Visiting the Knoxville Zoo in Tennessee

If you’re planning a family vacation to the Knoxville area in eastern Tennessee, you may be looking for activities to do with kids. East Tennessee and the Smoky Mountains are home to many kid-friendly tourist attractions, including water parks, Dollywood Theme Park, an aquarium, and so much more!

One of the most fun activities for kids in east Tennessee sits right in the heart of Knoxville. The Knoxville Zoo happens to be one of the biggest zoos in the state of Tennessee. This impressive zoo near Gatlinburg is perfect for families visiting the southeast with kids. In this post, we will provide a full review of Zoo Knoxville, including the animals, activities, and events you’ll find there.

Zoo Knoxville 

With all the fun activities available in the Great Smoky Mountains, some visitors to the area may overlook the zoo in Knoxville. After scoping out the official Zoo Knoxville website, you will see that it’s actually fairly big in size and that it is home to lots of really cool animals! Those looking for directions to Zoo Knoxville will be pleased to know it’s super easy to find right off the interstate.

Zoo Knoxville is conveniently located just off Interstate 40 (northeast of downtown) at 3500 Knoxville Zoo Dr. The entrance to the zoo is clearly marked with a gigantic sign, so you can’t miss it! Prior to our visit, I read on the official website that Zoo Knoxville offers parking for $5 in an upper lot or in a lower area.

My family and I tried to find a spot in the upper lot first since it is closer to the zoo’s entrance. This more convenient lot was completely full at around 10:30 in the morning, so we drove down to the lower level. It’s worth noting that the upper lot did have plenty of available parking spots at around 1:00 when we left the zoo that day.

So, if you’re heading to Zoo Knoxville later in the day, you may have better luck than we did! Luckily, we were able to find plenty of parking spots available in the lower lot. After you park, you will see stairs that take you from the lower lot to the upper area where the entrance to Zoo Knoxville is located.

If you don’t want to make the hike to the entrance, you can take the tram that picks up at the lower level and takes you to the front gates. Since I had a stroller with my toddler inside, I decided to just walk along the sidewalk from the lower level to the upper parking lot. This was roughly a ten-minute walk and a lot of it was uphill, but it’s completely doable if you have a stroller and can’t take the stairs. 

Tickets

You can purchase your tickets to Zoo Knoxville on the official website or at the gate when you arrive. You can also use reputable ticket brokers like Undercover Tourist to buy tickets ahead of time. My family of four saved around $5 by buying our tickets on the Undercover Tourist website. We typically use this company to purchase discounted Disney and Universal tickets, and were pleasantly surprised to find that they also include discounts for Zoo Knoxville.

In addition to a one-day pass at regular price, Zoo Knoxville sometimes offers the deals like $1 Admission Days, Kroger Discount Days, Senior Day, etc. If you are looking for coupons, promo codes, or discounts for Zoo Knoxville, you can check their website to see if they are offering one of their deal days during the dates of your visit.

One of the best ways to score a deal at Zoo Knoxville is through annual passes. If you plan to visit the zoo multiple times a year, the season passes will save you a bunch of money. It even includes free parking. In addition, if you have a membership at a partnering zoo, you can receive BIG discounts between 50-100% off your ticket. You can see the list of partnering zoos here.

Things to Do at Zoo Knoxville

Since Zoo Knoxville is a fairly large zoo, I recommend taking a screen shot of the map to guide you through your day. Also, if you are planning to visit with a toddler, you may be interested in the rental strollers available at the entrance. My three-year-old got really tired of walking around in the hot summer sun, so the stroller was definitely needed. Some of the fun activities you will find while strolling around at the zoo include:

Animals

The zoo in Knoxville offers lots of different animals for viewing (and some even for interacting). Some of our favorites include:

• elephants
• African lions
• chimpanzees
• giraffes
• baboons
• zebras
• North American River Otters
• tiger
• black bears
• Cuban crocodile
• red pandas
• rhinos
• gorillas

…plus many more!

Food

You will find multiple dining areas inside Zoo Knoxville, including sit down restaurants and quick service carts. Food options range from snacks to hotdogs to full entrees. You can also cool off with ice cream or Dip-n-Dots.

The photos above are just a couple of examples of places to eat around the zoo. If you prefer to pack a picnic lunch or bring snacks from home, Zoo Knoxville allows you to bring in food and beverages. You can easily find outdoor dining spots to grab a seat and enjoy your pre-packed meal. (Note that alcoholic beverages are not permitted to bring into the zoo.) 

Extra Activities

Kids love visiting Zoo Knoxville for its additional activities as well! While touring the zoo, you will find some fun spots like:

• The Clayton Safari Splash Pad
• Zoo Choo Train
• carousel
• Zipline Canopy Adventures
• petting zoo
• zoological experiences
• ARC Campus

Most of the above activities are available for an additional fee and are NOT included in the price of your zoo admission ticket. (The Clayton Safari Splash Pad and the ARC Campus are free for guests to enjoy.)

Events at Zoo Knoxville

Zoo Knoxville offers several fun events for families throughout the year. You will want to check the official website to confirm dates and times, but currently the special events on schedule include:

• Craft Bear Nights – Craft Bear Nights take place on most Thursday evenings in June from 5:00-8:00. During this event, visitors can try out local beers and food options. 

• Boo at the Zoo – Taking place from 5:30-8:00 on select evenings in October, Boo at the Zoo is a fun event for kids to dress up and trick-or-treat. The decorations, activities, and entertainment aren’t scary, so they are perfect for even the smallest of kids.

• Zoo Lights – The Zoo Lights event at Zoo Knoxville is a great way to get into the holiday spirit. This event typically runs from the end of November through early January. (Note that it is closed on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year’s Eve, and New Year’s Day.) During Zoo Lights, visitors can enjoy colorful decorations along with festive food and drinks.

Final Review of Zoo Knoxville

Overall, Zoo Knoxville is a great place to spend time with toddlers and kids on your Tennessee family vacation. It’s located in a really convenient spot off the interstate, which makes it an easy stop on your way to Pigeon Forge or Gatlinburg. If you have additional questions about visiting Zoo Knoxville, check out our FAQ section below. Also, feel free to comment below with any additional questions you may have.

How long does it take to walk through?

Since it offers so many animals along with extra activities for little ones, Zoo Knoxville is a place you will want to spend at least two hours. If you plan to eat at the zoo and partake in most of the additional activities (like the splash pad), you will want to add another hour onto your visit.

Which zoo is better: Zoo Knoxville or the Chattanooga Zoo?

My family and I are members of the Chattanooga Zoo and really enjoy spending time there multiple times a year. Zoo Knoxville and the Chattanooga Zoo are very different in that the zoo in Chattanooga is MUCH smaller. Zoo Knoxville offers way more animals and activities.

However, the Chattanooga zoo has its pros as well. These include being:

• small and easy to tour
• less crowded
• less time consuming
• Cheaper!

If you are interested in visiting the Chattanooga Zoo, you may like this post where I review and give tips for your visit: Review of Chattanooga Zoo at Warner Park.

How far is the Knoxville Zoo from Pigeon Forge?

Since Pigeon Forge is a huge draw for families visiting the Tennessee mountains, visitors may wonder how far the Knoxville Zoo is from the Smoky Mountains. Zoo Knoxville is just under an hour from Pigeon Forge, TN and the Smoky Mountains. Since the zoo is located just off the interstate, it may actually sit on your way into the Pigeon Forge area. My family and I determined that Zoo Knoxville is a great place to stop on the way to a Gatlinburg or Dollywood vacation!

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