Zoo Knoxville
Zoo Knoxville, formerly known as the Knoxville Zoo or Knoxville Zoological Gardens, is a 53-acre (21 ha) zoo located just east of downtown Knoxville, Tennessee, United States, near exit 392 off Interstate 40. It was established in 1971. Around it, Neyland Stadium (3.5 mi) comes first on our list.
A zoo & aquarium inside Knoxville
You can stay in Knoxville
Zoo Knoxville is inside Knoxville, which has 134 places to stay, so you won’t need a base farther out. Where to stay ↓
Best months: Apr, May, Sep and Oct
April, May, September and October are the mild months, with highs of 71–82°. When to go ↓
Established in 1971
Zoo Knoxville dates from 1971. About ↓
Written from NOAA 1991–2020 normals, Overture places to stay, Census town figures, Wikidata and Wikipedia.
Weather, month by month
Here is how the weather at Zoo Knoxville changes month by month.
Zoo Knoxville
Zoo Knoxville, formerly known as the Knoxville Zoo or Knoxville Zoological Gardens, is a 53-acre (21 ha) zoo located just east of downtown Knoxville, Tennessee, United States, near exit 392 off Interstate 40. The zoo is home to between 800 and 1,500 animals from 200 different species.
Zoo Knoxville is notable for having bred the first two African elephants born in the Western Hemisphere in 1978. The zoo also has bred more endangered red pandas than any other zoo in the world and is a leader in the breeding of endangered tortoises. The zoo is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA).
- Type
- Zoo & aquarium
- Animals
- 800 animals
- Area
- 53 acres
- Established
- 1971
- Wikipedia readers
- 3.7K a year
Where to sleep near Zoo Knoxville
The first towns with rooms are Knoxville (134) and Pigeon Forge (358).
Compare 8 towns
| Town | From Zoo Knoxville | Drive | Places to stay | People | Typical home | Safety |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Knoxville | in town | — | 134 114 hotels · 8 motels · 4 inns & B&Bs · 6 lodges & cabins · 2 campgrounds | 202,021 | $240K | D |
| Pigeon Forge | 23 mi southeast | 35 min | 358 140 hotels · 8 motels · 10 inns & B&Bs · 171 lodges & cabins · 20 campgrounds · 9 RV parks | 6,598 | $292K | D− |
| Gatlinburg 34% vacation homes | 29 mi southeast | 45 min | 352 105 hotels · 11 motels · 14 inns & B&Bs · 216 lodges & cabins · 1 hostel · 4 campgrounds · 1 RV park | 3,715 | $332K | D |
| Sevierville | 19 mi southeast | 30 min | 95 49 hotels · 4 motels · 4 inns & B&Bs · 28 lodges & cabins · 4 campgrounds · 6 RV parks | 19,010 | $290K | D |
| Alcoa | 13 mi south | 20 min | 21 18 hotels · 1 motel · 2 lodges & cabins | 13,689 | $277K | C |
| Townsend 29% vacation homes | 23 mi south | 35 min | 58 13 hotels · 2 motels · 6 inns & B&Bs · 22 lodges & cabins · 14 campgrounds · 1 RV park | 640 | $371K | — |
| Powell | 8 mi west | 10 min | 8 5 hotels · 2 lodges & cabins · 1 campground | 13,739 | $299K | — |
| Clinton | 15 mi northwest | 25 min | 12 10 hotels · 1 inn or B&B · 1 campground | 10,466 | $225K | C− |
Getting there
Nearest airports with airline service
Next door to Zoo Knoxville
You can reach each of these within 38 miles.
Big draw13 mi Stadium & arenaNeyland Stadium
Big draw224 mi Theme parkDollywood3.4M visitors a year
Big draw37 mi National ParkGreat Smoky Mountains National Park11.5M visitors a year
33 mi LookoutSunsphere
Big draw37 mi MountainKuwohi
44 mi Stadium & arenaThompson-Boling Arena at Food City Center
522 mi MuseumAlcatraz East
35 mi MountainMount Le ContePhoto credits
Neyland Stadium: Neomrbungle, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Dollywood: Brian Stansberry (photographer), CC BY 2.5 · Great Smoky Mountains National Park: Scott Basford, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Sunsphere: Ɱ, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Kuwohi: C. Kenneth Dodd, Jr., Public domain · Thompson-Boling Arena at Food City Center: TN 66, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Alcatraz East: EricaLewHouse, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Mount Le Conte: No machine-readable author provided. Blinutne assumed (based on copyright claims, CC BY-SA 3.0
Questions before you go
Is Zoo Knoxville in Knoxville?
Yes. It’s inside Knoxville, TN.
When is the best time to visit Zoo Knoxville?
April, May, September and October, with highs of 71–82°.
What is the closest airport to Zoo Knoxville?
McGhee Tyson (TYS), about 14 miles away.
Where should I stay near Zoo Knoxville?
Knoxville (in town, 134 places to stay), Pigeon Forge (23 mi, 358 places to stay) and Gatlinburg (29 mi, 352 places to stay).
Notes from people in Knoxville
Ask a question, or answer one, in Knoxville’s Town Square.
Sources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · NOAA climate normals · U.S. Census.