Nashville Zoo Thanksgiving Weekend Family Discovery & Kangaroo Walks

About this adventure

Set across the historic Grassmere farmland, the Nashville Zoo offers an exceptional Thanksgiving holiday outing for animal lovers of all ages. Thanksgiving week provides pleasant, cool weather perfect for exploring animal habitats without summer crowds. Families can walk straight through Kangaroo Kickabout, sharing an open pathway with free-roaming red kangaroos, or observe Andean bears, clouded leopards, giraffes, and white rhinos in lush naturalistic enclosures. The zoo's massive Jungle Gym playground—one of the largest community playgrounds in the country—features 66,000 square feet of multi-level climbing towers, tube slides, and swings. Over Thanksgiving weekend, zookeepers host scheduled educational animal talks and special holiday enrichment sessions where animals interact with giant pumpkins and seasonal treats. Family Experience & Accessibility: • Stroller Accessibility: Exceptionally stroller-friendly with wide, smooth paved pathways and gentle inclines throughout the entire 188-acre zoological park. • Nursing & Rest Spots: Private air-conditioned/heated nursing rooms are located at the Jungle Gym, Croft Center, and Entry Village; all restrooms feature diaper changing facilities. • Age Suitability: Ideal for infants through teens; children under age 2 receive free general admission. • Sensory Tips: The zoo offers quiet sensory bags at guest services with noise-canceling headphones; shaded, calm seating areas line the bamboo forest trails.