Knoxville Zoological Gardens

3500 Knoxville Zoo Dr, Knoxville, TN 37914, USA

Address:	3500 Knoxville Zoo Dr, Knoxville, TN 37914, USA
Phone:	+1 865-637-5331
Site:	zooknoxville.org
Rating:	4.2
Working:	9AM–5PM 9AM–5PM 9AM–5PM 9AM–5PM 9AM–5PM 9AM–5PM 9AM–5PM

Location

Photos 100

Reviews 4

Amanda Coburn

Overall, Zoo Knoxville surprised us in a good way. The regular ticket prices are $19.95 for adults for Zoo Knoxville (plus $5 for parking). I would have been disappointed had we paid that, but thankfully it was the off-season so tickets were buy one, get one free. We visited on a Thursday, didnt arrive until 3:15 and the zoo closes at 4:30, and it was February. So we expected a very "slow" day. It was slow indeed, but it didnt affect our trip adversely very much. That made the ticket prices worth it (plus it supports a good cause. We didnt mind.) Positives: The black bear exhibit was neat. Even going to college in the Smoky Mountains, wed never seen bears that up close & personal. They were active and playing. But the best treat, by far, was the gorillas. There were THREE baby gorillas, one of whom was a newborn, in the exhibit. It was feeding time, so everyone was very active, playful, and alert. With such a short trip, time was of the essence, but we could hardly tear ourselves away from the gorillas! The landscaping & exhibit design of the zoo was good. Not spectacular, but weve definitely seen worse. It looks like the Tiger Forest, under construction at the time we went, is going to be beautiful. We learned what Chacoan Peccaries are! Never seen those before! The signage at the enclosures was clean, nicely designed, and informative. It was not crowded, so my husband and I (just the two of us) were able to really enjoy and spend lots of time at each exhibit. It was nice to see the animals signage that listed them by name and a little bit about them. The rhinos stories in particular were interesting. Negatives: the hours. The gate closes at 3:30, with the zoo open until 4:30. It really was difficult for us to make it coming from so far out of town, and I can imagine its tough for families with kids in school, too. The chimpanzees looked quite dejected and one had an open sore on his rear. Hopefully hes being treated for it. (These were the only animals that didnt look completely happy & healthy.) Overall, the zoo was divided into specific habitats & species, without much of a consistent flow.

A Private User

We havent been to the Knoxville Zoo since last year but just got our season pass today. The kids love it, even the teenagers, although more than 3 visits per year does get boring to them. It is always very clean, the staff is willing to tell you what they know about animals and very helpful, and there is lots of shade (and water sprayers) for those really hot days. The Knoxville Zoo has a good variety of animals in newer and renovated compounds. Their bird show has always been a favorite of ours as well as the traveling exhibits. The Zoo covers a lot of square footage so we often just see certain areas each time we go. My kids love the carousel and the play area with the stream running through the middle. If you have toddlers, take a change of clothes or a bathing suit because they love to get wet (and then sandy in the sand pit). We almost always take a picnic lunch. You can bring a wagon (if you dont need a stroller), both to pull kids and to cart your things. We love to watch the otters, prairie dogs, bears, and chimpanzees. Sometimes the gorillas really entertain too. We can stand for a long time watching the gibbons monkeys. They love to entertain and even adults enjoy their shows. A couple years ago, we experienced a zebra and an ostrich engaged in some sort of territorial argument. We thought the ostrich was going to kill the zebra at first, but the rest of the zebras came to the rescue and nudged the ostrich off. It was the most interesting thing Ive ever seen between wild animals. There are also white rhinos (rare) elephants, a vast assortment of reptiles, tigers, cheetahs, gazelles, and lots more. If you havent been, go check it out. Its a great place to spend a half day. Lastly, yes the price has gone up tremendously in the past few years. But a Season Pass is very affordable. $95 can get a family of 6 in for a whole year and allows you to park for free ($5 without a pass). I think the Knoxville Zoo is comparable to the Memphis Zoo, and the Cinncinatti Zoo, and is much better than the zoo in Nashville (although I havent been there in about 6 years).

Susan Crane

Aside from the fact one of their two red wolves was missing a front leg (which none of the staff seemed to know why other than it was an "incident" that happened on their grounds despite the animal being endangered and needing to be taken care of correctly), the whole place was just kind of depressing. The general happiness of the animals really showed, they were absolutely miserable. Almost every type of animal (minus reptiles I suppose) just seemed inactive or bored. The areas they were kept in were just not up to standard (like the red panda exhibit had cardboard food boxes scattered around for no reason). The food choices are extremely limited and most likely unreliable. At the hottest part of the day the dip n dots booth was out of cups for over an hour, then further down the path there was a refreshment stand that was practically useless. Their slushie machine was down & they didnt have the sofa fountain running, so your only option was overly bottled water and sodas in a can. They also do not take consideration to the guests when it comes to maintance. Everywhere you turn, even in the prime hours of operation, there is construction. Its so bad that even some of the workers commented that the animals dont come out due to the noise. Even with all of the work theyre doing, the park still needs many improvements. The maps are just not as clear as they should be, and there is one path that is completely gravel with nothing on it, other than a unpleasant view of neighboring houses (with barking dogs). As much as some people may think that you cant expect much for 20$, I feel like if it wasnt for the red pandas and red wolves I wouldnt have ever visited even if its "cheap". Youll be better off saving up to go somewhere more well managed and taken care of. Even Disneys Animal Kingdom is better than this.

A Private User

I am not from the Knoxville area and was looking for something fun to do. I have been to many other large zoos so this sprung to mind as a good event for a Saturday. Coming into the zoo expect what you normally see at other large attractions: $5 parking, huge parking lot and a shuttle that will take you to the zoo entrance. Admission for adults was about $17. After going through the front gate it looks promising. Nice layout, you get a map, prominent signs displaying where to go. First stop, a black bear area. The looks of the enclosure are neat, minus a drink cup that someone has thrown into the bear environment. Then you spot a bear! Huge creature. I only see one. The walk now begins with map in hand. One of the next stops is a penguin exhibit, GREAT! My girlfriend loves penguins. After waiting for some people to clear from the glass we were presented with 3 penguins in a fairly dirty and small enclosure. Dead fish are at the bottom of the water. Instantly a sad face from my female counterpart. The rest of the zoo is the same experience. Expect to see 1-2 of each animal in small, usually dirty, enclosures. 1 elephant, 1 sloth, 1 Gorilla, 1 Rhino, 1 male Lion, etc... One of the main attractions that made us come to the zoo was the butterfly garden. This consisted of a screened-in enclosure about the size of a long living room. There were about 10 butterflies inside. Half of which were trying desperately to fly through the roof of the screen and get out of there. I couldnt blame them. Pretty lack-luster experience. If you or your family have never seen these animals before, the zoo may be a good experience. The two of us were not impressed and found the whole experience depressing for the animals.