Nashville Zoo!
NASHVILLE ZOO
Welcome to Nashville, Y’all!
If you’re looking for something outdoors, safe, family friendly, and just down right CUTE — look no further than your local zoo!
This summer I visited the Nashville Zoo for the first time and was very impressed with how they have adjusted daily visits and taken precautions for COVID-19.
Safety: Some of the safety measures include limited daily admission, one way pathways, mandatory face masks for guests and employees, credit/debit cards only, and hands-on exhibits temporarily closed.
Food: One thing I love about (most) zoos is that you can bring your own lunch/snack and have a picnic! I saw many families doing this during our visit. It creates a nice opportunity to take a break and more importantly, save money!
Otherwise, some of the restaurants and snack stands are still open. They’ve done a great job of spacing them out evenly so you’ll never get caught hungry or thirsty during your visit.
Now on to the fun stuff!
Here’s how our day went:
In a hurry? Pin this post for later!
Arrived at the zoo! You need to buy a ticket online in advance and choose a time slot. They allow new groups in every 30 minutes.
You can download the Zoo Map (COVID-19 Version) at the front of the park via QR code scan with your phone.
Grassmere Historic Farm – “The Story Begins Here”
We started the day exploring the beautiful Grassmere Historic Farm. The house was built in 1810 and was home to 5 generations who eventually donated the property as a nature study center in hopes of educating others about animals and the environment. The zoo started as Grassmere Wildlife Park in 1990 and has since grown into what we see today!
Normally you can tour the house, but for safety reasons all tours are cancelled at the moment. There’s still plenty to see in this area though and I definitely wouldn’t skip it.
The zoo has 2 main sections: Africa and Asia
Random Thought:
The one way map is actually really great. It made me wonder why we don’t just use one direction pathways all the time. It was super orderly and way more efficient without people bumping into you and walking the other way, causing traffic.
Anyways, we were able to make it around the whole park in about 2.5 hours (keeping in mind that most of the hands-on exhibits are closed).
Here are some of my favorite animal highlights from the day!
Overall, we were very impressed by the ease of this visit. It was not at all crowded, everyone was required to (and wearing) masks, the walkways flowed nicely and made it easy to see all the animals.
Oh, and the gift shop IS open for those of you like me, who just can’t resist a touristy shopping moment 😉
If you’re ever in Nashville I hope you’ll take an afternoon and visit the zoo.
They still need our help and support! For ways to support the animals click here.
Until Next Time,
Julana
PS. If you love zoos, consider becoming a member to save money and visit them all!
