Every summer when I was a kid my family would take a trip to the San Francisco Zoo.
That may sound pleasant to you, especially if you’re unfamiliar with San Francisco in the summer time. Might I remind you of what Mark Twain once said?
“The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco.”
Anyway, I became pretty familiar with the San Francisco Zoo, which achieved a little notoriety a few years ago when a guy harassed a tiger so much the animal leapt out of his enclosure, ate the dude and then went on to maul a couple more zoo visitors.
Although the San Francisco Zoo has been making upgrades through the years, it still seems pretty dated to me.
When I got older I was able to visit the San Diego Zoo, which is certainly a world class facility. Don’t miss it if you’re ever in Southern California.
I’ve also toured the Oakland Zoo, Knoxville Zoo and several zoos outside of the United States including the Belize Zoo in Central America, which is a really charming place to visit. I say all this as a way to let you know I have something of a perspective on zoos.
Today I want to recommend the Nashville Zoo. It’s not a huge facility, but it is very nicely designed and has a great collection of animals.
Visitors can feed the Rainbow Lorikeets at the Nashville Zoo.
With the exception of the Belize Zoo, I’ve been able to get closer to the wildlife at the Nashville Zoo than at any other zoo I’ve ever visited. And, for some reason I can’t explain, the animals in the Nashville Zoo seem more active than most zoo animals I’ve seen.
My wife and I enjoy the Nashville Zoo so much, we joined this year. We love heading out for a couple of hours on the weekends to do some walking and see what the animals are up to.
The exhibits are appealing, the layout is convenient, and the facility is just the right size for families with children. Visitors definitely get their money’s worth, but younger children won’t be kicking and screaming that they’re too tired to walk anymore.
The zoo has animal shows, butterflies, a petting area, and there’s a historic mansion and farm on the property that give visitors a glimpse of what life was like in Nashville some 200 years ago.
During a recently family visit, I put together a short video overview of the Nashville Zoo. Check it out.
