How to Spend a Day at Zoo Knoxville
Museums and aquariums became a staple of places we had to see and visit once we had a child. There’s something about seeing animals up close that fascinates young children, so Zoo Knoxville became a must-see when we were planning our trip to Knoxville. Just a quick 10-minute drive from Downtown Knoxville, the zoo has a lot of animals in several distinct habitats. Here’s what to expect when visiting Zoo Knoxville with young kids.
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Parking at the Zoo is an extra $5 per vehicle on top of the admission fee. There are some deals available for the zoo for those on a budget. For example, when we visited, it was Buy One Get One ½ off the price of the ticket when booking tickets online with a promo code.
Alternatively, if you have a Bank of America debit or credit card, you can get access to Zoo Knoxville for free on the first weekend of the month. The zoo is part of Bank of America’s Museums on Us Program, so even if one adult is free, you’ll still get substantial savings when using the card and the promo codes if your visit coincides with the first weekend of the month. To get access, you’ll just show your Bank of America debit or credit card with a valid ID to the ticket counter on valid days and they’ll give you a ticket.
The best time to visit Zoo Knoxville is early in the morning, preferably as soon as they open. Zoo Knoxville opens at 9 am, and when we got there at 9:30, there were parking spots near the entrance of the zoo, and there was almost no wait to get in. The animal exhibits were not as crowded, and my child saw all the animals that he wanted to see without having to wait too long for his turn.
We visited in summer, so while the temperature got a bit warmer at lunchtime, there were plenty of shaded and indoor spots scattered around the zoo to get a respite from the heat.
Yes, we think so! There’s a lot of animals and activities for kids and adults of all ages. It’s easy to spend half a day or the whole day in the zoo just looking at all the animals and doing all the activities.
You can easily see all of Zoo Knoxville if you have 2 hours, and here are the animals you can’t miss when you visit. The exhibits are pretty amazing, with a ton of space for the animals as well as indoor viewing spaces that help protect from the heat and the elements.
Have you seen the Disney movie Turning Red? The animal that they reference there is the red panda, and it’s one of the cutest animals ever. These animals are endemic to China and the Himalayas, but despite the name, they are not related to Giant Pandas. The Giant Pandas are part of the bear family, and red pandas are not.
Go to the Red Panda Village in the morning, and you may be lucky enough to see them up close. This is the second place we visited after the black bear, and the red panda was walking around the branches and moving around.
Asian Trek is home to the tiger habitat, as well as the cranes. The tigers can be pretty spread out because it is a huge habitat. For example, we only saw one tiger during our visit and he was sleeping soundly under the bushes. So if you don’t see any tigers when you visit, walk around the exhibit, you never know where you’re going to find them!
The ARC is an indoor spot where you can see reptiles, crocodiles, and a sloth! When you first enter, look up from the door, and you may be able to see the sloth snoozing. They’re one of my favorite animals, so I was so happy to see one up close in Knoxville.
The snakes, crocodiles, and reptiles can be viewed behind glass. Some of the reptiles are easy to see, while some are pretty well camouflaged in their enclosure. Please try to get the kids to not tap on the glass so that they don’t startle the animals.
At the end of the zoo is Gorilla Valley, home to a family of gorillas. The gorillas are behind a glass enclosure, and we saw them alert and active when we visited. The silverback gorilla was the biggest and most impressive of them all. If you’ve read the book, “The One and Only Ivan”, this is a portrayal of what it’s like being a silverback gorilla in a zoo looking after a family.
There are two babies in Gorilla Valley, and it’s cute watching the little ones wreak havoc around the adults in the enclosure. It kind of reminds me of our little one when he was a toddler, just running around and up to all sorts of mischief! I loved seeing the gorillas, they were one of the highlights of my trip to Zoo Knoxville.
Chimpanzee Ridge is home to many chimpanzees, and they’re right beside the gorilla enclosure! Walking down the path to the gorillas and chimpanzees is shaded and gives you a walking-in-the-forest vibe. The chimpanzees are active and fun to watch, as they like to swing and jump around their branches.
The lion habitat at Zoo Knoxville is huge, and you can get great views of them all over their habitat. We had to walk around quite a bit before we saw the lions. If you don’t see the lions the first time, check under the shade. We saw one of them lying underneath the trees and having a nap. We visited during the peak summer season, so it wasn’t surprising that a lot of the animals were taking a nap under the shade.
The baboons are also located in the Valley of the Kings, but unfortunately, we didn’t see any baboons when we visited.
As soon as you enter the zoo, the first thing that will catch your eye is the bear enclosure. There’s a waterfall in front and several ways to see the bear enclosure. Did I mention there’s a big animatronic black bear in the front of the bear enclosure too? It’s very eye-catching, and immediately draws you to go visit.
The best viewpoint we had for the black bear was through the cave (an indoor viewing area). We saw the bear sleeping by a ledge behind the glass, and my son was completely fascinated. The indoor viewing area can get a bit cramped if a lot of people are in it, but if you arrive as soon as the zoo opens, you won’t have any issues getting up close.
Though the majority of the zoo exhibits and activities are included in the price of admission, there are some add-on experiences you can do when you visit. These involve animal feeding and rides. These add-on experiences take credit cards, so you won’t have to worry about bringing cash on your trip.
We had just learned what the turtle trail was when we stumbled upon it. My husband then got interested and thought it would be a cool encounter. For $5 per person (kids and adults alike), you’ll get a few leaves to feed small turtles and walk through the trail. You’ll then get a one-on-one tour with a caretaker, who introduces you to the big tortoises and you get to pet some of them! Turtles are extremely friendly creatures who love to get petted in the right spots.
We honestly had no idea what to expect during the Turtle Trail tour but it was worth the price. There is a small shop/kiosk by the turtle trail where you can buy tickets to the experience.
What zoo does not have a carousel? In our experience, every zoo we’ve visited has a carousel. Sadly for our wallet, our kid always asks if he can ride in it. For $4 per child ($2 for Knoxville Zoo members), the ride lasts approximately 4 minutes. In our opinion, the price of admission is always worth it. We get to see our little boy’s face all lit up as he goes around and around the ride.
Giraffe feeding is also available for an additional fee at the zoo. We did not partake in this activity from Zoo Knoxville. From our experience at the Jacksonville Zoo, we were given a few branches with leaves and waited for the giraffe to eat. These animals come and go as they please. If they’re not in the mood to eat, they’re not coming over to the enclosure. The kid loved feeding the giraffe. He was a bit hesitant at first, but then quickly got over it after he fed the giraffe a few leaves. He loved the experience.
What is a budgie? I asked myself when I saw the map. But then I saw the picture and it’s a bird! A parakeet, to be more exact. You can feed these cute little birds for $2 per stick of feed. We did not partake in the feeding at Zoo Knoxville. From a previous experience in the Jacksonville Zoo, it’s nice when the little ones get to feed the parakeets since the birds get up close to them. Just tell the children to be gentle, and let the birds come closer to eat if they’re interested.
Soaring Eagle is a ride where you (or your child) are sitting on a chair and it ziplines you from a higher part to a lower part of the zoo. The cost of the Soaring Eagle isn’t expensive. It’s $13 for one ride, which should last 3-5 minutes as you go up and then down. There might be a line when you go since the ride only accommodates a maximum of two people in every cycle.
We did not do the soaring eagle ride as our child is not much of a daredevil. We also thought he was a bit too young to enjoy such a ride.
If you’re a parent with young kids, you know that zoos, aquariums, and playgrounds will be a must-visit whenever you go to a new city. It was the same when we visited Knoxville. We knew that we needed to mix the trip with what the kid would want and what we, the parents, wanted to do. There are definitely plenty of great exhibits in the zoo, as well as kid-friendly activities. Sometimes you get treated to unexpected pleasures. Our son intensely examined all the lizard and snake glass enclosures to try and be the first one to spot the lizards or snakes resting under a rock or over a branch. Those are the moments that made the experience more than worthwhile.
A special thank you to Visit Knoxville for hosting us on this trip.
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