Nashville Zoo at Grassmere

We absolutely love the Nashville Zoo! It’s always beautifully maintained, well organized, and perfect for all ages. The animal habitats are impressive, the walking paths are enjoyable, and the overall experience is consistently excellent. Zoolumination is truly magical ✨ The lantern displays are stunning, creative, and so thoughtfully done. Walking through the zoo at night surrounded by glowing animals, lights, and music is such a unique and memorable experience. Everything feels festive, immersive, and very well planned. Brew at the Zoo is also super fun 🍻 It’s such a great adults-only event with a relaxed, lively vibe, great beer selections, and the chance to enjoy the zoo in a totally different way. It’s the perfect mix of entertainment, atmosphere, and something a little different to do in Nashville. Staff members are friendly and helpful, food and drink options are convenient, and it never feels chaotic despite how popular the events are. This is one of our favorite places in Nashville with something for everyone year-round. Highly recommend the zoo itself, Zoolumination, and Brew at the Zoo — all fantastic experiences ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

I went to the Zoolumination it was truly beautiful. Everything was stunning the lights, the colors, and all the decorations were amazing. The whole experience felt magical and was perfect for taking photos. It was very well organized, relaxing, and enjoyable from beginning to end. I definitely recommend it for families, couples, or friends. I would absolutely go again. (DO NOT BUY PARKING ONLINE! THE WEBSITE HAS A $10 FOR PARKING, BUT PARKING IS FREE. IF YOU BUY IT IN ADVANCE, YOU WILL FIND OUT WHEN YOU ARRIVE THAT PARKING IS FREE.)

Going on a nice day in the winter is so much better than a sweltering day in the summer! Most of the animals were out and about. It was a great experience for us. We had a great time. The kids had a fantastic day.

We have been members for years and it just gets better every year. Special events like Zoolumination and Brew at the Zoo are fantastic and well organized. They change it up every year. Lots of great animals if you go in the daytime.

Here’s a clean, polished version of your review while keeping your voice and points: --- Review The weather wasn’t great, but the zoo definitely made up for it. The choreography of the lights and displays was beautiful. The only downside was that the exits along the path were not clearly marked, which made navigating a bit confusing. Besides the gorgeous tiger, we didn’t experience the full animated zoo you would usually find during daytime hours, but overall I still think the visit was worth it. I did wonder whether the constant music and lights are comfortable for the animals’ well-being, but I was very happy to walk through the zoo—it added a nice extra touch. It’s an experience suited for the whole family or even just solo visitors. Keep up the good work!

My family and I have been going to zoolumination since it was at the old fair grounds and honestly it was the best back then! Once it moved to the Zoo things changed a bit but it was still an amazing experience that I often recommended people go see. Normally they had time slots to choose from and this helped ensure there wasn't overcrowding. This year they didn't have that. When I say they had a dangerous amount of people at this event yesterday it was beyond just "busy". The photos I added where taken on the back area where they typically hold there special exhibitons like the dinosaurs. When I tell you it was stop and go movement and at one point just stop. If there was an emergency pool would end up getting hurt. We made it through that area and thought about heading to speak to a manager but thought maybe it wasn't so bad at the rest of the way. Wrong. We made it to were the meerkat exhibit is and you couldn't move anymore.We decided to go speak to management and of course there is a no refund policy. They completely disregard the safety of the people who paid to be there and their staff as well. So I would say save your money and time or if you absolutely want to go make sure you buy tickets when they have time slots again.

My family and I thoroughly enjoyed our visit to the Nashville zoo! We went at night, during the Japanese lantern exhibit. It was a truly amazing experience with so many beautiful lights on display! We also got to see the tiger!

This zoo is great!! Very clean and natural looking. I love the beautiful trees and geometric shaped animal statues throughout the paths. The animals looked to be in good health and were easy to see. My only complaint would be I wish they didn’t serve alcohol inside since there are so many kids that go. That is just my personal preference though. On a Saturday, the zoo was busy but was still very enjoyable. My 2 year old had a blast.

What a lovely zoo. We were a bit disappointed to learn the giraffes were closed. We were told the exhibit was being worked on and would hopefully open in Spring. Food prices were reasonable, staff were friendly and helpful and we got to see a sloth up close roaming a room!

It's hard to write a review on any other zoo when you live in San Diego because we have the best zoo in the world, but we spent the weekend in Nashville and wanted to do something "casual" on Monday. HUGE mistake on our part because it was a holiday (Columbus Day) plus the zoo was doing their annual "Boo Zoo" for kids and Halloween, so it was shoulder to shoulder with young kids. We did see four tigers, an Andean bear, flamingos and a stork. The landscape is beautiful and it probably would have been much better on a more relaxed day.

Nashville Zoo packs a lot into its venue. Plenty of parking. A lot of shade areas to sit in or walk in. Nice singing options indoor and outdoor. Plus you can bring your own coolers and snack into the zoo. The zoo has done a nice job of creating regional experiences and decor to match the habitats of the animals. Grassmere farm's historic contribution to the zoo's conception was wonderful to experience. Upgrade to the adventure pass! It includes many things- zipline, carousel, a movie, amongst others. Like most venues, food and beverages are expensive! Several exhibits are being added or renovated (August 2024), but there was so much to see we didn't feel cheated.

On a recent visit to Brentwood the wife and I decided to visit the Nashville Zoo. We love zoos and needed something to do on a Saturday afternoon. If you didn't know the Nashville Zoo was there, you'd never know it by driving around the area. It's well landscaped and hidden, even though it's surrounded by a city and traffic. Aside from a few navigational signs and arrows, it's not something you'll stumble upon, it has to be your destination. The parking lot is sizable and easy to navigate. We got lucky because we got a parking space about 4 from the main entrance. We're member of the Louisville Zoo so we got a discounted admission to the park. Even the entry way to the park is well landscaped and shaded with an abundance of trees and greenery. Like most zoos, they no longer provide printed maps, but rely on a QR code to download their map/app. I'm seriously not a fan of having to look at a zoo map on my phone. There's something to be said for a printed map you can pull out of your pocket. This is a sign of the times that I'm not absolutely in love with. The zoo, without, is nicely shaded with winding paths and is, for the most part, well marked. Currently the giraffes are off exhibit for construction. Kinda bummed about that because they're some of our favorites. Among the other animals we weren't able to see were the Rhinoceros and Komodo Dragon. There are informative and direction signs scattered around the park, along with food and beverage vendors. Restrooms are pretty evenly scattered, so when ya gotta the nearest one isn't too far away. The Grassmere Farm house was very cool and historic, along with the well-maintained grounds and the farm animals. The little goats were adorably cute. I don't know if they don't have them or if we just missed them (it was over 94°), but I don't recall elephants, lions, or penguins. It doesn't necessarily mean they don't have them, but after two hours of walking in some pretty stifling heat, we decided to call it quits and maybe just hadn't reached them yet. The Nashville Zoo is a pretty cool visit. We'll definitely be back.

Absolutely amazing experience with the kiddies. I don't know if they enjoyed it more, or me! So many different animals, attractions, the playground was wonderful, and staff was friendly. Would return without a doubt.

A very fun and festive Zoo Boo night at the Nashville Zoo. The Star Wars crew really drew in the crowd and they were so authentic! The lights were beautiful!

Super cool zoo! The beer vendors are all awesome. Exhibits are fun and the paths you walk are gorgeous! They also have an old plantation house, barn and garden!

Ok, so I do not agree with having animals in lockdown but I was hearing about how some of the animals got there and some were saved after hunters killed their mothers and the herd didn't accepted them some of the others I'm not sure. We had a great time learning and seeing all of the animals. It was a gorgeous day so that made it even better. My son and my nieces were having a blast just looking at everything, running around and just being kids. They have a petting area where they have alpacas and goats. They also have some birds and a big turtle (you can't pet it). They are doing a lot of construction around the place to fix and update things. They added an awesome playground for kids. They were fixing the outside of the reptile/fish center but they also need to do something with the inside because it was very stinky and felt really muggy. They have a monkey display inside the girls restroom at the Peruvian area. It was pretty weird but at the same time kind of fancy cool. I think it's a nice activity to come with the family and kids and specially on a nice day as it is pretty much all outside activities. They have snacks and food for sale and two restaurants pizza and grill. They have an awesome custard ice cream shop too. Overall, prices are high so the membership it's totally worth it and recommended if you're local.

In response to Nashville Zoo: The information came from your website. Screenshot below. 18-35 need cheaper tickets? What about people over 35 who need cheaper tickets--educators, police, firefighters--and people over 65 living on fixed incomes. When you accept taxpayer funding, arbitrary age decisions need to make sense, They had been advertising their sunset safari for weeks now. I was super excited to attend with my daughter but can't because this "nonprofit" zoo will only allow people 18-35 to attend after dark. What a joke. They either need to be inclusive or lose any public funding there they receive. They advertised it widely. Then changed who can come.

This zoo was so much fun compared to a couple zoos I've been too . The enclosures were so big and the animals seemed happy . Everyone should go out and support your local zoo so it can be like this one . Looks like there constantly making improvements to improve the zoo too.

You don't want to miss the Nashville zoo. This is the best, cleanest, well run zoo that I've ever visited. The employees here are well trained and knowledgeable. The app is very helpful as well. Highly recommended.

Absolutely enjoyed the experience. It was family with my 4 year old and friends with their 4 year old. Everyone enjoyed. The clean comfortable environment in which the animals are kept, the animal show which was very informative with cool birds and animals like vulture etc; the extremely good park inside the zoo. Absolutely loved it. Also loved the zip line (soaring eagle). Overall one gem of an experience.

Nice quiet (mostly) place. Plenty of parking during the week. Everyone needs to visit the zoo. I understand some folks may think of them as animal prison, but at least the animals aren't being stalked as prey. It is educational for the folks that can't believe there are so many different species after them just knowing about cats and dogs and maybe a horse or rats. The staff is wonderful.

Best Holiday event for zoo and for family in town for Zoolumination. Grab some gloves and a beanie and make sure you're warm for this outdoor evening event with all the Christmas lights.

I went in with no expectations or preconceived notions and I was thoroughly impressed! There was an excellent flow to the paths and routes. I loved that each section had its own cultural theme. And the surprise that you could PET A KANGAROO was the best thing ever! I also appreciated how close the animals were to us overall.

Loved this zoo! We have been to many and this was probably the best. Animal habitats were very natural and not concrete/man made like other zoos. Most of the walkways were shaded. And I got to feed the flamingos! Highly recommend

We went to Zoolumination this year, and the zoo really outdid themselves. The theme surrounded Lunar New Year, and the various exhibits included elaborate lantern work by professional artists on a large scale. There were even Chinese placards posted with English translations, specifically selected Chinese music, and much thought out into each phase of your walk. Honestly, it has put all the other zoo lights I've been to at other cities to shame. Facilities were extremely clean, from the bathrooms to the gift shops and restaurants. There were several booths for hot chocolate and snacks along the way. The parking lot is enormous, but be ready to walk if you end up in the midst of a large crowd during peak season.

This zoo is tremendous. We've been as members to normal days as well as to some of the private events. Brew at the Zoo and Sunset Safari are incredible experiences and feel very unique to this zoo. Seriously, get to the zoo for any reason but... if you are able the special events are the absolute best.

Nice little zoo- few exhibits were under construction and since a chilly day several animals were inside but we still had fun. We were in town for a concert and wanted some fresh air and outdoor entertainment and the zoo was perfect. Lots of area to explore and it was all very clean.

I had an amazing time here with my brother. While it was late November, the zoo was vibrant with energy from the animals. The theme was awesome and the staff are all super nice. Some animals were missing due to the season giraffe, elephants, gorillas, and lions.

It's has very few animals available, nice place long walks for nothing, but it is shady and over priced

Blown away by the Chinese light exhibition and the zoo in general. Expansive and well done. A must see.

Great zoo built on an old farm, they have good exhibits and lots of other activities to keep the kids busy and entertained. Food options are typical and limited but the massive playground area really makes it a must do for kids

A clean zoo with a nice layout and several animal exhibits. It's also very beautiful during Zoolumination and other animal-based events. Nashville Zoo provides a fun day for adults and children alike!

Zoolumination!! My hubby & I were in Nashville for the day & I found this event online, so we went to check it out. OMG!!! This was SERIOUSLY the best thing of my Christmas season this year!! I love Asian art & colorful lights, so I found myself in my own personal Heaven!!! These pics are a Small sample of what I took & just looking at these makes my heart so happy again! I don't know how long the Zoo has been doing this as I'm fairly new to TN, but This will be an annual thing for me from now on. Walking through the arch...I was excited at the art, but it did Not prepare me for the splendor inside!! Every turn led to another beautiful scene!! I could have walked around for Hours enjoying the lights!! Be sure to see this next year...it opens in November. It's Amazing!!!

The Nashville Zoo is amazing. The work they do for conservation and the Species Survival Program is unmatched. The staff and zoo directors care deeply for the wellbeing of the animals and they ensure they are cared for in every aspect. They also do amazing events like Boo at the Zoo and Zoolumination which I highly recommend. The education opportunities for young audiences are awesome and they provide lots of up close and personal activities (docent informational shows, flamingo walk, educational talks, etc). I cannot recommend the Nashville Zoo enough. They do amazing work. The animals are well cared for and given all the things they need and more.

If you need me, I'll be at the zoo. Wowza, what a great zoo.. a couple of areas we're closed due to construction, and while I wanted to see some Giraffes , I like that they are improving their grounds. So where do the giraffes go during construction? We saw all the rest of the animals, and if you have a few extra bucks to spare, definitely do the dinosaur path. Overall a great day at the zoo. No monkeys threw _ _ _ _ at me , and as much as I love looking at animals, sometimes the people watching at Zoo's is even better. Don't forget to stop and pet the kangaroos !

Parking is $8, which is a little pricey especially when buying the pricey tickets. It was about $57 for two tickets, we stayed for almost 2 hours. They didn't seem to have a whole bunch of animals, but the exhibits they had were pretty cool and I was very happy with. The kangaroo exhibit is amazing and I love it, you get to go in there with the kangaroos and pet them and just see them in their natural habit. They're extremely soft and will come up to you if they want to be pet. Some of them even had babies in their pouches! They also had a explore a new world exhibit, which was in a building , each section was labeled after the country where the animals are from. They had so many cool animals inside the building, some I had never seen before at previous zoos! The animals all seemed happy and cared for. Another exhibit I loved was the monkeys, not spider monkeys but the other ones they had. The monkeys were not in an enclosure and could jump from tree to tree, it was so cool to see. A good bit of their animals had open exhibits, so they could fly or jump around as needed. It is a pretty large zoo. Main complaint is the price of everything, such as parking, tickets and even water bottles ($3.82). Overall we had a very good time here and was one of the highlights.

First time at the Nashville Zoo and it didn't disappoint! The animals were very active. We enjoyed the little educational show and the animal encounter with the kangaroos. It was so neat to see a momma roo carrying her Joey in her pouch and be within a foot of her! Will be a returning guest. Highly recommend!

I thought this was a pretty good zoo. It had some really nice, large exhibits. A few things I didn't think were as good. You had to buy tickets online so we bought the adventure tickets to do all the extra activities. However, we didn't know that the zip line and the train would both be closed so we lost money on that. The tiger exhibit is state of the arch and cool. Definitely go inside the building. I have been to a lot of zoos in the country. This one was pretty good, but not the very top tier.

We came here and May 2022 on a Monday afternoon and it was not real busy but still a lot of kids running around. $21 adult plus $8 to park. Today the Tiger exhibit was closed. . Poo. But we saw a lot of animals I have not seen at other zoos. We enjoyed kangaroo exhibit and was able to pet a kangaroo. We stayed there there almost 4 hours. Lots to see.. a must if it's a cool day and you are in Nashville. Lots of shade and beautiful landscape.

would definitely recommend stopping at the zoo! I thought the ticket prices were very reasonable and appreciate that they had wheel chairs available for rent. It is quite hilly but the exhibits are lush and make it more like the animal's environment than an enclosure. There were some closed exhibits due to the remodel which was a bummer.

You can find the Nashville Zoo at 3777 Nolensville Pike, Nashville, TN 37211 - it's in a strange place as it's nested in a residential area so you drive by homes on the way to the entrance. Somehow I never made it to this zoo when I lived locally - I finally moved to Knoxville in 1982 and back then the zoo was a bit of a mystery. I'd heard recently that it was worth visiting and took the opportunity to visit during "Brew at the Zoo" - a craft beer festival where various breweries setup between exhibits and offer up samples. I was pleasantly surprised first at the overall layout of the zoo - it has walking paths that intertwine between exhibits along low rolling hills. The exhibits were well maintained and the path neither arduous nor obnoxious. The festival also ranked as one of the best I've participated in during the pandemic - it was well attended by not so busy you felt threatened by Covid-19 - helps that it's an outdoor event. The zoo staff members I interacted with all seemed very competent and somewhat proud of the zoo itself - at least that's the impression I received. The animals also seemed very well attended and the habitats of a size there they could roam about relatively freely. I also enjoyed the various architectural accents interspersed about the property - very tasteful and eye-catching. The festival, as already mentioned, was well attended by various breweries both local and from nearby states - there were several breweries in attendance that don't have distribution to my current home in Atlanta so I was eager to try those brews - I'm very happy to have attended this festival and experienced the zoo!

A decent zoo. Nothing really memorable though. The zoo is outside of downtown Nashville. I highly recommend ordering tickets before arriving to the zoo. Waiting in line wasn't fun and wasted a good amount of time. No discounts for tickets other than if a person is a veteran or member of the zoo. But children under two are free and the staff member printed out a ticket for the little guy with us, so the ticket could be a keepsake of his first zoo visit. Parking is $8.00 for non-members. We had a 6 month old with us and we completed the zoo in about 2.5 hours. We couldn't believe we walked around the whole zoo in that time. But we could've stopped at attractions for longer and linger more. Good amount of quick service stands and a few sit-down food areas. The food area we ate it had some good options for lunch and some healthier options. There was a nursing mother lounge in the front of the zoom. Family bathrooms were sprinkled throughout but no baby changing stations, just a long countertop. Walking paths were decently shaded, so not stuck in the hot sun for too too long while walking around. The bamboo tunnel was the coolest part. I agree with another Yelper who mentioned the impressive animal hospital. It was tucked in the back and you walk a long path but quickly become disappointed because you cannot go inside. There was glass windows that looked into two surgical rooms. The animals at the zoo felt limited regarding different species. But the animals we saw were interesting and beautiful to see. Some exhibits seemed nicer and more spacious than others. Some were inside like the tiger exhibit while others like the giraffes and rhinos felt miles away from viewing. Other animals I was expecting were not there like lions and elephants. This zoo feels like a zoo where you could visit once every few years. Or if you are looking for a semi-shaded place to walk around, then it might be worth it to visit more.

The Nashville Zoo is so great! I've been here numerous times over the years, just to visit on a typical day and also to attend events such as the Red, White, and Zoo (you get to sip different wines while walking the grounds!). I've always really enjoyed my experiences here! This week I brought my son to this zoo for the first time. It's such a big zoo with lots to see! We made it around the jungle loop but didn't even get through all of the Savannah loop before leaving, and we still spent over 3 hours there! Tons of animals to see and things to do. There's a train ride for the kids to enjoy (but beware- if it's a busy day, the line takes a while) and a fun play area for the little ones as well. Plenty of food and drink stands and restaurants but you can also bring in outside food and drink, which I appreciated being able to do. The elephants are apparently not at the zoo here anymore and the giraffes were not out the day we were there so we really missed those. But my son loved seeing the bear, cougars, kangaroos, and zebras! You get to walk into the kangaroo area with them!! It's so neat. And there's a fun little petting zoo area with goats and alpacas and such. I loved going when we did because the weather was great, but it was so packed! Late March must be spring break. Maybe try to go earlier in the morning or later in the afternoon because we went right around 1 pm and it was hard to even find a parking spot that wasn't at the back of the lot.

First time at this zoo during vacation. It was decent for what it was but I believe there should have been some more animals out and not missing from their locations. A lot of animals were also sleeping out of sight of anyone in the back of their habitat at no fault of the zoo. We will probably go again for the kids on our next vacation visit.

While visiting Nashville, we did a last minute trip to the zoo and it turned out to be a great time! This was during a cold weather week in December and while the day was warming up and beautiful, the animals were still weather shy so we paid discounted prices for our tickets. Zoolumination displays were up for their lightshow and they were still gorgeous during the day so we saw lots of animals and lanterns. The tiger was out and we were mere inches away (behind glass of course!). They also had kangaroos and goats that were available to pet. Every exhibit was very well done and we had a fantastic time walking the grounds.

The Nashville Zoo was a fun place to visit while we were on vacation. It was a beautiful day the weather was perfect, it was a Tuesday around 11. We bought our tickets online beforehand as well as you have to pay eight dollars for parking which I found interesting because at no point did anyone ask if we paid for parking or check if we paid for parking we didn't put anything in our about our license plate or anything like that it's like you paid the eight dollars for no reason. Maybe that's just an online thing. I enjoy supporting the zoo, I just thought that was strange. I like the layout of the zoo there was a few different paths you could go on and like circuits to walk so you could see everything. I like a lot of the viewing areas had a clear barrier so the littler kids could get a decent view of the animals. There was an indoor area with aquarium life, frogs, fish, reptiles, spiders, bats, bugs and I think that part was my son's favorite. It was nicely air conditioned and really fun to walk through. At times it could get congested with too many people, but not bad. There was a humid separate room with lots of plants and maybe a few birds, I was thinking it would be cool, but it was kind of lame. It has a lot of potential though! There was also a fun petting zoo with goats to pet and llamas and alpacas to see. There was a toucan and some other birds in cages in that area as well. There was a cool bamboo forest feature where you walked on some paths and there were a few animals to view within the bamboo forest. It was very well maintained and I had never seen anything like it before. I felt like there was plenty of seating areas along paths and in different areas of the park. As well as bathroom access was easy to find and they were clean. We actually also got to see a Millipede a cockroach and an anteater all outside of their enclosures! Plenty of concession stands as well we tried the popcorn, the frozen banana, and the frozen lemonade. They were all good. All of the workers we interacted with were friendly. This zoo is very stroller friendly! The gift shop is kind of fun, it's a classic gift shop with highly priced stuffed animals. I feel like it could be expanded to include more personalized items to their specific zoo animals they have. There is an Area that has a zip line and a few other extracurricular activities that you have to pay extra for. With our son being so little we didn't participate in any of those this time. I read about the train but we never actually found it. We spent about 4 1/2 hours inside of the zoo. Overall I really enjoyed my time at the zoo and we will definitely be back the next time we are in Nashville!

As a Nashville native, I love visiting the zoo and bringing guests from out of town. Unlike some other bigger zoos I've been to, the Nashville zoo is not as crowded and actually gives you a more intimate look at the animals since the exhibits are smaller-scale. This means you can get super close to the animals and have some pretty cool/special moments. Some highlights for me are the flamingo lagoon, the new tiger exhibit, the kangaroo "kickabout" (where you can potentially pet a kangaroo if it comes up to you), the clouded leopards, and red pandas. Walking at a decent pace through the entire zoo should take about 2 hours. I'd recommend buying tickets online ahead of time to skip the line. There's also plenty of parking close to the entrance.

Love the nashville zoo. Such a special place. Love the playground, food and animals! Happy to say this year we became members!

The zoo has some really amazing events!!! We attended the Zoolumination event and it was incredible (and only $19 per person!!) the visuals were so amazing, I would highly recommend! You do need to pay to park, but I believe it is only $8 per car. Save time by buying your tickets online for events or just regular admission!! They recently have put in some newer exhibits that are really cool! It's a great place to go for families and they have awesome events for people of any age.

There should be more Zoolumination reviews, it's a fantastic experience! The hard work and dedication put into the lantern displays is obvious and it's different every year. You get to see a few zoo animals along the way as well. The nocturnal area was a nice place to warm up. Everyone seemed respectful of those taking photos. They offer themed snacks at several booths along the walk. I didn't buy any so I can't comment about the value. Parking was easy when I arrived at 5, it started getting pretty packed by 6:30. I spent an hour and a half here. It's still going on Thurs-Sun until Feb 4th.

This zoo is surprisingly spacious, located 20 minutes max from the heart of downtown Nashville. Huge parking lot- we paid $8 for parking but there was nobody controlling the parking when we left to verify the payment we made. On a Sunday it was not as packed as I expected it to be and I paid $20 for entrance. If you can, go on a Monday because if you show your Kroger plus card it's buy one admittance get one free. If I could I would give this zoo 3.5 stars. I am one of those people who only enjoy zoos when there is a conservation effort made in terms of saving a species/ care for injured animals/ etc. The most interesting part of the zoo (for adults) is the mini historical lesson you get when you visit the plantation property towards the front right of the zoo. Seeing the old house, farm and servant houses so well preserved was really incredible. There is a large animal hospital with a long winding trail to get to it but you cannot go inside. There are two operating rooms with windows where if you are lucky enough to catch an operation you could watch from the outside, otherwise you're walking the path to this building for no reason. Some of the exhibits are way nicer than others. The Andean bear exhibit for example is spacious and well designed throughout not only for the bears but for the zoo Visitors. The kangaroo exhibit is basically a petting zoo which was super interesting. Other exhibits are small and sad... the giraffe exhibit for the number of giraffes in the enclosure looked crammed. The cougar exhibit was a very small wire caged area of space that was the size of my parents surburban backyard... I was super pleased at the number of rhinos... it was a small reminder that zoos can be beneficial when certain species can no longer thrive in the wild. Otherwise this zoo doesn't have your usual elephants, gorillas, or lions but you can still appreciate most of the animals that they have.

I loved this zoo!! We are from Seattle , Just moved here to Nashville in December and this is the first time to the Zoo and I was in awe of how close you can get to the non-threatening animals (of course) I'm a photographer and I got some really great shots! Definitely will be back!

Not a bad zoo but overall lacking for the price. I went with the family and got the bonus adventure pass for an extra 11 a person. Total came out to approximately 130 bucks. With that extra arm band it makes it seem like all the bells and whistles are included...unless they're not. For example, they have a Dino exhibit currently going on. Not included. The train ride and the entire cat section...included but closed. Wish I'd known prior to paying. All it got for me was a ride on the zip line, a 15 min 3d ish movie, and a small cut of nectar. All which can be paid for separately and cheaper like that. The line to get tickets was a big insane also. It took us over 30 minutes just to buy tickets. That's probably because they refused to open more the one booth. Also be aware...when buying tickets you HAVE to tell them not to charge you 8 for parking...because it's automatic. We ubered it there and learned the hard way. On the plus side, the location is lovely and the animals seem happy. The staff was nice. Overall not my favorite thing in Nashville, but if you need to kill half a day with the family then why not.

This is probably the best zoo we have been to (and we really enjoy going to zoos). We recently moved here and we hadn't heard great things about the Nashville zoo, whoever told us that was dead wrong. This zoo is amazing. They do such a great job of making the experience interactive. Flamingos greet you at the front entrance separated only by a couple cones (more meant to keep the people out than to keep the flamingos in). We saw an Aardvark being walked on a leash and got to pet a kangaroo on our last visit. The entire zoo is wonderfully maintained and the foliage looks like is should be in a botanical garden. Habitats are large and beautiful and the animals look really healthy. There is great shade while walking in the TN heat as well. The zoo-teen program is a great and our kids love learning from them. Our highlight was the Red Pandas- zookeeper MJ went above and beyond to provide my 4 and 6 year olds with a zoo experience they will never forget. She was amazing and we can't say enough kind things about Zookeeper MJ. THANK YOU!!

I have been to a lot of zoos, and Nashville's is one of the best. In addition to the well-designed animal exhibits, the children's playground, known as Promise Park, is a favorite of our three grandsons. My only complaint is that Promise Park is laid out such that there are multiple ways for kids to get out of the area without their parents seeing them. They should place benches for parents to wait where no child can get out into the rest of the Zoo without passing those benches.

Love, Nashville Zoo! They were setting up for the holiday illumination lights. That made it extra special to enjoy the visit to Nashville Zoo.

We have been to many Zoos throughout the US and this zoo has to be the worst. Yes we went in the cooler month but still only saw maybe 10 animals. No Elephants, Giraffe was unavailable etc. Saw some small monkeys , 1 tiger sleeping, 1 Bear sleeping and the rest were goats and birds. Not worth the $16.00