Zoos

9:00 AM - 6:00 PM

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9:00 AM - 6:00 PM

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9:00 AM - 6:00 PM

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9:00 AM - 6:00 PM

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9:00 AM - 6:00 PM

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9:00 AM - 6:00 PM

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9:00 AM - 6:00 PM

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About

The Memphis Zoo is a zoo in Midtown, Memphis, Tennessee, United States. There are no Tennessee Tuesdays in March at the Memphis Zoo. It is home to more than 3,500 animals representing over 500 different species. Created in April 1906, the zoo has been a major tenant of Overton Park for more than 100 years.

Duration: 1-2 hours

Meets animal welfare guidelines

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lehrtrip
Kansas City, Kansas227 contributions
Skip the aquarium and go right!
Pro tip- go right after going in the entrance. Much more to see on that side of the zoo. Good keeper chats! Aquarium is almost non existent- not worth the short walk down to it/ as it’s basically a few tanks of fish - almost like a pet store. The Egyptian theme is carried throughout and the zoo has extremely well done decor / architecture. Lots of elephants and big cats. The panda was not there when we went so the China area wasn’t worth walking through.
Visited March 2024
Traveled with family
Written March 13, 2024
Lauren L
187 contributions
The. Perfect. Day.
We've been before, but only with 8 kids in tow. We went solo this time around. The day was slightly cloudy & drizzly so there weren't many people there (it helped that it was Friday so most people were at work/school). The dinosaur exhibit was open & that was a nice surprise! We were able to just stroll around & take our time & be sweet. It was very relaxing, in contrast to taking the kids haha. Loved seeing all the exhibits & most of the animals were out. There was a service dog & the lionesses tried to hunt it, which was crazy to witness so close. Would 10/10 recommend.
Visited March 2024
Traveled as a couple
Written April 18, 2024
Pete
Lancaster, Pennsylvania38 contributions
This is a very nice zoo to visit
We loved this zoo. There is a lot of open space to stroll and see all of the animals. It almost has a Disney type vibe. There were a lot of people there on a Tuesday. This is a nice amenity for Memphis. It seems like they have lots of future plans for expanding the elephant exhibit to include bull elephants. The zoo is in the middle of a large and beautiful park.
Visited April 2024
Traveled as a couple
Written May 12, 2024
allitiner16
Jonesboro, Arkansas117 contributions
Lots to see
There were a lot of exhibits to see. Our family brought the whole package and not just general admission. Getting the package can get you into things like the dinosaur experience, feeding giraffes, the butterfly place and unlimited rides on the carousel. There’s even some splash pads and pools for the kids to play in as well.
Visited July 2024
Traveled with family
Written July 8, 2024
Tony T
Mississippi1,604 contributions
Great Day With Grandkids
We took all 5 grandkids to the Zoo and had a blast. Kids had a great time ages 10 to 5 years old. We were there about 4 hours before their little gas tanks started giving out. They loved the Dino experience, along with all the animals. We have had a Memphis Zoo membership for almost 25years. We always have a great time when we go.
Visited July 2024
Traveled with family
Written July 10, 2024
Linda C
19 contributions
interesting zoo
This zoo had some wonderful animal exhibits but some that seemed too small. Our boys loved watching the bears getting fed. The animals of the night had a great bat exhibit that our bat lover thoroughly enjoyed. Having a paper map would have made figuring out where certain exhibits were would have been helpful as the interactive map kept stalling.
Visited August 2024
Traveled with family
Written August 22, 2024

These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

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4.5

3,652 reviews

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Mommytwofour

Davenport, IA159 contributions

Great outdoor activity

Jul 2021 • Family

A little pricey for what you get to see. They are currently in the process of adding on to the exhibits so portions of the property is closed off. Visit Memphis in July is seasonal hot time of year. Most likely would be a great place to see in early fall or late spring.
They have a wonderful splash pad and play ground for kids.
They advertise that you can see giraffes , sting rays and camels all these are at an additional fee and have limited times to experience. The overall condition of the zoo was ok. Although it appeared that the enclosures could all use a little TLC especially the penguin enclosure. The polar bears were out of view due to there enclosure didn’t offer pool for cooling off or any sort of shade. The reptile area was awesome one since it was air conditioned and two due to the many species they had to view.
Due to current COVID safety protocols many areas had a 10 min wait to enter buildings which in the heat was a little rough for some.

Definitely would recommend bringing water and possibly and umbrellas for shade while walking around the zoo. Family of 5 to visit cost 130$ before the additional items like feeding giraffes or touching sting rays .

Written August 5, 2021

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Becky R

Centro F, Italy38 contributions

A Lovely Zoo

Apr 2021

My first thought was "if you've seen one zoo, you've seen them all!" But I really enjoyed the Memphis Zoo. The big cats are simply stunning! Of course the panda bears are fun to watch. It was a unseasonably cool day when we were there, so many of the animals from warmer climates were not active. I wasn't at all impressed with their "aquarium" - much better aquariums elsewhere. Elephant display was great. Lots of elephants to enjoy. The primates all seemed so sad. Made me feel sad. The hippopotamus display is impressive. My biggest disappointment was in the giraffe display. If you don't pay to walk up onto a little platform where you can feed the giraffes, you will only be able to view the very top of their heads. No way to see them from the path. Equally the kangaroos were only viewable if you pay extra to go into that area. That's a little disappointing, but not a deal breaker. (I've seen lots of giraffes and kangaroos in other zoos). Overall, it was a pleasant way to spend the day.

Only food venue open was in middle of zoo near the lions, and while it had a pleasant place to sit outside and watch the lions while you eat, the food is EXTREMELY overpriced ($8 for a soda!) You will need to pay $10 to park and over $25 a person to get it, then have at least $45 for a couple to eat/drink - but if you're prepared to lay down $100 for a day at the zoo, it's a pleasant and fun experience!

Written April 25, 2021

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Jonathan T

Hope, IN403 contributions

Worth a visit if you like zoos

Jun 2021

We enjoy visiting zoos as we travel around the country--have now been to almost 20. We would rank this in the top half and recommend it to people who wish to educate themselves about ongoing conservation efforts. It is located in a lovely urban park. The drive in is relatively easy and parking was ample the day we arrived. The zoo itself has a park like feel with extensive trees and plants/flowers and the Egyptian themed entrance seems appropriate. The grounds were clean as were restrooms. Based on past experience we felt admission price was quite reasonable. We like big cats and this zoo has many. Another highlight has to be the pandas as only 3 zoos in the US now have them (San Diego's were returned to China a couple years ago, so only Atlanta and DC currently have them). Animals seemed well cared for and staff were friendly and knowledgeable.

Written June 13, 2021

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Earline B

3 contributions

I love Memphis Zoo

Dec 2021 • Family

I have been to Zoos all over the country and this is one of my favorites. It has an Egyptian decor and it is a fairly large zoo with lots of exhibits. I like the way they create a theme around animals from certain parts of the world. For example Panda bears has bamboo sticks & Asian style buildings. There is a tram and the driver gives you jokes & info on the animals. I always have a wonderful visit. Tuesdays are busy but you can always come on a different day or pay and visit before the crowds arrive. The crowds don't bother me just lots of kids & families enjoying there visit...the more the merrier!

Written December 28, 2021

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

crazzzya

Houlka, MS1 contribution

Not to good

Jun 2021 • Family

Probably will not be going to the Memphis Zoo any more. Shameful that they would charged $160 for 7 people to enter the zoo, but they charge to see a lot of the animals, giraffes, kangaroos, sting rays and more, you have to pay $5 a person, even if your going with a kid. It has really become more of a racket than an exhibit. Considering what we actually got to see and the price, not going back.

Written June 11, 2021

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Diana P

Atlanta, GA249 contributions

Okay experience

Jun 2021 • Friends

The zoo looked nice and had a nice set up on approach. Parking was crowded and cost $10, cash only which was annoying. Inside the zoo it was nice but a few of the main exhibits were not open like the polar bears which I would have liked to know as I arrived, online or at least before walking all the way to the exhibit. Also there needs to be more staff because lines and wait times at restaurants were very long with not the best customer service. The zoo was nice enough but not on my favorites list but we wanted an activity for the day and decided on the zoo.

Written June 26, 2021

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Jen R

Topeka, KS347 contributions

One of our most enjoyable zoo visits

Dec 2019

With four kids, we often visit zoos when we're traveling to a new city. This was one of our most enjoyable zoo visits ever. We visited the zoo the week between Christmas and New Year's, so there was not much of a crowd. We did half of the zoo; went out to the parking lot for a quick picnic lunch; then back in to see the rest of it. Loved all the big cats, and the number of unique animals. Unfortunately, most of the bears were off exhibit during our visit, but we had plenty of time and few other people around while we were viewing the pandas.

Written January 2, 2020

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Howard Stamps

Jackson, MS3 contributions

The Memphis Zoo is a great zoo to visit..Very large, sprawling compound..plenty to see

Feb 2020

The Memphis Zoo has plenty of animals to see...The compound is so sprawling and vast..I recommend you bring your best walking shoes..You almost need a map because we missed the sea lion exhibit trying to see all the other wildlife in there..Some of those animals are absolutely huge..I think just as big as some you would see in the jungle..I am not joking...They did not have any jaguars but they had all the rest of the big cats tho..Very impressive zoo!

Written February 22, 2020

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Lorna B.

Bechtelsville, PA884 contributions

a great zoo if not for its serious flaws!

Apr 2022

My husband & I enjoy visiting zoos and seek them out on our travels; we have been to dozens of them—small, medium, & large. This zoo had a lot of great features, but it also had some big negatives, in our opinion. It was very much a “mixed bag.”

First the good: The size of the zoo and the variety of animal residents afford a great wildlife-viewing experience. The Egyptian-theming at the front section was attractive. The China area was nicely done, and we enjoyed seeing the pandas very much (one was chewing away right by the window, the other was sleeping). The walk-through tropical bird house was very good, with a great number of beautiful specimens on display. (Noisy adults & kids did not respect the “quiet zone” posting in there, though!) Primates are my favorite mammals, and the variety here is pretty good. The hyperactive Francois langurs were entertaining to watch, as were the swimming and diving polar bears.

The drawbacks here: My biggest complaint is the lack of maps provided—either printed, posted throughout the zoo, or even at their website to print & bring along (that one is not labeled to show habitats or even rest rooms or cafes!). The signage is poor in many areas, and I am sure we missed habitats and pathways leading to exhibits (and no, I don’t want to walk around a zoo staring at our cell phone to find our way!). Also, we didn’t like them charging extra to view the kangaroos or giraffes after a long walk back to those habitats. We found only one café open, even though it was a busy Sunday in April (80 degrees that day). We noticed numerous picnic tables scattered throughout the zoo (not near the open café), but the website says no outside food is allowed!? Finally, the restrooms seemed to be few and far apart.

In all, we spent 4½ hours here (and walked over 15,000 steps, according to our tracker). We were glad we visited but didn’t find it the easiest zoo to explore due to the missing maps. Many habitats were surrounded by thick wire fences, so taking nice video or photos there was not possible. There were some long walks between habitats (at the right side of the zoo) where the grounds were quite unkempt and unattractive. There must an airport nearby, as we heard noisy jets flying overhead the whole time. For these reasons, I couldn’t rate this a top zoo.

Written April 29, 2022

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Pamela C

1 contribution

Disappointing

Oct 2022

This is my experience 10/4/22. After walking a few hours with the 4 yr old grandchild we decided to end the day with panning for stones at the Kangaroo Experience. We paid additional to ride the tram which we caught over by the farm. The trams first stop was at the front entrance where the drivers hand held device decided to “update” and she could not process any of the new passengers. After 20-25 mins we finally got on our way.

At the Kangaroo Experience, after paying the $8 to get in, we walk to the gate and after telling the attendant that we were only here for the panning she states that those people have just gone to lunch. (There is NO posting or sign stating hours for the panning experience.) I asked for a refund and was told I would have to go to the administrative offices for that. I trek on back to the administrative office and request a refund and am told they don’t give refunds.

Now I have done this “Experience” twice in the past and do not consider it worth addition money but was willing pay it because the 4 yr old likes the panning for stones. To have people pay an additional $8 (or $10 for non-members) to see Kangaroos laying out in the dirt so far away you need binoculars to see them is not worth the extra bucks. To then have to pay MORE money to do the panning thing is just over the top.

I emailed the zoo with the events requesting they make it right and never received any response at all.

1. Their device updates need to occur when the zoo is NOT open so delays such that we experienced do not happen.

2. They need to post times that the panning is unavailable so people going just for that know to come a different time.

3. There was also no sign stating "no refunds"

To say I am disappointed is an understatement. Since this how they treat members I will not be renewing my membership again.

Written October 14, 2022

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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