Statements

Mission

Nashville Zoo's mission is to inspire a culture of understanding and discovery of our natural world through conservation, innovation, and leadership.

The Zoo connects our guests with their global environment, inspiring admiration of and respect for wildlife and wild places.

Background

Originally founded in Joelton in 1991, Nashville Zoo relocated to the Grassmere Historic property in 1996 at the invitation of then-Mayor Phil Bredesen.

The Grassmere property passed into City hands in 1995 after the closure of the Grassmere Wildlife Park, a small nature park exhibiting species native to Tennessee. Grassmere Wildlife Park was owned and operated by the Cumberland Museum and Science Center (now Adventure Science Center) from 1991-1994, but closed after financial difficulties.

The Cumberland Museum and Science Center inherited the property from Elise Croft, the last of five generations of the Dunn-Shute-Croft family to live and farm at Grassmere. Ms. Croft bequeathed Grassmere to the Children's Museum after her passing in 1985, asking that the museum preserve the land as a nature center. Visitors to the Zoo can tour the historic Croft House (built in 1810 and listed on the National Register of Historic Homes) and several other historic buildings at the Grassmere Historic Site in the park.

In 2004, Nashville Zoo received accreditation from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, a prestigious international organization that requires its members to achieve the highest standard of welfare for the animals in their care. The Zoo has retained that accreditation through a rigorous recertification process that happens every five years. Most recently, the Zoo was reaccredited in 2019.

Impact

Nashville Zoo gives our guests an opportunity to relax and spend time together in a setting that is both fun and educational. We want our visitors to connect with the natural world and learn how they can take action to protect wildlife and wild places.

Nashville Zoo is also one of Middle Tennessee's leading conservation organizations. We're actively involved in regional, national, and international habitat protection and breeding programs. We've been instrumental in conserving species like the clouded leopard, the giant anteater, the Eastern hellbender, the Nashville crayfish, the loggerhead shrike, and the Puerto Rican crested toad. In addition to our work here at home, Nashville Zoo partners with conservation biologists in a host of other countries including the Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, and Brazil.

Our Education Department provides in-depth learning opportunities for people of all ages and abilities. Key programs include preschool classes, summer camps for school-aged children, workshops for scouting groups, and an annual camp for children with special needs.

We also take specially-trained animals out into the community, reaching people who otherwise can't access the Zoo. Staff members take sloths, owls, boa constrictors, and other animals to share the beauty of the natural world outside the zoo setting. Participants include public library patrons, residents of senior centers, school students, and patients at Vanderbilt Children's Hospital.

Needs

Nashville Zoo is very fortunate that we have a steady stream of income, primarily from park admissions, that allows us to feed our animals and keep the park safe and well maintained for our guests. Unfortunately, that income stream does not cover the cost of education programming, outreach programming, conservation work, or efforts to grow along with our rapidly expanding community. We are one of a handful of the 237 AZA-accredited zoos that do not receive ongoing operational support from their local municipality. Therefore, Nashville Zoo relies on private and corporate donors to help us fill the gap.

CEO Statement

Since relocating to the Grassmere property in 1997, we have seen attendance increase by more than 1800%. In recent years, we have expanded our ticket booth, gift shop, and visitor services to more efficiently handle existing crowds and anticipated attendance increases as major new exhibits come to fruition. We are currently in the process of constructing a parking garage to accommodate the growing number of Zoo visitors.

Additional infrastructure needs include expanded educational space, additional public restrooms and concession facilities, and office expansions. Infrastructure improvements on this scale will require government support both on the local and state levels so we can continue to create state-of-the-art new exhibitry and maintain our status as one of the most popular tourist attractions in Middle Tennessee.

The Zoo has an aggressive growth plan for capital projects. Leopard Forest, a multi-species exhibit including leopards, monkeys, and klipspringer antelope is currently under construction. Expansion plans culminate in a project that will immerse visitors in the African continent. This exhibit will more than double the current number of animals and will feature lions, cheetahs, hippopotamus, and numerous species of primates, birds, and reptiles. This project will catapult Nashville Zoo into one of the top ranked zoos in the country, drawing even more visitors and creating a strong economic impact on our great city.

Service Categories
Primary Category:	Animal Related  - Zoos & Aquariums
Secondary Category:	Environment  - Natural Resources Conservation & Protection
Tertiary Category:	-

Areas Served

Nashville Zoo serves the residents of Middle Tennessee, Southern Kentucky and hundreds of thousands of tourists who travel to Nashville each year.

TN - Davidson

KY - Todd

TN - Bedford

TN - Cannon

TN - Cheatham

TN - DeKalb

TN - Dickson

TN - Macon

TN - Marshall

TN - Maury

TN - Montgomery

TN - Robertson

TN - Rutherford

TN - Sumner

TN - Trousdale

TN - Williamson

TN - Wilson

KY - Christian

KY - Trigg

TN - Franklin

TN - Giles

TN - Hickman

TN - Houston

TN - Humphreys

TN - Jackson

TN - Lawrence

TN - Lewis

TN - Lincoln

TN - Moore

TN - Overton

TN - Perry

TN - Putnam

TN - Smith

TN - Stewart

TN - Warren

TN - Wayne

TN - Coffee