Adventures of Gus and Kim: Nashville Zoo at Grassmere - Nashville, Tennessee

February 25, 2019

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Who loves animals? We do, too!! If you're looking for something to do in the Nashville, Tennessee area, we highly recommend the Nashville Zoo at Grassmere.

This past October when we were driving back from our Florida vacation, we made our usual overnight stop in Franklin, Tennessee. Since we were only 20 minutes from the Nashville Zoo, I convinced everyone to get up early the next morning so we could spend some there before heading home. As a bonus incentive, since we're members of the Cincinnati Zoo, we were able to get half-price admission!

Man & woman sitting on a hay bale in front of a display of jack-o-lanterns

If you read my recent post on the Cincinnati Zoo, you know that it's our "home" zoo and we love it so much, we use it as the basis of comparison for every other zoo we visit. And we really enjoyed the Nashville Zoo! The first thing that caught our attention was just how thoughtfully the landscaping was planned. The photos don't even do it justice. It was also very clean and easily navigated. And we were happy to see a few animals that we don't have in Cincinnati.

A lot of words aren't really necessary, so enjoy the photos!

Hyacinth macaws

Mexican spider monkey

Goat

Guinea pigs

Clouded leopard

Meerkats

Ostriches

Sulcata tortoise

Aldabra tortoise

Green Crested basilisk

Seahorse

One of our favorite things was the Kangaroo Kickabout. You could actually walk through the habitat, and as long as you stayed on the paved pathways, you could interact with the kangaroos if they came to you. We're really looking forward to the opening of Roo Valley in 2020 at the Cincinnati Zoo, which will offer a similar experience.

kangaroo standing on a porch - her right front leg has been amputated

Red kangaroo

Red kangaroo

Apparently, we arrived soon after their morning meal, and all they wanted to do was relax in the sunshine. Not a bad gig if you can get it!

kangaroos standing and lying on the ground at the Nashville Zoo

Red kangaroos

The Nashville Zoo opened in 1991, and in 1996 they moved to the site of the Grassmere Wildlife Park after it closed. The city of Nashville had to keep this property as a nature center, so to offer it to the zoo was the perfect solution. In addition to the zoo, you can also tour the Grassmere Historic Home, take a ride on the Soaring Eagle Zip Line, and let the kids check out the 66,000-square foot Jungle Gym playground. And if you're a member of another zoo, don't forget to check to see if they're on the "Reciprocal Zoos" list so you can get half-price admission!

Large rock with "Nashville Zoo at Grassmere" and two giraffe silhouettes carved into it

Nashville Zoo at Grassmere
3777 Nolensville Pike
Nashville, TN 37211
615-833-1534

Hours:
October 12, 2018 - March 7, 2019 | 9am - 4pm
March 8, 2019 - October 10, 2019 | 9am - 6pm

Holiday Closings:
Open every day except Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day and New Year's Day.

Inclement weather may cause an unannounced closing for the safety of guests and animals.

Pinnable infographic for Nashville Zoo showing a basilisk and a spider monkey

Do you have a favorite zoo? Let me know in the comments or connect with me on Instagram or Snapchat - I'd love to get some ideas of where to go next!