Things to do in Waco: Cameron Park Zoo

Finding things to do in a big city like NYC or a city known for its tourist attractions is easy. 

There are plenty of bloggers out there who can tell you about the virtues of Chicago or Seattle, but small towns and non-popular destinations (like Waco) may be overlooked. But the fact of the matter is that Joe Dixie might have a daughter that goes to Baylor, and so his vacations are spent there with her. What can Joe do to entertain his family while he's there?

Try the zoo. 

Waco's Cameron Park Zoo is an unexpected surprise in an unexpected place. 

Full of beautiful animals and scenery, the Zoo is located close to Waco's Cameron Park, which is one of my favorite places to hike with my dog. However, while the zoo is pretty  safe, I wouldn't wander Cameron Park alone. I realize this is hypocritical advice from me, a 4'10'', 100-pound female with a penchant for solo exploring, but you have to realize I own an attack dog and I know how to handle her. There are several reasons for this: 1.) it's easy to get lost. 2.) dangerous wildlife is a concern (a co-worker received a bite from a rattlesnake) and 3.) crime in Cameron Park does happen.

But I digress — back to the zoo. 

The admission fee for adults is $9.00, which I find reasonable. It's a good zoo. I'd rate it more highly than I would San Antonio's zoo at Brackenridge Park, which frankly failed to impress me. The Waco zoo is a lovely space with fascinating animals. 

The zoo doesn't allow outside food or drinks, though, so plan to eat before you go or factor food into your trip budget. I found the food at the snack bar to be overpriced, as these things usually are. The zoo is open every day, although the hours change on Sunday.   

Feel free to bring your children — after all, what are zoos for? — but not pets. There is a service dog exemption, but I decided not to push it by trying to get Willie admitted. I don't think retired bomb dogs count. 

I was able to get several shots I was happy with while I was there. Most of the exhibits are outside, with the exception of the nocturnal animals, the reptiles, and the fish. Come prepared to deal with low-light settings if you want photos of any of those types of animals. I'm not sure if flash photography is allowed, but I'd stake my personal fortune on that being no (by the way, my personal fortune amounts to $85.23, so I'm not losing much). 

The zoo offered an impressive array of animals, from the big and recognizable, like elephants and giraffes, to smaller and more cute. 

In fact, the zoo recently celebrated the birth of a baby ocelot, a cute little exotic cat, who visitors can watch frolicking with his parents in the exhibit once the keepers have decided he's old enough for viewing. A few friends of mine covered the story and were allowed to see him early (have I mentioned that being a journalist is the best job ever?).

In the mean time, though, there are plenty of other fabulous animals to see. 

Look, flamingos! Did you know flamingos' pink coloring is not due to their skin color, but rather their shrimp-filled diets? These flamingos were rather less pink than I was expecting.

I was also impressed by the zoo's meerkat exhibit, which was filled not only with meerkats, but a beautiful landscape of rocks to mimic the animals' natural habitat.  

The thing you hope for most in a visit to the zoo is interaction with the animals, which, considering they're employed full-time at Being Looked at by People, is a little hard to achieve. I mean, all day, people are tapping away furiously at glass to get their attention. It must get old.

However, while I was there, I was lucky enough to share a moment with a fully-grown male orangutan with several other visitors. He put his face to the glass of his exhibit exactly where we were, and then put his hand up. He was clearly looking back! 

Unfortunately, I didn't get a picture. I was too caught up in the moment to document it. I don't regret that, though. You can get so caught up in trying to catch every little thing that you forget to be present when amazing things happen. It's really important to me not to get caught up in that. I wouldn't want this amazing memory to be spoiled by fumbling with my camera.      

Apart from the zoo's impressive collection of exhibits, I found several lovely large bronze sculptures of animals that make great photo opportunties. My favorite was the Komodo Dragon. I could pose with this one without worrying about being eaten. 

If you're in the area, make sure to check out Cameron Park Zoo for a fun afternoon outside!

The zoo also had these signs with their terrible alliteration all around. I got the message. I didn't litter. But I spent the afternoon making fun of these signs. Really, I don't know why I thought that was so funny. My date was not amused. 

P.S. - if you're a local, keep an eye on the zoo's calendar of events! They have events scattered throughout the year, like the annual Brew at the Zoo, a beer-tasting event that might make for a fun evening.