safari animal park alamo tn

Tennessee Safari Park

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Zebras at the Tennessee Safari Park in Alamo, Tennessee.

Jeff Adkins/Tennessee Department of Tourist Development

A major tourist attraction, Tennessee Safari Park sits on a former cotton and cattle farm in rural Crockett County. Open year-round, the drive-through animal park boasts more than 80 species of exotic animals, ranging from zebras, giraffes, and monkeys to emus, kangaroos, and llamas. The Safari Roads section of the park features 5.5 miles of driving trails, where you can purchase buckets of food to interact with the animals. After making the loop, head to the Petting Zoo for a chance to befriend slightly tamer animals, like pygmy goats and other farm favorites. Do keep in mind that credit cards are not accepted here, so bring cash for admission and other activities.

Information on this page, including website, location, and opening hours, is subject to have changed since this page was last published. If you would like to report anything that’s inaccurate, let us know at [email protected].

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Tennessee Safari Park: A Visitors Guide

Everything you need to know about visiting this hidden gem full of animals

If you're looking for a weekend activity for the whole family, you can take the kids to the Tennessee Safari Park in Alamo, Tennessee. Its a place to see exotic animals up close and personal. You can even feed some of them. This drive-through park is a definite draw to the rural area. 

Although it is the county seat of Crockett County , Alamo would be relatively unknown if it weren't for its primary claim to fame: hosting the Tennessee Safari Park. Many West Tennessee residents don't even know this park exists, making it one of the area's hidden gems. The park is situated on a working farm that is used for growing cotton and raising cattle.

The Animals

Tennessee Safari Park boasts over 400 animals from 80 different species . Some of the animals you may see on your visit are llamas, zebras, emus, kangaroos, giraffes, monkeys, and warthogs. There are frequently new babies being born at the park so if you are lucky, you may even get a chance to see some little ones during your visit. The park has one of the largest collections of zoo animals in the United States.

The Experience

There are two parts to the park—a two-mile driving tour and a petting zoo. When you enter the park you can purchase a bucket of feed. As you drive through the park, animals will come up to your car looking for food. Many of them will eagerly stick their heads in your car, giving you the opportunity to pet and to feed them. This is a great photo opportunity and a lot of fun for kids and adults.At the petting zoo, you have the opportunity to feed and pet other animals, including a giraffe!

Tickets cost $16 for adults, $12 kids aged 3 to 12, and free for children 2 and under.

Buckets of feed cost $3. To save money buy $4 for $10. You'll be glad you have extra feed to attract the animals.

Before You Go

• Currently the Tennessee Safari Park does not accept credit cards or checks so be sure to bring some cash.
• The park is about an hour and a half drive from Memphis and about thirty minutes from Jackson.
• Plan to spend between one and two hours at the park depending upon how crowded it is and how fast or slow you go through the tour.
• Try to visit the park in the morning, if possible. The animals tend to be hungrier and more eager to interact then.
• Visitors are encouraged to purchase buckets of feed to feed the animals. Feeding them outside food is not permitted.
• Pets, including dogs, are not allowed in the park. They might upset the animals.

Hours of Operation

The park is open every day of the year except Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and Thanksgiving. If there is inclement weather check the park's Facebook Page. Snow and Ice can cause the park to close suddenly so it can protect the animals.

• Monday through Saturday, 10:00 am. - 4 p.m. (that's the time of last admittance although the park closes fully at 5 pm)
• Sunday, 12:00 noon - 4 p.m. (last admittance)

Tennessee Safari Park 637 Conley Road Alamo, TN 38001 www.tennesseesafaripark.com

Updated by Holly Whitfield, January 2018

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Explore Alamo, TN

Tennessee safari park.

Claude M. Conley as a young boy had a vision of someday having his own zoo. At the young age of 10 he started with 2 peacocks. Continuing to realize his dream, he purchased the first herd of buffalo in the state of TN from Witchita Mountains Wildlife Refuge in Lawton, OK in 1963. Today with over 60 species, the vision continues to grow through sons Claude and Jon. The Zoo and Park reside on a Century Farm, given as a land grant by President Andrew Jackson to Mrs. Helen Conley's family in settlement of the south. Hillcrest began in the 1860's as an agricultural farm and continues to produce cotton today! Over the years we have collected the breath-taking array of animals you see. Thank you for visiting TN Safari Park at Hillcrest, we look forward to seeing you again. West Tennessee is the ideal climate and environment for the animals. The weather is never too extreme and the land is suitable for all the species. More than 200 baby zebras have been born at the park since the 1980s and more than 80 baby animals of other species have been born there in the past 10 years. In addition to the Safari Park, this is a working farm with an additional 200 acres set aside for growing cotton and raising cattle. The Conley Family invites you to visit Tennessee Safari Park. We promise you will not be disappointed in the variety of animals you will see.

618 Conley Rd. Alamo , TN 38001

For the most up-to-date hours and information, please contact Tennessee Safari Park directly.

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Tennessee safari park provides unforgettable experiences.

Photo credit: Jeff Adkins

Claude M. Conley was only 15 years old when he started raising exotic animals on his family’s Crockett County farm in 1963. He began his unusual animal collection with buffalo, peacocks, elk and fallow deer on the same land where his family had been raising cotton and cattle since 1850.

“My father grew up reading about animals and visiting zoos, and he dedicated his life to raising exotic animals,” Claude H. Conley II says. “Today, our family has more than 1,300 exotic animals representing over 100 species.”

The Conley family knew they had something special on their quirky 800-acre farm in Alamo. So in 2007, Claude H. Conley II and his brother, Jon Wesley Conley, opened the farm to the public as a drive-through zoo experience called Tennessee Safari Park .

“We always knew we were going to open a zoo, but we were too busy farming,” Claude H. Conley II says. “We made the decision to open it in 2003, but it took us until 2007 to make it happen. A lot of people told us we couldn’t do it – they said it would never happen.”

But those naysayers were wrong. In its first year, Tennessee Safari Park welcomed 2,500 visitors.

“All the money we made from admission we put back into the park, adding new animals each year,” Conley says. “The number of visitors grows each year. In 2018, we had more than 85,000 visitors.”

A Wild Ride

What draws people to pull off Interstate 40 and spend a few hours touring a drive-through zoo, you ask? Curiosity, for one. Where else do ostriches, buffalo, camels and emus walk right up to your car window looking for a snack?

“Everybody can feed our animals through their car window, and people love interacting with the animals,” Conley says. “At our walk-through area, you can even feed a giraffe.”

Feeding the exotic animals can be a hilarious experience, since they are often eager to eat and have been known to put their entire head inside your car in search of food. They’ve also been known to snatch not only the food, but your entire food bucket. (Consider yourself warned.)

Photo by Jeff Adkins

Committed to Conservation

Environmentalists especially appreciate the opportunity to get up close and personal with rare and endangered animals, getting to stroke their velvety soft skin or fur. The reality is Tennessee Safari Park is more than a tourist attraction – it’s a dedicated conservational breeding center for rare and endangered creatures.

“We’ve always been committed to conservation, and it’s been really fun to watch our animal collection grow,” Conley says. “Because we breed animals, there are lots of babies everywhere. We also have about 300 animals that are not in the park and remain off exhibit.”

See more:  Nashville Zoo Exhibit Showcases Heritage Breed Farm Animals

If the past is any indication of the future, Tennessee Safari Park will continue to thrive under the Conley family’s leadership in years to come. Conley’s two young sons, Claude III (age 7) and Caleb (age 3), are the sixth generation to grow up on the farm and are already learning the ropes.

If You Go ...

Tennessee Safari Park

Location: 618 Conley Rd., Alamo

Phone: (731) 696-4423

Website: tennesseesafaripark.com

Hours: Monday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sundays 12 to 5 p.m. (Last car in at 4 p.m.)

Admission: $20 for adults and $12 for children ages 2 to 12. Animal feed costs $3 per cup, or 4 cups for $10. Tennessee Farm Bureau members can download a mobile or printed coupon for $2 off admission (maximum of six per party) at tnfarmbureau.org/membersavings or through the app.

Know Before You Go: You’ll know you’ve arrived at Tennessee Safari Park when you see the Conley family’s historic large white house, a fixture on the property since 1862. You can purchase buckets of food before navigating the 5.5-mile drive-through in your car. Then visitors can park and tour the walk-through zoo on foot, where you’ll see several types of monkeys, colorful birds and other creatures. Make time to visit the gift shop and eat at the Tennessee Safari Park Grill, which offers burgers, hot dogs, nachos and other snacks.

Travel Tip: Allow about three hours to tour the park. Cash only is accepted at the ticket booth; credit cards are accepted in the gift shop. The grill is open seasonally on weekends.

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Have visited Safari Park se stall times. Always fun.

Wonderful visit on May the 2nd 2021. Wonderful! I appreciate the lovely place who have provided for these animals to live. You park is a jewel. I do have a question . Where do the animals go in the winter? Like the ostrich and giraffe? Thank y’all for you’re dedication. My family had a blast.

Your pricing information is not current. As of today, 2/25/2022 their prices are as follows as per their website. –

Admission to the Park $20 ADULTS $12 KIDS AGES 2-12 YEARS Children 1 and under FREE

Feed Cups $3 each or four cups for $10

OPEN EVERYDAY EXCEPT CHRISTMAS EVE, CHRISTMAS DAY AND THANKSGIVING *CASH ONLY AT THE GATE *NO DOGS OR OUTSIDE ANIMALS ARE ALLOWED IN THE PARK AT ANYTIME-ANYWHERE

Hi Wendy, thanks for the update! The pricing information in the article has been updated.

Rachel Graf Associate editor, TN Home & Farm

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Safari Park Takes Flight

Have you ever wanted to look an ostrich in the eye from less than 2 feet away, touch the velvety soft nose of a camel or feed a carrot to a curious giraffe named Jackson? If so, then the Tennessee Safari Park needs to be on your short list of places to visit.

Located in West Tennessee on the Conley Family Century Farm in Alamo, the park gives visitors an up-close opportunity to have all three of these experiences and many more.

With more than 2,600 exotic animals and 250 acres to explore, most visitors begin by purchasing several buckets of feed for their own self-guided driving tour.

The road leads you through four distinct safari areas, each with an array of animals, including camels, ostriches, cranes, many varieties of deer and antelope, wildebeest, alpacas, buffalo, rhea and giraffes.

As you slowly drive through the farm at a speed limit of 5 miles per hour, you can stop anywhere on the road anytime. Animals will approach your vehicle, some out of curiosity but mostly in search of feed. Visitors are instructed to carefully hold the outside of the buckets, keeping fingers out of the way as animals feed. Only animals in the petting zoo may be fed and touched by hand.

The adventure begins as soon as you pull into the first drive-thru area and are welcomed by a menagerie of animals. Riding along with the Fowler family on a hot summer day in July, it was easy to see why the park is a favorite. As Beckett Fowler’s dad, Brett, carefully drove through the park, Beckett’s brother, Aaron, and sisters, Cadence and Paisley, all joined in the adventure.

“I want to go back to the Safari Park and feed them,” says Beckett Fowler after his first visit. “They make me happy.”

Seeing and feeding the animals up close seems to make everyone happy — especially Beckett, who is a patient at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

“The Safari Park was the perfect place to go to get a break from the treatments that Beckett has been going through,” says his mother, Tammie Fowler. “The amount of laughs and memories we made while his brother and sisters were here for just a short time made the long trip from St. Jude definitely worth it!”

In addition to the drive-thru experience, guests can explore the 20-acre walk-thru area of the park to find more animals such as a wallaby, lemurs, Nigerian dwarf goats, giraffes and parakeets, to name a few.

Having a fun family experience for everyone is one of the guiding principles at the park — as are wildlife conservation and education. Zoos and parks like this one are at the forefront of trying to keep many of these exotic breeds from the brink of extinction.

This family farm began in 1858. The land owned by Tolbert and Cornelia Conley was known as Hillcrest. For more than 100 years, the farm operated as a traditional Crockett County farm with cattle and row crops that included cotton and corn, according to Claude H. Conley II. His father, Claude M. Conley, began to transform the farm in the early 1960s.

As a child, about the same age that his grandkids are today, Claude Sr. had a couple of peacocks and a dream of running his own zoo someday.

“Dad started out in 1963 with his first buffalo, then got some elk and deer,” says Claude H. Conley II. “He had the first privately held buffalo herd in Tennessee. Then as he added more and more, it became something like a petting zoo with zebras and antelope, things like that.”

Today, the farm management is still a family affair. Claude Sr. and his sons, Claude H. and Jon Wesley Conley II, manage the park with several other family members, including Jon’s wife, Whitney. They are the fifth generation of Conleys to do so, and they hope to pass it on to their children.

“My boys, Claude H. III and Caleb, and my brother’s girls, Ava and Sophia, are the sixth generation to grow up here,” says Claude H., a Gibson Electric Membership Corporation member.

The Tennessee Safari Park opened in 2007 with a more limited drive-thru experience. “We had about 2,500 people come through that first year,” says Claude H. “By 2020, with COVID, we had about 500,000.”

Today, visitors’ experiences include the safari drive-thru, a walk-thru petting zoo, aviary and even a new drive-in theatre. Other park amenities include restrooms, snacks and drinks, a gift shop and a picnic area.

The Tennessee Safari Drive-In Theatre is open seasonally with concessions. The 40-by-60-foot screen is near the gift shop. Movies will begin again in October on Friday and Saturday nights. Movie listings can be found by following the Tennessee Safari Drive-In Theatre Facebook page.

The park is solely funded through sales of tickets, which are $24 for adults and $16 for children. “We don’t receive any tax dollars, donations or outside funding,” explains Claude H. “None of it would be possible without our park visitors. Our feed bill alone is over $1 million a year.”

“We hope each visitor leaves here with a better sense of how special these animals are and that they have enjoyed the opportunity to see them up close,” says Claude H. Conley II.

At a glance

Tennessee Safari Park 618 Conley Road Alamo, TN 38001 731-696-4423 tennesseesafaripark.com

Monday–Saturday: Gates open at 10 a.m. Last car in at 4 p.m. Park closes at 5 p.m.

Sunday: Gates open at noon. Last car in at 4 p.m. Park closes at 5 p.m.

Please note that no outside animals or pets are allowed at any time.

Check out the print edition of The Tennessee Magazine for a discount coupon to the Tennessee Safari Park.

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Robin Conover has spent the last 33 years documenting the people and places of Tennessee with The Tennessee Magazine. After graduating from Murray State University, Robin began working for magazine in October 1988 as a communications specialist and photojournalist. She now serves as TECA vice president of communications and editor of The Tennessee Magazine. Her interest in preserving the environment and Tennessee’s beautiful natural areas has led her down many miles of trails to capture thousands of images. Robin is currently a board member of the Friends of Radnor Lake, a nonprofit in Nashville. Robin’s images can be seen in greeting cards, calendars, books and at a few fine-art shows she participates in each year.

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Zebras, camels and llamas, oh my! Tennessee Safari Park is a fun family adventure

When is the last time you had a giant zebra stick its head into your car in search of a snack?

Or have you invited a herd of hungry ostriches to dart their long necks through your rolled down window pecking around for munchies?

These up-close animal experiences and many others — including car visits from big shaggy camels, friendly llamas, behemoth bison, cute little deer, antelopes and emu — can be yours at the  Tennessee Safari Park in Alamo, Tenn., just north of Jackson .

Two hours from Nashville or an hour and a half from Memphis, this unique drive-thru zoo is a perfect day trip for animal-loving families who are up for a little adventure.

Animal adventure

Our group, which consisted of me, my daughter and my 5-year-old and 2 ½-year-old granddaughters, made our trip on a beautiful fall morning.

Despite some initial skepticism, our two hour stay turned out to be a delightful day to remember.

The animals are free-roaming, so you slowly drive your car with windows open along the route and stop wherever you like. If you hold out the buckets, the various safari animals will dig into "exotic pet food" you can buy at the park entrance.

It was super interactive and funny to the point we had to pull the car over and roll up the windows to laugh several times, especially when an overeager ostrich, who we expected would peck a few pellets of food out of the proffered bucket, surprised us by deftly plucking the pretty pink bow out of our toddler's hair.

It caused quite a stir, as did the clever camel that managed to skillfully grab a whole bucket of the feed from my daughter's grip.       

This is an "enter at your own risk" kind of place. You don't have to sign a waiver, but they make it clear that they are not liable.

Admission is $16 for adults, $12 for children 2-12 and free for children 1 and under. It is cash only at the gate. There is a coupon in your Nashville City Saver bookl that will save you $12.   

Buy enough food to keep the animals coming your way along the 5 ½-mile route. We bought eight buckets ($20) of "exotic animal food," which looks like dry dog food. That was plenty of food for our trek, and we brought along a couple of extra empty buckets, as advised by seasoned Safari Park goers, so we could hold some food back from the greedier animals.

Safari Park tips

The drive-thru part of the zoo is 5 ½ miles long and can take about an hour or two to traverse with all of the feeding stops. You can stop anywhere you see the animals coming up.

Park staff gives visitors a quick safety talk where they go over rules and a bit of advice before the cars head out on the safari.

They advise you to brace your feed cup by gripping it from the bottom, but if an animal takes your bucket, (like that camel did) to continue along the route. 

Park rules include: 5 mph maximum speed is, do not honk, and do not get out of the car. No outside food is allowed. Do not litter, smoke or try to pet the animals.

► NASHVILLE ATTRACTIONS: 6 local memberships that save you money if you use them

The best advice is to arrive as close to the 10 a.m. opening time as possible. Pick a day when it is warm enough to comfortably have your car windows rolled down. 

Free-roaming animals include zebra, ostrich, buffalo, giraffe, monkeys, kangaroos, deer, llamas, emu, alpacas, ostriches and camels. 

There is also a walk-through zoo, which includes a petting area with goats, giraffe, pygmy goats, farm animals. exotic birds, and reptiles.

► FUN IN NASHVILLE: 11 tips to make the most of your Nashville Zoo visit

Park history

The exotic animal collection was started in 1963 by Claude Conley Sr. when he was 15 years old and brought in buffalo to the farm, which has been in the Conley family since the 1850s. The collection grew over the years, and the family opened it as a safari park in 2007.

It is now owned by Claude Conley Jr. and Jon Conley and features about 1,000 animals, 100 species and takes up 300 acres of the family's 750-acre working cattle and cotton farm.

Annual attendance is about 80,000 people.

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What : Tennessee Safari Park

Where : 618 Conley Road, Alamo, Tenn., 16 miles off Interstate 40 exit 79

When : The park is open year round. Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. on Sunday. The last cars are allowed in at 4 p.m. daily.

Parking : Free

Details :  http://www.tennesseesafaripark.com  or 731-696-4423 

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Tennessee Safari Park

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• 618 Conley Rd Alamo TN 38001
• (731) 696-4423
• Visit Website

Mon-Thurs 10-5 Sunday 12-5 (7 days of the week year round)

NO ZOO LIKE THIS ZOO With its opening in 2007, the Tennessee Safari Park has become one of mid-south's most popular destinations. With more than 1000 animals representing over 100 rare and endangered species, the Tennessee Safari Park demonstrates the importance of the preservation of our wildlife though conservation and education. Drive Thru SafariTOP Come face to face with deer, antelope, wildebeest, ostrich, emu, bison (seasonally) and many more animals as you travel along our 2.5 mile drive thru safari. *Discover new babies frolicking year round! *Enjoy animals interacting in a natural environment. *Witness Mother Nature the way it was intended. **Don?t forget to purchase your feed buckets at the ticket booth. We recommend the 4 for $10! Learn more: COLLECTIONS Walk Thru ZooTOP Explore different habitats of exotic birds, reptiles, amphibians and mammals in our walk thru zoo area. *Meet our animal ambassadors throughout the park. *Feed Jerry, the giraffe, a carrot right out of your hand! *Interact with pygmy goats, llamas, and chickens in our petting zoo. *Roam our gift shop to find the perfect keepsake and discover exotic reptiles hidden within. Learn more: COLLECTIONS DirectionsTOP From Nashville/Jackson Take I-40 West towards Memphis to exit 79 towards Alamo (US 412 West). Drive 16 miles, property on left (Conley Rd) From Memphis Take I-40 East t to exit 79 West towards Nashville to exit 79 towards Alamo (US 412 West). Drive 16 miles, property on left (Conley Rd). From Dyersburg Take 412 East (22 miles), right on Conley Drive DisclaimerTOP No pets allowed (many of our animals are very sensitive to new animals and noise) No firearms, alcohol or illegal substances No harassment of animals. Provokers will be asked to leave without refund.

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NO outside animals allowed NO exceptions.