The Dallas World Aquarium is located at 1801 North Griffin Street in downtown, close to the Historic West End District. This is a place that has more than what the name aquarium impiles. There are other species besides aquatic life, including mammals and birds.
There are seven different exhibits within The Dallas World Aquarium, the newest one being the Cloud Forest Trek. The other exhibits include Mundo Maya, Orinoco, Aquarium, South Africa, Borneo, and Photo Ark.
Eighteen-O-One Restaurant, Cafe Maya, and Jungle Cafe are all located within the aquarium for guests.
According to their website, “The Dallas World Aquarium has been accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) since 1997 and a member of the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA) since 2000.”
It all started with an old warehouse that was built in 1924. Until 1982, the warehouse was used for businesses Mohawk Rubber Company and Pioneer Steel Rule and Die. It was then empty from 1982 until it became the home for The Dallas World Aquarium and officially opened in October 1992.
The second building that was used as storage for rubber products became a part of the aquarium expansion in 1997. Behind the first building stood a vacant lot which the aquarium bought in May 2000 and officially opened in August 2004.
In 1996, The Dallas World Aquarium worked with Venezuela in “cooperative programs involving Orinoco crocodiles, Antillean manatees, River otters, Red howler monkeys, and many other animals.”
In 2002, they provided equipment to Miguel Alvarez del Toro Zoo in Mexico to help with breeding the Resplendent quetzal. The aquarium has also helped with the Horned guan and Harpy eagles.
Since 2004, they have teamed up with Peru “to support the conservation efforts for Andean cocks-of-the-rocks,” according to their website.
In 2005, the aquarium offered “assistance for the ex situ conservation of sloths” for the Ministerio del Ambiente y Energía and the Sloth Sanctuary of Costa Rica. With a signed agreement, The Dallas World Aquarium then received three Bradypus variegatus, also known as three-toed sloths.
In 2012, they aided a “study for the Amazon manatee in the Manaus area in the state of Amazonas” in Brazil. In 2014, The Dallas World Aquarium wanted to understand Jaguars as it relates to “their home range/territory and interactions with human activities” in the region of El Pantanal. With this goal in mind, the aquarium supported Brazil’s “Jaguar radio satellite tracking project.”
According to CBS DFW, Arica O’Sullivan of The Dallas World Aquarium said, “I see small children here and their eyes light up when they see those colorful fish,” while adding, “especially, when they see Nemo and they see the Dory down there in our aquarium gallery.”
Roberto Gomez of the aquarium explains how guests have the opportunity to get a front-row seat at viewing different species “in a setting that reflects their natural habitats.” He said, “Not only that, but you get to see the animals that you might not see at other facilities in the world, or the wild.”
The Zoo Review mentions, “The Dallas World Aquarium is an awesome mix of Marine, Freshwater, Terrestrial, and Arboreal animal species from around the world. We really enjoyed seeing the unique species living at the aquarium.”
USA Today 10 Best listed The Dallas World Aquarium as “a must-see for animal lovers of all ages” and said that it “is jam-packed with enough exhibits and interactive features to keep both kids and adults engaged for hours.”
For more information on The Dallas World Aquarium visit www.dwazoo.com