Our visit to the Knoxville Zoo in 2015 was very enjoyable. On the same trip we had visited the Nashville Zoo, and I had been blown away by all the upcoming construction in Nashville. Knoxville also had lofty plans for expansion, including a langur exbibit that was recently nominated for best exhibit in the country. Despite all the changes that have taken place since our visit, I think we can still offer a solid take on what to expect.
Highs:
- Black Bear Falls – Immediately upon entry, you see Black Bear Falls. It’s large, has multiple black bears, and looks like a place you really would see bears hanging out. Love that it’s also something that’s indigenous to the area – makes perfect sense to be the highlight of the zoo.
- Camel Rides – A better setup here for camel rides than most have – made for an enjoyable part of the day
- Children’s play area – This zoo probably set’s the bar for kid play areas. They have animals inside, as well as tons of things for little kids to do. You really could spend multiple hours here. They also have a large outdoor section for kids, and in general lots of interactive opportunities.
- **Langur Exhibit – caveat here is that we haven’t been able to visit this exhibit, but talks are that it is impressive, so if you do go to this zoo, be sure to check it out!
Lows
- Disjointed – This zoo didn’t have any flow to it. I remember it basically being a straight line, with the entrance in the middle. So you walked all the way to the right, then you backtracked so that you could go all the way to the left, and then backtrack to the front. It looks like since our visit they’ve seperated it into “West Zoo” and “East Zoo”, but it appears that the overall layout really hasn’t changed.
- Cost – I normally don’t comment on the cost, but this one is high. Admission is more than the usual zoo, and it also has a $5 parking fee. AZA discount is 50%, and it used to be 100%. Would like to see them make this a bit more friendly on the wallet.
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