The Fort Worth Zoo expects one of its busiest days of the year Wednesday. Wednesdays are always half-price, and the crowd grows during spring break.
People started lining up at the ticket booths about two hours before the zoo opened.
"We saw the lines yesterday were really bad, so we were like, 'We should be there around 8:30, so we got here really early,'" one mom said as she waited with her kids.
Near the front of the line, a woman says she comes with her kids every year, and two of her grandkids were coming for the first time.
"I tell them to explore nature. It's good for them to see animals they've never seen before, then possibly go back to school and learn more about them," she says.
The zoo urges people to plan their route ahead of time. Fort Worth Police are directing traffic, but at times, the line of cars stretched down Colonial, onto University and even onto I-30.
People cannot park in some neighborhoods around the zoo, and businesses two miles away near the hospitals had signs warning against zoo parking.
"It's great to see everybody enthusiastically showing up, smiles on their faces," says the Zoo's Avery Elander. "You can anticipate some traffic and wait times getting into the park."
Elander says visitors may also see lines at food stands and bathrooms. People can bring their own food and set up picnics. Glass bottles and alcohol are not allowed.
A complete list of routes to the zoo, alternate transportation options and dining are available at https://www.fortworthzoo.org/spring-break . Through April 1, people can also get a 20% discount on membership.
Some visitors say they their kids were excited by the birth of a gorilla by emergency c-section last month. Elander says the zoo has worked to care for the animals and recreate their native habitats so people can see how they would interact with each other in the wild.
"You're able to observe these animals closer than you ever have before. You're able to foster a connection with them and hopefully leave here feeling inspired to learn more about these animals, learn more about their counterparts in the wild and how you can help them moving forward," she says.
The Fort Worth Zoo is open Monday through Friday 10 am to 5 pm and Saturday and Sunday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
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