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Nashville Zoo At Grassmere
Rating Details »
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
8 reviews for Nashville Zoo At Grassmere
Nice zoo. Clean and neat, well kept exhibits. Just more of a nature walk with a few animals now and then.
My son loved getting close to the lorakeets, camels and extremely overweight goats.... I thought a few of them might pop! We did not go into the jungle gym, but heard its great.
I enjoyed our day (well only about 4 or 5 hours to get thru it), but I just expected a city with the tourist draw of Nashville to have a bigger, better zoo. Prolly won't go back as Louisville is not too too far and has a great zoo. I grew up near the Toledo OH zoo and it is a huge, awesome zoo.
We did eat at the little cafeteria/cafe and it was NOT good... it cost us $25 for the three of us and we agreed that we would have rather eaten at McDonalds.... the Bleu Steer burger (at almost $6) was dry, thin and chalk-like.... They have lots of room for picnicing, so thats what I definitely suggest!!
The Grassmere farm was neat, we were early for the tour of the house and didn't feel like waiting. But it was beautifully kept, you would think animals had never been in the barn!
The staff at the zoo were all very nice and helpful, minus the head chef (if you can call him that), ok the guy in the chef's uniform at the cafeteria/cafe. I understand that he was busy, but he didn't have to be rude and condisending to the patrons.
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This is one attraction that Nashville seriously needs to work on. We have a lot to offer for a city our size, but the Zoo (although it means well) just doesn't measure up.
Its not that it is dirty or unsafe or unkempt or anything, really its just too small. Like depressingly small. The animal habitats are clean and cheery but they're so small you start feeling bad for the creatures that live in them. Don't get me wrong, all the animals look healthy and happy (at least from my perspective), its just so cramped, I start formulating break out plans when I visit here like I'M the one in a cage.
My favorites are the reptile and bird houses but their petting zoo is pretty cool too. Even if it is populated mostly by goats. They also have a pretty cool learning center and a fantastic playground for the kiddies.
I used to volunteer here years ago (I worked in the afore-mentioned petting zoo) so I know how great the people that work here are and how much time and care they give to the animals. It seems like they are constantly trying to expand and 'renovate' the habitats and this is probably why the ticket prices are so high. There is plenty of potential here. Maybe if it had more attention and support the Zoo could be on par with some others in surrounding cities.
I have been going to Nashville zoo for years and it just keeps getting better! I only give it 4 stars because I really want more monkeys, namely orangutans, and maybe some otters or beavers. I like kangaroos, that would be cool too. Ahh, I digress. Oh, and a hippo, we definitely need a hippo.
Let me say what they do have. Lot's of shade, beautiful habitats and a variety of interesting animals like meerkats and one big old anaconda. I love to bring the kids here as the zoo is designed for you to do a lovely walk in a loop. There is a reptile and fish house that turns in to a big game of I Spy. There is a bird house that you can feed a varieties of birds. We like to lay odds on who will get pooped on. There is a cool carousel as well as working farm house to tour as well.
We buy the family membership ( the price is so reasonable) and go several times a year. The kids always love to go. You can bring your own food and drinks. There is lots of places for picnics. There is also jungle gym area for the kids if you feel the animal viewing didn't' wear them out enough.. The jungle gym is a work of art with cargo nets, padded jumping room, draw bridges and unbelievably long swirly slides.
I love this place!!
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If you go to this zoo please keep in mind that it is a relatively young zoo, having moved to its present location just a few years ago. To its credit, the zoo is constantly expanding, with exhibits being added each year.
While an individual visit might not be the cheapest thing ever, a year membership will only set you back about the cost of two (!!!) visits. One year I brought my daughter so much that it averaged out to about $2.25 a visit. Just gotta know how to work the system.
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I know this place gets a bad rap at times because of it's small selection of animals for a pretty large admission fee. This only being my second zoo to ever visit, I don't have much to compare it too. I must admit I wish they would lower ticket prices, but I really do love to come and visit the animals. Plus I like to think that large admission fee goes in to help expand the zoo.
We're here at least three times a year, and we finally realized how great a day visit is in the fall. It's not hot and there aren't swarms of families either.
They have a pretty good assortment including giraffes, zebras, cougars, meerkats, and three African elephants, which are a trip to watch. One of the females entertained me for a good half hour during one visit just giving a log the beating of a lifetime, tossing and hitting it with her trunk.
The zoo is, for the most part, is nicely shaded. If you're heading up to the African portion of the zoo, there's really no way to escape the sun. If you frequent a lot, I'd say it would be worth your time to investigate how much a yearly membership would cost, because they place is pricey.
I'm torn between 2 and 3 stars on this one. I've been to a LOT of zoos. My wife and I make a point to go to them when we visit other cities, because we find them so facinating. One of the best in the country is in our backyard actually (Memphis), and another of the best isn't that far away either (St. Louis).
That being said, Nashville's zoo is just sadly lacking. I realize that Nashville isn't a major city really, but other cities of comparable size have been together much better zoos than this. When we were done going through it (and I think it only took an hour), I had a feeling of "that's it??". It's one of the smaller zoos I've been to...perhaps the only smaller one is back home in Fargo, North Dakota. I'd forgive the small size more if it was at least cheap, but it wasn't any less than zoos like the aforementioned ones (St. Louis is free!) and Atlanta. So this is far from a bargain....oh well...
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I am admittedly a bit conflicted when it comes to zoos. I love seeing and learning about exotic animals--who doesn't? However, I also feel a bit uneasy about keeping said creatures from their natural habitats for our amusement. That being said, most zoos go out of their way to recreate the animals' natural environments. I'm afraid that Grassmere, however, is not a zoo that creates elaborate or especially large habitats for their animals.
Don't get me wrong--it's clear that Grassmere is very good to the animals that call Nashville home. They just don't typically keep large numbers of specific animals, and their corresponding living spaces are, as a result, pretty small. The zoo also has a limited number of animals in general. While there are a handful of Giraffes, Elephants and other African animals, there aren't as many primates as you'd hope for.
The reptile house is pretty cool, and it offers a close look at some pretty crazy fish, insects and scaly creatures. On occasion, however, many of the other animals (such as the lynx and red pandas) are MIA with no explanation. The bird feeding area is sort of cool (but kind of a rip off), but there are plenty of cool activities for kids.
Zoos, as a general statement, are usually pretty expensive. Grassmere is certainly no exception, so I'd advise picking up lunch and hydrating yourself before you set out for a day of creature-gazing. There is now plenty of free parking and the staff is always friendly and informative. The fact of the matter is that Grassmere is one of the least impressive zoos I've ever visited...but what are you going to do? NOT go to the zoo? Don't be silly.
The Nashville Zoo (although smaller than some zoo's) is a fun place to get outside, walk around, and hang out with friends even if you don't have children. If you do have kids (or are spending some time watching some) then even more reason to check it out. Just be prepared to spend a lot of time sitting as they have an amazing playground. Unfortunately the zoo is not one of the most affordable places to go but at least they now let you park for free.