Nashville Zoo

Located six miles southeast of downtown Nashville, the Nashville Zoo in Grassmere is a zoo and historic farm. As of 2014, the zoo was the highest-paying attraction in central Tennessee, with 6,230 animals representing 339 different species. The Nashville Zoo is located on approximately 76 hectares of land (188 acres). The Association of Zoos and Aquariums has accredited the zoo.

History

The Farm of the Dunns

The Nashville Zoo is located on the site of Michael and Elizabeth Dunn's 300-acre slave farm. The Dunns' original home, built with slave labour in 1810, still stands on the property. Margaret and Elise Croft, the great-granddaughters of the original owner, Michael Dunn, were the last descendants to live on this property.  Archaeologists evaluating the property for archaeological resources discovered an unmarked cemetery near the Grassmere entrance, not far from Nolensville Road, in 1989.  When the zoo's construction began in 1997, the cemetery remained untouched until 2013, when a new entrance was planned. The bodies were exhumed and relocated following a petition to the zoo.The state archaeologist exhumed the bodies and relocated them closer to Dunn's historic home. This exhumation uncovered 9 to 30 African Americans buried there.

The Nashville Zoo

Grassmere Wildlife Park closed permanently in December 1994.  In 1995, the City of Nashville took ownership of the land and began looking for an independent organisation to manage it.  Meanwhile, in May 1991, the Nashville Zoo opened as a separate privately owned facility in Joelton, Tennessee.  In June 1996, then-Mayor Phil Bredesen proposed that the Nashville Zoo be relocated to Grassmere or that Grassmere be converted into a pet-free city park.  The Nashville City Council approved the terms of a lease to relocate the Nashville Zoo to Grassmere in October 1996. Joelton's Nashville Zoo remained open. The Nashville Wildlife Park in Grassmere opened in May 1997. Both the zoo and the wildlife park remained open, but due to public confusion, the zoo closed its Joelton location in October 1998 and concentrated entirely on its new Grassmere location.

Hours

Saturday 9 a.m.-6 p.m.

Sunday 9AM–6PM

Monday 9AM–6PM

Tuesday 9AM–6PM

Wednesday 9AM–6PM

Thursday 9AM–6PM

Friday 9AM–6PM