Review of the Knoxville, TN Zoo

I recently had the opportunity to accompany my daughter's Brownie Troop to the Knoxville Zoo in Knoxville, Tennessee, for their Bedtime with the Beasts program. The program is for small groups, 15 to 25, ages 6 and up, and the cost is $35 per person. The cost does include admission for the night of the tour, as well as all day admission the next day, and includes parking. The tour begins at 6:00 p.m. and ends at 9:30 a.m. the following morning.
We arrived at the back gate on a Saturday evening at 6:00 p.m. Our two guides for the program met us, and led us to the room where we would be spending the night. We unloaded our sleeping bags and overnight cases, and started our tour.

The main point of the Bedtime with the Beasts program is an evening and late-night tour of the zoo. We were able to see the animals, using only flashlights provided by the guides. This way, the animals weren't "hiding" from the normally large groups of people outside their cages.
Our tour started with the amphibians. We learned what snakes are poisonous in Tennessee (Timber Rattlesnake and Northern Copperhead). We got to spend some time with the rare white alligator. One of the exhibits that the children really loved was Zoo Spy, which is an exhibit of bugs, rats, bats, all the things that the mothers didn't want to see.

After our initial evening tour, we gathered back at the cabin for a snack of homemade trail mix and lemonade. The girls were able to see a chinchilla and watch him bath in dust, because chinchillas aren't supposed to get wet.

Then it was off to our late night tour. We walked the zoo completely over, missing nothing. We saw the lions, tigers, and bears..oh my. The night tour was probably my favorite part, because we were able to experience the animals in their comfortable zone, without the lights and crowds. It was very entertaining, and educational. We did learn, during the tour, that cheetahs are very endangered. The reason for this being that their teeth are not pointed and sharp, so it makes it very hard for them to defend themselves. We also learned that they can run at whopping speeds of up to 75mph, however, they can only run at this speed for a short time, so they have to outrun their predators very quickly, or they fall victim. This was a very informational segment, as our guide was trained and highly skilled in big cats. The girls really liked this exhibit.

After our night tour, we retired. We awoke the next morning at 6:00 a.m. and found breakfast waiting for us. After we ate, we loaded up our vehicles and moved them to the public parking lot, while the girls went down to visit the chimpanzees.

Then it was off to the giraffe barns to see the giraffes up close. The giraffe guide and trainer spent about an hour telling us how giraffes live, what they eat, how tall they get, how old they get, and a number of other informational tidbits. We did stand in the barn where they are washed, although the smell was very strong. We got to see them up very close, and it was a very entertaining morning.

After the giraffe barn tour, our program was over. I had planned to spend a few hours with my daughter, who is 8 and had never been to the zoo, we visited all the exhibits that we wanted to spend extra time at. My personal favorite will always be the elephants, and we spend several minutes looking and taking pictures. We rode the camels. Camel rides are available at certain times for $3 each, and children absolutely love this activity.

After just a couple of hours, we visited the gift shop (for souvenirs for those who couldn't attend) and it was back home.

All in all, it was a really nice trip. I highly recommend the program to anyone who is looking for something for a small group to do that is educational and fun. I have always been a fan of the Knoxville Zoo, but now that they have added the Bedtime with the Beasts program, I will forever be a fan of that as well. Take a mini vacation with your child. Bedtime with the Beasts is fun, educational, and good one-on-one time with your child that will leave lasting memories for years to come.