Memphis Zoo

Boycott the Zoo until they stop parking on the Greensward and destroying the Old Forest, the oldest urban forest in the nation.

The Zoo’s administration rakes in money by charging guests to park on grassy land within Overton Park that they don’t own, damaging an area which has for decades been enjoyed by park goers — to such a degree that the formerly green expanse now looks from satellite photos like a dirt-​paved parking lot.
They accept money from the City of Memphis for new exhibits but neither plan for nor use any profit (including high $$ made off their despicable parking practices) for accommodating the visitors these exhibits will bring.
Now (Jan 11) they have unilaterally and secretively removed by the roots 27 trees donated to the park and planned the removal of more to make room for yet more parking. There are alternatives, but they’d require dipping into profits. I’m a former member, but I can’t recommend this place at all until they show more regard for the park which surrounds them and the citizens of Memphis who care about it.

It’s a very nice zoo, but the fact that they park cars ON THE GRASS of the surrounding city park is INEXCUSABLE. Any self respecting ecologically minded person should seriously consider boycotting them until they prove to you that they have ended this pathetic practice– It’s unconscionable!!!

Animals in cages. Hmm. Strange parking on the grass where people are trying to enjoy the day. Seems like a relic of another time.

The Memphis Zoo may know how to exhibit animals, but they are terrible neighbors. They regularly park cars on the grass at Overton Park despite having empty spots in their paved lot. They take in almost one million dollars a year using this public land and have refused to do anything about the lack of parking — all the while expanding attractions at a breakneck pace. This is just flat out irresponsible and then this weekend, they elevated their terrible behavior to uprooting trees in this public park on land that is neither owned nor managed by the Zoo. If you are from out of town, please refuse to park on the grass if directed to do so and know that you will help the people who are trying to save nature for all residents of Memphis.

The Memphis Zoo has done a great job of creating interesting and helpful exhibits. When my children were small, we used the zoo all the time to roam and walk with strollers. Made a big difference in the life of a young parent with two small children. We were year round family members for 10 plus years. However, I can no longer support this Memphis Zoo because of their continued egocentric attitude toward our treasured and shared Overton Park. They have been completely unwilling to discuss parking compromises and instead direct visitors to park in the community free space called the Greensward where we play frisbee and have picnics. They have been subversive even. Coming in the middle of the night to cut down trees to make access to the green space even easier for their overflow automobiles. It’s outrageous. If you are a visitor to the Memphis Zoo, please refuse to park on the Greensward. They are slowly trying to take over all the land that the Evergreen and Vollentine neighborhoods famously fought to keep which resulted in a landmark Supreme Court ruling in the early 70’s. They saved our Park all those years ago but the Memphis Zoo is trying to reverse that progress. The Memphis Zoo is only concerned about dollars now and they are not being good stewards of our park and very limited resources. Considering they are a conservation organization, this entire situation is quite the paradox.

The Memphis Zoo deserves a negative rating for the destruction done to the Overton Park greensward and the Old Forest.

I just recently visited the Zoo for the first time in years for Zoo lights. It’s great to see all the expansions they have in the works. I’m excited to see them putting in the new enclosure for the Hippos. I’m definitely going back when it opens up. Everything was the same as when I last went which is nice to see. I’m excited to see what all the new exhibit will have!

Best zoo I’ve ever been and I’ve been too sooo many! My favorite place the night animals. were 2 sweet little animals who were like little cats following my hand and playing with me soooo cute. Very well priced also. loved the giant pandas! Soooo cute. Also good food. Too bad some places were closed such as the stingray bay and dragon place. Filled up all day was here for almost 5 hours! Great love it !!!

Took my fiancée to Zoo lights for the first time and it was pretty cool. Although I kinda figured their would be a lot more lights than they had. They had fake snow falling from above or was it fake? It was so cold outside it might of been real. They had a magic show which was actually pretty good. Ice skating was open but I can’t even stand up straight on solid ground so I doubt putting ice under my feet would help any. Spent hours just walking around taking pictures and drinking hot chocolate. Pretty good night. Would easily recommend going to Zoo Lights.

This was a very nice zoo. I walked around on Thanksgiving after dark to see the Christmas lights. Some of the animals were out. I rode the ferris wheel. I saw reindeer, elephants, etc. I also got to ride the carousel. This is a nice holiday evening activity for families.

One of the best zoos we have visited. The Lions, Sea Lions, Pandas, Giraffes, Elephants, all the animals put on a show for us. This zoo is beautiful.

This zoo is awesome. I’m still mad that the polar bear wasn’t out, and the hippo camp is being built so I only saw one hippo far off in their current home.
BUT you can feed the stingrays (an additional $ 2 but so worth it) and for another $ 5 you can feed the giraffes. It seems a little much at first, but it was probably the best $ 5 I ever spent.
They have a wide variety of animals and section off the zoo by regions (Asia, Africa etc) which is really fun. They have bird shows and seal shows and lots to do. I’m so glad I made the trip out there.

The Memphis Zoo has always been one of the best things about Memphis. So much has changed over the years. They keep working on improvements to make the experience better for visitors to the zoo but also to make life for the animals better.
They changed the living environments for many animals over the years. The lions, tigers, bears (oh my), the wolves, and bats, all have had major changes to make their lives more natural and comfortable.
Great job Memphis Zoo. I can’t wait until my daughter is old enough to enjoy it as much as the rest of our family.

I was very impressed with the Memphis Zoo! It was a great afternoon’s activity for us with a much larger variety of animals and areas than I was expecting. I did wish for the signage to be a bit more present and clear as we relied pretty heavily on the map to see everything we wanted to see.
Can’t miss: the bonobos, the red pandas, the gorillas particularly at their scheduled feeding time, giraffes, elephants, large cats and penguins.

This is an amazing zoo!!! Look at those 4 exclamation points. They mean something.
1 it’s clean! I’ve been to too many zoos and attractions where there’s litter everywhere. And/​or you can tell things haven’t been maintained. Here there’s a sweet level of care you can see. It has a really nice layout Easy to maneuver through and see everything.
2 nice staff. Every store we went in or attraction we were greeted with smiles. People were so nice and answered questions if we got a little turned around.
3 all the animals. This zoo is jammed full! Like I said before they have a nice layout. You don’t feel crammed and I truly hope the animals are happy too. You can get nice and close to a lot of the different animals. The pens have an interesting way to keep the animals from going where they’re not supposed too. But it enables you to get great shots and feel so close.
And 4 — the shows. I guess it could be part of the above but I’m giving it it’s own exclamation point. There are tons of shows and interactive things throughout the day. Awesome! We especially loved the sea lion show! So cute.
I’m so glad I went here. It’s a great place for people of all ages. I recommend this for everyone.

This zoo was AMAZING!!! It was nothing like the other zoos I’ve been to, the sidewalks were clear of debris (other than leaves and acorns) and the animals where close.
The only problem was the exhibits were smaller for some of the big animals and food prices where high, a souvenir cup was $ 13.50. Also go in spring of 2016 because the are redoing the hippos space to be the #1 hippo breaded in the United States. They offer other cheap options too, like my family fed the giraffes for 15 and there are three of us. In other words this zoo was almost perfect.
Also this zoo was huge it took my family 5 hours to do the whole thing. So of you are close to Memphis go to this Zoo.

As an animal lover, I often have mixed feelings on zoos. The Memphis Zoo is, in my opinion, one of the best in the U.S.
It’s incredibly vast. Seriously– set aside, like, 8 hours if you want to do the entire thing in one day. It’s huge.
And that’s because it’s packed with SO MUCH good stuff! They have tons of every kind of animal– pandas, elephants, lemurs, dragons, I could go on. Almost anything you could get excited about seeing, they’ve got here.
The zoo animals are divided by the part of the world they naturally live in, which is a cool way to learn about their habitats. All throughout the zoo, there are tons of signs full of lessons and fun facts about animals, the environment, and the efforts the Memphis Zoo makes to better the world for all these living creatures. The Memphis Zoo does a lot of work with protecting endangered species and rehabilitating animals, which I love and appreciate. Sometimes when you go to a zoo, you wonder if they really *care* about the animals, but I never wondered about that here.
In every section of the zoo, there are always shows and demos where you can learn more about different animals. I watched elephants get a bath and I watched the sea lions get fed. The zoo employees are very personable, intelligent, and eager to answer any questions. It was so fun to see little kids squeal and get so excited to see a sea lion jump out of the water.
I went to the zoo on a school day, and it wasn’t crowded at all. Some of the restaurants were closed because it was a slow day and late in the afternoon, but I was okay with that because I wasn’t looking to eat there anyway.
Whether you’ve got kids or you’re just an animal lover like me, the Memphis Zoo is an excellent way to spend a day in the Memphis area! I highly recommend it!

I spend just about every Saturday at the Memphis Zoo with my son. Purchasing the summer pass is the best way to go — you can go unlimited with parking included for right at $ 100. You will get your money back just after two trips. Before or after leaving the zoo you can walk over to the Brook’s Museum and Pink Palace or stroll through Overton Park.
The Memphis Zoo is home to over 3,500 animals representing
and has received a ton of notoriety from been ranked the «#1 Zoo in the U.S.» to the «Top Zoo» to various other praises for various animal exhibits.
All of these are deserved — the grounds are kept up nice and the animals areas are always clean and stocked.
There is so much to see — an entire day to see it all — that’s why I like the membership so I can go all the time and enjoy a couple exhibits each trip.
The shows are great too, the Flight of the Birds is our favorite!

Been a few years since I last visited the zoo. This zoo is one of the best in the country. So clean and very well decorated with plants, waterfalls and all the exhibits are maintained really well. I enjoy coming to the Memphis Zoo

Während unseres Aufenthaltes in Memphis haben wir natürlich auch den Zoo besucht, nicht nur weil unsere Kinder dabei waren, sondern auch da es im Zoo von Memphis ein Pärchen der berühmten Großen Pandas gibt.
Den Zoo von Memphis erreicht man bequem mit dem Auto die Anschrift ist 2000 Galloway Avenue, 38 104 Memphis (Tennessee) auf der Homepage des Zoos
erhält man detaillierte Anfahrtsbeschreibungen aus den verschiedenen Richtungen.
Dort kann man sich auch einen Zooplan herunterladen.
Parken und Eintrittspreise:
Direkt am Zoo befindet sich ein großer Parkplatz den man gegen eine Gebühr benutzen kann, andere Möglichkeiten in näherer Umgebung haben wir nicht gesehen.
Mit 3,00 US Dollar sind die Parkgebühren pro Fahrzeug recht moderat.
Die Eintrittspreise für Erwachsene betrugen 13,00 US Dollar, Kinder von 2 – 11 Jahren zahlten 8,00 US Dollars.
Geöffnet ist der Zoo
im März-​Oktober von 9.00 Uhr-18.00 Uhr
im November-​Februar von 9.00 Uhr-17.00 Uhr
letzter Einlass ist eine Stunde vor Schließung.
Es können auch Kinderwagen und Rollstühle ausgeliehen werden.
Als Zahlungsmittel werden die gängigen Kreditkarten, Barzahlung und Travellerschecks akzeptiert.
Die verschiedenen Attraktionen:
Wir sind hauptsächlich in diesen Zoo gegangen um die Großen Pandas zu sehen, aber der Zoo bietet natürlich noch viele andere interessante Tierarten.
So gab es direkt nach dem Eingang verschiedene Anlagen für Großkatzen, die Anlagen selber sind naturnah eingerichtet und bieten den Tieren Rückzugsmöglichkeiten, so dass man schon mal einen Augenblick verharren muss um einen Blick auf die Tiere werfen zu können. Die Wartezeit wird einem aber nicht lang, da man durch viele Bäume geschützt in angenehmen Schatten steht und den Eindruck hat aus dem Dickicht heraus die Tiere zu beobachten. Ein Rundgang führt an den Anlagen vorbei in denen unter anderen Raubkatzen Löwen, Tiger und Pumas zu sehen sind.
Der weitere Rundgang führt zum Haus für tropische Vögel, der hat uns nicht so stark interessiert und deshalb haben wir es etwas vernachlässigt und sind gleich weiter zum Spielplatz und dem neuen Fahrsimulator der erst kurz zuvor eröffnet wurde.
Auf Wunsch der Kinder haben wir eine Fahrt damit gemacht, die extra bezahlt werden musste, ich meine es waren 1,50−2,00 US Dollar pro Person. Geboten wurde eine virtuelle Reise zu einer Insel welche von Dinosauriern bevölkert war, nichts aufregendes und wer es nicht mitmacht hat auch nichts verpasst. Es wurden noch einige andere kleine Fahrgeschäfte angeboten, die jeweils extra bezahlt werden mussten. Außerdem gab es hier die Möglichkeit Snacks wie Sandwiches und Hamburger zu kaufen, vom Preis her noch akzeptabel. Aber da wir unsere Verpflegung selber mitgebracht haben, wurde dieses Angebot von uns nicht genutzt.
Ein Highlight unseres Besuches war die Fütterung der Seelöwen, diese wurde von 4 Pflegern gemacht, welche gute und interessante Erklärungen zu den einzelnen Tieren gaben. Wer also den Zoo besucht, sollte sich diese Fütterung nicht entgehen lassen. Sprachlich waren sie auch gut zu verstehen, da sie ein klares und einfaches Englisch sprachen. Mein Sohn der gerade 1 Jahr Englischunterricht hinter sich gebracht hatte war in der Lage der Vorführung zu folgen.
Weiter ging der Weg durch den Bereich Asien in dem es auch wie allgemein in diesem Zoo ansprechende Gehege gab. Das Haus mit den Reptilien fanden wir auch sehr interessant, hier gab es verschiedene Schlangen, Spinnen und weitere Reptilien. Ein großes Gehege bietet den Komodo Waranen des Zoo viel Bewegungsraum. Im Reptilienhaus ging ein Pfleger mit einer kleinen Würgeschlange herum, die man auch anfassen konnte. Fragen wurden ausführlich und gerne beantwortet.
Die Flusspferde hatten ein recht großes Gehege und schienen sich sehr wohl zu fühlen.
Nun ging es zu den Gehegen für Affen und dort war eine ganze Menge los, wie halt bei diesen Gehegen so üblich.
Nun kamen wir zum Höhepunkt des Besuches und zwar zu den Großen Pandas, diese schliefen aber gerade, so dass wir nicht viel zu sehen bekamen. Wir schlenderten also erst einmal durch den Komplex der für die Großen Pandas errichtet wurde und bewunderten die schön angelegte Gartenanlage. Nach einer halben Stunde kehrten wir zu den Pandas zurück und wurden belohnt, nun waren beide wach, aßen und spielten. Durch die großen Scheiben hat man das Gefühl hautnah zu den Tieren zu gelangen und hat auch einen guten Blick auf die Tiere.
Den Abschluß unseres Zoobesuches bildete der Besuch des Afrikabereiches. Auch hier wurde versucht die Tiere in naturnaher Umgebung zu zeigen, was meiner Ansicht nach auch gut gelungen ist.
Im März 2006 wird ein neuer Bereich des Zoos eröffnet der sich Nord-​West Passage nennt. Dort werden die Eisbären, Braunbären und Seelöwen eine neue Heimat finden.
Die sanitären Anlagen:
Toiletten gab es an vielen Stellen des Zoos und sie waren alle ganz in Ordnung, nicht immer 100% sauber aber da es nicht nur eine