Dallas-Fort Worth residents, new and old, are familiar with the Dallas Zoo\u2019s iconic giraffe statue, which has been a staple in the community for many years.<\/p>\n
But Dallas Morning News reader Katherine Homan asked Curious Texas: \u201cWhat is the story behind the zoo\u2019s giraffe?\u201d<\/p>\n
Let\u2019s peel back the layers in the tale of the zoo\u2019s beloved statue.<\/p>\n
The statue has been standing for nearly three decades, said Dustin Crawford, assistant vice president of capital projects and facilities maintenance at the zoo. Construction on the bronzed beauty was announced in October of 1996, and it was installed on Jan. 22, 1997.<\/p>\n
Curious Texas<\/p>\n
The statue was designed to stand 50-55 feet tall with a 2-foot tall tongue, but Crawford said Larry Powell, a columnist with The News, suggested it be even taller. So it was.<\/p>\n
According to Crawford, the statue now stands 67.5 feet tall, including about a 40-inch tongue. That makes it taller than Big Tex, which stands at about 55 feet tall.<\/p>\n
For 20 years, the Dallas Zoo\u2019s giraffe statue took the crown as the tallest statue in Texas. Today, Crawford said there are two or three statues that stand taller than the giraffe.<\/p>\n
Related<\/p>\n
The goal behind making the statue so tall was to make it a large visual marker, grabbing the attention of drivers as they passed the zoo. And mission accomplished, because the giraffe has served as a landmark and key part of the community for years.<\/p>\n
\u201cPeople from Dallas take a lot of pride in the statue,\u201d Crawford said.<\/p>\n
So what is it made of, and how did they get it in front of the zoo? It\u2019s an easier process than you think.<\/p>\n
Bob Cassilly, an artist and sculptor based in Missouri, designed and built the statue in his St. Louis studio. Crawford said the statue, made out of bonded bronze and plexiglass, was transported to Dallas in pieces on three flatbed trucks. Then it was assembled here. (No, it was not transported in one gigantic piece.)<\/p>\n
And after nearly 30 years of standing, weathering many storms, the giraffe was due for a much-needed makeover. Last year, Dallas Zoo officials made the decision to refurbish the statue, as part of an investment into the zoo and its surrounding community. Work on it began in December and took about three weeks to complete.<\/p>\n
The refurbishing gives it the shine you see now, Crawford said, and it should last a decade longer. Great for a photo opp.<\/p>\n
Zoo officials say the best place to take a photo of the giraffe in its entirety is by the nearby McDonald\u2019s, the elephant sculptures or at the Halperin Park overlook. People are also able to walk up and get close to the statue, but the photo won\u2019t be that great. At best, you\u2019ll get a hoof, they said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are proud to have such an enduring and visible symbol of Dallas serve as an iconic welcome to Southern Dallas and the Dallas Zoo,\u201d Dallas Zoo CEO Lisa New said. \u201cFor generations, the giraffe has been a familiar and beloved landmark for our community and a signal that visitors have arrived somewhere special.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Dallas Zoo’s giraffe statue has been a staple in the community for many years, serving as a landmark and key part of the community. Its rich history, design, and construction make it a unique and beloved symbol of Dallas. The statue’s refurbishment has ensured its longevity, and it will continue to be a source of pride for the community.<\/p>\n
Q: How tall is the giraffe statue?<\/strong><\/p>\n A: The giraffe statue stands at 67.5 feet tall, including about a 40-inch tongue.<\/p>\n Q: What is the statue made of?<\/strong><\/p>\n A: The statue is made of bonded bronze and plexiglass.<\/p>\n Q: Where is the best place to take a photo of the giraffe statue?<\/strong><\/p>\n A: The best place to take a photo of the giraffe statue is by the nearby McDonald\u2019s, the elephant sculptures or at the Halperin Park overlook.<\/p>\n Q: How long did the refurbishment of the statue take?<\/strong><\/p>\n A: The refurbishment of the statue took about three weeks to complete.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The Story Behind the Dallas Zoo’s Iconic Giraffe Statue Dallas-Fort Worth residents, new and old, are familiar with the Dallas Zoo\u2019s iconic giraffe statue, which has been a staple in the community for many years. But Dallas Morning News reader Katherine Homan asked Curious Texas: \u201cWhat is the story behind the zoo\u2019s giraffe?\u201d Let\u2019s peel […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":21731,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rank_math_lock_modified_date":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[14],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-21729","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-news"},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/dmn-dallas-news-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com\/resizer\/v2\/B32S4YBJU4GKWS35GO7HN2DDQA.jpg?auth=0a2877ebe3bcca47e5b51d0a846a2aae5708a21306852be1b1a1468f96223a93&quality=80&width=1200&height=630&focal=5579,1847","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/dallas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21729"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/dallas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/dallas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/dallas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/12"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/dallas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=21729"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/dallas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21729\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":21732,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/dallas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21729\/revisions\/21732"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/dallas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/21731"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/dallas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=21729"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/dallas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=21729"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/dallas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=21729"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}