Nashville Zoo Reviews

We had an amazing time here our favorite is always the kangaroos! You can walk threw with then and pet the little kangaroos! We always adore this place, great for everyone!

This zoo was very beautiful and clean. The staff members are friendly. The gift shop had great stuff that was priced nicely. Our family had a great time!

This place is wonderful. We went here on my girlfriend's birthday. The staff is super friendly and knowledgeable of their areas. The facilities were clean. There were some restrooms that had exhibits inside. It is also kid friendly. Food is a bit expensive but it is for a great cause. I can't wait to go back.

My granddaughter loves going here. It always seems clean and doesn't have horrible odors noticed at some zoos.

Enjoyed the animal encounters with the kangaroos and birds. The parking was an absolute nightmare on Easter weekend due to the construction and egg hunt but they're making improvements. The Andean Bear exhibit was first class, and absolutely stunning. A bit smaller than several other zoos I've been to but it was worth the trip from Birmingham.

Had so much fun with my girlfriend here. Went for the Chinese Festival Lights and saw a live performance and bought crafts. Everything was beautiful! Loved the layout of the zoo and they had some animals out that we could pet and feed.

One of favorite zoos! Always clean, the staff is always friendly, and you can tell they put the animals needs first!

Well taken care of, fairly priced, nobody there in off season. nice place to yake the kids for a few hours

The Nashville Zoo is great! Everything is clear and clean and the keepers are kind and helpful. If you ask, they'll tell you all about the animals and their stories. I know half the animals by name now that I've gone a few times with our passholding friend. The season passes are a great deal and you can bring one guest for free, which is great if you want to make it a date or treat a friend. There's also an indoor exhibit with reptiles, amphibians, fish, insects, and birds, which is a nice break from the cold/heat depending on the season! It's also a quiet, calm place to take little walks in the mornings if you've got a season pass.

This is an amazingly clean and friendly place to take the family! Their expansions are beautiful and we even enjoyed watching their installations. The cafe has delicious and affordable food, I've never had anything I didn't like. There are many animal encounters where you get to get a close look or even touch some of their animals. The staff is amazing. They are knowledgeable and very friendly.

Great place to visit. Very well maintained and friendly staff.

It's amazing place for children and the Bear exhibit is awesome #needrefillsback

Zoolumination was so amazing. Definitely worth a special trip!

The animals were good but the only downside for me was the heights

Amazing I will visit it again and take more people .

It was fun 2 do with my daughter! Wish it was more animals!

This zoo has the nicest employees. They have tried hard to make our trip better when something was wrong on our last 2 trips. I really recommend checking with customer service if you have a problem, because the attitude of most employees has been to make us have a happier day if reasonable. There are fairly large exhibits, including some like birds & kangaroo that let you touch the animals. Kids big & little can climb, crawl, & play on the rope playground. Handsanitizer & restrooms abound. Electric carts can't be rented after 4:00. Wheel chairs, & strollers are available for rent all day. If you will be there for any multiple days, being a member is best for so many reasons. Consider when it rains not being a risk, etc.

Very nice zoo. Be prepared to walk. Always upgrading and rebuilding to make it a better experience. They do a great job.

Convenient, the annual membership cost pays for itself in just a couple visits, the unlimited rides feature is incredibly cheap compared to doing a couple that you pay for each visit. The exhibits are designed for the residents and guests to both benefit. Plenty to see and do across a whole day, or just pop in take advantage of the absolutely massive kids playground.

The zoo has a very beautiful landscape, the exhibits are luscious so you're not feeling bad for the animals they look happy. Alot of zoos are just like concrete cages but not here.

We had a fun time with the kids. However there doesn't seem to be that many animals to look at and they are all spread out. So there was a lot of walking between exhibits. They are doing a lot of construction on new exhibits. I look forward to going back to see if it is better when they are done.

Today I visited the Nashville Zoo, and have to say that I enjoyed it a lot. In general, I felt the species present, exhibit design, and general theming to be of high quality. From the entrance of the zoo, you are quickly immersed in a well thought out experience, music playing as you reach the thatch-roofed Entry Village. From there you are free to explore the park, which was easy to do, as the zoo was laid out simply, with little need to back-track in order to see animals.

My favorite exhibit area was the Unseen New World building, which housed numerous varied species from the Americas. Among these animals were reptiles, such as snakes and lizards, but also some less expected creatures, such as cobalt crayfish and leaf-nosed bats. Attached to the building was a small tropical aviary with a number of bird species as well. One of my favorite animals housed in this building was an albino bullfrog.

Another interesting section of the zoo was the Grassmere Historic Home and Farm , which existed on the land before the zoo, and is now home to some of the zoo animals. Housed in that area were a number of domestic animals including sheep, a donkey, and a breed of heritage cattle. There was also a barn owl exhibit. However, while the farm was interesting, it felt somewhat disconnected from the rest of the zoo both in style and location.

My one gripe that I can really give was that the theming of the zoo often felt unrelated to the animals on display. For example, in the bamboo forest region of the zoo only two of the species can really be associated with bamboo (and only one of them strongly), those being the red panda and clouded leopard, both with range in China. The other species in this region of the zoo, lemurs and rhinoceros hornbills, don t really go along with the otherwise East Asian theme. To a lesser degree, the same can be said about the Expedition Peru region, which, while mostly sticking to that theme, also has an American alligator exhibit basically right in the middle of it (although as far as I can tell, the alligator exhibit was there first, so it really doesn t bother me much).

To conclude, I ll say that I really like the zoo, despite some questionable theming. Even when the theming made little sense, it still looked gorgeous. Many of the animals were not out due to the cold (can t blame them), so if you decide to visit, I suggest a season other than winter (although the cold weather also keeps the zoo from being crowded). Otherwise, great zoo, lots of animals, easy to traverse, and overall, an enjoyable time!

This is a wonderful zoo to visit - beautiful, clean and a lot of walking. I say it's more on the side of a hike at the zoo.
Even with the corona virus, the zoo is doing a lot to keep everyone safe. We did miss some of the normal exhibits but what was available was very interesting and well laid out.
There is also animal exhibits in some of the restrooms. That was a neat surprise.

A good time, lots of stuff to see. Savannah plains, or whatever it was called was mostly empty. The house was neat to see, but that area needs more.

Elephants were moved to another facility, rhinos were in quarantine, tigers exhibit was closed, and we weren't informed about anything while buying tickets. Walked all over looking for animals that weren't there. The animals that were there you could barely see in their cages. Not worth it

We love to take our kids and get a year membership every year now. The only reason I'm doing a 4 and not a 5 star is cause the prices are a Little high for food in the cafe and some of the toys are to much, but the animals are great always talking and active and the rides are awesome. Best place in Nashville to take kids.

COVID protocol was mostly adhered to and wasn't terribly crowded on a Wednesday morning. My young kids enjoyed the exhibits, especially the monkeys.

Been here a few times. Place is always very well kept and employees are pretty nice. Animals are kept in places that are appropriate for their size and range and offer them plenty of space to roam around instead of being cooped up in some itty bitty tiny enclosure. Nothing bad really to say about this place.

Lots of walking. Lots of animals but no elephants my kids were super disappointed. But they have the best playground I have ever seen. The playground alone is worth coming for.

I think that this place is wonderful. It is very family friendly with plenty of amenities to care for little ones. All the exhibits are Weill thought out and the zoo seems like it's cared for really well. I enjoy all of the animals especially the new spider monkey exhibit. I forgot to mention you can bring in your own drinks and food, this is a huge money saver! I recommend this place to anyone new to town looking for a nice way to spend the day. We get a family membership every year.

It's ok much better zoos Memphis st loius not many animals you actually expect to see at the zoo

Truly a fun experience, especially with younger kids. However, the parking lot fee and outrageous kids meal prices are disappointing.

It was a hot day the animals didnt really move around much mostly they were napping

We had a wonderful experience. The staff was friendly and helpful. As a mother of a potty training toddler, I was pleasantly surprised by the cleanliness of the restrooms. Thank you Nashville Zoo for a great day!

Great place for kids. My granddaughter and I love the zoo!

Awesome place to take the family! SOOO much fun, lots of animals & interactive exhibits! You can even pet a kangaroo, or feed one!........only if they come up to you of course. All of the exhibits are so very informative & very entertaining. There is also a petting zoo with goats & llamas. Super great way to spend a day! Lots to do, learn & see. Even for someone from the area. Anyone visiting Nashville or the surrounding area, this is well worth your visit & attention.

Great zoo, even better now with completed additions

I always enjoy walking around the zoo. They are always making updates. I recommend the season pass. It's worth it to be able to go and bring a friend as often as you want.

Great family day. This zoo is pretty nice. Kids liked the playground and the Soaring Eagle.

This zoo is great. Plenty of shade and seating. All of the attractions are spread out to prevent overcrowding. Would recommend and return

This is a fun family friendly safe zoo. It isn't as big and expansive as Zoo's in some other cities but it is still nice and offers quite a lot to do. Definitely on the rise.

If I had to describe the experience I d say HORRIBLE!! The employees were rude and had a nasty attitude. They don t inform you that it is required to have timed tickets.

What locals remember as humble Grassmere has fully turned into a world class zoo.

If you want to see more concession stands than animals you might like this zoo.

Fun time, had a blast with the kids. Good eats available at the restaurant, and not too expensive. The "rain room" is wonderful on a hot day.

Beautiful zoo, but expect very long walks between exhibits.

Hadnt been in years. Awesome time. Staff was very nice.

Virtually no wait due to purchasing tickets online. Got to pet a kangaroo so it was well worth the ticket price.

Great Zoo to bring family and children. Very clean!

Ive never been to any zoo as many times as I've been to this one,(this was my 4th time) and every time is better than the last. Took my family visiting from NYC and they were so amazed at how big and beautiful it is!

ridiculous that the price is the same for a 2 year old and an 11 year old. the price is my only complaint.

Sad to see the African elephant exhibit gone, but still loved the parked! This is something I don't really get tired of, and for sure will be returning to over the course of the summer!

The zoo is not my think, but this place is a safe place to let the family out.

Amazing place for kids and the membership is worth every penny. Even when crowded there's plenty of room and plenty to see. Good food available as well and the kids love the playground

Not an expansive zoo, but very nice for young children who would quickly get tired of a much larger zoo. If you plan to visit more than two times a year get the season pass because it will pay for itself. They have some really cool events for kids like the movie nights and Boo at the Zoo. Also some cool things for adults like wine and beer tastings. I love their new remodel!

It's a really good zoo with a lot of different areas but many of the areas aren't connected logically so you end up doing a lot of backtracking. Not a big deal but just didn't seem to make sense.

Really enjoyed the zoo and the Aquarium! It was a fun filled day with plenty to do!

This is an amazing zoo with lots of animals and shady walkways! Definitely bring the whole family there is so much to do here. Prices are high as expected it's a zoo but totally worth it.

Great place to visit. AMAZING experience for the whole family!!!!!!!!!

We love the zoo! Clean, organized, friendly and fun.

Maybe it was because of the pandemic but very little to experience

Pretty nice zoo, should be better once covid restrictions are lifted.

This zoo was a BIG let down. Hardly any animals at all. Everything under construction, but still full price. My 8 year old was ready to leave in 30 minutes when we found out not many zoo animals. 5 hour drive was such a waste, wanted a refund but did not get one. Memphis Zoo by far our favorite, and we have visited many.

Thought they should be more up front with what parking costs ($7) instead of adding it automatically to the zoo ticket ($17).

Still I was pleasantly surprised. Thought the exhibits and walkways were laid out well and think I got my money's worth. Tiger display opens April 12th (2019).

Sad to see so many of the animals by themselves and most were hiding from being seen. Everything was clean and run smoothly. Wishing brighter days ahead for them

Always a great day!! The half price offer is perfect while they navigate the one-way paths and indoor exhibits being closed. It was a wonderful day!!

This zoo is awesome. Great themed decor and music to go with the exhibits. The exhibits are beautiful and spacious and the animals seem so happy. There is a place to walk in and pet kangeroos for free. Also for free you can go into the enclosure with and pet a smaller type of tortise. The petting zoo for children is huge with lots of animals. One of the bathrooms has monkeys in it...real ones! The staff is friendly. The park is clean and shady. It is just a joy to visit here and totally worth it to get a membership. During hot days when we decide to go, we'll get there at 3 and it's plenty of time to see almost everything plus the crowds are gone and the shaded areas are much cooler. Go visit and see for yourself.