Future Plans

The Zoo's entrance received a new face lift and reopened to the public on April 9, 2016. Because of tremendous growth and record-breaking attendance in recent years, the Zoo’s Entry Village was a top priority for renovation in order to enhance the guest experience. It was designed for the day when Nashville Zoo welcomes more than a million visitors each year, which is right around the corner. Take a closer look at Entry Village.

The new spider monkey exhibit, graciously funded by Dottie Frist, opened on Thursday, April 6, 2017. The addition of Mexican spider monkeys marks the first monkey species to be housed at Nashville Zoo in more than four years.

To enter the new exhibit, Zoo guests cross an elevated wooden bridge ending in a treetop view of these lively, inquisitive Mexican spider monkeys swinging among the trees. The covered viewing building features materials from around the world including Peruvian textiles and decorative masks hand-selected by Zoo President, Rick Schwartz. Bamboo imported from Vietnam and Colombia and environmentally sustainable materials like reclaimed pallet wood and synthetic thatch complement the exhibit’s Central American theme.

The former African Elephant Savanna is now home to four female captive-born rhinos from South Africa. The four captive-born white rhinos came from a reserve in South Africa and made their exhibit debut in July 2017. This marks the first time for any rhino species to be housed at Nashville Zoo.

The outdoor exhibit yard needed several alterations to insure a comfortable environment for the incoming rhino herd, including modifying the existing pool. Guests will now be able to get a view of the rhinos from under a shaded pavilion overlooking the wading pool. The former elephant barn also needed to be remodeled to accommodate the rhinos, including replacing the floors and additional work to the outdoor holding area attached to the barn.

Already involved with conservation of this species in the wild, Nashville Zoo is excited to develop a breeding program for this highly endangered omnivore.

As part of a multiple species exhibit, this Peruvian biome includes pudus (the world’s smallest deer), guinea pigs and cotton-top tamarins.

The exhibit features a Peruvian style lodge containing educational, interpretative and interactive displays.

Originally built in 1989 as a black bear exhibit and then home to Bengal tigers until 2015, the Zoo’s tiger exhibit was in great need of renovation. The new exhibit will be home to four-year-old female Sumatran tigers.

Improvements to the exhibit enlarged the tigers’ habitat and night quarters, as well as added a new indoor viewing area for guests. The viewing building features reinforced glass panels for the closest possible view of these majestic cats, an interactive training window where guests can see keepers working with the tigers and interactive displays to engage and educate visitors about tiger conservation.

In addition, the outdoor bridge viewing area has been renovated to visually mirror the Asian architectural components featured on the new viewing building. Hand-painted and hand-carved woodwork cover this bridge, as well as the exterior of the viewing building.

The 23,677-square-foot HCA Healthcare Veterinary Center, designed to exceed AZA accreditation guidelines for zoo healthcare facilities, replaces a 30-year-old facility originally designed for a much smaller wildlife park housing indigenous species versus the exotic animals that now call the Zoo home.

The level of care we’ve always provided our animals is now matched by a state-of-the-art facility that is designed to promote the health and safety of our animals, all while educating our guests about animal care, conservation and research.