July has been an unusually wet month, but if history is any indicator, August will still be a scorcher. As such, two of our favorite outdoor destinations in Dallas are offering admission deals to get visitors through the gates — and you just might want to take advantage.
Have a big family? Seize this affordable opportunity to take out all of your kids for a fraction of the cost. You may be sweating, but your wallet won’t be.
Dallas Arboretum and Rory Meyers Children’s Adventure Garden
On-site parking is always $10, but for the entire month of August, the arboretum is offering $1 general admission and only $1 more for admission to the Rory Meyers Children’s Adventure Garden for a total savings of $17 for adults and $12 for kids.
Take a picnic for brunch on the lawn or pick up a snack from the café; smoothies and hot dogs are $1 each. When the weather does heat up, cool off in the kid-favorite Toad Corners fountain and under the 8,000 square feet of misters at the children’s garden. The gardens are open 9am–5pm daily.
(Saving your trip for Labor Day Monday? Garden admission is $5 and the children’s adventure garden is the usual $3.)
Also starting today: $1 admission through August 31 at Texas’ flagship Audubon center. Borrow a free pair of birding binoculars and start your hike to see the butterflies in the Children’s Discovery Garden. When you’re ready to cool off, hoof it to the indoor exhibit hall and see slimy forest creatures like bullfrogs, fish, lizards and snakes.
To avoid the brunt of the heat, go in the mornings when it’s likely to be cooler and the forest is more alive with activity. The center is open as early as 9am most days (Tuesday–Saturday) and open at 10am on Sunday.
Dallas Zoo
To make up for the largely rained out Dollar Day in July, the Dallas Zoo is again offering all-day admission for only $1 on Tuesday, August 19.
Break out your one-dollar bills at the snack bar for $1 canned drinks, hot dogs and ice cream, and save a dollar to feed the lorikeets inside the Lacerte Family Children’s Zoo.
Avoid the stampede to the zoo’s limited parking lot by taking the DART Rail.
The zoo is open from 9am–5pm daily. If August 19 doesn’t work for you, save the date for the next Dollar Day on Wednesday, November 26.
