This Tennessee zoo comparison looks at two zoos about three hours apart in the state of Tennessee: the Nashville Zoo and the Knoxville Zoo. Both of these zoos have been doing construction over the past several years. While they rank in the teens in our list of zoos, they each feature some top notch exhibits. If you’re planning a vacation to Tennessee, you’ll probably want to hit one of these zoos during your trip. So take a look at our Tennessee zoo comparison to see which one you think you’d rather visit.
Size:
The Nashville Zoo is fairly large in size. The zoo has sections for Africa, Asia, South America, and some others. There is a lot of walking at this zoo, as the Africa section is pretty far separated from the remainder. Knoxville, on the other hand, is much smaller. The zoo is separated into the East Zoo and West Zoo, and is slightly easier to navigate. On our most recent visit, we spent about 3 hours at Knoxville, and about 4 hours at Nashville. As mentioned above, both zoos are currently working on construction. Knoxville is looking to add an amphibian and reptile building. Nashville has an African village on tap for its Phase 2 renovation plan, which will include lions, giraffe, zebra, rhinos, hippos, and cheetahs. Advantage: Nashville Zoo
Indoor Exhibits:
The Nashville Zoo’s main indoor exhibit is Unseen New World. This building includes a large collection of animals from the Americas, and resembles an aquarium, aviary, and reptile house all combined. The zoo also has indoor viewing at the alligator exhibit, tiger exhibit, and Andean bear exhibit. The Knoxville Zoo is currently building a new amphibian and reptile center, which will replace the current outdoor exhibit. They also have an indoor children’s exhibit. Like Nashville, several of their current exhibits have indoor viewing available, including the langurs and gibbons. Advantage: Nashville Zoo
Animal Interactions:
At the Nashville Zoo, you can feed a lorikeet at Lorikeet Landing, pet a goat at Critter Encounters, touch tortoises at the Shell Station, and walk among kangaroos at Kangaroo Kickabout. The lorikeet section has limited capacity during the pandemic, so the lines can get pretty long. Kangaroo Kickabout is the place to be, as many of the resident kangaroos enjoy lounging in the sun, and are very comfortable with human interaction. The Knoxville Zoo offers the opportunity to feed giraffes from a raised feeding deck. The children’s building typically offers animal interaction opportunities. Camel rides are also offered at the Knoxville Zoo. Advantage: Knoxville Zoo
Habitats:
The Nashville Zoo has some amazing habitats. The Andean Bear exhibit, as well as the tiger exhibit, are both world class. These exhibit feature stunning stunning scenery, and plenty of room for the animals. The Nashville Zoo also has an oversized rhino exhibit, which used to be home to the elephants. The Asia section is themed with bamboo, and the red panda and clouded leopard exhibits are very scenic. Knoxville’s newest exhibit, Langur Landing and Boyd Family Asian Trek, are also impressive. They give you an opportunity to see tigers, langurs, and gibbons from all angles. The treehouse like structure that you walk up is a fun way to view the monkeys. Outside of this new enclosure, many exhibits – like elephants and giraffes – are outdated and old. Advantage: Nashville Zoo
Wow Factor:
When you enter the Nashville Zoo you walk into a foresty area, where you’ll first see the zoo’s hyacinth macaws. You might also hear the playful gibbons as you walk in, or even from the parking lot as we did on our visit! At Entry Village, the men’s restroom features a python exhibit above the urinal! In the middle of the zoo near the Andean bear exhibit, the women’s bathroom features a tamarin exhibit inside. This bathroom was the 2019 Best Restroom champion in a contest by Cintas, and now is in their Hall of Fame. At the Knoxville Zoo, the first exhibit you see is Black Bear Falls. This makes perfect sense, as the zoo is about an hour away from the Smoky Mountains, where black bears are a common sight. This exhibit is slightly old, and views are a bit tricky, but it’s a pretty exhibit, giving you a quick chance to view animals before even stopping to apply sun block. Advantage: Nashville Zoo
Kids Play Area:
The Nashville Zoo has a large outdoor playground called the Jungle Gym. This looks like a pretty epic play area for kids. Unfortunately, it’s currently off limits due to the pandemic. The Knoxville zoo has a rather large splash pad near the middle of the zoo, as well as a zipline adventure. The splash pad has a row of lockers and changing rooms nearby, making it easy for families to do a quick clothes change before/after visiting the splash pad. Advantage: Knoxville Zoo
Price:
A Tennessee zoo comparison wouldn’t be complete without looking at price. The Nashville Zoo is $21 for adults and $17 for kids (These are weekend prices; midweek is $2 cheaper). There is a $7 charge for parking. Knoxville Zoo is $24.95 for adults and $19.95 for kids. Parking is $5. Advantage: Nashville Zoo
Overall:
This is a close matchup, and the numbers give Nashville a 5-2 victory. Nashville Zoo comes in at 15th on our rankings, with the Knoxville Zoo not far behind at 19th. Both zoos have some exhibits that we would consider among some of the best in the country.
Thank you for reading our Tennessee zoo comparison. Both of these zoos had an exhibit recognized as one of the best in the country! Check out where they placed in the 2020 Best Zoo Exhibit Results page.
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