Family & Kids · Downtown
Dallas World Aquarium
A downtown Dallas indoor attraction where a multi-level rainforest with free-flight birds and sloths meets aquarium exhibits including sharks, stingrays, and manatees.
Dallas World Aquarium
The Got Weekend take
Why go
The Dallas World Aquarium packs a walk-through rainforest and a full aquarium into a downtown building at 1801 North Griffin Street. Free-flight birds share the canopy with sloths, and the aquatic side features sharks, stingrays, and manatees. It's open daily 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. with last entry at 4 p.m., closed on Thanksgiving and Christmas Day (Christmas Eve last entry is 2 p.m.). Admission plus tax runs $34.95 for adults (13-64), $24.95 for children 3-12, free for kids 2 and under, and $28.95 for seniors 65+ and military with ID. Tickets can be bought online or on arrival. The aquarium's priority parking lot sits adjacent to the building; when it fills, nearby lots and street meters run $8-$15. Being fully indoors, it's a reliable pick on hot or rainy days.
- Multi-level indoor rainforest with free-flight birds and sloths
- Aquarium exhibits with sharks, stingrays, and manatees
- Fully indoors — a solid pick for hot or rainy days
- Kids 2 and under admitted free
Families with kids of all ages, especially those who want animals up close without weather worries.
Make it your kind of weekend
- family outing
- rainy-day option
A few visit notes
Arrive before 4 p.m. — that's the last entry of the day. The adjacent priority parking lot fills; budget $8-$15 for nearby lots or meters if it does.
More to explore
Dallas · Family & Kids
Dallas Zoo
A 106-acre zoo three miles south of downtown Dallas, home to the Lacerte Family Children's Zoo, Koala Walkabout, and a 20-minute Monorail Safari through African habitats.
Dallas · Family & Kids
Children's Aquarium Dallas at Fair Park
A hands-on, kid-scaled aquarium at Fair Park, opened in 1936 and reimagined with touch tanks, a shark habitat, and gemstone panning — built for 1-2 hour visits.
Dallas · Family & Kids
Klyde Warren Park
A free 5-acre deck park bridging downtown and Uptown, with an 18,000-square-foot children's park, food trucks, free games, and a nightly choreographed fountain show.