After exploring Dallas for five days, we continued on towards Austin in our rental car. As we still had plenty of time before check-in time at our next accommodation, we made a stopover at the Fossil Rim Wildlife Center on the way. In this article, we tell you all about what you can experience and see here.
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Interesting facts about the Fossil Rim Wildlife Center
The Fossil Rim Wildlife Center is a conservation center in North Texas, near the town of Glen Rose. The wildlife park specializes in the breeding & conservation of endangered species, public education, scientific research and the management of natural land. Covering an area of 7.3 km², the center is home to over 1,000 animals from more than 50 species and plays an important role in the breeding of endangered species such as the South African rhinoceros, the addax (a rare antelope species) and the Attwater’s prairie chicken. In addition to its role as a sanctuary and breeding station, the Fossil Rim Wildlife Center is open to visitors who can observe and experience the animals.
The Fossil Rim Wildlife Center was founded in the early 1980s by Tom Mantzel, a wealthy Texan who wanted to dedicate his land to nature conservation. Today, the center is a non-profit organization that is financed by entrance fees, donations and grants.
Fossil Rim Wildlife Center in Texas
Opening hours & admission
The Fossil Rim Wildlife Center is open year-round, except for Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. The usual opening hours are from 8.30 am to 4.30 pm, with the last car leaving the Wildpark at 6.30 pm.
It is recommended that you buy your tickets online in advance on the Wildpark website, as it cannot be guaranteed that tickets will still be available on site. The price for a self-guided safari is USD 30 for guests aged 12 and over and USD 25 for children aged between 3 and 11. Children under 2 years are free. There is also a public guided tour for 45 USD per person. During the tour, you sit in an open safari vehicle and receive all kinds of information about the different animal species from a guide. This tour is suitable for all ages and takes about two hours.
Our self-guided drive through the park
The Fossil Rim Wildlife Center is particularly well known for its self-drive safari, where visitors can drive their own car on a 9-mile circular route (approx. 14 kilometers) through the reserve. They encounter over 1,000 animals from more than 50 different species, including giraffes and zebras that roam freely in the area. On arrival, we received a free bag of pet food – just like every other car. It is not possible to buy additional animal feed – this is to prevent the animals from being overfed. And then it all started. We drove slowly along the asphalt road at a snail’s pace – always on the lookout for animals. And it didn’t take long before we saw the first deer, addaxes, gazelles and emus.
The grounds are very spacious, the animals have large areas to live in and can also hide well behind bushes and trees. Some of the animals were very close to the road, so we were able to throw them food. Our daughters were absolutely thrilled and screamed loudly every time they saw an animal. They were really enthusiastic about the safari 🙂
Children’s Animal Center & Overlook Cafe
It is not permitted to leave the car on the circular route. There is a nice stop halfway along the route at the Overlook Café, where you can stretch your legs. There is a well-stocked souvenir store and a café with a fantastic view of the grounds of the Fossil Rim Wildlife Center. The snack range includes burgers, sandwiches, wraps and much more.
There is also the Children’s Animal Center, which has been specially designed for children and families. This petting enclosure offers visitors the opportunity to get to know numerous animals up close – including goats, rabbits and chickens as well as some more exotic animals. Here, children can come into direct contact with the animals, stroke and brush them in a safe environment. The keepers and staff are always on hand to answer questions, share interesting facts about the animals and give tips on how to handle them properly.
Feeding giraffes from the car
Our absolute highlight during our self-drive safari was our encounter with the giraffes. They are very trusting and like to be fed by visitors. They come close to the cars, curiously stick their heads in the window, stick out their long tongues and then eat out of your hand. What an experience! Our two daughters were totally excited and so pleased. You rarely get this close to these majestic animals!
Cheetahs & rhinos
Almost at the end of the circular route, we drove past the cheetah and rhino enclosures and could see the animals from afar. As part of a public guided tour or behind-the-scenes tour, you usually get closer to the animals because the safari cars drive closer to the enclosures and stop.
The Fossil Rim Wildlife Center has played an important role in cheetah conservation since 1986, when the first litter of cheetah cubs was born here. The global population of cheetahs continues to decline. Today there are around 7,000 cheetahs left in the wild. The captive population amounts to around 2,000 animals worldwide. Fossil Rim Wildlife Park has been working for decades to provide cheetahs with a comfortable, stimulating environment, multiple mate choices, a varied diet, large enclosures and as little stress as possible.
Is a visit to the Fossil Rim Wildlife Center worthwhile?
Yes! The stopover at the Fossim Rim Wildlife Center was ideal for us to take a break on our way from Dallas to Austin. We had really hot temperatures that day (between 36 and 40 degrees), so it was perfect that we could sit in our air-conditioned car during the safari. The children had an incredible amount of fun “searching for animals” and observing them. And feeding the giraffes was the icing on the cake anyway 🙂
Round trip through Texas - Our travel route & reports
We did a lot of research for our round trip through Texas and in the end we probably put together a "typical" round trip where you explore the best-known cities and regions. We started our trip in Dallas and Fort Worth, then went on to the capital Austin, then to Fredericksburg and San Antonio, from there to the Gulf Coast to Galveston and finally we visited Houston. All in all, a really beautiful and varied route that you can do very well in 3 weeks with 2 small children 🙂
Our itinerary & travel reports:
➥ Dallas - Sights, Attractions & Photo Spots
➥ Fort Worth - Cowboy feeling in the Wild West
➥ Fossil Rim Wildlife Center - A safari in Texas by car
➥ Austin - Sights of the Capital of Texas
➥ Fredericksburg - The most German city in Texas
➥ San Antonio - Top 10 attractions: River Walk, Alamo & more
➥ San Antonio - SeaWorld & Aquatica Water Park
➥ San Antonio - Mission (UNESCO World Heritage)
➥ Galveston Island - relaxing on the Gulf Coast
➥ Houston - Our highlights and activities
➥ Houston Space Center - Dive into the world of space travel