Nashville Zoo at Grassmere
Nashville, TN 37211
Phone: (615) 833-1534
- Hours:
- Apr 1-Oct 15: 9am-6pm, Oct 16-Mar 31: 9am-4pm
Editorial Review for Nashville Zoo at Grassmere – by Citysearch Editors
In Short
Located on more than 200 pristine, spring-fed acres in the heart of Nashville, Grassmere is the city's primary zoological park. On display are more than 350 animals, including Bengal tigers, zebras, cheetahs, ostriches and river otters. Families will enjoy the old Croft House, built around 1810 and now home to a working farm exhibit and petting zoo. The 66,000-square-foot jungle gym near the amphitheater is a great way to see children in their natural habitat.
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User Reviews for Nashville Zoo at Grassmere
05/22/2007 Posted by rocket41
Like many of the other reviewers have said, the Nashville Zoo doesn't have some of the animals you would expect to see at a zoo. However, it is a really nice place to go. The animals they do have are active and interesting. There are lots of oppportunities to learn more about them. The best things about the zoo are the facilities and environment. The animal enclosures are very nice.....no steel cages. They have an onsite cafe with virtually anything you or you kids would want to eat. Its very shady, so you're not just walking around on scorching pavement all day. Overall, a good deal for the price.
Pros: facilities & environment
Cons: few animals
03/21/2007 Posted by avalonrose
The Nashville Zoo is kind of a sucky zoo if you compare it to "real" zoos like Memphis and even Birmingham. But you'd be better off not comparing it to those zoos, because it would make you weep with frustration. Really, the Nashville Zoo would be better off NOT calling itself a zoo at all, because it's more like an animal sanctuary or, really, a nature trail on which you just happen to see a few animals. I will admit, things are looking up for the Zoo, with the promise of getting several more animals that you might find in a stellar, or even standard, zoo, like hippos and rhinocerus. But we're a long way from competing with even an average zoo. Sure we have some elephants and some giraffe, and those exhibits are really wonderful. But when such random animals as elongs (whatever those are) and meercats are billed as the star exhibit, somethings wrong. The only thing they have close to a gorilla is a gibbon, which was interesting, but honestly, why can't they have gorillas, apes, orangutans, etc? My children were excited about seeing the Bengal tiger, but we were informed that that exhibit wasn't open on the day we went. What a disappointment. Bottom line....I would advise the Zoo to start getting more animals if it intends to keep calling itself a zoo.
Pros: Great environment for the animals, better than average facilities like restaurants.
Cons: Few animals, exhibits are spaced too far from one another. Did I say there were hardly any animals?
