This 28-acre zoo displays more than 1500 animals in large areas that replicate their natural habitats. Among the kid-pleasing exhibits are a free-flight South American aviary, Komodo dragons and other Indo-Australian favorites, and a petting zoo of miniature and baby animals. Parking is an additional $5 per vehicle.
Gladys Porter Zoo
Rio Grande Valley
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge
22.54 MILES
This 70-sq-mile federal preserve, northwest of Port Isabel, has recorded more bird species sightings (400 and counting) than any other national wildlife…
25.28 MILES
No, you can't handle the sea turtles. But you can see rescued turtles and learn firsthand about the slow regrowth of critically endangered Kemp's ridley…
6.35 MILES
The only palm tree native to Texas grows at this 557-acre sanctuary, operated by a foundation for the National Audubon Society. It sits in a bend of the…
Palo Alto Battlefield National Historic Site
7.26 MILES
On May 8, 1846, General Zachary Taylor and his troops defeated a larger Mexican army on this site in the first major battle of the Mexican-American War…
1.14 MILES
This former US army outpost, dating from 1846, is named for Jacob Brown, who died here that year fighting the Mexicans. Flooding forced an 1868 relocation…
South Padre Island Birding, Nature Center & Alligator Sanctuary
25.22 MILES
This 50-acre nature preserve features boardwalks through the dunes, bird blinds, spotting towers and more besides. Look for butterflies, egrets,…
22.13 MILES
Hugging the border just above where the Rio Grande empties into the gulf, Boca Chica is a rarely visited 10,680-acre wilderness very literally at the end…
7.59 MILES
Part of the World Birding Center, this new 1200-acre park surrounds 4 miles of resaca (oxbow lakes), which are ideal for birds and their spotters. Trails…
Nearby Rio Grande Valley attractions
0.45 MILES
Though only officially the city's cemetery since 1868, graves here date back as far as the 1850s. A walk through the well-kept grounds is a virtual tour…
2. Historic Brownsville Museum
0.47 MILES
Housed in the grand Spanish Colonial–style 1928 Southern Pacific Railroad Depot, this small museum houses historical artifacts and photography. In the…
3. Immaculate Conception Cathedral
0.72 MILES
An 1859 Gothic Revival example of the artistry of local brick masons, this was the first Texas seminary of the Oblates of Mary Immaculate.
0.73 MILES
The old trade links to New Orleans are clearly visible in this dilapidated 1877 building.
0.85 MILES
This two-story 1877 structure was home to the popular Los Dos Cañones mercantile store, and the cast-iron balcony upstairs is one of several around…
0.85 MILES
An 1877 Victorian house that shows the wealth of the local traders. Like many downtown buildings, it has an interesting historical marker, but the…
7. Brownsville Heritage Complex
0.87 MILES
The 1851 home of Brownsville founder Charles Stillman, and later the Mexican Consulate in Brownsville, is part of the Brownsville Heritage Complex. Next…
0.9 MILES
Founded by artist Mark Clark to showcase local talent, this small gallery hosts rotating exhibits on important local issues (border communities,…