Twenty-eight sculpted animals line the Brazos River between the Suspension Bridge and the Cameron Park Zoo — and every one of them has a story. Walk it, bike it, or drive it. Bring the kids. Bring your camera. Bring your imagination.
The sculptures sit along the paved Brazos Riverwalk between University Parks Drive and the river — visible from the path, the road, and even the water. The walk begins at the historic Waco Suspension Bridge and ends at the gates of Cameron Park Zoo.
Tap any numbered pin to meet the animal who lives there. On the trail, tap “Find me” and your blue dot will walk the map with you, so you always know who's waiting just ahead.
🧭 Tip: GPS works best outside. Tap “Find me” and your blue dot walks the map with you, straight to the flamingo. · Download the GPS route (GPX) · Directions to the trailhead · Want Waco's Walls on the same screen? Open the Whole Map — every pin and path in Waco, one view.
Start at the Suspension Bridge and let the trail pull you toward the zoo, one animal at a time. About 1.25 miles each way on a flat, paved riverside path — figure 90 minutes round trip with plenty of statue-hugging. Free parking near Indian Spring Park at the bridge, and along University Parks Drive.
The Riverwalk is a shared hike-and-bike path, so the whole trail rolls by in an easy 15–20 minutes. Perfect on a hot Texas afternoon — the river breeze is real. Ride bridge-to-zoo, then loop back along the water.
Short on time or melting in July? University Parks Drive runs right beside the trail with pull-outs along the way. Roll slowly, spot the animals from the car, and let one rider read each stop's story out loud as you go. Teachers: this is your bus route.
Here's the legend the river tells: when Cameron Park Zoo opened its gates, animals from every corner of the world set out for Waco — and every one of them took the road the longhorns blazed a century before. Each sculpture on this trail is one traveler on that road, caught mid-journey. Meet them in order, and you'll walk the whole story from the bridge to the gates. Read each stop aloud — that's what it was written for.
Or turn it into a game. Deal a free card of the zoo — twenty-eight sculptures along the river, and a card that fits in a phone. → The Scavenger Hunt
…and the story doesn't end at the arch. Eight more friends — otters, sea turtles, a Komodo dragon, a Galápagos tortoise and company — wait past the gates at the zoo's front door. The parade goes on. 🦦
The Waco Sculpture Zoo is a project of Creative Waco and the City of Waco — 28 artworks by 17 artists, given to our city by 33 Waco families and dedicated in 2020. Branding the Brazos is the work of sculptor Robert Summers, presented through Cultural Arts of Waco. Art Waco TX is an independent local project that celebrates Waco's public art and the people who make it possible. The stories on this page are our own loving invention; the art and the credit belong to the artists and donors named at every stop.
Completely. It's a free public art trail on the Brazos Riverwalk — no ticket, no gate, no app to download. Cameron Park Zoo, at the trail's far end, is its own separate (and wonderful) paid attraction — this trail walks you right to its front door.
Free parking near Indian Spring Park at the Suspension Bridge is the easiest start, and University Parks Drive has pull-outs along the whole length of the trail. There's more parking at the Cameron Park end if you'd rather walk it in reverse.
Waco's parks are open 6 a.m. to midnight every day, and the Riverwalk is a lighted city trail. In summer, mornings and golden hour are the kind hours — the river breeze does its best work when the sun is low.
Yes. The whole trail follows a flat, paved riverside path from the bridge to the zoo gates — strollers, wheelchairs, wagons, and tricycles all roll it happily.
The trail is 1.25 miles each way with 22 story stops. Figure about 90 minutes round trip on foot with plenty of statue-hugging, 15–20 minutes by bike, or roll it slowly by car along University Parks Drive and read the stops out loud.
No. The trail map runs right in your phone's browser with a live GPS blue dot, and every animal's story is free to read on the trail or from your couch.
Thousands of families, tourists, and school groups will walk this trail. Your business can welcome them — sponsor an animal's story page, greet every visitor who opens it on the trail, and invite them in for a scoop, a coffee, or a keepsake afterward. Simple, joyful, and genuinely local.
Message Art Waco TX on Facebook