Nashville Zoo at Grassmere is Middle Tennessee’s most-visited wildlife attraction, drawing well over a million guests a year to a 188-acre property where modern animal habitats sit alongside a preserved 1810 farmhouse. Before you go, the questions that matter most are practical: what does it cost, when is it open, where do you park, and what should you actually plan to see?
This guide covers all of that in detail — current pricing patterns, seasonal hours, parking and directions, membership options, food and rental amenities, the zoo’s unusual backstory as a merger of two separate Nashville institutions, its animal collection and conservation work, and tips for making the most of a visit.
Quick Answer
Nashville Zoo is open daily except Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day, with hours running roughly 9am-6pm from early March through mid-October and 9am-4pm the rest of the year. General admission uses date-based dynamic pricing (about $16-$28 for adults and teens, a few dollars less for youth ages 2-12, and free for children under 2). Parking runs about $10 per vehicle and is free for members. Always confirm exact hours and pricing for your visit date on the official Nashville Zoo site.
A Zoo Built on Historic Ground
The Grassmere property was originally a farm owned by Michael and Elizabeth Dunn, whose home dates to 1810 and still stands on the grounds. Their descendants, the Croft family, deeded the land to the Children’s Museum of Nashville in 1964, which grew into Grassmere Wildlife Park. Meanwhile, a separate Nashville Zoo had been founded in Joelton in 1991.
In 1997 that Nashville Zoo relocated to Grassmere and merged with the wildlife park there, creating the combined institution guests visit today. That history is why Nashville Zoo feels different from most AZA-accredited zoos: you can walk from a clouded leopard or Amur leopard habitat straight into a two-century-old farmstead in the same afternoon.
Planning Your Visit: Hours, Tickets & Membership
Nashville Zoo closes only three days a year — Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, and New Year’s Day — and is open every other day, including most holidays and inclement weather (severe weather closures are announced separately). Hours follow a seasonal pattern: extended daytime hours around 9am-6pm typically run from early March through mid-October, shifting to a shorter fall/winter schedule around 9am-4pm the rest of the year. Some special-event days have earlier closing times, so it’s worth double-checking the calendar close to your visit date on the official hours and directions page.
Admission is priced dynamically by date rather than a single flat rate — expect somewhere in the $16 to $28 range for adults and teens depending on demand for that day, with youth ages 2-12 discounted a few dollars off the adult rate and kids under 2 admitted free. Guests who want a ticket that isn’t tied to a specific date can also buy an ‘anytime’ flex ticket at a higher fixed price. Advance online purchase through the official Nashville Zoo tickets page typically locks in the lowest price for a given day, and active-duty military can present ID for a discount off general admission for their whole party at the gate. Groups of 20 or more qualify for reduced tiered group rates through the zoo’s group sales office.
If you visit more than once a year, an annual membership is worth pricing out — tiers range from a single-adult pass up to family-sized options covering two adults, guests, and multiple children, and every tier includes free general admission and free parking for a full year. Educators, active-duty military, and seniors typically qualify for a membership discount. Full current tiers and pricing are listed on the zoo’s membership page linked from the official site.
Parking, Address & Getting There
Nashville Zoo is located at 3777 Nolensville Pike, Nashville, TN 37211, a few miles south of downtown. It’s reachable from I-24 (exit at Harding Place and head west to Nolensville Pike), I-65 (exit at Harding Place and head east to Nolensville Pike), or I-440 (exit at Nolensville Pike and head south). Exact turn-by-turn directions are on the zoo’s hours and directions page.
Parking runs about $10 per vehicle for non-members and is free for zoo members, with the main lot located right at the front entrance. If you plan multiple visits a year, the free member parking alone can offset a meaningful chunk of a membership’s cost.
Food, Rentals & Accessibility
Dining options inside the zoo include a full-service cafe and grill, a pizza kitchen, and seasonal food carts and BBQ stands scattered around the grounds; outside food and drinks are also permitted if you’d rather pack a cooler or picnic. Stroller and wheelchair rentals are available near the entrance for guests who need them, with pricing that varies by rental type.
The zoo publishes accessibility information and a service-animal policy on its website, and the free Nashville Zoo mobile app includes an interactive map, itinerary planning tools, and real-time updates — handy for laying out your route before you arrive, especially on a day when you’re trying to hit both the animal habitats and the ride attractions.
What to See and Do at Nashville Zoo
Beyond the animal habitats, Nashville Zoo has several attractions worth building extra time into your visit for. The Soaring Eagle Zip Line lifts riders about 110 feet before sending them back to earth at roughly 28 mph (riders must be at least 42 inches tall, and those under 47 inches need an adult). The Wilderness Express Train and the Wild Animal Carousel are gentler options that work well for younger kids, and the Adventure 4D Theater adds multi-sensory effects like mist and moving seats to short films.
Two of the most popular stops are hands-on animal encounters: Kangaroo Kickabout lets guests walk a path through a red kangaroo habitat while the kangaroos roam freely nearby, and Lorikeet Landing is a walk-through aviary where visitors can feed the colorful lorikeets for a small per-bird fee (the aviary itself is free to enter). Ride and attraction access is sold either à la carte or through an all-day Adventure Pass, which is worth it if your group plans to do more than two or three activities.
For animal viewing, don’t miss the big cat habitats (clouded leopards and Amur leopards), the giraffe exhibit, Alligator Cove, and the primate areas — all part of an ongoing master plan that has steadily modernized the grounds in recent years, including a newer main entrance experience.
Animals and Conservation
Nashville Zoo’s collection spans hundreds of species and thousands of individual animals, including giraffes, big cats, and flamingos. (The zoo permanently relocated its elephant herd to The Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee in 2015 and does not currently have an elephant exhibit.) As an AZA-accredited institution, it also runs active conservation programs: reintroduction work for eastern hellbender salamanders, Puerto Rican crested toads, and native Nashville crayfish, plus international efforts such as giraffe conservation and translocation work in South Africa.
Tips for a Great Visit
Arrive at or shortly after opening — animals are typically most active in the cooler morning hours, and lines for popular attractions like the zip line build up by midday. Buying tickets online in advance tends to secure the lowest available price for your date and lets you skip the ticket-window line entirely.
Plan for at least three to four hours if you want to see the major exhibits and do even one or two attractions; a full day works better if you’re adding the zip line, train, carousel, and both animal encounters. Check the day’s schedule for keeper chats and feedings, which are a good way to catch animals at their most active, and bring cash or a card for the per-bird lorikeet feeding fee even if your general admission is already paid.
Nashville Zoo hours, tickets, prices and parking FAQs
How much are Nashville Zoo tickets?
General admission is priced by date, typically ranging from about $16 to $28 for adults and teens, with youth ages 2-12 a few dollars cheaper and children under 2 free. A higher-priced ‘anytime’ flex ticket is also available if you don’t want to commit to a specific date. Check the official tickets page for the exact price on your visit date.
What are Nashville Zoo’s hours?
The zoo is open daily except Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day. Hours run roughly 9am-6pm from early March through mid-October and roughly 9am-4pm the rest of the year, though some event days close earlier.
How much is parking at Nashville Zoo?
Parking costs about $10 per vehicle for non-members. Zoo members park free, which is one reason a membership can pay for itself for anyone visiting more than a couple of times a year.
Is a Nashville Zoo membership worth it?
If you’ll visit more than once or twice in a year, likely yes — membership tiers include unlimited free general admission and free parking for a full year, and discounts are typically available for educators, military, and seniors. Compare the membership price to what two or three paid visits plus parking would cost you.
Is there a military discount at Nashville Zoo?
Yes. Active-duty military can present ID at the gate for a discount off daily general admission that applies to their entire party.
Where is Nashville Zoo located and how do I get there?
Nashville Zoo is at 3777 Nolensville Pike, Nashville, TN 37211, a few miles south of downtown, with access from I-24, I-65, or I-440. Full turn-by-turn directions are on the official hours and directions page.
Can you bring outside food into Nashville Zoo?
Yes, outside food and drinks are permitted, in addition to on-site dining options like a cafe and grill, a pizza kitchen, and seasonal food carts.
How long should I plan to spend at Nashville Zoo?
Budget at least three to four hours to see the major exhibits and try one or two attractions; plan for a full day if you want to add the zip line, train, carousel, and both animal encounters.
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