Zoos bring the world of nature to you. Visit a local zoo, wildlife refuge or aquarium and discover unique creatures from around the world.
Nashville Zoo at Grassmere
3777 Nolansville Pike
Nashville, TN 37211
615-833-1534
Location: Access from either I65 or I24 off of Harding Place exit
Hours: Open daily except Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day
March 15 – October 14 9am – 6 pm
October 15 – March 14 9 am – 4 pm
Prices:
Adult/Teen $14
Senior (65 +) $12
Children (2-12) $9
Children under 2 FREE
Parking: FREE
Centennial Park
2600 West End Avenue
Nashville, TN 37203
615-862-8424
Location: located on West End and 25th Avenue North
The 132-acre features: the iconic Parthenon, a one-mile walking trail, Lake Watauga, the Centennial Art Center, historical monuments, an arts activity center, a beautiful sunken garden, a band shell, an events shelter, sand volleyball courts, two dog parks, and an exercise trail.
Edwin and Percy Warner Parks
Location: Both parks are adjacent from each other, separated by Old Hickory Boulevard (outside of downtown Nashville)
Collectively known as “The Warner Parks,” are managed by the Metropolitan Board of Parks and Recreation of Nashville and Davidson County. The Warner Parks are
the largest municipally administered parks in Tennessee and together span 2684 acres of forest and field, 9 miles from downtown Nashville.
Bicentennial Capital Mall State Park
600 James Robertson Parkway
Nashville, TN 37243
615-741-5280
Location: Located at the foot of the State Capitol between James Robertson Parkway and Jefferson Street, 6th and 7th Avenues. Exits from the Interstates are marked Bicentennial Mall.
Hours of Operation: The park closes at dark
With the urban building boom in downtown Nashville during the late 1950s and early 1960s, the Tennessee State Capitol disappeared from sight on the east, west and south sides. The northern side of the Capitol was not conducive to the construction of skyscrapers due to the swampy conditions that existed in many areas between the Capitol and the Cumberland River. Ironically, the historic French Lick that attracted wildlife, Indians, trappers and settlers to what would become Nashville also preserved the remaining view of the Capitol and became the home of the Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park. In order to save the one remaining view of the Capitol and to commemorate Tennessee’s 200th birthday, the concept of a mall similar to the one in Washington, DC, took shape.