Waco, Texas: The Bear Pit
Home of the Baylor Bears, the mascots of Baylor University. The latest enclosure/habitat is not really a pit, and the bears seem to be well-tended.
Bill and Eva Williams Bear Habitat
- Address:
- MP Daniel Esplanade, Waco, TX
- Directions:
- I-35 exit 335A. Turn east onto S. 5th St. Drive one block. Just past the Baylor Bookstore (and just before the Student Union) turn right onto MP Daniel Esplanade. The Bear Pit will be on the right. It has a few free guest parking spots next to it, but they're often full during busy hours.
- Admission:
- Free
- RA Rates:
- Worth a Detour
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Visitor Tips and News About The Bear Pit
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Baylor University is an impressive campus that houses two bears. They're hard to see because they hide in their manmade cave, which is way too dark to look in the windows. The university, though, is amazing!
[Cee Alvarez, 04/10/2019]
Bear in the Baylor Bear habitat -- super cute - totally worth it!
[Kimberly, 08/16/2018]This was a little challenging to find due to a lot of construction on campus and road closures. The bears were sleeping, but the dens have dark windows so you can still see them while they are escaping the sun. Our kids loved seeing The Bear Pit and the bears.
[Wendy Cooper, 07/24/2015]
The Bear Pit is the home of the Baylor Bears, the mascots of Baylor University. Despite the name, The Bear Pit is a nice enclosure with natural surroundings for the mascots. There's a walkway all around the edge where you can see the bears sleeping, eating, and swimming. The bears do have a private area where they can't be observed, but they are out most of the time.
It's okay to visit with leashed and well-behaved pets, and there are some benches and signs with facts about the bears.
Do not feed the bears.
[Jackie, 08/17/2013]Nearby Offbeat Places
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It's officially known as the Bill and Eva Williams Bear Habitat, but we'd guess from your tip that everyone just calls it The Bear Pit. Jackie follows up: "Everyone does call it The Bear Pit. Baylor has had bear mascots for a long time, and Baylor is the oldest university in Texas. The old bear enclosures were, I suppose, more like pits than the fancy new one."