Memphis Zoo

Type: AZA-accredited zoo in Midtown Memphis, Tennessee. Established April 4, 1906, funded by the Memphis Park Commission. Spans 76 acres total (about 55 developed). Houses more than 3,500 animals representing over 500 species. Address: 2000 Prentiss Place, Memphis, TN 38112. Formerly home to giant pandas Le Le and Ya Ya (2003-2023) under a 20-year loan from China.

The Memphis Zoo has operated in Midtown Memphis since its founding on April 4, 1906, with funding from the city's Park Commission, making it more than a century old. Today it covers 76 acres, about 55 of them developed, and is home to more than 3,500 animals across over 500 species, an AZA-accredited collection that has drawn roughly 1.2 million visitors a year. The zoo is best known in recent history for its giant pandas, Le Le and Ya Ya, who arrived in April 2003 under a 20-year loan agreement with China; Le Le died in February 2023 and Ya Ya was repatriated to China that May, ending the zoo's two-decade run as one of only a few U.S. zoos with pandas. Other long-running attractions include a trio of Komodo dragons in the Dragon's Lair exhibit since 1998 and a Sumatran tiger exhibit that also carries a memorial to musician Jeff Buckley, dedicated in 1998. In 2008 TripAdvisor ranked it the #1 zoo in the U.S. based on visitor opinions, and it set a single-day attendance record of 20,450 visitors in March 2009.

The zoo is located at 2000 Prentiss Place in the Midtown neighborhood of Memphis, Tennessee, adjacent to Overton Park.

Memphis has a humid subtropical climate with hot, humid summers and mild winters typical of the Mid-South; because the zoo is largely an outdoor walking attraction, summer heat and humidity are worth planning around with sun protection and hydration.

Spring and fall generally offer more comfortable walking temperatures than Memphis's hot, humid summer months; weekdays outside school holidays tend to be less crowded than weekends.

The Memphis Zoo was established on April 4, 1906, with funding from the Memphis Park Commission, in the city's Midtown area next to Overton Park. Over more than a century of operation it grew to its current 76-acre footprint and AZA-accredited collection of over 500 species. Notable chapters in its history include the arrival of Komodo dragons in 1998 (still resident in the Dragon's Lair exhibit) and the September 1998 dedication of two memorial plaques for musician Jeff Buckley at the Sumatran tiger exhibit. Its highest-profile era began in April 2003, when giant pandas Le Le and Ya Ya arrived under a 20-year loan from China, a partnership that ended when Le Le died in February 2023 and Ya Ya returned to China in May 2023. The zoo set a single-day attendance record of 20,450 visitors in March 2009, and was ranked the #1 zoo in the U.S. by TripAdvisor visitor opinion in 2008.

Visitors can walk the zoo's various habitat areas covering more than 500 species, view seasonal and special exhibits, and take in resident animals such as the Komodo dragons in the Dragon's Lair (since 1998) and the Sumatran tigers; the zoo's official site also promotes rides and dining options as part of a visit, though specific current attractions were not itemized on the pages reviewed for this entry.

The Dragon's Lair Komodo dragon exhibit (since 1998) and the Sumatran tiger exhibit, which also carries a Jeff Buckley memorial, are among the zoo's longer-standing notable stops; the zoo's former giant panda habitat was a signature attraction from 2003 to 2023 before the pandas' departure.

Memphis International Airport is the nearest commercial airport; the zoo sits in Midtown Memphis, reachable by car via the city's local road network, adjacent to Overton Park.

Per third-party search-result summaries of the zoo's own daily-schedule page, the zoo generally opens at 9 a.m. with closing time varying by day and season. A direct fetch of the official memphiszoo.org hours and admission pages returned an HTTP 403 error, so exact current hours could not be independently confirmed for this entry; check memphiszoo.org directly before visiting.

A direct fetch of the official memphiszoo.org admission page returned an HTTP 403 error, so exact current ticket prices could not be confirmed from the operator's own site for this entry. Third-party aggregator sources reviewed cite a weekend adult (ages 12-59) price around $25.95, and the zoo is reported to offer free admission for Tennessee residents on Tuesdays with required advance reservations, but these figures should be reconfirmed directly at memphiszoo.org/admission before publishing.

Given the zoo's size (76 acres, about 55 developed) and animal collection of over 500 species, most visitors should plan at least half a day to see the major exhibit areas at a comfortable pace.

Midtown Memphis, around Overton Park and the zoo, has a mix of hotels and short-term rentals; downtown Memphis, a short drive away, offers a larger concentration of hotel chains for visitors wanting a wider choice of lodging.

Midtown Memphis around the zoo and Overton Park has a mix of casual restaurants and cafes; downtown Memphis, a short drive away, offers a considerably larger dining scene including the city's well-known barbecue restaurants.

Overton Park, adjacent to the zoo, offers additional green space, walking trails and cultural venues in the same Midtown district. Downtown Memphis's riverfront and Beale Street entertainment district are a short drive away for visitors extending their day.

Memphis International Airport is the nearest commercial airport. A personal or rental vehicle, or rideshare, is the practical way to reach the zoo, since it sits in a residential Midtown district rather than directly on a major transit line.

As with any large outdoor zoo, sun protection, water, and comfortable footwear are important, especially during Memphis's hot, humid summer months; keep children close near enclosures and follow posted animal-safety signage. For any emergency, dial 911.

Sunscreen, a hat, and a refillable water bottle for a day of outdoor walking across the zoo's 76-acre grounds; comfortable walking shoes are essential given the site's size.

Because exact current hours and ticket prices could not be confirmed directly from the official site during this research (the admission and schedule pages returned access errors on fetch), check memphiszoo.org directly before visiting to confirm both. Advance reservations are reported to be required for the zoo's free Tennessee-resident Tuesdays, so plan ahead if aiming for that option.

Dial 911 for any emergency. The zoo's membership inquiry line, per search-result summaries of its official contact page, is 901-333-6767; this was not independently confirmed via direct fetch (the contact page returned an HTTP 403 error) and should be reconfirmed at memphiszoo.org.

Memphis Zoo - https://www.memphiszoo.org

This section is being updated and will be available shortly.

This section is being updated and will be available shortly.

This section is being updated and will be available shortly.