If you or your kids love animals, the Nashville Zoo at Grassmere is definitely worth a visit. This progressive zoo is devoted to conservation and provides natural habitats for its thousands of animals, making for an educational and exciting day trip. And if you want to get up close and personal with exotic animals, you can even feed the zoo’s lorikeets for a truly unforgettable experience.
The Nashville Zoo at Grassmere opened in 1991 and is the ninth-largest zoo by landmass in the country. The zoo is home to almost 3,000 animals of over 350 different species, along with unique attractions and interactive exhibits.
The zoo’s mission is first and foremost conservation, and staff is engaged in education initiatives, research, breeding programs, habitat protection, and more – both for local wildlife and for wildlife around the world.
You’ll find exotic wild animals, like tigers, giraffes, rhinoceroses, and Andean bears at the Nashville Zoo, along with domesticated animals like sheep, goats, pigs, and miniature horses at the historic farm on the premises.
The zoo also has multiple interactive exhibits, including Lorikeet Landing. Lorikeets are a type of parrot, and the Nashville Zoo has eight species of lorikeets in their aviary. These are highly intelligent, brightly colored and boisterous birds that are native to Australia and New Guinea.
When you take a stroll through Lorikeet Landing, don’t be surprised if you find yourself with a colorful feathered friend perched right on your hand or shoulder.
For a small fee, you can also feed the lorikeets! You’ll get a cup of nectar to feed the birds right from your hand. In their natural ecosystem, lorikeets feed on thousands of species of plants and are important pollinators.
After you’ve finished feeding the flock, be sure to check out the zoo’s other attractions, like the Jungle Gym playground, DinoTrek (a yearly installation with life-sized animatronic dinosaurs), a carousel, the Soaring Eagle Zipline, the Wilderness Express Train, and the historic farmhouse where you can take a guided tour.
