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Tennessee Safari Park

618 Conley Road, Alamo, TN 38001

Mon.-Sat.,10am-5pm; Sun., noon-5pm; cars cannot enter after 4pm.

$$

fun-paid-activities, road-trips

Drive Through Safari a Day Trip from Nashville

Driving through the Tennessee Safari Park is absolutely fun and hysterical. A two-hour drive from Nashville, visting will take up most of your day, but it's worth the trip! You can drive through the property and feed animals from your car, but note sometimes they are a bit aggressive (though won't harm you) - your kids, particularly the younger ones, might be a little intimidated! 

The property is expansive and the animals seem to be very well cared for so it was nice to see animals (lamas, emus, ostriches, wildebeest, giraffes, and more!) in an unrestricted space that feels more natural than the zoo. You'll find yourself laughing and fighting over who gets to feed the next visitor to your car. But beware, the camels and ostriches will get very close and even take your feed bucket if you're not careful. A small zoo area, with even more animals, can be visited once you complete the drive. All in all, the drive-through part will take about an hour, including leisurely-paced stops.  Once you start the drive, you can't exit or detour, so you'll have to go to the bathroom in advance and bear with the car in front of you and wait for them to finish feeding animals.  This could be frustrating if you are on a schedule.

 

 

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Thoughtfully captured by:
Emily O'Grady
Emily O'Grady lives with her daughters Eloise (5) and Charlie (3.5), husband Mick, and their two senior dogs Porter and Francie, in Nashville. They’ve called Music City home for 7 years this September. After Emily and Mick met in New Zealand over 15 years ago, they’ve hiked and backpacked extensively across the globe for months at a time. In their new roles as parents, they’ve hit pause on their most extreme adventures for now, but they are consciously raising their daughters to love and appreciate nature, getting outside and exploring as much as they can in the hills of Tennessee and beyond. During the weekdays, you can find Emily leading teams across Asurion’s Product Development team, bringing the company’s service strategy to life across carrier clients. Before joining Asurion, Emily was an Engagement Manager for McKinsey & Company for 4 years, as well as held Analyst roles with Telephia (Nielsen) and Bank of America Global Corporate and Investment Bank. Emily holds a BBA in Finance, French and European Studies from Southern Methodist University and an MBA from Northwestern University, Kellogg School of Management.
More activities by Emily
An impressive waterfall a short drive east of Nashville.
An urban zoo that feels out there.
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