Gladys Porter Zoo
Gladys Porter Zoo is a zoological and botanical park located in Brownsville, Texas, United States. It dates back to 1971. Further out, Starbase is 20 mi away.
A zoo & aquarium inside Brownsville
Summers are hot
July and August highs run 94–96°, and about 141 days a year reach 90°. When to go ↓
You can stay in Brownsville
Gladys Porter Zoo is inside Brownsville, which has 51 places to stay, so you won’t need a base farther out. Where to stay ↓
Best months: Jan, Feb, Mar, Nov and Dec
January, February, March, November and December are the mild months, with highs of 71–80°. When to go ↓
An airport 4 miles away
Brownsville South Padre Island (BRO) has airline service, about 4 miles from Gladys Porter Zoo.
Established in 1971
Gladys Porter Zoo dates from 1971. About ↓
Written from NOAA 1991–2020 normals, Overture places to stay, Census town figures, Wikidata and Wikipedia.
Picking a season
The months below show the weather around Gladys Porter Zoo.
Gladys Porter Zoo
Gladys Porter Zoo is a zoological and botanical park located in Brownsville, Texas, United States. The zoo officially opened on September 3, 1971, and currently averages over 424,000 visitors annually. Situated on 31 acres (13 ha), the zoo houses about 400 animal species (including 47 endangered species) and over 250 tropical and neo-tropical species and subspecies. It is the first zoo to have successfully bred the endangered Jentink's duiker (although none are currently in captivity in the US). It is also the birthplace of Harambe, the gorilla.
The zoo is named after Gladys Porter, the daughter of Earl C. Sams, former president of J. C. Penney. Porter, a wildlife enthusiast, helped to plan and stock the zoo, which was entirely funded by the Earl C. Sams Foundation. After its opening, the zoo was given to the city of Brownsville.
- Type
- Zoo & aquarium
- Animals
- 1,600 animals · 400 species
- Area
- 31 acres
- Established
- 1971
- Wikipedia readers
- 6.6K a year
Places to stay near Gladys Porter Zoo
To stay close, try Brownsville (51) and South Padre Island (58).
Compare 8 towns
| Town | From Gladys Porter Zoo | Drive | Places to stay | People | Typical home | Safety |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brownsville | in town | — | 51 33 hotels · 9 motels · 3 campgrounds · 6 RV parks | 192,957 | $140K | C− |
| South Padre Island 67% vacation homes | 25 mi northeast | 35 min | 58 49 hotels · 5 motels · 3 lodges & cabins · 1 campground | 2,086 | $517K | D− |
| Harlingen | 23 mi northwest | 35 min | 37 18 hotels · 6 motels · 1 inn or B&B · 3 campgrounds · 9 RV parks | 72,467 | $141K | C− |
| Port Isabel | 16 mi northeast | 25 min | 13 5 hotels · 1 motel · 2 inns & B&Bs · 1 campground · 4 RV parks | 5,302 | $183K | C− |
| San Benito | 18 mi northwest | 25 min | 12 5 hotels · 3 motels · 2 campgrounds · 2 RV parks | 24,980 | $85K | C− |
| Los Fresnos | 11 mi north | 15 min | 3 1 hotel · 2 RV parks | 8,703 | $152K | D |
| Reid Hope King | 5 mi east | 10 min | 1 1 hotel | 932 | $108K | — |
| South Point | 8 mi east | 10 min | 1 1 hotel | 1,054 | $86K | — |
Getting there
Nearest airports with airline service
Around Gladys Porter Zoo
Within 51 miles you can add these well-known places.
Big draw120 mi Park & preserveStarbase
22 mi LandmarkFort Brown
38 mi National Historical ParkPalo Alto Battlefield National Historical Park169K visitors a year
48 mi Stadium & arenaBert Ogden Arena47 mi Stadium & arenaRobert and Janet Vackar Stadium
49 mi Stadium & arenaPayne Arena49 mi MuseumMuseum of South Texas History
51 mi GardenMcAllen Botanical GardensPhoto credits
Starbase: Jared Krahn, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Fort Brown: Pi3.124, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Palo Alto Battlefield National Historical Park: Schmorleitz, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Bert Ogden Arena: Wikidude10000, CC0 · Payne Arena: Larry D. Moore, CC BY 4.0 · McAllen Botanical Gardens: Whitney Cranshaw, Colorado State University, United States, CC BY 3.0 us
Before visiting Gladys Porter Zoo
Is Gladys Porter Zoo in Brownsville?
Yes. It’s inside Brownsville, TX.
When is the best time to visit Gladys Porter Zoo?
January, February, March, November and December, with highs of 71–80°.
What is the closest airport to Gladys Porter Zoo?
Brownsville South Padre Island (BRO), about 4 miles away.
Where should I stay near Gladys Porter Zoo?
Brownsville (in town, 51 places to stay), South Padre Island (25 mi, 58 places to stay) and Harlingen (23 mi, 37 places to stay).
Advice from Brownsville
No one has shared advice yet; Brownsville’s Town Square takes questions.
Sources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · NOAA climate normals · U.S. Census.