Nashville Zoo at Grassmere

The Nashville Zoo at Grassmere is a wild adventure for the whole family. Located less than 10 miles south of downtown Nashville, lies an exotic wildlife sanctuary that will make you think you were anywhere but Tennessee. With over 350 animal species, there is so much to discover! The zoo is organized into three sections: The Savannah Loop, The Jungle Loop and Zoo Central.

Zoo Central is the first place you will experience once you enter the zoo. It is home to the lavish 66,000 square foot Jungle Gym that your little ones will want to swing and climb on, as well as the gift shop, café and Unseen New World exhibit. The Unseen New World exhibit is the zoo’s indoor section that showcases reptiles, an aquarium and aviary. You will not want to miss the alligator snapping turtles, red-bellied piranhas and Gila monsters.

The Jungle Loop hosts the Flamingo Lagoon, Alligator Cove and the Critter Encounters Petting Zoo. The highlight of the Jungle Loop is down the bamboo trail where you will find the zoo’s famous clouded leopards and red pandas. The Kangaroo Kickabout is one of the most exciting interactive experiences where guests can walk through a winding path in a naturalistic Australian landscape where 18 red kangaroos freely wander around you.

If you are looking for larger animals like elephants and giraffes, then the Savannah Loop is the place to go. Your kids will enjoy picking out their own animal to ride on the carousel located here. You can now see the zoo like never before! Just opened, the Soaring Eagle, is the all new zip line experience that takes you 110 ft. in the air to overlook all the zoo has to offer. The centerpiece of the zoo is located in the Savanna Loop and it is the nationally registered Grassmere Historic Farm and Home that you can tour.

The Grassmere Historic Farm and Home was completed in 1810, making it the second oldest home in Davidson County that is open to the public. The home and farm (Grassmere) was inhabited by the last two surviving daughters of the owners until 1985. Before the sister’s death’s, they entered in an agreement with the Adventure Science Center that once they passed that the science center would pay property taxes and assist with the upkeep until they died and after that, the center would become the owners. The one stipulation the sisters had was that the property be maintained as a nature study center to educate locals about animals and the environment. This lead to the creation of the Nashville Zoo at Grassmere.

The zoo is open everyday except for Christmas, Thanksgiving and New Years Day. Adults are $16, Seniors are $14, children under 12 are $11, children under 2 are free and parking is $5 per vehicle.