Zoo Knoxville


All-inclusive venue

The venue takes care of it all - food and beverage, rentals, the works!

Full wedding (ceremony and reception) pricing

Starting at $7,000

Packages

Prices start at $7,000

Guest capacity

Up to 500 seated guests



About this venue

Zoo Knoxville is a wildlife park wedding venue in Knoxville, Tennessee. Providing an intimate and exclusive setting, all wedding events are held after the zoo’s operating hours are over. Zoo Knoxville offers a unique, exotic and elegant venue for your ceremony, reception or rehearsal dinner. Our certified wedding planner and knowledgeable event staff will work with you to create an unforgettable occasion. Shaded with towering trees and surrounded with rock formations, we have several indoor and outdoor event spaces. With wonderful lighting effects, a charming waterfall, and a carousel, this venue provides unique backdrops.


Our event spaces

Tiger Forest

Tiger Forest boasts two full glass walls overlooking two separate Malayan Tiger exhibits complete with stone structures and water features.

Tiger Forest has stone floors and lofted wood ceilings complete with barn doors and an integrated sound system. Located just outside is our Tiger Courtyard and Crane Exhibit which has a fountain and covered viewing shelters. This space is perfect for relaxed cocktail hours, indoor ceremonies, small receptions, and rehearsal dinners. Features Photos of this space are provided by Dani Rose Photo, Amanda May Photography, Temple Photo, & Lancer Hospitality.

Guest capacity

10-70 Seated

10-120 Standing

Square footage

1,500

Ideal for

Wedding ceremony, Elopement, Wedding reception, Rehearsal dinner, Wedding shower, Engagement party, Welcome party, Cocktail hour

Guests often feel this space is

“Luxurious and chic”

Included in this room:

- Use of sound system with AUX input

Room cost

$7000, includes ceremony space of your choice throughout the zoo

Grasslands Patio

Unique, Exotic & Elegant

A full open air green space seating up to 300 guests with immediate views of zebras and giraffe, indoor buffet space, raised dance floor, and bistro lighting throughout. It’s a perfect opportunity to have your guests feed our giraffe during cocktail hour. Featured photos from this space are provided by Lily & Lime Photography, Temple Photography, & Beauty in Brokenness Photo.

Guest capacity

Up to 250 Seated

Up to 500 Standing

Ideal for

Wedding reception, Rehearsal dinner, Engagement party, After party, Cocktail hour

Guests often feel this space is

“Surprised and delighted”

Included in this room:

The fee listed includes the reception facility and ceremony space of your choosing, security, parking, 2 golf carts and drivers, tables, black folding chairs, any color lap length linens, set up, break down, cleaning of the facility, Zoo Knoxville membership for the wedding couple, and a day-of wedding coordinator with support staff.

Room cost

$8500, includes ceremony space of your choice throughout the zoo

Event Tent

Unique, Exotic & Elegant

Our permanent event tent features a full ivy wall and garden space, closable walls to heat or cool, seating for up to 250 guests, ideal access to the Carousel, bistro lighting at entrance, dim-able chandeliers, and wifi access. Featured Photos of this space are provided by Laurie Wilson Photography, Beauty in Brokenness Photography, & Tracy Shoopman Photography.

Guest capacity

Up to 400 Seated

Up to 500 Standing

Square footage

6,000

Ideal for

Wedding ceremony, Wedding reception, Rehearsal dinner, Wedding shower, Engagement party, Welcome party, After party, Farewell brunch

Guests often feel this space is

“Relaxed”

Included in this room:

The fee listed includes the reception facility and ceremony space of your choosing, security, parking, 2 golf carts and drivers, tables, black folding chairs, any color lap length linens, set up, break down, cleaning of the facility, Zoo Knoxville membership for the wedding couple, and a day-of wedding coordinator with support staff.

Room cost

$8000, includes ceremony space of your choice throughout the zoo

Black Bear Falls Plaza

Unique, Exotic & Elegant

Open air plaza accommodating 200 guests featuring a 20 foot rock and ivy waterfall, the Shieh Family Pagoda, views of black bears, and convenient to access to the zoo’s main entrance and Tiger Forest. Featured photos of this space are provided by Jaimie Renee Photography, Laurie Wilson Photography, Finding Eden Photography, Photography by Erik, & Tracy Shoopman Photography.

Guest capacity

Up to 200 Seated

Up to 200 Standing

Ideal for

Wedding ceremony, Elopement, Wedding reception, Rehearsal dinner, Engagement party, Cocktail hour

Included in this room:

The fee listed includes the reception facility and ceremony space of your choosing, security, parking, 2 golf carts and drivers, tables, black folding chairs, any color lap length linens, set up, break down, cleaning of the facility, Zoo Knoxville membership for the wedding couple, and a day-of wedding coordinator with support staff.

Room cost

Ceremony space - Included with Reception package

Tiger Forest

Tiger Forest boasts two full glass walls overlooking two separate Malayan Tiger exhibits complete with stone structures and water features.

Tiger Forest has stone floors and lofted wood ceilings complete with barn doors and an integrated sound system. Located just outside is our Tiger Courtyard and Crane Exhibit which has a fountain and covered viewing shelters. This space is perfect for relaxed cocktail hours, indoor ceremonies, small receptions, and rehearsal dinners. Features Photos of this space are provided by Dani Rose Photo, Amanda May Photography, Temple Photo, & Lancer Hospitality.

Guest capacity

10-70 Seated

10-120 Standing

Square footage

1,500

Ideal for

Wedding ceremony, Elopement, Wedding reception, Rehearsal dinner, Wedding shower, Engagement party, Welcome party, Cocktail hour

Guests often feel this space is

“Luxurious and chic”

Included in this room:

- Use of sound system with AUX input

Room cost

$7000, includes ceremony space of your choice throughout the zoo


Zoo Knoxville packages

2024 Wedding Package

30-300 guests

Peak pricing $7,000-8,500

Description

From intimate ceremonies to large celebrations, our team is here to help you build your perfect day! Our wedding packages are based on reception location. You can choose any ceremony spot in the zoo to go with your reception. Venue rental time is 1 hour after zoo closes to 11:00pm. Wedding party and vendors must be off grounds by midnight.

What’s included
  • Planning: Rentals, Tasting, Timeline Building
  • Black Folding Chairs
  • 60" Round Tables
  • Floor Length Linens
  • Linen Napkins
  • Archway Options
  • Rehearsal Coordination
  • Day of Coordination
  • Set up and Break Down Team
  • Golf Cart Transportation within Zoo
  • Golf Cart Photo Tour for Couple
  • Cake Cutting Service & Supplies
  • Bottle of Champagne for Couple
  • Zoo Knoxville Annual Pass for Couple
  • Dressing Rooms

2024 Ceremony Only Package

150 guests

Peak pricing $2,000

Description

A wedding ceremony and amazing photos without the traditional reception.

What’s included
  • Rehearsal Coordination
  • Day of Coordination
  • Up to 150 Guests
  • Black Folding Chairs
  • Wood or Metal Archway
  • Welcome Table
  • Unity Table
  • One Hour Ceremony Space Rental
  • Half Hour Photo Tour for Couple
  • Three Hours Dressing Room Time Before Ceremony
  • Golf Cart Transportation
  • Set Up and Break Down

Available services that can be provided by Zoo Knoxville

Services & amenities

  • Bar services
  • Catering services
  • Clean up
  • Dressing room / Bridal Suite
  • Event coordinator
  • Event rentals
  • Event staff
  • Service staff
  • Set up
  • Wheelchair accessible
  • Wifi

Zoo Knoxville menu options


Reviews

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5.0 out of 5

2 reviews

Write a review
  • Zoo Wedding

    Verified review
    Tayler M.Sep 28, 2023

    If you are considering booking the zoo for your wedding, this is your sign to do it. Every single aspect exceeded our expectations! I honestly can’t emphasize enough how accommodating they were. They truly listened to everything we wanted, and even then went above and beyond what we asked for to make our day perfect. I was honestly surprised in the best way at how much they did for us. On our wedding day, they had an event that morning that more people showed up for than they had accounted for, and even still, they made us priority. Everyone was so friendly and helpful, the catering was top notch, and the set up and breakdown were effortless. For a day that everyone warned me was chaotic and stressful, that was just simply not the case at the zoo. Miranda was our coordinator and I will forever be grateful for her and how she made our special day (and the months leading up to it) the best way we could’ve asked for.

  • Once in a Lifetime Experience

    Verified review
    Leigh W.May 29, 2023

    When we were deciding on a venue we looked at several places in and around Knoxville we found two very common themes - barns and warehouses. While many of the locations we looked at were beautiful we wanted something fun and unique, which is how we found Zoo Knoxville. We knew that it would allow for a once in a lifetime memory for ourselves and our guests, and boy oh boy it did not disappoint. We held our ceremony in front of the elephants, the cocktail hour was in the treehouse near the gibbons, and our reception was in their event tent near Kid's Cove. The Zoo was great to work with from the beginning to the end, we had a team of coordinators to work with and they had their own catering/bar service so it was on stop shop. I can't recommend Zoo Knoxville enough if you want a unique wedding experience that your friends and family will be talking about, this venue is for you. Plus it's somewhere we can easily go back to relive all of our memories. 


Real couples who got married at Zoo Knoxville

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