here with my little kids. There is a small water park to cool off in. I only wish there were more seats to rest during the trek around the zoo. Food and drinks are obviously overpriced.

I had a wonderful time here. The staff is friendly and the animals seem to be well taken care of.

My wife and I had a great time, we went early on a weekday so we had the whole place to ourselves. Most, if not all of the food vendors were closed so I cant speak to any of that.We really enjoyed seeing the variety of animals, especially being able to pet the manta rays. They were so friendly, they instantly swam up to you once they saw your hand near the water.Overall we had a great experience.

I love visiting the Brownsville Gladys Porter Zoo! All animals look in well conditions and the zoo staff are very friendly! Make sure to leave a donation for these beautiful animals so we can continue the enjoyment of visiting our local zoo & learning about all the different species.

I finally find a nice place to go with my kids !Is well maintain, clean and they are trees every where so the heat of the summer is less intense .We do the annual pass and we are so happy for that.

It was so fun & felt like we were in the wild with the animals. They were well kept & restrooms were maintained. Spent a good 3 to 4 hours viewing everything.

This zoo is an absolute blast! There is a lot of animals. Ranging from Southeast Asian, Australian, African, North and South American.The staff is friendly.There are a lot of refreshment areas to cool off during the days of summer.Also there is a gift shop with a lot of cool little things to bring home.Lastly, there are playgrounds and activities for all ages such as touching Rays, feeding giraffes, and a aquarium with a bug center!

Fantastic day. Great staff and active animals

Beautiful day!!! Good burgers!!! Never saw elephants. A lot was closed due to Covid

Very nice zoo! The Gorillas were amazing to see! The best part was the hands on feeding the giraffe! The giraffe came close and the kids were able to pet! The 17 foot crocodile was another really neat one to see in real life! Great place for making family memories! Food was also good and reasonable prices! We will be going back in tbe near future!

Was glad that they had precautions set i. Place. Different but granddaughter still loves it.

IT WAS AMAZING AND THE GORILLA AND THE GIRAFFES ARE THE BEST ANIMALS THERE!!

It was sad seeing the zoo . We went to get away for a bit. Zoo is run down Tremendously. It’s just not a nice sight to see . Use to take my son about 20 yrs ago . And has gone down hill . They need some new members to save the zoo . Possibly new management also it’s extremely run bad they need to fight for the zoo and I don’t see that happening..

Nice small zoo. Good time. Wish we would have gotten the name of the man (zoo worker) who came by and started talking to the gorilla. He clearly really cared for the animals and knew them by name, was proud of them and was willing to share their stories with anyone who would listen. I do wish some of the animals had more room like the tiny pony in the petting area and some others. But again, it was a smaller zoo and Im sure it is a funding issue. As for a patron it is an enjoyable time. I didnt find the prices too outrageous. The gift shop and food and drink stand people were pleasant as well. There is a small aquarium area where you can pet stingrays with a washing station.

Wish they had more undercover walk ways! But we loved it

A wonderful zoo with welcoming staff and a great environment for family and friends.

Great place for a family outing. Prices are accessible and has different food and snack stations throughout the zoo. Has lots of animals and I enjoyed the giraffe feeding and galapagos turtle feeding. Definitely recommended

The experience, as always, has been fun and engaging! We all (children and adults alike) learn so much with every visit, and this time of year (October) has nice temperatures!

I go there about twice a year and it seems every time I go over place looks a little bit more dilapidated than the previous but the place does run mostly on charitable contributions and well, that really is our fault isnt it. That aside, it really should be appreciated for being one of the best places to take your kids or, just yourself for a leisurely stroll. The animals always look well kept, well fed, and to a certain point - happy.

What a beautiful zoo!! Such an amazing array of animals, hugs, snakes, and Marine life. My entire family thoroughly enjoyed this zoo and will be back next time we are in Texas!!Do yourself a favor if you go to Brownsville or surrounding areas (SPI, Port Isabel, etc), take the trip to this zoo!! You wont be disappointed!

Awesome zoo. Lots of beautiful animals and landscaping.

My son loves the zoo and Im glad they reopened with proper precautions during the pandemic.

Havent been here since I was a child, and its changed so much in good ways! We went on re-opening day and it wasnt too packed, most of the animals were out and visible, pricey but well worth it!

Beautiful facility. The main areas are well shaded when youre walking around and viewing different animal enclosures. Good variety of exhibits, plenty of eateries and even a really cool playground area for the littles with fun water features, climbable stuff and several slides. We went on a Monday morning so a lot of the amenities (like the eateries) were closed, and it was REALLY hot out. Id recommend going later or earlier in the year, but even still my three year old LOVED it. Well definitely be back.

Awesome experience for the price. There was some new areas added that caught my eye and I enjoyed feeding the giraffes and petting stingrays. Some new exhibits are being advertised as coming soon so I cant wait for that. Definitely will come back.

Amazing the reptile section was beyond cool had all types of lizards monitors Crocs all in all good

It was a great zoo , very open and saw alot of animals the gorilla enclosure was awesome they had plenty of staff onnhand to make sure social distance was maintain and had a path to follow so all patrons were going in the proper order

Pretty good. No complaints and a fun experience!

Has a lot of animals but the employees don’t all know the rules with covid. You don’t have to wear a mask outside but there are still employees that will be rude to you and tell you to put it on.

Great place to visit. Well established zoo. Mature trees give plenty of shade. Animals here look very well taken care off.

The lines were long but it is Spring Break. Alot of the dens were empty but what animals were there were so awesome. You can feed the giraffes (for a fee). The concession stands were crazy. One window open. Come on guys you know its spring break. Step it up. Couldnt even get a drink. Disappointed with that.

I know is pandemic time but they need to take care of the zoo. Cages and water is dirty and entrance is over priced.

It was awesome. it can get hot but its worth it.

My 2 year old loved being able to pet the farm animals. Playing with the water at the park at the end of the day was refreshing and fun.

A surprisingly diverse zoo for such a small town. A bargain for the low cost of admission.

Impressed with this zoo. Ive seen animals I didnt know about and very clean facility. Worth the pay. My son and mother in law enjoyed viewing the animals.

Beautiful zoo and great social distancing procedures.

It was a nice day so the family and I enjoyed it...was too crowded at times but still enjoyable