Get Up Close to Animals in Tennessee

Talk about taking a wild ride! At Tennessee Safari Park in Alamo, you can pet and feed more than 80 species of animals, and all you have to do is roll down your car window. The drive-through zoo located on a century farm is known for its friendly and enthusiastic exotic animals, including giraffes, zebras, bison, primates and tapirs. Feed them cups of food from your car window along the 5.5-mile drive before strolling through the park’s 20-acre, walk-through petting zoo near Memphis.

• Pricing: Adult tickets are $24, child tickets are $16 and children 1 and under are free. Feed cups are $3 each or 4 cups for $10.
   
• Hours of Operation: The Tennessee Safari Park is open on Monday - Saturday, from 10 AM to 5 PM and on Sunday from 12 PM to 5 PM.

Take in the beauty of the majestic Great Smoky Mountains on horseback at the Smoky Mountain Deer Farm Exotic Petting Zoo in Sevierville. Nestled in the foothills of the Smokies, the 140-acre farm invites guests to walk among and hand-feed gentle-mannered deer, as well as interact with kangaroos, camels, emu, pot-bellied pigs and more. The farm’s riding stables offer pony rides for children and horseback riding for all ages along scenic wooded trails.

• Pricing: Petting Zoo prices start at $15.99 for adults, $9.99 for children 12 years old - 3 years old, children 2 years and younger are $1.00. Horse-back riding starts at $39.99 for a 30-minute ride and a pony ride is $9.99.
   
• Hours of Operation: This animal encounter near the Great Smoky Mountains is open daily from 10 AM to 5:30 PM. Reservations are required in advance for horseback riding and can be made by calling 865-429-2276.
   
• Restrictions: The maximum weight for a pony rider is 100 lbs. (or taller than 56 inches) and stable rides are weather permitting.

You may not expect to see buffalo (American bison) in a big city, but you will at Shelby Farms Park in Memphis. One of the nation’s largest urban parks, the farm overflows with more than 200 species of animals. The resident buffalo herd roams a fenced-in, 50-acre range and is often visible along the paved Chickasaw Trail. Let the kids burn off some energy at the park’s creative Woodland Discovery Playground.

• Ticketing: Entrance to the park and animal attractions is free to all visitors. For a more immersive animal experience, Shelby Farms horseback riding starts at $45 for a 30-minute ride.
   
• Hours of Operation: The park is open from sunrise to sunset, 7 days a week. 
   
• Accessibility:  Shelby Farms Park accessibility initiatives include 2 ADA trails and 3 ADA compliant restrooms. The Woodland Discovery Playground is a perfect activity for kids-- designed for children of all abilities. The playground's winding arbor is notably wheelchair accessible.

Home to 10,000 animals, the Tennessee Aquarium in Chattanooga is rated the best aquarium in the U.S. for overall guest satisfaction. Enjoy regional and international underwater habitats in the aquarium’s two buildings. After making your sea-filled journey, head to the IMAX 3D Theater for an immersive movie experience. For a more intentional animal encounter, visit Tropical Cove's Stingray Bay and touch several different shark and stingray species while learning a plethora of fun facts about your new aquatic acquaintances.

• Ticketing: Adult tickets are $39.95, youth tickets for 17 and younger are $29.95, and Toddlers ages 3 and under are free.
   
• Accessibility: All exhibit galleries are wheelchair accessible. There are also a limited number of manual wheelchairs available for guests. The aquarium also strives for sensory inclusion, service animal accommodations, admission assistance and other accessibility initiatives.
   
• Parking: There are several paid parking lots near the Aquarium and IMAX Theater and a free shuttle runs daily in downtown Chattanooga. The aquarium's primary lot is available for $9 for up to 3 hours.

Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies in Gatlinburg features upper and lower levels in its beautiful building that features a tropical rainforest, massive tanks filled with ocean creatures and the Penguin Playhouse. Look up when you walk through Shark Lagoon to see sharks of all types silently gliding the waters above. You can even have a slumber party at Ripley’s Aquarium’s Sleep with the Sharks event, complete with a dive show and late-night scavenger hunt. See even more animals in Gatlinburg and explore the new Dragons Exhibit to find myth, monitors and monsters.

• Ticketing: Aquarium tickets start at $39.99 for adults, tickets for children 11-6 are $24.99 and kids 2-5 are $14.99. Combo tickets are available and grant access to additional Ripley's attractions throughout the smokies area. 
   
• Hours of Operation: The aquarium is open 7 days a week starting at 9 AM and closing at 9:00 PM on weeknights and 10:00 PM on Fridays and Saturdays. 
   
• Accessibility: Wheelchair ramps, elevators, wide corridors, and braille guidebooks are just a few of the aquarium's accessibility initiatives.
   
• Parking: There are plenty of paid parking lots located around Gatlinburg.

In Union City, Discovery Park of America educates guests about marine life with its 22,000-gallon aquarium. At Discovery Park’s touch table, you can pet turtles, snakes and other critters, as well as interact with an eccentric talking parrot named Ziggy.

• Ticketing: General admission tickets are $24.99 for adults and $14.99 for children 4-17
   
• Accessibility Options: Discovery Park of America provides an accessible experience for all ages and abilities. Trained service animals are welcome at the museum; restaurants, attractions and retail spaces are wheelchair accessible; and, for visitors with autism and sensory sensitivities, some sections of Discovery Park can be made available for a visit before or after hours with advance notice. Visit their website for more accessibility details.
   
• Operational Hours: Discovery Park of America is open Tuesday through Sunday until 4 PM. 

Life is never boring at Eagleville’s Lucky Ladd Farms, home to the largest petting zoo attraction in Tennessee with more than 100 friendly farm animals. Watch with amusement as confident goats scale the Goat-A-Coaster over the roof of the barn, or peek in the chicken coop to see baby chicks hatch. You can brush, pet and feed animals in Lucky’s Barnyard where sheep, llamas and goats roam free among visitors. This animal attraction near Tennessee is perfect for families and friends alike and provides the opportunity to be up-close with baby animals.

• Ticketing: Tickets start at $10.00 a person and children 23 months and younger are free. Buying your ticket online provides a discount.
   
• Parking: Parking is free plentiful for guests of this pet farm.

The Memphis Zoo is one of the only four zoos in the U.S. where you can see giant panda bears, one of the most endangered species in the world. For a premium experience, observe elephant painting and take the art home with you.

• Ticketing: Ticket prices range seasonally and can be purchased online. Additional animal experiences require tickets.
   
• Parking: Parking in the main lot is $10 per vehicle.
   
• Accessibility: Most attractions, exhibits, and restrooms are ADA accessible. Explore other available accommodations on their website.

Ever taken a selfie with a kangaroo or watched a spider monkey swing? You can at the Nashville Zoo, where 365 different animal species roam. The zoo’s exhibit “Expedition Peru: Trek of the Andean Bear” immerses guests in a Peruvian village among bears, pudu, guinea pigs and freshwater stingrays. Zoo guests can stop by the HCA Healthcare Veterinary Center to observe the current baby zoo animals and other veterinary patients. Backstage Pass Tours can also be purchased for private animal encounters where you can feed your choice of giraffes, okapis, sloths, giant anteaters, cassowaries, or giant tortoises. Other backstage experiences provide the opportunity to feel rhinos or observer tiger training.

• Ticketing: Ticket prices vary seasonally, explore their website to purchase tickets.
   
• Parking: Parking is $10 per vehicle.
   
• Accessibility: Nashville Zoo proudly participates in multiple accessibility initiatives to make the zoo a place for all. Rentable wheelchairs, sensory bags, translations and audio guides are a few of the strides. 

Hundreds of tropical and temperate animals make their home at Rainforest Adventures Discovery Zoo in Sevierville. Bring your camera to capture some of the more than 600 birds, reptiles, amphibians, mammals and even bugs at this Great Smoky Mountains attraction. Hold hands with river otters and feed them their favorite treats at this animal attraction near Pigeon Forge. Before you head out, stop by Amazon Traders, which sells zoological-themed items from around the world, including many that are handmade by indigenous people of the rainforest. 

• Ticketing: Adult tickets start at $21.99 and children ages 2-11 can secure tickets at $14.99.
   
• Hours of Operation: Rainforest Adventures Discovery Zoo is open daily from 9 am to 5 pm.

At Brights Zoo near Jonesborough, you can be a Keeper for the Day and distribute food to zebras, giraffes, bongos and more (advanced registration is required). You can even visit the new spotless giraffe, one of the world's rarest giraffes. For a special photo op, register for the penguin encounter and get the chance to pet the penguin.

• Ticketing: Adult admission is $24.02 and children's tickets start at $17.03. A separate ticket is required for animal encounters.
   
• Hours of Operation: Brights Zoo is open 7 days a week but is closed during the winter season.

More red pandas have been born at Zoo Knoxville than at any other zoo in the world. See them play in their exhibits; take a behind-the-scenes tour or even a night safari.

• Ticketing: View ticket prices and purchase general admission tickets online.
   
• Parking: Parking is $5 per vehicle.

Go behind the scenes with a WILD Encounter at the Chattanooga Zoo and hand-feed a meerkat or meet a Prehensile Tailed Porcupine. Each WILD encounter includes a photo of the visit, fun animal facts, zoo admission and exclusive interactions that very by animal.

• Ticketing: Ticket prices vary seasonally and can be purchased on the website.
   
• Hours of Operation: The zoo is open daily from 9 AM to 5 PM.
   
• Parking: Parking is free for the Chattanooga Zoo.
   
• Accessibility: Explore an array of amenities and accessibility initiatives on the zoo's website-- including nursing stations, wheelchair accessible pathways and facilities and service animal guidelines.
  
   

A trip to the Smokies provides an opportunity to see nature at its finest - from beautiful birds and deer to skunks and rabbits. But you’ll want to check out Ober Mountain’s Wildlife Habitat where you can view an American black beer family including parent BJ and his grown kids, Holly and Chief. Don't miss the albino Northern Racoon, Casper. You can also see birds of prey, river otters, bobcats, snakes and other native animals in Gatlinburg.

• Ticketing: Passes are available online and include different packages of family-friendly activities on the mountain.
   
• Parking: Downtown parking is available for $10 per vehicle downtown at 314 Cottage Drive, Gatlinburg 37738. Downtown parking requires a tram ride to the Mountain. There is also parking on top of the mountain, but the lot fills up quickly.