Grassmere Historic Farm and Croft House

Grassmere Historic Farm and Croft House Nashville Zoo and the Grassmere Historic Farm grounds are open daily

Website: http://nashvillezoo.org/historic-home


Nashville Zoo Mission: To inspire a culture of understanding and discovery of our natural world through conservation, innovation and leadership. Grassmere Historic Farm Mission: To preserve and interpret the Croft House and Grassmere Historic Farm, in order to enrich and inspire our visitors, and to educate them on the past, present and future of the property known as the Nashville Zoo at Grassmere.

We're excited, and honored, to be part of this grant application. Finding out an exact date of construction of the Morto...
01/28/2025

We're excited, and honored, to be part of this grant application. Finding out an exact date of construction of the Morton Cabin would be an amazing addition to our interpretation and knowledge of the early history of the property.
Keep your fingers crossed! 🤞🤞

The Croft House is back OPEN for tours! Thank you for your patience while we spent the last couple of weeks in professio...
01/24/2025

The Croft House is back OPEN for tours! Thank you for your patience while we spent the last couple of weeks in professional development, and spring cleaning! Here's a glimpse into what we've been up to! We were fortunate to be able to visit Cragfont State Historic Site, Belmont Mansion, Oaklands Mansion and Metro Nashville Archives, along with attending several on-site classes and sessions. We also heard from Tim Walker, director of Metro Nashville Historical Commission and his early involvement in the development of the Historic Farm.
To say we've had a fulfilling and enriching couple of weeks is an understatement! But we're ready to see you all again! Be sure to ask us about what all we learned, we'll be happy to tell you!

Thanks to Operations Team member Lofton for these gorgeous snowy pictures! Are you out and about at the zoo today? Share...
01/12/2025

Thanks to Operations Team member Lofton for these gorgeous snowy pictures! Are you out and about at the zoo today? Share your snowy pics with us!

The Zoo will be OPEN tomorrow,  Sunday January 12, including for Zoolumination! Swing by and see our winter wonderland b...
01/11/2025

The Zoo will be OPEN tomorrow, Sunday January 12, including for Zoolumination! Swing by and see our winter wonderland before it all melts.
And a HUGE shout out to our dedicated keeper staff who stayed overnight the past couple of nights to make sure all the animals were properly tended to during our closure. Suffice it to say, no one was missing out on any food or treats 😊❄️ Thank you Animal Care teams!! ❤️❤️
And HUGE THANKS to our operations team for getting the zoo ready to open, and making sure heat systems were on and operating.

Due to the incoming snow in the forecast, Nashville Zoo will be CLOSED Friday Jan 10 AND Saturday Jan 11, including for ...
01/09/2025

Due to the incoming snow in the forecast, Nashville Zoo will be CLOSED Friday Jan 10 AND Saturday Jan 11, including for Zoolumination. Stay safe out there!!

The Croft House will be closed for tours starting Saturday, January 4, and will reopen Saturday, January 25. Our incredi...
01/04/2025

The Croft House will be closed for tours starting Saturday, January 4, and will reopen Saturday, January 25. Our incredible team of interpreters will be attending professional development opportunities, get additional training, and do some spring cleaning during that time. The Historic Farm WILL be open as usual, so stop by and see the critters! We'll see you in the house in a few weeks!

HAPPY NEW YEAR, and welcome 2025!! Nashville Zoo is CLOSED today, but we'll open at 5pm for Zoolumination! Come welcome ...
01/01/2025

HAPPY NEW YEAR, and welcome 2025!! Nashville Zoo is CLOSED today, but we'll open at 5pm for Zoolumination! Come welcome in the new year with a visit to the zoo!

Don't want to fight the crowds in downtown Nashville or at Bicentennial Mall? Then come see us for Zoolumination! We're ...
12/31/2024

Don't want to fight the crowds in downtown Nashville or at Bicentennial Mall? Then come see us for Zoolumination! We're open from 5pm-9pm tonight! Happy New Year's Eve!

Nashville Zoo is CLOSED today during the day. But we will open tonight at 5pm for Zoolumination! From all of us to all o...
12/25/2024

Nashville Zoo is CLOSED today during the day. But we will open tonight at 5pm for Zoolumination!
From all of us to all of you, have a very Merry Christmas!

Tonight is your last night to visit Santa during Zoolumination at the Historic Farm! He's got a few things on his to-do ...
12/24/2024

Tonight is your last night to visit Santa during Zoolumination at the Historic Farm! He's got a few things on his to-do list after the zoo closes 😉 If you haven't seen him to let him know what you need this year, you have TONIGHT to make it happen! What do you want Santa to bring you??

Have you made it out to Zoolumination yet? Santa is only in the Historic Farm barn for one more week, then he gets a lit...
12/18/2024

Have you made it out to Zoolumination yet? Santa is only in the Historic Farm barn for one more week, then he gets a little busy! The Zoo will be closed during the day Christmas Day, but open at 5pm for Zoolumination Christmas night. We hope you can make it out for some Christmas cheer soon!

Nashville Zoo will be CLOSED during the day on Thursday for Thanksgiving. But are you looking for something to do that n...
11/27/2024

Nashville Zoo will be CLOSED during the day on Thursday for Thanksgiving. But are you looking for something to do that night? Somewhere to bring all the family and walk off all that pie? Why not join us for Zoolumination! We WILL be open Thanksgiving evening from 5-9pm!

Whatever you choose to do, we wish you and yours a wonderful Thanksgiving. And know we are thankful for YOU!

Address

Nashville Zoo At Grassmere, 3777 Nolensville Road
Nashville, TN
37211

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 4pm
Tuesday 9am - 4pm
Wednesday 9am - 4pm
Thursday 9am - 4pm
Friday 9am - 4pm
Saturday 9am - 4pm
Sunday 9am - 4pm

Telephone

+16158331534

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Why Is There a House in the Middle of a Zoo?

The real question is, why is there a zoo around a house! Built in 1810 and owned by 5 generations of the same family, the Croft House and Grassmere Historic Farm sit as the centerpiece of the Nashville Zoo at Grassmere. 5th generation owners Margaret and Elise Croft, never-married sisters, loved animals, nature, and their ancestral home and land. In the 1960’s, Nashville’s growth and development threatened the 300 acre farm they so dearly loved. They entered into an agreement with the Nashville Children’s Museum (today known as the Adventure Science Center) that insured the land would remain a “nature study center” for years to come, educating the people of Nashville about the animals they held dear. Nashville Zoo began managing the property in 1997, continuing to honor the wishes of the Croft sisters. Thanks to their vision, Nashville Zoo at Grassmere is on track to become one of the top zoos in the country, seeing a million visitors annually, and educating guests about animals, habitats, conservation and the environment, just at Margaret and Elise wished.

The Croft House is open for tours seasonally, showcasing many original pieces of furniture, artwork, china, clothing and family photos, and detailing the story of the Dunn, Shute and Croft families. Guided tours, tours aimed at children, and self-guided style tours are offered daily. For information on when tours are available, visit https://www.nashvillezoo.org/guided-tours#house. Tours are included with zoo admission. The Historic Farm grounds, which include a garden, original outbuildings and a livestock barn with heritage breeds of cattle and sheep, are open daily.

Website: http://nashvillezoo.org/historic-home Nashville Zoo Mission: To inspire a culture of understanding and discovery of our natural world through conservation, innovation and leadership. Grassmere Historic Farm Mission: To preserve and interpret the Croft House and Grassmere Historic Farm, in order to enrich and inspire our visitors, and to educate them on the past, present and future of the property known as the Nashville Zoo at Grassmere.