 | Photo by Cathy Burkey, Dallas Zoological Society
|

The Dallas Aquarium at Fair Park
Written by Jeff Heath
The Dallas Aquarium at Fair Park is a must for all visiting the Dallas area. The Art Deco
building that houses the museum is a feature of fascinating architecture of its own. The
Aquarium is located in the original Art Deco building that first opened to the public in
1936. Today the Aquarium offers more than 5,000 aquatic creatures. The Dallas Aquarium
also participates in a number of national and international conservation and research
projects and is a leader in the breeding of the endangered Texas blind
 | Photo by Robert Cabello, Dallas Zoological Society
|
salamander and of several desert fishes that are already extinct in nature.
Key Exhibits at the Dallas Aquarium
The Amazon Flooded Forest exhibit showcases 25 species of fish from the Amazon River. The
World of Aquatic Diversity features some 28 displays of unusual and bizarre varieties of
salt-water and fresh-water species including nearly invisible glass catfish, upside down
jellyfish and walking batfish. The Aquarium has daily fish feedings and live scuba
demonstrations on the weekends. Some of the aquatic animals that are on display include a
snapping turtle that weights 135 pounds, venomous lionfish, a 5-foot long electric eel, a
6-foot alligator, gar plus piranha, jellyfish and a giant Pacific octopus among others.
Scuba Diver Demonstration
Fish feedings and educational talks are scheduled for 2:30 p.m.every day except Monday at
the Dallas Aquarium. A scuba diver gives a demonstration and talk each day. The clownfish
is a featured specie. This extremely colorful fish lives safely among the poisonous
tentacles of the anemone and even protects the plants from potential threats. The batfish
is a bizarre creature with a nose like Pinocchio's which hovers over the sand. With its
warty skin, it looks more like a shorn sheep than a fish. This is the shortnose
 | Photo by Robert Cabello, Dallas Zoological Society
|
batfish, Ogcocephalus nasutus, a shy creature found in shallow waters. There are about 60
batfish species, some living in diveable depths, others thriving on the edge of the ocean
and usually half that size, leads a secretive life in sand and mud and has adapted itself
to get the best from its environment. Its grotesque body is flat and broad, with a long,
slender tail and a small mouth. Its gills with relatively small pores, located not behind
the head but behind the arm-like pectoral fins. You may experience these fascinating
creatures and their relationships when you visit the Dallas Aquarium.
Dallas Aquarium Schedules and Contacts
The Aquarium is located at First Avenue and Martin Luther King Boulevard. The Aquarium is
open every day except Thanksgiving and Christmas days, from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Admission
is $3 for adults (12+) and $1.50 for children (3-11). Members of the Dallas Zoological
Society and children under 3 are free. For more information, call (214) 670-8443.
|
|
|

|
|
Dallas Hotels Listed Alphabetically |
Dallas Hotels |
|
Featured Dallas Hotels |
|
Anatole Wyndham Hotel |
|
The Fairmont Hotel Dallas |
|
Four Seasons Resort Dallas |
|
Hotel Adolphus |
|
Hyatt Regency Hotel Dallas |
|
Inter-Continental Dallas |
|
Le Meridien Dallas |
|
The Mansion on Turtle Creek |
|
Marriott Dallas Courtyard |
|
Omni Dallas Hotel at Park West |
|
Omni Mandalay Hotel |
|
Hotels in other Texas Cities |
|
Abilene Hotels |
|
Amarillo Hotels |
|
Arlington Hotels |
|
Austin Hotels |
|
Corpus Christi Hotels |
|
Dallas Hotels |
|
El Paso Hotels |
|
Fort Worth Hotels |
|
Houston Hotels |
|
Irving Hotels |
|
Plano Hotels |
|
San Antonio Hotels |
|
South Padre Island Hotels |
|
Waco Hotels | |
|
Dallas Sites |
|
Dallas Opera |
|
Dallas World Aquarium |
|
Dallas Zoo |
|
Fair Park |
|
Irving Texas Home of the Dallas Cowboys |
|
Dallas Museum of Art |
|
Museum of Natural History |
|
Sixth Floor Museum |
|
Southfork Ranch | |
|
Midwest Travel Resources |
|
Chicago Hotels, Attractions, and Information |
|
Dallas Hotels, Attractions, and Information |
|
Indianapolis Hotels, Attractions, and Information |
|
Louisville Hotels, Attractions, and Information |
|
New Orleans Hotels, Attractions, and Information |
|
Popular Travel Destinations |
|
Hawaii Hotels, Attractions, and Information |
|
Los Angeles Hotels, Attractions, and Information |
|
Myrtle Beach Hotels, Attractions, and Informaion |
|
New York City Hotels, Attractions, and Information |
|
Orlando Hotels, Attractions, and Information |
|
San Diego Hotels, Attractions, and Information |
|
San Francisco Hotels, Attractions, and Information |
|
South Beach Hotels, Attractions, and Information |
|
Washington, DC Hotels, Attractions, and Information | |
|