In the words of the late, great Steve Irwin, “We don’t own the planet Earth, we belong to it. And we must share it with our wildlife.”
If your child is interested in exploring the animal kingdom and learning more about the unique and amazing creatures around us, there are a number of places in and around Nashville that allow them to do so in a safe, engaging and educational environment.
Allowing children to learn about animals and conservation efforts, spend time around wildlife and gain valuable emotional and social skills from animal-centered interactions helps curious littles understand the world around them and make their own connections with these critters.
No matter the time of year, each of these destinations offers extraordinary experiences within two hours of downtown Nashville.
The Gentle Barn
This nonprofit animal sanctuary is making great strides for both animals and humans with visible and invisible trauma.
Animals were a source of healing and nurturing for The Gentle Barn’s founder, Ellie Laks, as she faced the challenges of growing up. So, she created an organization dedicated to providing that support to other children.
The sanctuary’s “gentle-healing method” allows animals to fully recover from abuse using a mixture of Western medicine, holistic healing modalities, holding therapy, and lots of love. In the past 25 years, The Gentle Barn has hosted hundreds of thousands of at-risk, inner-city and special needs children and children in foster care.
A wellness space for all, The Gentle Barn’s unique philosophy connects the animals’ stories of survival and healing to the personal experiences of adults and children through interaction and education. One of The Gentle Barn’s most beloved activities is Cow Hug Therapy, a groundbreaking approach to emotional healing that allows visitors to hug and rest on cows, but the sanctuary also offers programs for peace enhancement, people with disabilities, equine therapy, barnyard therapy, education and literacy.
Nashville Zoo at Grassmere
With the mission to inspire “a culture of understanding and discovery of our natural world through conservation, innovation and leadership,” the Nashville Zoo welcomes more than one million visitors each year. It contributes to international conservation and research efforts benefitting threatened species.
At the end of 2023, the zoo was home to over 3,700 animals, which represented more than 350 species and included several endangered groups.
Over the last several years, the facility has debuted the HCA Healthcare Veterinary Center, Tiger Crossroads and Komodo Dragon, the largest Komodo habitat in the Americas. It also offers a number of unique and engaging programs, including animal shows and keeper talks, backstage passes that allow guests to give a rhino a backscratch, share treats with a red panda or giraffe and come face-to-face with a cassowary, and an array of up-close and “ed-zoo-cational experiences.”
Lucky Ladd Farms
Just south of Nashville sits Lucky Ladd Farms, a 60-acre farmstead that offers fun, educational, agricultural experiences, seeing visitors from across the nation each year.
On their first home in Franklin, the Ladd family developed a love for hosting local school and church groups to allow the community to experience country life and spend time with animals. In 2008, when they purchased their current farm in Eagleville, Tenn., the family decided to expand their opportunities and focus efforts on reconnecting other families to their agricultural roots.
Since Fall 2009, Lucky Ladd Farms has been offering locals and travelers the opportunity to go flower picking and strawberry picking in addition to animal-centered programs, including Lucky’s barnyard petting farm, zoo and wildlife exhibits, pony rides, animal encounter experiences, and keeper talks and classroom outreach.
Wilderness Station at Barfield Crescent Park
The headquarters of Outdoor Murfreesboro, a Parks and Rec department that specializes in environmental education and outdoor recreation, the Wilderness Station is a nature center, gift shop and rental facility located in Barfield Crescent Park.
Home to a number of locally native education animals such as owls, a hawk, snakes, and more, the station and numerous surrounding trails are utilized for a number of learning-centered experiences and programs. Notably, visitors can check out free educational backpacks that each feature different themes and correlating programs and materials.
The Wilderness Station is also surrounded by 275 acres of backcountry and approximately five miles of paved and unpaved hiking trails that wind around a hardwood forest, a river overlook, limestone sinks, and a stone fence thought to be Civil War-era. On these trails, many hikers have reported wildlife sightings such as barred owls, deer, turkeys, snakes, bobcats, and coyotes.
Whether your child is interested in interacting with animals, viewing and learning about wildlife, participating in educational agricultural experiences, or exploring local, natural habitats, Middle Tennessee is home to many top-tier opportunities.
Taking the time to engage with your curious little’s interest in animals can benefit them in many ways, but it is a fantastic, hands-on way for them to learn, foster empathy and connect to animals and the environment.