Thanks to our amazing guests, we’ve done it again! The Dallas Zoo has set an all-time attendance record for the fifth consecutive year, with 943,139 guests visiting Texas’ largest and oldest zoo in the fiscal year that ended Sept. 30. The total exceeded last year’s record by 27,168, or 3 percent.

“We’re extremely proud of our turnaround, and it’s clear that our community believes in the changes at the Dallas Zoo as well,” said Gregg Hudson, president and CEO. “It’s deeply gratifying that this region has rediscovered our zoo and supports what we’ve done since we went to private management five years ago.”

Since becoming a privately managed asset of the City of Dallas in October 2009, Dallas Zoo attendance is up by more than 270,000 guests.

“It’s safe to say the Dallas Zoo is no longer an underappreciated and little-known treasure,” Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings said. “This fifth year of record attendance, as well as the zoo’s recent rankings among the top tier of zoological parks nationwide, proves that. Our city and the entire region has embraced the zoo’s renaissance. It’s a great example of how public ownership and private management can combine to protect and improve a treasured city asset.”

The attendance record bolsters several major accolades for the zoo in 2014, including being voted one of the 10 Best zoos in the U.S. by USA Today and its readers, as well as being named one of “10 Amazing Zoos in the World” by MSN Travel/Reader’s Digest.

“Our goal has always been to be one of the best zoos in the United States,” Hudson said. “The devotion of our staff, donors, volunteers and guests is helping us get there. We can’t wait to roll out even more changes soon.”

Thank you again! We couldn’t have done it without the support of the best community in the nation!

Check out this video of our record year in 45 seconds.