Dallas Zoo reaches capacity right after opening on President's Day holiday
DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) – Around 8,200 visitors chose to spend a President's Day, with temperatures in the 80s, roaming the grounds of the Dallas Zoo.
"We came to the zoo because there's no school, and so did everybody else!" said visitor Mimi Karch, who visited with her daughter and grandchildren.
A spokesperson said the parking lot had reached capacity by around 9 a.m., and they closed down general admission ticket sales for the rest of the day.
"So capacity for us is really dictated by parking. We could have a lot more in the zoo, but we want to make sure that people who are coming out here have a spot to park, and we can easily get them in and out," said Kari Streiber, vice president of marketing and communications for the Dallas Zoo.
The mood was jovial, especially given that the two monkeys and clouded leopard that were stolen from the zoo last month are back and their exhibits are reopened. And visitors reported that the longest lines were for food.
"Everybody was very calm. We got to see the animals, even though there were a lot of people walking. And waiting for food took quite a while," said Karch. "We were in line for Dippin' Dots for probably 15, 20 minutes."
Streiber said it's not unusual to reach capacity on a holiday like today, and they were prepared.
She also said this was also a good rehearsal for spring break, when they often reach capacity. She said if you're planning to visit the zoo over spring break, you should plan to buy your tickets in advance and take the DART.