What Is the Nashville Zoo?

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The Nashville Zoo at Grassmere is a zoo and historic family farm on 188 acres at 3777 Nolensville Pike, about 6 miles southeast of downtown (Wikipedia). The zoo says it has more than 3,700 animals representing more than 350 species (Nashville Zoo); Wikipedia records 3,736 animals of 352 species as of 2014, when it was Middle Tennessee’s top paid attraction. The site was once a 300-acre slaveholding farm owned by Michael and Elizabeth Dunn, and their 1810 house, built with enslaved labor, still stands. The Croft sisters, descendants of Michael Dunn, deeded the land to the Children’s Museum of Nashville in 1964 for a nature study center. The zoo moved fully to Grassmere in 1998. On tickets, the zoo says adult prices vary by date, youth tickets (ages 2 to 12) are $4 less than the adult price, and children under 2 are free. The visit page says advance timed-entry tickets are no longer required “as of July 2”, without giving the year (Nashville Zoo). By road, the zoo measured 8.2 miles and about 16 minutes from Lower Broadway on the OSRM route planner in October 2026.

The Zoo at a Glance

What the sources say
Address 3777 Nolensville Pike
Size 188 acres
Animals more than 3,700 animals of more than 350 species (zoo site); 3,736 of 352 species in 2014 (Wikipedia)
History a farm from 1810; given to the Children's Museum in 1964; the Nashville Wildlife Park at Grassmere opened in May 1997; the zoo closed its Joelton site and consolidated there in October 1998
Tickets adult prices vary by date; youth 2 to 12 pay $4 less; under 2 free; every guest needs a ticket (zoo site)
Entry timed entry no longer required; tickets are bought for a date (zoo site)
Members save $2 on guest tickets (zoo site)

Sources: Wikipedia; Nashville Zoo visit page, read October 24, 2026, and animals page, read October 25, 2026.

Planning a Zoo Day

  1. Pick a date for a lower price; the zoo says choosing a specific day can save up to $8 per ticket.
  2. Check seasonal events on the zoo’s home page; Glow Wild is listed there now.
  3. Plan the drive: about 16 minutes from Lower Broadway by the route planner, which does not account for traffic.

More family outings are in whether Nashville is good for families with kids.

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